Historical eventSeptember 171878

Natal–Zululand border incident

A British surveyor was detained by the Zulu on the border with the Colony of Natal; a demand for reparations for the incident formed part of an ultimatum that led to the Anglo-Zulu War.

Everything on September 17Original source

In context

When
Tuesday, September 17 1878148 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1870s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Russia, Greece and some other countries used the Julian calendar into the early 20th century, so local records may show a date up to 13 days earlier.

At a glance

Dates: From 1878.

What happened

A British surveyor was detained by the Zulu on the border with the Colony of Natal; a demand for reparations for the incident formed part of an ultimatum that led to the Anglo-Zulu War.

September 17 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1878Natal–Zululand border incident
  2. 2006Őszöd speech
  3. 2006Fourpeaked Mountain
  4. 2008Al-Qaeda in Yemen
  5. 2011Adbusters
  6. 2011Occupy Wall Street
  7. 2013Grand Theft Auto V
  8. 20162016 New York and New Jersey bombings
  9. 2018Israeli Air Force
  10. 2018Syria missile strikes (September 2018)
  11. 2025Strategic Mutual Defence Agreement

Also in 1878

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  • October 7Death and state funeral of Mindon MinThe state funeral of Mindon Min (pictured), who ruled Myanmar for 25 years, took place; his death was reportedly preceded by strange omen…
  • June 2Karl NobilingAnarchist Karl Nobiling attempted to assassinate German Emperor Wilhelm I.
  • June 15Eadweard MuybridgeEadweard Muybridge took a series of photographs to prove that all four feet of a horse leave the ground when it gallops (animation pictur…
  • May 2Great Mill DisasterA dust explosion (depicted) at the world's largest flour mill in Minneapolis resulted in 18 deaths.
  • September 1Emma NuttEmma Nutt becomes the world's first female telephone operator when she is recruited by Alexander Graham Bell to the Boston Telephone Disp…
  • February 18Lincoln County, New MexicoCompetition between two American merchants in Lincoln County, New Mexico Territory, turned into a range war when a member of one faction…

Everything we record for 1878 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Natal–Zululand border incident”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/natal-zululand-border-incident-1878-september-17, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Natal–Zululand border incident happen?

September 17 1878 — 148 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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