Rudolf Diesel

Rudolf Diesel's first working diesel engine ran for one minute.

In context

When: Saturday, February 17 1894132 years ago
Category: Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era: 19th century · 1890s
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.

Dates: From 1894.

Rudolf Diesel's first working diesel engine ran for one minute.

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

May 11Pullman CompanyIn response to a 28-percent wage cut, 4,000 Pullman Palace Car Company workers went on strike in Illinois, bringing rail traffic west of…
November 21First Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War: After capturing the Chinese city of Port Arthur, the Japanese army began a massacre of the city's soldiers and c…
July 22Jules-Albert de DionJules-Albert de Dion finished first in the world's first motor race, but did not win as his steam-powered car was against the rules.
February 12Ère des attentatsÈre des attentats: In one of the first acts of modern terrorism, Émile Henry threw a bomb into Café Terminus in Paris, France, killing on…
September 1Great Hinckley FireOver 400 people die in the Great Hinckley Fire, a forest fire in Hinckley, Minnesota.
June 6Davis Hanson WaiteGovernor Davis Hanson Waite ordered the Colorado state militia to protect and support miners engaged in a five-month strike in Cripple Cr…
April 30Coxey's ArmyA crowd of workers, unemployed due to the Panic of 1893, concluded the first significant popular protest march on Washington D.C.
June 30Tower BridgeTower Bridge (pictured), a combined bascule and suspension bridge over the River Thames in London, was inaugurated.

“Rudolf Diesel”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/rudolf-diesel-1894-february-17, accessed October 28, 2026.

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

February 17 1894 — 132 years ago, on a Saturday.

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

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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