Historical eventMay 21889

Treaty of Wuchale

The Treaty of Wuchale was signed, ending the Italo-Ethiopian War, but differences in translation later led to another war.

Everything on May 2Original source

In context

When
Thursday, May 2 1889137 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
19th century · 1880s
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 1889-05-02.

Type: treaty.

What came before

Background Around the time the treaty was signed, European colonization was greatly expanding in Africa. Vast territories of Eritrea and Somalia, Ethiopian-bordering countries, were under Italian occupation. Italy desired to expand its territories by colonizing Ethiopia. Emperor Menelik II of Ethiopia was highly resistant to this and agreed to establish a treaty instead.

What happened

The Treaty of Wuchale was signed, ending the Italo-Ethiopian War, but differences in translation later led to another war.

May 2 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1889Treaty of Wuchale
  2. 2004Yelwa massacre
  3. 2008Cyclone Nargis
  4. 2008Chaitén (volcano)
  5. 2011Killing of Osama bin Laden
  6. 2011Osama bin Laden
  7. 2011Conservative Party of Canada
  8. 20112011 Germany E. coli O104:H4 outbreak
  9. 2012Pastel
  10. 20142014 Badakhshan mudslides
  11. 2014Russo-Ukrainian war

Also in 1889

  • May 11Wham Paymaster robberyBandits attacked a U.S. Army paymaster's escort in the Arizona Territory, stealing more than $28,000.
  • June 26BanguiBangui, the capital and largest city of the present-day Central African Republic, was founded in French Congo.
  • November 15Pedro II of BrazilBrazilian emperor Pedro II was overthrown in a coup led by Deodoro da Fonseca (pictured), while the country was proclaimed a republic.
  • January 8Herman HollerithAmerican statistician Herman Hollerith received a patent for his electromechanical tabulating machine for punched-card data.
  • August 241888–89 New Zealand Native football teamThe New Zealand Native football team, predominantly comprising Māori players, concluded their 107-game tour, the longest in rugby union h…
  • October 24Henry ParkesSir Henry Parkes, Premier of the Colony of New South Wales, gave a speech in which he called for the federation of the six Australian col…
  • June 29Hyde Park Township, IllinoisHyde Park and several other Illinois townships voted to be annexed by Chicago, forming the largest city by area in the United States and…
  • March 23Mirza Ghulam AhmadMirza Ghulam Ahmad founded the Ahmadiyya Islamic religious movement in British India.

Everything we record for 1889 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Treaty of Wuchale”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/treaty-of-wuchale-1889-may-2, accessed October 25, 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 Treaty of Wuchale happen?

May 2 1889 — 137 years ago, on a Thursday.

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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