Historical eventMay 111889

Wham Paymaster robbery

Bandits attacked a U.S. Army paymaster's escort in the Arizona Territory, stealing more than $28,000.

In context

When
Saturday, May 11 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.

What happened

Bandits attacked a U.S. Army paymaster's escort in the Arizona Territory, stealing more than $28,000.

May 11 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1889Wham Paymaster robbery
  2. 20112011 Lorca earthquake
  3. 2011Istanbul Convention
  4. 20132013 Reyhanlı car bombings
  5. 2014Kinshasa
  6. 201611 May 2016 Baghdad bombings
  7. 2022Tatmadaw
  8. 2022Myanmar civil war (2021–present)
  9. 2022Shireen Abu Akleh
  10. 2024May 2024 solar storms
  11. 2024Eurovision Song Contest 2024

Also in 1889

  • 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.
  • May 2Treaty of WuchaleThe Treaty of Wuchale was signed, ending the Italo-Ethiopian War, but differences in translation later led to another war.
  • 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

“Wham Paymaster robbery”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/wham-paymaster-robbery-1889-may-11, 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 Wham Paymaster robbery happen?

May 11 1889 — 137 years ago, on a Saturday.

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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