On November 5th, 1895 the completed Carnegie Institute, which included the Carnegie Library, the Art Gallery, the Science Museum and the Music Hall, was dedicated with ceremonies and a weekend filled with concerts at the Carnegie Music Hall.

Explore the timeline, archives and more on our 125th Anniversary website.

The more I learned about Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh’s beginnings, the more I wondered what else was happening in the country and the world back in 1895.  So, I started to dig. Here are a few interesting things that happened in 1895.

The United States President was Grover Cleveland. He was serving his second term. His first was from 1885-1889 and his second was from 1893-1897.

George Herman “Babe” Ruth, a famous baseball player, was born in 1895. He grew up to dominate the Major League in home runs and was the first player to hit 60 home runs in a season.

Frederick Douglass, a civil rights advocate, author, public speaker and leader in the abolitionist movement passed away in 1895 at the age of 78.

Winston Churchill traveled to Cuba as a war correspondent to observe the Spanish fight with the Cuban guerrillas.

It’s amazing to think of how many changes have occurred in the last 125 years. It’s also fascinating to reflect on where we came from and what was happening back in 1895. To dig deeper into our history and learn more about those happenings, check out these titles and more from the Library.

You can sign up for a free library card here. If you are new to our eResources, check out these tutorial videos on how to get started.

Looking for a good book, album, movie or TV show? We’re happy to recommend them to you! Use this Personalized Recommendations form to send us some information about what you like and we’ll curate a list just for you.

If you have any additional questions, you can contact a librarian through Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. You can also call us at 412.622.3114 or email us at info@carnegielibrary.org.