also celebrating 125th anniversaries

Dr. Thelma Thompson, center, with
Dr. & Mrs. Herman Franklin

The University of Maryland Eastern Shore, which celebrated the 125th anniversary of its founding in 2011, shares the same “birth year” with these enduring institutions and symbols of American life:

Metropolitan United Methodist Church in Princess Anne laid its cornerstone six days after the school opened.

In October 1886, Pierre Lorillard IV wore a new style of evening coat to a formal ball he designed himself.  He dubbed the tailless black jacket the tuxedo in honor of Tuxedo Park, N.Y., the site of the social function.

The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland.

The first glass of a Coca-Cola was sold (for five cents) at a downtown Atlanta pharmacy.

The California Perfume Co, which eventually became Avon, began offering women financial independence by hiring them to go door-to-door to sell its aromatic products.

Richard W. Sears started a watch company in Minneapolis that evolved into Sears Roebuck  & Co.

Sunoco got its start when Joseph Newton Pew and Edward O. Emerson paid $4,500 for two oil leases near Lima, Ohio.

Gottlieb Daimler was credited with inventing the first motorized carriage and inventor Karl Benz was recognized for creating the first complete automobile, the Benz Patent Motor Car.

The Punxsutawney (Pa.) Spirit newspaper declared Feb. 2, 1886 as a day of unique celebration that endures as “Groundhog Day.”

The Daily Times newspaper in nearby Salisbury, Md. began publishing.

   
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