Narcissa Matilda (Martin) (1836 - 1916)

Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Narcissa's lifetime.

In 1836, in the year that Narcissa Matilda (Martin) was born, on June 15th, Arkansas was the 25th state admitted into the United States of America - and the 13th slave state in the Union. Originally part of the Louisiana Purchase, the area became the Territory of Arkansas in 1819 and the Territory immediately began the process of expelling native Americans to west of the Mississippi.

In 1878, at the age of 42 years old, Narcissa was alive when in Africa, the death of the last confirmed Cape lion occurred. The Cape lion was slightly larger than other lions and had black ears, a black mane, and black hair on its belly.

In 1888, Narcissa was 52 years old when on August 7th, the body of a prostitute was found in the Whitechapel section of London. Martha Tabram had been stabbed 39 times - a possible but not confirmed victim of Jack the Ripper. On August 31st, the body of Mary Ann Nichols was found - stabbed and mutilated. On September 8th, the body of Annie Chapman was found - throat slit and disemboweled. On September 30th, Elizabeth Stride, also a prostitute in Whitechapel, was found dead from a slit throat. Within an hour, another body was discovered - Catherine Eddowes'. She was far more savagely murdered and it is thought that the Ripper had more time with her. Then, on November 9th, the body of prostitute Mary Jane Kelly was found in a boarding room in Whitechapel. Considered to be the probable fifth, and last, of Jack the Ripper's victims, Kelly's was the most savage of his murders.

In 1897, at the age of 61 years old, Narcissa was alive when on July 17th, the Klondike Gold Rush began when the first successful prospectors returned to Seattle after mining in the Yukon. They arrived on the ships Excelsior and Portland, bringing vast quantities of gold - over $32,000,000 in today's money - and everyone rushed to become rich in the Yukon.

In 1916, in the year of Narcissa Matilda (Martin)'s passing, in June, the U.S. Congress authorized a plan to expand the armed forces over the next five years. Called the National Defense Act of 1916, the national law expanded the National Guard and Army (the Army added an aviation unit), created the Reserves, and gave the President expanded authority to federalize the National Guard. It also allowed the government to stockpile, in advance, materiel to be used in wartime.