Kimigayo is the national anthem of Japan and has the oldest lyrics of any national anthem, taken from a short waka poem from the Heian period that wishes for a long reign. The melody was composed in 1880 by court musicians, with the German bandmaster Franz Eckert arranging it in a Western style, and it was used for ceremonies of the Meiji state. It was used at schools and state occasions before 1945 and became a source of controversy after the war because of its association with imperial rule and militarism. A law of 1999 confirmed it as the national anthem, together with the flag, but its use in schools is still debated.
Before and after
- 4 June 1880Introduction of Bulgarian lev
- 27 June 1880Birth of Helen Keller
- 6 October 1880Founding of University of Southern California
- 15 October 1880Construction of Cologne Cathedral
- 26 October 1880Kimigayo
- 1 November 1880Birth of Alfred Wegener
- from 20 December 1880 to 23 March 1881First Boer War
- 31 December 1880Birth of George Marshall
- 1881Launch of Los Angeles Times
More in Art, literature & culture
- 10 August 1793Construction of Louvre Museum
- 17 November 1869Construction of Suez Canal
- 1886Statue of Liberty
- 31 March 1889Construction of Eiffel Tower
- 1894Radio
- c. 1900sRise of modernism
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.