Five men gathered in Chicago on October 7, 1891, to form an organization to serve the nation’s coin hobbyists. They called it the American Numismatic Association. One of the men was Dr. George Heath, a physician from Monroe, Michigan, who is credited with being the founder of the new association.

In other events of 1891:

• A coal mine explosion killed 109 workers in Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania.
• Britain was linked to the European continent by telephone.
• George A. Hormel & Company introduced Spam.
• Russia expelled Jews from Moscow.
• Thomas Edison patented the motion picture camera.James Naismith, a Can
• adian-American sports coach, developed the game of basketball while teaching at the International YMCA Training School – now Springfield College – in Massachusetts. Students at the school played the first basketball game in December 1891.
• A train called the Empire State Express made the trip from New York City to East Buffalo, New York, a distance of 436 miles, in the record time of 7 hours and 6 minutes – an average of more than 60 miles an hour.

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