Timeline July 1871

Events in July 1871 2

• 1871 Diamond rush begins at Kimberley Major diamond deposit discovered in South Africa Prospectors discovered a rich diamond deposit at Colesberg Kopje in what became Kimberley, South Africa, triggering a major diamond rush. The site developed into the Kimberley Big Hole, one of the largest hand-dug excavations in the world. The rush laid the groundwork for the diamond industry later dominated by De Beers.
• 1871 British Columbia joins Canada Pacific colony becomes Canada's sixth province British Columbia entered Confederation as the sixth province of Canada, after the federal government promised to build a transcontinental railway connecting it to the rest of the country. The agreement extended Canadian territory to the Pacific coast. The promised Canadian Pacific Railway was completed in 1885.