Vaudeville is introduced in Boston.

(Sept.) [1889] B.F. Keith and E.F. Albee produce the shows at the Bijou Theatre at today’s 545 Washington Street. The first vaudeville performances in the U.S., the live, family-oriented, variety shows are performed continuously in the theater for changing audiences and go on to feature such stars as George M. Cohan, W.C. Fields, and Harry Houdini. Keith is reputed to have chosen “vaudeville” (French for “comic song”) to give the entertainment form a more high-class tone. The popularity of the form prompts Keith and Albee to build a string of vaudeville theaters across the country.