1873 - 1897

Bank in Winterthur increases its capital to CHF 15 million, but is soon after faced with the effects of a major economic crisis.

"Black Friday" occurs on 9 May, triggering a severe inter-national economic depression in Europe and the U.S. that lasts beyond 1879.

The first jeans are manufactured.

Alexander Graham Bell is granted a patent for an invention called the telephone.

The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club begins its first lawn tennis tournament at Wimbledon.

Founded by Charles Cabot Jackson and Laurence Curtis, both members of the Boston Stock Exchange, the firm of Jackson & Curtis opens ("to conduct a business of brokerage and banking") at 24 Congress Street, Boston.

Using a filament of carbonized thread, Thomas Edison tests the first practical electric light bulb (it lasts 13½ hours before burning out).

Founded by William A. Paine and Wallace C. Webber, Paine & Webber opens for business at 48 Congress Street, Boston with total capital of USD 24,089.31, contributed in roughly equal amounts by each of the partners. The firm later (Link to 2000) merges with Jackson & Curtis.

Werner von Siemens builds the first electric elevator.

Basler Bankverein is financially and personally linked with the construction of the Gotthard railway.

Toggenburger Bank opens a fulltime branch in St. Gallen. From then on, the center of activities of the bank gradually shifts to that city in Eastern Switzerland.

The 15km long Gotthard railway tunnel in the Alps is opened.

The Edison Electronic Illuminating Company is founded by inventor Thomas Alva Edison.

A steam turbine supplies New York City with electric power for the first time.

Alexander Graham Bell builds the first dictaphone, a wax cylinder dictation machine.

Carl Friedrich Benz invents the gasoline-powered car.

Bank in Winterthur participates as a partner in the company for building the Simplon tunnel. Construction of the first tube of this alpine railway tunnel commences in 1898.

As the 19th century comes to a close, the population of the city of Zurich reaches 150,000, becoming Switzerland's largest city.

The first Coca-Cola is created and sold by Civil War veteran John Pemberton.

The Zürcher Bankverein (Link to 1896), with a initial share capital of 8 million CHF and located at Bahnhofstrasse in Zurich, is established by three banks that had co-founded the Basler Bankverein, the Bank in Winterthur and two German Banks.

The main symbol of the Paris World Fair is the newly opened Eiffel Tower.

Herman Hollerith invents the punch card tabulating machine.

Charles H. Paine pays USD 36,000 for a seat on the New York Stock Exchange.

Karl Elsener registers his invention of the Swiss Army knife.

G.A. Phillips & Co is founded, later becoming Phillips & Drew (Link to 1986) in 1905.

A successful year of mergers and acquisitions: First, Basler Bankverein and Zürcher Bankverein merge followed, in turn, by their merger with Schweizerische Unionbank in Sankt Gallen. With the subsequent acquisition of Basler Depositen-Bank in 1897 the bank changes its name to Schweizerischer Bankverein (Swiss Bank Corporation - SBC, Société de Banque Suisses - SBS, Società di Banca Svizzera - SBS).

Basler Handelsbank and Siemens Halske AG Berlin establish Schweizerische Gesellschaft für elektrische Industrie (INDELEC) in Basel with a share capital of 10 million CHF. The entity finances new hydroelectric power stations in Switzerland (Wynau – Berne), Europe and Mexico. It also drives the electrification of major towns, including Paris, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Riga, Lodz and Baku.

Paine Webber & Co.'s first underwriting success establishes the firm as a copper and mining specialist.

First Olympic Games of the modern era.

The Wall Street Journal starts publishing the Dow Jones industrial and rail stock averages on 1 January. It includes 20 rail and 12 industrial companies.

Felix Hoffmann produces a stable form of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin).

Wilhelm Röntgen discovers a type of radiation later known as X-rays.