Apr 3, 1888
Assault of Emma Elizabeth Smith
Emma Smith was sexually assaulted and robbed by a gang near the junction of Osborn Street and Brick Lane, dying the next day from peritonitis caused by the attack. She was included in the broader Whitechapel Murders file but is not generally regarded as a Jack the Ripper victim.
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1:30 AM
Emma Smith is attacked by two or three men, one described as a teenager.
4:00-5:00 AM
She manages to return to her lodging house at 18 George Street, Spitalfields, and is taken to the London Hospital.
Aug 7, 1888
Murder of Martha Tabram
Martha Tabram (also known as Martha Turner) was stabbed 39 times in a frenzy, potentially with two different weapons. Some historians discuss her as a possible early Ripper victim, but her inclusion in the canonical series remains disputed.
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11:45 PM (Aug 6)
Tabram separates from her friend, 'Pearly Poll,' going into George Yard with a soldier.
4:50 AM
Her body is discovered on a first-floor landing of George Yard Buildings by a resident, John Saunders Reeves.
Aug 31, 1888
Murder of Mary Ann Nichols
Mary Ann 'Polly' Nichols, 43, is considered the first canonical victim. Her throat was slit twice, and her abdomen was partially ripped open by a deep, jagged wound.
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3:40 AM
The body of Mary Ann Nichols is discovered by cart driver Charles Cross in Buck's Row.
Sep 8, 1888
Murder of Annie Chapman
Annie Chapman, 47, was found with her throat cut. Her abdomen was entirely laid open, and her uterus had been removed.
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6:00 AM
The body of Annie Chapman is discovered in the backyard of 29 Hanbury Street.
Sep 27, 1888
The 'Dear Boss' Letter Received
The Central News Agency receives a letter, dated September 25, signed 'Jack the Ripper'. This is the first time the name is used. The author taunts the police and promises to 'clip the lady's ears off'.
Sep 30, 1888
The 'Double Event': Murder of Elizabeth Stride
Elizabeth Stride, 44, was found with her throat cut but with no other mutilations. It is believed the killer was interrupted during the attack by the cart of Louis Diemschutz.
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1:00 AM
Louis Diemschutz discovers the body of Elizabeth Stride in Dutfield's Yard.
Sep 30, 1888
The 'Double Event': Murder of Catherine Eddowes
Less than an hour after Stride's murder, Catherine Eddowes, 46, was found dead. Her throat was slit, and she was severely mutilated, with her left kidney and a major part of her uterus removed.
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1:45 AM
PC Edward Watkins discovers the body of Catherine Eddowes in Mitre Square.
2:55 AM
A piece of Eddowes' blood-stained apron is found in a doorway on Goulston Street along with the 'Juwes' graffiti.
Oct 1, 1888
The 'Saucy Jacky' Postcard Received
A postcard, postmarked and received the day after the 'Double Event', also signed 'Jack the Ripper'. It refers to the murders and taunts the police for not catching him.
Oct 16, 1888
The 'From Hell' Letter Received
George Lusk, head of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee, receives a letter and a small box containing half of a preserved human kidney, allegedly taken from Catherine Eddowes.
Nov 9, 1888
Murder of Mary Jane Kelly
Mary Jane Kelly, around 25, was the final canonical victim. She was murdered indoors, allowing the killer an extended period of time for the most extensive mutilation of the series.
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10:45 AM
The landlord's assistant, Thomas Bowyer, discovers the horrific scene at 13 Miller's Court after peering through a broken window pane to check on her outstanding rent.
Feb 23, 1894
The Macnaghten Memorandum Written
Sir Melville Macnaghten, Assistant Chief Constable of the Metropolitan Police, writes an internal memorandum listing three suspects: Montague John Druitt, Aaron Kosminski, and Michael Ostrog. This document heavily influenced the major Ripper theories for decades.
Jan 13, 2025
Demand for New Inquest based on Shawl DNA
Descendants of Catherine Eddowes and suspect Aaron Kosminski supported a legal application for a new inquest into Eddowes's death, citing DNA analysis of a shawl said to be associated with the case. The shawl evidence and the resulting identification claims remain heavily disputed.