1876, USA

In North America, cremation began in 1876, when Dr Julius Lemoine opened the first crematorium in the nation’s capital, Washington DC. Since then, the popularity of cremation as a method of burial in the United States of America (USA) has grown rapidly. This has been influenced by the Protestant Church’s decision to change the burial ceremony habits. The sanitary condition of cemeteries in the country was a major concern at the time.