The world in
What happened in 1893?
18 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
- Completion of the Hoek van 't IJ Lighthouse
A lighthouse was completed at Hoek van 't IJ near Amsterdam to guide vessels navigating the IJ. It is located in the province of North Holland and remains active.
- Inauguration of the Olympia
The Olympia, Paris's oldest operating music hall, was inaugurated on Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement, later becoming a renowned venue.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica
In 1893, the Italian state founded the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica in Rome, a museum dedicated to older paintings, mainly pre-1800, and holding no antiquities. It was initially housed in Palazzo Corsini and later, from the 1950s, also occupied Palazzo Barberini.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Opening of GUM in Moscow
In the late 19th century, a large department store later known as GUM opened next to Red Square in Moscow. It was the main department store in many Soviet cities, and similarly named stores still operate in some former Soviet republics.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of Maxim's restaurant
Maxim's restaurant was founded in 1893 on Rue Royale in Paris, known for its Art Nouveau interior decor and later became one of the most famous restaurants in the city.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- World's Columbian Exposition opens in Chicago
The World's Columbian Exposition, held in Chicago from May to October 1893, celebrated the 400th anniversary of Columbus's arrival in the New World. Staged in Jackson Park, its centerpiece was a large water pool symbolizing Columbus's voyage. Chicago won the bid over New York and Washington, and the fair profoundly influenced American architecture, arts, industrial optimism, and Chicago's image.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Outbreak of the Caste War of Yucatán
In 1847, the Indigenous Maya people of the Yucatán Peninsula launched an armed revolt against the Hispanic population, known as the Caste War. The uprising stemmed from the latter's political and economic dominance since the Spanish conquest in the 16th century, and it is considered one of the most successful modern Native American revolts. The conflict primarily unfolded between government forces in the northwest and independent Maya groups in the southeast, lasting nearly five decades.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Founding of the Field Museum of Natural History
In 1893, the Field Museum of Natural History was founded in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the largest natural history museums in the world, renowned for its extensive collections and educational programs.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Inauguration of Château Frontenac
The Château Frontenac hotel was inaugurated in 1893 in Quebec City, Canada. Designed by New York architect Bruce Price and built by the Canadian Pacific Railway, it was one of a series of château-style hotels. Today, it is a prominent landmark in Old Quebec and a National Historic Site of Canada.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North Africa
- Mahdist War
The Mahdist War (1881–1899) was a colonial conflict between the Mahdist Sudanese, led by Muhammad Ahmad who proclaimed himself the Mahdi, and the forces of Egypt and later Britain. Beginning in 1881, the Mahdists overthrew Egyptian rule in Sudan and established a Mahdist state. The British later joined the conflict alongside Egypt, eventually defeating the Mahdists. The war involved other powers such as Italy, the Congo Free State, Ethiopia, and France, and was marked by internal rebellions and famine.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- French conquest of Algeria
Between 1830 and 1904, France launched a military invasion and prolonged war of conquest in Algeria. In June 1830, French forces landed near Algiers, quickly seizing the capital and coastal areas. Over the following decades, despite internal political strife, France repeatedly reinforced its military presence to suppress resistance in the interior, gradually extending control southward into the Sahara, and finalizing its colonial borders by 1904.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
South Asia
- Outbreak of the Aceh War
In early 1873, discussions between representatives of the Aceh Sultanate and the United States in Singapore provoked the Netherlands, leading to a Dutch military attack on Aceh and the start of the Aceh War. The conflict was part of a series of late 19th-century wars that consolidated Dutch rule over modern-day Indonesia, ultimately ending in 1904 with the Dutch annexation of Aceh and control over the entire Indonesian archipelago. The war lasted over three decades, resulting in around 4,000 Dutch and 25,000 Acehnese deaths.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Franco-Siamese crisis of 1893
In 1893, a military conflict broke out between the French Third Republic and the Kingdom of Siam. Auguste Pavie, French vice-consul in Luang Prabang, actively furthered French interests in Laos, exploiting weak local control and incursions by Vietnamese rebels, which heightened tensions. Following the war, Siam ceded Laos to France, expanding French Indochina.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
East Asia
- Self-Strengthening Movement Begins
Qing officials launched the Self-Strengthening Movement in 1861, aiming to strengthen China by adopting Western military technology. Though lasting until 1895, its beginning marked the start of modern industrialization and military modernization in China.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- 1887 Yellow River flood
In late September 1887, a massive breach of the Yellow River occurred near Zhengzhou, Henan, China, killing at least 930,000 people. It was one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history and the most fatal flood in Chinese history.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Sub-Saharan Africa
- First Matabele War
Between 1893 and 1894, the British South Africa Company fought the Ndebele Kingdom in present-day Zimbabwe. The war led to the dissolution of the Ndebele Kingdom and the occupation of Matabeleland by the British South Africa Company.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
- Second Franco-Dahomean War
The war between France and the Kingdom of Dahomey began in 1892 and lasted until 1894. French forces under General Dodds defeated King Béhanzin's army and captured the capital. The kingdom was annexed and incorporated into French West Africa.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Oceania
- Overthrow of the Hawaiian Kingdom
On January 17, 1893, the Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown in a coup d'état led by the Committee of Safety, composed of foreign-born and Hawaiian-born residents in Honolulu, with support from U.S. Marines. The monarchy of Queen Lili'uokalani was ended, and an independent Republic of Hawaii was established, with the ultimate goal of annexation to the United States, achieved in 1898.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Around 1893
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Second Industrial Revolution
- Emergence of the Enlightenment
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Museum Island construction begins
- Completion of Dom Pedro V Theatre
- Establishment of Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Industrial Heritage
- Construction of Hôtel Solvay begins
- Founding of Kulangsu as an International Settlement