The world in
What happened in 1896?
22 events across 8 world regions, each with its sources.
Sub-Saharan Africa
- Atrocities in the Congo Free State
Between 1885 and 1908, in the Congo Free State under the personal rule of King Leopold II of Belgium, colonial administrators enforced harsh labour policies to collect natural rubber, resulting in widespread atrocities. These, combined with disease, famine, and displacement, led to a sharp decline in the Congolese population, estimated in the millions to tens of millions.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Battle of AdwaOn 1 March 1896, in the climactic battle of the First Italo-Ethiopian War, the Ethiopian Empire under Menelik II defeated Italian colonial forces led by Oreste Baratieri. The victory ended the war and secured Ethiopia’s independence.
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Founding of the University of the WitwatersrandThe University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, was established in the late 19th century as a public research university. It is renowned for its academic and research excellence, particularly its journalism school, which has close ties with Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Samuella99 / Copyrighted free use ↗
- Signing of the Treaty of Addis Ababa
On 26 October 1896, Ethiopia and Italy signed the Treaty of Addis Ababa, formally ending the First Italo-Ethiopian War. The treaty abrogated the Treaty of Wuchale, with Italy recognizing Ethiopia as an independent country and delineating the border with Eritrea. The agreement confirmed the decisive Ethiopian victory at the Battle of Adwa and secured Ethiopian sovereignty.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Second Matabele WarBetween 1896 and 1897, the British South Africa Company fought the Matabele and later the Shona in what is now Zimbabwe. The Company ultimately prevailed.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Drawn by Frank Dadd. R.I. (died 1929) / Public domain ↗
Jameson RaidOver the New Year weekend of 1895–1896, British colonial administrator Jameson led about 500 British South Africa Company police in an invasion of the South African Republic from Rhodesia, intending to incite an uprising among British expatriates in the Transvaal, but the raid failed.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
East Asia
Founding of Nanyang Public School, predecessor of Shanghai Jiao Tong UniversityNanyang Public School, the predecessor of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, was founded in Shanghai in 1896, one of the earliest public universities in modern China.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: This illustration was made by Peter Potrowl . Please credit this with : © Peter Potrowl in the immediate vicinity of the / CC BY 3.0 ↗
Founding of Sichuan Chinese and Western SchoolIn 1896, Sichuan Governor Lu Chuanlin established the Sichuan Chinese and Western School in Chengdu, marking the beginning of modern higher education in Southwest China and later evolving into Sichuan University.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: User zh:User:本本一世 on zh.wikipedia / Public domain ↗
1887 Yellow River floodIn 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.
Kowloon MosqueThe Kowloon Mosque is located at Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon, Hong Kong. It is the largest mosque in Hong Kong, capable of accommodating around 3,500 people and holding five daily prayers.
Europe
- Signing of the Li–Lobanov Treaty
On June 3, 1896, the Qing Empire and the Russian Empire signed the Li–Lobanov Treaty (also known as the Sino-Russian Secret Treaty) in Moscow. The treaty was signed by Viceroy Li Hongzhang on behalf of Qing China and Foreign Minister Alexey Lobanov-Rostovsky on behalf of Russia. It was a secret and unequal military alliance stipulating mutual assistance if Japan attacked either party's territories in Asia. The treaty's contents were not made public until 1922, intensifying anti-foreign sentiment in China and contributing to the Boxer Uprising of 1900.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
The Dreyfus affair breaks outThe Dreyfus affair was a major political scandal in France in the late 19th century. It began in 1894 when Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jewish officer, was wrongly convicted of treason. This caused deep divisions in French society between Dreyfusards who believed in his innocence and anti-Dreyfusards. Émile Zola's open letter in 1898 was a turning point. The affair lasted until 1906 and had a profound political impact.
Construction of Heroes' Square in BudapestHeroes' Square was built in Budapest, Hungary. Located at the end of Andrássy Avenue next to City Park, it features the Millennium Monument with statues of the Seven Chieftains of the Magyars and other national leaders, as well as the Memorial Stone of Heroes. The square later became a significant venue in contemporary Hungarian history, hosting many political events.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: User:Sveter (Please credit as "Petr Šmerkl, Wikipedia" in case you use this outside WMF projects.) / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
Completion of Pont MirabeauPont Mirabeau was completed over the Seine in Paris in the late 19th century. This iron arch bridge was named after the French revolutionary Mirabeau. It was built between 1893 and 1896 and later designated a French historical monument in the 1970s.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Guilhem Vellut from Paris, France / CC BY 2.0 ↗
North Africa
Mahdist WarThe 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.
First Italo-Ethiopian WarFrom 1895 to 1896, the Kingdom of Italy invaded the Ethiopian Empire for colonial expansion, sparked by disputes over the Treaty of Wuchale. After initial Italian successes, Emperor Menelik II led a large Ethiopian army to a decisive victory at the Battle of Adwa, forcing the Italians to retreat into Eritrea. The war ended with the Treaty of Addis Ababa. This early major victory of an African force over a European colonial power became a symbol of pan-Africanism and secured Ethiopia's sovereignty.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Ethiopia_Italia_war.JPG : * Mekele_1896.jpg : Unknown but died more than 70 years ago In_Vista_Di_Massaua.jpg : Unknown / Public domain ↗
French conquest of AlgeriaBetween 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.
North America
Klondike Gold RushFrom 1896 to 1899, about 100,000 prospectors headed to the Klondike in Yukon, northwestern Canada. Gold was found on August 16, 1896; when news reached San Francisco the next year (spurring a rush), migration surged. The route and cold proved harsh: only about 30,000–40,000 arrived, and roughly 4,000 found gold. In 1899, discovery at Nome, Alaska drew many away, marking the rush’s end.
Outbreak of the Caste War of YucatánIn 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.
Oceania
Philippine RevolutionFrom 1896 to 1898, the Philippine revolutionary organization Katipunan waged a war of independence against Spanish colonial rule. The revolution began in August 1896 under the leadership of Andrés Bonifacio, later led by Emilio Aguinaldo. In 1897, the revolutionaries signed the Pact of Biak-na-Bato with Spain, after which Aguinaldo went into exile in Hong Kong, though hostilities never ceased. In 1898, Philippine revolutionaries declared independence, but it was not recognized by Spain, which sold the islands to the United States in the Treaty of Paris.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Desconocido (pertenece a la misma sesión de fotos que File:Los defensores de Baler en Barcelona (septiembre de 1899, La / Public domain ↗
South Asia
Outbreak of the Aceh WarIn 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 ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Central & South America
Inauguration of the Amazon TheatreOn December 31, 1896, the Amazon Theatre was inaugurated in Manaus, Brazil, becoming a cultural landmark of the city. Situated in the heart of the Amazon rainforest, the opera house later became the venue for the annual Festival Amazonas de Ópera and the home of the Amazonas Philharmonic Orchestra, hosting operas, choirs, and concerts.
Around 1896
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