The world in
What happened in 1897?
20 events across 7 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Greco-Turkish War of 1897In 1897, the Kingdom of Greece and the Ottoman Empire fought a war over the status of Crete. Greece was defeated; a peace treaty in December forced Greece to pay reparations and cede parts of Thessaly, while Ottoman troops withdrew from Crete. Crete became an international protectorate and gained autonomy the following year.
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.
Completion of the Teatro Massimo Vittorio EmanueleThe Teatro Massimo Vittorio Emanuele was completed on Piazza Verdi in Palermo, Italy. Dedicated to King Victor Emmanuel II, it is the largest opera house in Italy and one of the largest in Europe, renowned for its perfect acoustics.
Completion of the Presidential Mansion in AthensThe Presidential Mansion in Athens was completed in the late 19th century, originally serving as the Royal Palace before becoming the official residence of the president following the abolition of the monarchy by referendum in 1974.
Site of the Roman BathsA well-preserved ancient Roman public bath complex in the city of Bath, England. Its construction and development are closely linked to a temple and the settlement of Aquae Sulis in Roman Britain. It is a major historical and cultural site in the United Kingdom.
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.
Founding of the Brooklyn MuseumAround the late 19th century, the Brooklyn Museum was founded in the borough of Brooklyn, New York City, as a comprehensive art and history museum. Its Beaux-Arts building was designed by McKim, Mead & White, housing a collection of roughly 500,000 to 1.5 million objects, making it one of the largest museums in the city.
Completion of the Parthenon Replica in NashvilleIn 1897, a full-scale replica of the ancient Greek Parthenon was completed in Nashville, Tennessee, as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition.
East Asia
Founding of Kyoto Imperial UniversityIn 1897, Japan established its second imperial university, Kyoto Imperial University, in Kyoto, the predecessor of today's Kyoto University. The founding of this university marked a crucial step in expanding Japan's higher education system beyond Tokyo, bringing a top-tier academic institution to the Kansai region.
Establishment of Zhejiang UniversityZhejiang University is a public research university in Hangzhou, China, under the administration of the Ministry of Education. It is part of the C9 League, Project 211, Project 985, and Double First-Class Construction.
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.
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 ↗
- 1897 Assam earthquake
On 12 June 1897, a severe earthquake struck Assam, India. It caused over 1,500 deaths and catastrophic damage to buildings and infrastructure. Tremors were felt as far as Ahmedabad and Peshawar, and dozens of buildings were severely damaged in Calcutta. Seiches were observed in Burma.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Battle of SaragarhiOn 12 September 1897, the British Indian outpost of Saragarhi on the North-West Frontier was attacked by thousands of Afghan tribesmen. The 21 Sikh soldiers inside refused to surrender and were all killed in a last stand. The battle became a celebrated event in British Indian military history and is commemorated annually by the Sikh Regiment.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
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.
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.
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 ↗
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 ↗
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 ↗
Around 1897
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