The world in
What happened in 1899?
23 events across 8 world regions, each with its sources.
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.
San Francisco State University foundedIn 1899, San Francisco State University was established as a public normal school in San Francisco, California, under the name San Francisco State Normal School. It later became part of the California State University system and one of the oldest public universities in the state.
Completion of the New York State CapitolThe New York State Capitol was completed in Albany in 1899 at a cost of US$25 million, making it the most expensive government building of its time. It houses the New York State Legislature and was later declared a National Historic Landmark in 1979.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: This image or media was taken or created by Matt H. Wade . To see his entire portfolio, click here . @ thatmattwade This / CC BY 3.0 ↗
Completion of the Park Row BuildingIn 1899, the Park Row Building in Manhattan's Financial District was completed. At 31 stories and 119 meters tall, it was the world's tallest skyscraper, designed by R. H. Robertson. About 4,000 people worked there, including tenants like the Associated Press. The building exemplified early steel-frame construction and was later converted to luxury apartments.
Founding of Hollywood CemeteryIn 1899, Hollywood Cemetery (later renamed Hollywood Forever Cemetery) was founded in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. It later became one of the oldest cemeteries in Los Angeles and the resting place of many American entertainment celebrities.
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 Boer WarFrom 1899 to 1902, the British Empire fought the South African Republic and the Orange Free State for influence in Southern Africa, continuing from the First Boer War; the British ultimately won.
Second Boer WarThe Second Boer War was a conflict that began in 1899 between the United Kingdom and the two Boer republics in South Africa, and lasted until 1902.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Siege of MafekingDuring the Second Boer War, British forces were besieged by Boer troops in the town of Mafeking, South Africa, from October 1899 to May 1900, lasting 217 days. The British commander, Robert Baden-Powell, emerged as a national hero.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Photo by J. Angus Hamilton, Our Special Correspondent with Major-General Baden-Powell / Public domain ↗
Battle of MagersfonteinOn 11 December 1899, during the Second Boer War, Boer forces defeated British troops attempting to relieve the siege of Kimberley at Magersfontein. The Boers, entrenched in the hills, repelled the British advance led by Lord Methuen. This battle was the second of the 'Black Week' defeats.
Europe
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.
%20(7882268852).jpg?width=176)
Formation of the Darmstadt Artists' Colony on MathildenhöheAround the turn of the 20th century, a group of Jugendstil artists lived and worked together on Mathildenhöhe in Darmstadt under the patronage of Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig of Hesse, forming an artists' colony. The ensemble was later inscribed as a World Heritage site in 2021.
SourcesUNESCO World Heritage listing ↗Wikipedia ↗Image: Jean-Pierre Dalbéra from Paris, France / CC BY 2.0 ↗
Founding of Penaty EstateIn 1899, Russian painter Ilya Repin founded the Penaty Estate on the Karelian Isthmus near Saint Petersburg as his late residence. He created many notable works there until his death in 1930. The estate later became a memorial house museum.
Founding of Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic UniversityPeter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University was founded in Saint Petersburg, Russia, at the end of the 19th century. A public technical university, it has undergone several name changes. It houses advanced research labs, notably in hydro-aerodynamics. Alumni include Nobel laureates.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Екатерина Борисова / CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗
East Asia
Boxer RebellionIn the final years of the Qing dynasty, the popular movement known as the Boxers swept North China, violently targeting foreign missionaries and Chinese Christians under an anti-foreign banner. Beginning in 1899, the uprising ultimately drew in the Eight-Nation Alliance of foreign powers, which defeated it by 1901.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Stereo copyrighted 1901 by Whiting View Company / 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.
Central & South America
Banana WarsBetween 1898 and 1934, the United States carried out a series of military occupations, police actions, and interventions in Central America and the Caribbean. These operations were primarily conducted by the United States Marine Corps, which compiled the Small Wars Manual (1921) based on its experiences.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: A. R. Harrison, United States Marine Corps / Public domain ↗
%20(14775597324).jpg?width=176)
Acre WarThe Acre War was a border conflict between Bolivia and the First Brazilian Republic over the resource‑rich Acre region, noted for rubber and gold. Fought in two phases from 1899 to 1903, it ended with a Brazilian victory and the 1903 Treaty of Petrópolis, which ceded Acre to Brazil. The outcome also affected territories and border issues involving Peru.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Internet Archive Book Images / No restrictions ↗
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.
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 ↗
West Asia
Juma Mosque built on a fire-worshippers' temple site in BakuThe Juma Mosque in Baku was built in the 12th century on the site of a fire-worshippers' temple.
Around 1899
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