The world in
What happened in 1902?
14 events across 8 world regions, each with its sources.
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.
Opening of the Swiss Federal PalaceThe Swiss Federal Palace opened on 1 April 1902 in Bern to house the Swiss Federal Assembly. Designed by Hans Auer, the building cost approximately 7.2 million Swiss francs. Considered one of the most important historic buildings in Switzerland, it is listed in the Swiss Inventory of Cultural Assets of National Importance.
Construction of the Petit PalaisIn 1902, the Petit Palais in Paris was completed. Designed by architect Charles Girault, it was originally built for the 1900 Exposition Universelle and later housed the Museum of Fine Arts of the City of Paris. The building partly occupies the site of the former Palais de l'Industrie, demolished in 1896. It was later listed as a historical monument.
Landwasser Viaduct openedThe Landwasser Viaduct opened in 1902 in Graubünden, Switzerland, built for the Rhaetian Railway. It is a single-track, curved limestone bridge crossing the Landwasser River between Schmitten and Filisur. As part of the Albula line, its engineering and integration with the landscape mark it as a railway landmark.
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.
Signing of the Treaty of VereenigingOn 31 May 1902, the Treaty of Vereeniging was signed at Melrose House in Pretoria, ending the Second Boer War. The South African Republic and the Orange Free State accepted British rule, though with certain compromises.
North Africa
Founding of Gordon Memorial CollegeGordon Memorial College, the predecessor of the University of Khartoum, was founded in 1902.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Petr Adam Dohnálek / CC BY-SA 3.0 cz ↗
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.
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 ↗
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
Founding of Yerevan Railway StationThe first railway line serving Yerevan, the capital of Armenia, was completed, connecting the city to Gyumri and to Tbilisi, the capital of Georgia. Yerevan railway station thereby became the principal rail hub of the city.
East Asia
Baoding Military Academy foundedIn 1902, the Baoding Military Academy was founded on the basis of the earlier Qing dynasty military academy in the eastern suburbs of Baoding, Zhili Province. It trained a generation of military officers during the late Qing and early Republic of China periods, and its graduates played prominent roles in the political and military history of the Republic.
North America
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Completion of the Flatiron BuildingCompleted in 1902 in Manhattan, New York, the Flatiron Building stands at the triangular intersection of Fifth Avenue and Broadway. This 22-story, 93.6-meter steel-framed skyscraper was designed by Daniel Burnham and Frederick P. Dinkelberg, and is considered an early icon of skyscraper design. Its name derives from its distinctive triangular shape, resembling a cast-iron clothes iron.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Imelenchon (original work) / Public domain ↗
Around 1902
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.
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins
- Construction of the Historic Monuments of Dengfeng in 'The Centre of Heaven and Earth'
- Establishment of the Ancient Building Complex in the Wudang Mountains