What Happened in 1899

Churchill Acts As War Correspondent During the Second Boer War

In 1899, Winston Churchill headed to South Africa as a newspaper correspondent for the Morning Post to cover the Boer War between British and Dutch... Read more

Bayer Company Trademarked Hoffman's Discovery Under the Name "Aspirin"

In 1899, Bayer Company trademarked Hoffman's discovery under the name "Aspirin." Today it is believed that over a trillion tablets of aspirin have... Read more

Winston Churchill Publishes 'The River War'

..there are many people in England, and perhaps elsewhere, who seem to be unable to contemplate military operations for clear political objects,... Read more

The Philadelphia Negro is Published

The Philadelphia Negro is a sociological study of the African American people of Philadelphia written by W.E.B. Du Bois. Comissioned by the... Read more

Tesla moves to research facility in Colorado Springs

In 1899, Tesla decided to move and began research in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he would have room for his high-voltage, high-frequency... Read more

Kate Chopin Publishes "The Awakening"

The Awakening is a novel by Kate Chopin, first published in 1899 (see 1899 in literature). Set in New Orleans and the Southern Louisiana coast at... Read more

James Drummond Dole comes to Hawaii

James Drummond Dole come to Hawaii, fresh out of Harvard's School of Horticulture and Agriculture with a love of farming and a desire to set up a... Read more

Gandhi Organizes an Indian Ambulance Corps of 1100 Men During His Service in the Boer War

At the onset of the South African War, Gandhi argued that Indians must support the war effort in order to legitimize their claims to full... Read more

Al Capone Born

Alphonse Gabriel Capone was born in Garden City, New York to Gabriel (December 12, 1864 – November 14, 1920) and Teresina Capone (December 28, 1867... Read more

Wake Island Is Annexed By The United States

Wake Island was annexed as empty territory by the United States on January 17, 1899. In 1935, Pan American Airways constructed a small village,... Read more

Montreal Victorias win Stanley Cup

Montreal received another challenge from the MHA's Winnipeg Victorias. This time, it was decided that they would play a two-game total goals series... Read more

Mount Rainier National Park Created

President William McKinley signed legislation creating Mount Rainier National Park in central Washington. The nearly 365-square-mile area of... Read more

Montreal Shamrocks win Stanley Cup

The Montreal Shamrocks changed their name from the Montreal Crystals prior to the 1895-96 season as they became affiliated with the Shamrock AAA.... Read more

August Anheuser Busch Jr. Is Born

Brewing magnate August Anheuser Busch Jr. was born March 28, 1899, in St. Louis, Missouri. Scion of the famous brewing family, Busch served as... Read more

Billy Bitzer Films Professor Leonidas And His Troupe Of Dogs And Cats In The Film Stealing A Dinner

Cameraman G. W. "Billy" Bitzer filmed Professor Leonidas and his troupe of dogs and cats in the film short Stealing a Dinner on April 28, 1899. The... Read more

Duke Ellington Is Born

Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington, often said to be America's greatest composer, bandleader, and recording artist, was born on April 29, 1899 in... Read more

Annual Parade of "New York's Finest" Is Filmed

The annual parade of "New York's Finest" was filmed on June 1, 1899, in Union Square. At the turn of the century, the New York City Police... Read more

Philippine-American War

The Philippine–American War, sometimes known as the Philippine War of Independence (1899–1902) was an armed military conflict between the... Read more

Ernest Hemingway Is Born

Ernest Hemingway, born in Oak Park, Illinois, started his career as a writer in a newspaper office in Kansas City at the age of seventeen. After... Read more

Alfred Hitchcock Born

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was an English film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller... Read more

Henry Bliss is the First Person Killed in a Motor Vehicle Accident in the United States

H. H. Bliss, a real estate dealer, with offices at 41 Wall Street, and living at 235 West Seventy-fifth Street, was run over last night at Central... Read more

Albert Ruger Dies

Pioneering panoramic map artist Albert Ruger died on November 12, 1899 in Akron, Ohio. Ruger was born in Prussia and emigrated to the United States... Read more