Between 1894 and 1896, the Hamidian Massacres of Christian Armenians resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths as the Sultan Abdul Hamid II reasserted Islam as the state ideology. Targeting all ages, the murders were especially brutal.
Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani attempts to re-write the constitution but a Committee of Safety, led by American businessmen, place the queen under arrest and overthrew the Hawaiian monarchy.
The Second Irish Home Rule Bill passes in British Commons, but is defeated in House of Lords.
Abu Dhabi becomes a British Protectorate, protecting the English trade route to India. The construction of the world’s longest rail line begins: the Trans-Siberian Railway, connecting Moscow with China.
Grover Cleveland wins a second term: his is the only non-consecutive presidential election.
After the Hawaiian regent David Kalakaua dies, his sister Liliuokalani is proclaimed Queen of Hawaii. Her attempts draft a new Constitution and extend voting rights led to her overthrow by the U.S. within two years.
Java Man, considered the “missing link” between apes and humans is discovered by Eugene Dubois.
Queen Victoria celebrates her Golden Jubilee, marking her 50th year on the throne, with a banquet to which 50 kings and princes are invited. These might have included her son-in-law, the German Emperor Frederick, her son who would become Edward VII of her United Kingdom, and another son-in-law, Louis IV, Grand Duke of Hesse.
The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, is dedicated in New York Harbor by President Glover Cleveland. The excitement of the New York City celebration led to the first ticker-tape parade.
Haymarket riot further contributed to the creation of an 8-hour day for workers and inspired the present-day International May Day celebrations.
