The second modern Olympics takes place in Paris. Events include angling, cannon shooting, life saving, pigeon racing, fire fighting and ballooning.
The Boxer Rebellion in China escalates into a full-blown war between China and a coalition of western forces
The Boer War continues, with heavy losses on both sides, and the expansion of concentration camps
William McKinley is re-elected President of the USA, with Theodore Roosevelt serving as Vice President
At least 200 are killed in the Scofield Mine Disaster in Utah
Two-thirds of Hull, Quebec, is destroyed in a fire
The Galveston Hurricane kills 6,000 – 12,000 people, making it the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history.
Prohibition campaigner Carrie Nation begins her campaign of bar-smashing