World Events

Posted in 1901

  • Queen Victoria, reigned 1837-1901 Death of Queen Victoria, 22 January 1901; Edward VII becomes King.

Tuesday: 22 January 1901
We have just had very dreadful news, which I suppose reached you before us. I mean the death of our dear old Queen. She died at 6.30 this evening, and at 7.30 up here in Halifax boys were shouting the news in the street and selling papers. Isn't it a too dreadful thing. Nothing could describe the awful gloom over everything yesterday and today. ... I would give almost anything to be in London tonight - fancy hearing St Paul's tolling. The Queen's death will touch everything and everybody, and all things will be different. Every mortal thing here is put off, some postponed and some abandoned. This year will be absolutely dead in every way. I don't suppose a single thing will take place for months. I can't tell you how awestricken all England seems to be. Maisie, Her life in her letters from 1989 to 1902, 1992 p 374-6.

  • China signs Peace of Peking with foreign powers.
  • US President McKinley is assassinated.
  • Marconi transmits across the Atlantic the letter "S" in Morse code. The New York Times reported on 15 December:

"This evening Guglielmo Marconi announced the most extraordinary scientific conquest of our times."