• A Nor'easter strikes Boston on New Year's Day,
slowing down the loading of ships in the harbor. The city was caught off-guard
because the Weather Bureau was closed for the holidays. (Northeast/US)
• Storms batter the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains.
Californian rivers rise causing mud slides in Siskiyou County that wash out
railroad tracks. The San Francisco Examiner reports that tides are the highest
in memory. Harbor ships are driven onto mudflats, while the schooner Kodiak
loses its bow when it collides with another vessel.
(Southwest/US)
• William J. Witt and Anna Waddilove of Jersey City, NJ are the first
recorded married couple of 1900. Ceremony takes place at Liederkrantz Hall at
one minute after midnight, January 1, 1900. (Northeast/US)
• Great Britain establishes the British Protectorate of Northern
Nigeria. Sir F.D. Lugard is named High Commissioner. (Europe)
• Owing directly to the US's commercial expansion into foreign markets, San
Francisco's population reaches 350,000 including a significant immigrant
population. (Southwest/US)
• Disturbed by US military involvement in the Philippines, Andrew
Carnegie and William Jennings Bryan emerge as vocal opponents of what they see
as US imperialism. (Asia)
• The Mexico City Electric Vehicle Company begins service with a ceremony
attended by Mexican president Diaz. (North America)
• The US House of Representatives takes up the case of Utah
Congressman, Robert Brigham, an avowed polygamist. Brigham, a Mormon, had three
wives and fifteen children. He would eventually be expelled from the House by a
vote of 268 to 50. Polygamy was officially prohibited by the Mormon Church in
1890. (Southwest/US)
• In Chicago, seven US cities agree to form the American Association of
Baseball Clubs, which would later become known as the American League. The
American League teams hailed from Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Chicago,
Detroit, Milwaukee, and St. Louis. (Northeast, Midwest/US)
• In South Africa, the Boer War continues as Frederick Sleigh Roberts
replaces Sir Redvers Henry Buller as Commander-in-Chief of British military
forces. (Africa)
• V.I. Lenin emigrates to Switzerland and begins a five-year exile
from Russia. (Europe, Asia)
• Republican incumbent William Taylor and Democratic contender William
Goebel battle for the governorship of Kentucky. A highly suspect
election resulted with both Taylor and Goebel claiming the State House. With
the state assembly charged with deciding the winner, Taylor barricaded himself
in the State House, protected by an armed militia. Attempting to confront the
militia, Goebel was shot. As he hovered near death, the state assembly finally
declared him the rightful winner of Kentucky's governorship. Goebel did not
live to serve out his term and was succeeded by his lieutenant governor.
(Midwest/US)
• Dry goods salesman, A.P. Hurst of New York tells the Indianapolis
Journal that "the shirtwaist will be with us more than ever this summer. Women
are wearing shirtwaists because they can be made to fit any form, and because
they are mannish. Sleeves will be smaller, but not tight."
(Northeast/US)
• German Kaiser, Wilhelm II, proclaims his intention to build up the German
navy so that "the German Empire may also be in a position to win the place it
has not yet attained."(Europe)
• The electric bus makes its debut along New York's Fifth Avenue.
Bus fare was 5 cents. (Northeast/US)
• In response to large numbers of immigrants flooding into the
Alaskan Territory in search of gold, President McKinley assigns Col. George M.
Randall, 8th US Infantry to command an army division there. The move was made
to prevent lawlessness from taking over the region as the number of gold
speculators increases. (Northwest/US)
• The disputed election of a tax collector in San Francisco results
in a riot and leads to the shooting of one man. Shots were fired as tax
collector-elect Scott was taking his oath. John O' Brien, an assistant of
Scott's, was wounded by Charles E. Droad, a deputy of candidate Sheehan, the
man who lost the election. Sheehan protested Scott's election, saying Scott had
not resided in San Francisco for the required 5 years. (Southwest/US)
• Sioux Indian Chief Spotted Tail dies in Paris. He was one of the best
known of the war chiefs of the Sioux tribe. He played a considerable role in
the Native American uprisings of 1876, which led to the massacre of General
Custer and his troops. (Europe/Southwest/US)
• Residents of El Paso, Texas pay 25 cents admission to witness the
execution of a prisoner. The proceeds were delivered to the man's widow.
(Southwest/US)
• Russia's Minister of Finance announced that Russia's gold
reserve was diminished over the last year by more than 24 million rubles.
(Europe, Asia)
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