References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 June 28.

1902 January 1 Nathan Stubblefield makes first public demonstration of radio, Pennsylvania. [1] January 9 Gustaaf Rolin-Jaequemyns Belgian lawyer/Interior minister, dies at age 66. [1] January 10 Alphons Diepenbrock's "Te Deum" premieres (Amsterdam). [1] January 11 Popular Mechanics magazine is first published. [5] January 13 Textile workers strike in Enschede Netherlands till June 1. [1] January 14 Cato M Guldberg Norwegian mathematician, dies at age 65. [1] January 17 Gideon Scheepers South African Boer leader, executed. [1] January 18 Filippo Marchetti composer, dies at age 70. [1] January 24 Denmark sells Virgin Islands to USA. [1] January 25 Aleksandr Skriabin's second Symphony in C premieres in Saint Petersburg. [1] January 27 Five workers killed on explosion during IRT subway construction (New York City New York). [1] January 28 Carnegie Institute founded in Washington DC. [1] February 1 China's empress Tzu-hsi forbids binding woman's feet. [1] Hermann Sudermanns "Es lebe das Leben" premieres in Berlin. [1] Salomon Jaoassohn composer, dies at age 70. [1] February 2 Emanuil Mandlov composer, dies at age 42. [1] February 3 Isaac Fransen van der Putten Dutch Prime Minister (1866), dies. [1] February 6 Young Women's Hebrew Association organized in New York City, New York. [1] February 10 J N Krieger German Selenographer, dies. [1] February 11 Police beats up universal suffrage demonstrators in Brussels. [1] February 15 Underground railway (U-Bahn). [1] Wilhelmina JR Albregt-Engelman Dutch actress, dies at age 68. [1] February 18 The opera "Le Jongleur (Hunchback) de Notre Dame" is produced (Monte Carlo). [1] February 20 Heavy surf breaks over Seal Rocks and damages Sutro Baths, San Francisco. [1] February 21 Dr Harvey Cushing, first US brain surgeon, does his first brain operation. [1] February 23 Samuel R Gardiner British historian (Oliver Cromwell), dies at age 72. [1] February 24 Battle at Yzer Spruit Boer General De la Rey beats British. [1] February 25 Carl Ignaz Franz Umlauf composer, dies at age 77. [1] February 28 Jules Massenets opera premieres in Monte Carlo. [1] March 3 Isaac D France van de Putte Dutch premier (1866), dies at age 79. [1] March 4 American Automobile Association (AAA) founded in Chicago. [1] March 6 Census Bureau forms. [1] March 7 Boers beat British troop in Tweebosch Transvaal. [1] March 8 First performance of Jean Sibelius' second Symphony. [1] March 9 Composer Gustav Mahler marries Alma Schindler in Vienna. [1] March 10 Earthquake destroys Turkish city of Tochangri. [1] March 12 John Peter Altgeld German/US Governor of Illinois, dies at age 54. [1] March 17 George William Warren composer, dies at age 73. [1] March 18 Enrico Caruso becomes first well-known performer to make a record. [1] Schönberg's "Verklärte Nacht" premieres in Vienna. [1] March 23 Kálmán Tisza premier of Hungary (1875-90), dies at age 71. [1] March 25 Irving W Colburn patents sheet glass drawing machine. [1] March 26 Cecil Rhodes Prime Minister of Cape Colony (1890-96) dies at age 48. [1] March 28 27.9 cm precipitation at McMinnville Tennessee (state record). [1] April 2 First motion picture theater opens (Los Angeles CA). [1] April 4 Cecil Rhodes scholarship fund established with $10 million. [1] April 5 Maurice Ravel's "Pavane pour une infante defunte", premieres in Paris France. [1] April 7 Texas Oil Company (Texaco) forms. [1] April 8 Sipyagain Russian minister of interior/headed Secret Service, assassinated. [1] April 11 Battle at Rooiwal, South Africa. [1] Hendrik Potgieter South African Boer General, dies in battle. [1] April 13 JC Penney opens his first store in Kemmerer Wyoming. [1] April 14 Marie and Pierre Curie isolate the radioactive element radium. [1] April 15 Pope Leo XIII encyclical "On the Church in the US". [1] April 18 Denmark is first country to adopt fingerprinting to identify criminals. [1] April 20 Marie and Pierre Curie isolate radioactive element radium. [1] April 27 Julius Sterling Morton who started Arbor Day, dies at age 72. [1] April 30 Debussy's opera "Pelléas et Mélissande", premieres in Paris France. [1] May 1 John Glover English chemist (production sulfuric acid), dies at age 85. [1] May 2 The first science fiction film, "A Trip To The Moon", is released. [1] May 3 David R Capriles Curaçaos director of psychiatric, dies at age 64. [1] May 5 Bret Harte writer, dies at age 65. [1] May 6 British SS Camorta sinks off Rangoon; 739 die. [1] Zulu assault at Holkrantz South Africa. [1] May 7 Soufriere volcano on Saint Vincent kills 2-5,000. [1] May 8 Mount Pelée erupts, wipes out Saint Pierre, Martinique, kills 30,000. [1] May 15 Lyman Gilmore is first person to fly a powered craft. [1] Portugal bankrupt by revolt in Angola. [1] May 19 Great Britain and Boers resume peace talks in Pretoria. [1] May 20 US military occupation of Cuba (since January 1, 1899) ends. [1] May 24 Empire Day first celebrated in Britain. [1] May 27 Jan van Droogenbroeck Flemish poet, dies. [1] May 29 Dutch State Mine law forms. [1] May 31 Boer War Ends; Treaty of Vereeniging signed, Britain annexes Transvaal. [1] June 2 Second statewide initiative and referendum law adopted, in Oregon. [1] June 9 First Automat restaurant opens (818 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia). [1] June 10 Patent for window envelope granted to H.F. Callahan. [1] June 15 Justin Clark of Corsicana, Texas minors hits 8 home runs in one game. [1] June 26 England establishes Order of Merit. [1] M Wolf and L Carnera discovers asteroid #488 Kreusa. [1] June 28 US Congress authorizes Louisiana Purchase Expo $1 gold coin. [1] June 30 S I Bailey discovers asteroid #504 Cora. [1] July 9 L Carnera discovers asteroid #487 Venetia. [1] August 9 Edward VII of England crowned after death of his mother Victoria. [1] August 22 President Teddy Roosevelt became first US chief executive to ride in a car. [1] August 31 Split skirt first worn by Mrs Adolph Landeburg (horse rider). [1] September 29 Impresario David Belasco opened his first Broadway theater. [1] December 5 Henry Stephen Cutler composer, dies at age 78. [1] December 7 Thomas Nast political cartoonist, dies. [1] December 8 Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr became Associate Justice on Supreme Court. [1] December 11 Matthias Hohner German manufacturer (harmonica), dies at age 68. [1] December 14 The Commercial Pacific Cable Company lays the first Pacific telegraph cable, from Ocean Beach, San Francisco to Honolulu, Hawaii. [5] December 17 Frank Wedekind's "Der Erdgeist" premieres in Berlin. [1] December 22 Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing psychiatrist, dies at age 62. [1] December 25 Clyde Fitch' "Girl with Green Eyes" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] December 26 Most knock downs in a fight, Oscar Nelson (5) and Christy Williams (42). [1] December 28 Trans-Pacific cable links Hawaii to US. [1] December 31 Boers and British army sign peace treaty. [1]