- January 25
- At the Premier Mine in Pretoria, South Africa, a 3,106-carat diamond is discovered by mining superintendent Frederick Wells. Weighing 1.33 pounds, and christened the "Cullinan", it is the largest diamond ever found. [129]
- January 26
- At Premier Mine in Transvaal, South Africa, a mine worker extracts a large diamond, weighing 3106 carats (0.62kg), world record size. The diamond is naed Cullinan, for mine owner Thomas Cullinan. [983.42]
- January 27
- Maurice Rouvier forms government in France. [1]
- January 31
- First auto to exceed 100 mph (161 kph), driven by A G MacDonald, at Daytona Beach, Florida, USA. [1]
- Carroll Wright is appointed first US Commissioner of Labor. [1]
- February 1
- Hungarian premier Tisza resigns. [1]
- February 7
- Dominican Republic signs treaty turning over customs collection to USA. [1]
- Oklahoma admitted to statehood of USA. [1]
- February 8
- Cyclone hits Tahiti and adjacent islands, killing some 10,000 people. [1]
- February 11
- Pope Pius X publishes encyclical Vehementer nos. [1]
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- February 16
- First US Esperanto club organizes in Boston, Massachusetts. [1]
- February 17
- Serge Alexandrovich, Governor-General of Moscow, is murdered. [1]
- February 23
- Rotary Club International established by four men in Chicago, Illinois, USA. [1]
- February 24
- Simplon tunnel in Switzerland is completed. [1]
- February 25
- Netherlands Workers van Vakverenigingen, (NVV) political party forms. [1]
- March 4
- Theodore Roosevelt begins second term in office as US President. [450.78]
- March 10
- Japanese Army captures Mukden (Shenyang). [1]
- March 28
- Paramaribo-Dam railway opens in Suriname; never used. [1]
- April 1
- British East African Protectorate becomes colony of Kenya. [1]
- April 2
- Cairo, Egypt, to Capetown, South Africa, railway opens. [1]
- April 4
- Earthquake in Kangra, India, kills 370,000. [1]
- April 12
- French Dufaux brothers test helicopter. [1]
- April 20
- A typhoon hits the Caroline Islands, causing immense damage to trees, buildings, birds, fish. 12 people killed, 2 ships sunk. [1255.734]
- April 25
- Whites win right to vote in South Africa. [1]
- April 27
- World Exposition opens in Liège, Belgium. [1]
- May 19
- Italian King Victor Emmanuel and Swiss President open world's longest railroad tunnel (Simplon), linking Iselle Italy and Brig Switzerland. [1]
- May 22
- Royal Academy in Delft Holland becomes Technical High School. [1]
- May 26
- A pogrom against Jews in Minsk, Belorussia. [1]
- May 27
- In Tsushima Strait, Japanese Navy sinks and damages most of Russian Baltic fleet. [1] [1142.39]
- May 28
- Russian battleship Admiral Nakhimov is sunk in Japanese waters 6 miles from Sushima Island between Japan and Korea, carrying 16 platinum bars, 48 gold bars, and 5000 pounds of British gold coins. [669.45]
- May 29
- Pogrom against Jewish community in Brisk, Lithuania. [1]
- June 7
- In a session of the Norwegian parliament, a unanimous vote proclaims that "the union with Sweden under one king is dissolved in consequence of the king's ceasing to function as king of Norway". The storting authorizes the Norwegian Council to take over control of the government. [1] [7]
- June 11
- Pennsylvania Railroad debuts fastest train in world (New York-Chicago in 18 hours). [1]
- June 28
- Russian sailors mutiny aboard the battleship Potemkin. [1]
- August 13
- Norwegians hold a referendum on independence. An overwhelming majority favor it. [7]
- September 1
- Alberta and Saskatchewan become 8th and 9th Canadian provinces. [1]
- September 5
- Treaty of Portsmouth ends Russian-Japanese War; about 85,000 dead Japanese, 45,000 Russian. [1] [1142.39]
- September 22
- Race riot in Atlanta, Georgia, USA; 10 blacks and two whites killed. [1]
- September 27
- First published blues composition goes on sale, WC Handy Memphis Blues. [1]
- October 5
- Wilbur Wright pilots Wright Flyer III 24 miles in 39 minutes. [5]
- October 20
- Great General Strike in Russia begins; lasts 11 days. [1]
- October 26
- First Soviet (workers' council) formed, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. [1]
- By the Karlstad Convention, the Union of Norway and Sweden is formally dissolved. King Oskar renounces the Norwegian throne, and declines to elect a prince of his to the throne. [7]
- October 30
- October Manifesto: Russian Tsar Nicholas II grants civil liberties. [1]
- November 18
- Prince Carl of Denmark becomes King Haakon VII of Norway. [1]
- November 23
- Henry Watson Furness, an Indiana physician, named minister of Haiti. [1]
- December 4
- British government of Arthur James Balfour resigns. [1]
- December 5
- Henry Campbell-Bannerman (Liberal) becomes Prime Minister of England. [1]
- December 9
- French National Assembly votes for separation of church and state. [1]
- December 11
- 120 degrees F (49 degrees C), Rivadavia, Argentina (South American record). [1]
- British government of Campbell-Bannerman forms. [1]
- December 16
- Variety magazine, covering all phases of show business, is first published. [1] [457]
- December 29
- General Ramón Cáceres becomes new President of the Dominican Republic. [1263.437]
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