1897 in the United Kingdom
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 1897 in the United Kingdom: |
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Events from the year 1897 in the United Kingdom.
Contents |
[edit] Events
- 22 May - The Blackwall Tunnel, at the time the longest underwater tunnel in the world, opened by the Prince of Wales.
[edit] Unknown dates
- Discovery of the electron by J. J. Thomson.
[edit] Monarchy
In 1897, Queen Victoria celebrated her ascension to the throne in 1837 with her Diamond Jubilee celebrations centered around London.
[edit] Military
- A British military force was ambushed by Chief Ologbosers, son-in-law of the Oba of Benin. In retaliation, Benin City was torched to the ground by British forces in the Punitive Expedition.
- According to some speculation, [attribution needed] 1897 was the year of commission for the HMS Thunder Child, the fictional ship featured in The War of the Worlds.
[edit] Literature
- The Anglo-Irish writer Oscar Wilde was released from prison.
- Irish-born writer Bram Stoker releases Dracula for the first time on May 18, which is set between Transylvania and Whitby in Yorkshire.
- Herbert George Wells completes drafting of The War of the Worlds and prepares it for finalising and publishing. His novel, The Invisible Man, is released in this year, as is The Crystal Egg.
- It is the 13th Anniversary since the publication of Britains' first comic book, Ally Sloper's Half Holiday.
[edit] Births
- March 25 — John Laurie, actor (died 1980)
- March 26 — David McCallum, Sr., violinist (died 1972)
- June 12 — Anthony Eden, Prime Minister (died 1977)
- July 29 — Neil Ritchie, general (died 1983)
- September 1 — Andy Kennedy, footballer (died 1963)
- November 9 — Ronald George Wreyford Norrish, chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (died 1978)
- November 15 — Sir Sacheverell Sitwell, 6th Baronet, writer (died 1988)
[edit] Deaths
- 12 January - Isaac Pitman, inventor of Pitman Shorthand (born 1813
- George Palmer biscuit manufacturer (born 1818)
- Charles John Vaughan (born 1816)
