January 2
January 2
Author Stephen Crane’s boat sinks
On January 2, 1897, American writer Stephen Crane survives the sinking of The Commodore off the coast of Florida. He will turn the harrowing adventure into his classic short story…
A Year In History: 1897
This Year in History:
1897
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
April 19
April 19
First Boston Marathon held
On April 19, 1897, John J. McDermott of New York won the first Boston Marathon with a time of 2:55:10. The Boston Marathon was the brainchild of Boston Athletic Association…
April 30
April 30
British physicist J.J. Thomson announces the discovery of electrons
On April 30, 1897, British physicist J.J. Thomson announced his discovery that atoms were made up of smaller components. This finding revolutionized the way scientists thought about the atom and…
May 19
May 19
Poet and playwright Oscar Wilde is released after two years in prison
On May 19, 1897, writer Oscar Wilde is released from jail after two years of hard labor. His experiences in prison were the basis for his last work, The Ballad…
May 26
May 26
“Dracula” goes on sale in London
The first copies of the classic vampire novel Dracula, by Irish writer Bram Stoker, appear in London bookshops on May 26, 1897. A childhood invalid, Stoker grew up to become…
July 25
July 25
Jack London sails for the Klondike
Jack London leaves for the Klondike to join the gold rush, where he will write his first successful stories. London was born in San Francisco in 1876. His father, an…
August 21
August 21
Olds Motor Works founded
Ransom Eli Olds of Lansing, Michigan, founds Olds Motors Works—which will later become Oldsmobile—on August 21, 1897. Born in Geneva, Ohio, in 1864, Olds went to work for his family’s…
August 31
August 31
Thomas Edison patents the Kinetograph
Thomas Edison receives a patent for his movie camera, the Kinetograph. Edison had developed the camera and its viewer in the early 1890s and staged several demonstrations. The camera was…
September 10
September 10
First drunk driving arrest
On September 10, 1897, a 25‑year‑old London taxi driver named George Smith becomes the first person ever arrested for drunk driving after slamming his cab into a building. Smith later…
