The following events occurred in November 1901:
November 1, 1901 (Friday) Prince George, heir apparent to the British throne (and future King George V), the Duke of Cornwall and York, returned to the United Kingdom with his wife, disembarking at Portsmouth after a worldwide tour of the British Empire.The American Monthly Review of Reviews (December 1901) pp665-668"Few Cheers for Heir to Throne— Royal Welcome to Duke of Cornwall and York Lacks Popular Enthusiasm", Chicago Daily Tribune, November 2, 1901, p. 2 The Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity was founded, in Richmond, Virginia.
November 2, 1901 (Saturday) The Pan-American Exposition, marred by the assassination of U.S. President William McKinley and inadequate revenues, closed in Buffalo, New York. "At midnight," the press reported, "President John G. Milburn pressed an electric button and the lights in the famous electric tower grew dim for the last time. Slowly one by one, the lights on the post and pinnace and tower faded away. A corps of buglers standing in the tower sounded 'taps' and one of the greatest glories of the exposition, the electric illumination, passed and away and the exposition was ended.""Lights Out—— Pan American Exposition Gates Are Closed", Louisville Courier-Journal, November 3, 1901, p. 5 During its six-month run, the Exposition's losses were estimated at three million dollars."Riotous Scenes at Close of Fair", Chicago Sunday Tribune, November 3, 1901, p. 2 An assassin attempted to kill China's Dowager Empress, Tzu Hsi, as she and her entourage were making their journey through the Henan Province back to Beijing. One of the Empress's attendants killed the attacker with a spear, and the party continued onward the next day."Tries to Kill Empress— Assassin Attacks Chinese Dowager at Honan", Chicago Sunday Tribune, November 3, 1901, p. 5 The town of Elk Horn, Iowa, home of the Museum of Danish America and a center of American settlers from Denmark, was founded.Tom Savage, A Dictionary of Iowa Place-Names (University of Iowa Press, 2007) p. 80 Born: Magda Trocmé, Italian-born French humanitarian who, along with her husband Pastor André Trocmé, saved 3,500 Jewish refugees in Nazi-occupied France during World War II and one of the designated Righteous Among the Nations; in Firenze, as Magda Grilli di Cortona (d. 1971)
November 3, 1901 (Sunday) Motorcycle racing was introduced in Japan, with an event on an oval track at Ueno Park. The Columbus Panhandles professional football team, which would later be one of the founding members of the National Football League, played its first recorded game, losing to the Columbus Barracks, a team of local soldiers. The Panhandles lost, 6–2. Born: Leopold III of Belgium, son of King Albert and Queen Elisabeth of Belgium; in Brussels (d. 1983) André Malraux, French novelist and France's first Minister of Culture; in Créteil, Val-de-Marne département (d. 1976) Lionel Hitchman, Canadian ice hockey star; in Toronto (d. 1969) Akimoto Fujio, Japanese haiku poet, in Yokohama (d. 1977)
November 4, 1901 (Monday) The Philippine Commission, composed of five American officials and three Filipino members who served as the lawmaking body of the American occupied Philippine Islands, passed the Philippine Sedition Act, making it a crime to "utter seditious words or speeches, write, publish or circulate scurrilous libels" against the occupation government or the United States government. American author Mark Twain was one of the critics of the strict law, and wrote, "What is treason in one part of our States... is doubtless law everywhere under the flag," and added, "On these terms, I would rather be a traitor than an archangel." The Wandervogel, described by one historian as "the first independent youth movement", was founded in Germany by Karl Fischer and nine other young men, at a meeting in the basement of the Town Hall in Steglitz, a suburb of Berlin. The full name of the association was Wandervogel, Ausschuß für Schülerfahrten (Association for Student Excursions); the word Wandervogel itself literally means "wandering birds". The committee of the Aéro-Club de France, faced with a public outcry for denying the Deutsch Prize to Alberto Santos-Dumont, voted 12 to 9 to award him the prize of 100,000 francs for navigating an airship from Longchamps to the Eiffel Tower and back within 30 minutes. In October, Santos-Dumont had been denied the prize because he had arrived 30 minutes and 40 seconds after he departed. France's Chamber of Deputies voted, 305–77, to authorize the nation's navy to take action in pressing demands against the Ottoman Empire. King Edward of the United Kingdom was given a new title, Edward VII. Dei Gratia Britannorum et Terrarum Transarinarum Quae in Dicione Sunt Britannica Rex. Fidel Defensor. Indiae Imperator ("Edward the Seventh, by the grace of God, of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British dominions beyond the sea, King, defender of the faith, and Emperor of India"). Born: Max Wagner, Mexican-American film actor, in Torreón, state of Coahuila (d. 1975) Yi Bangja, the wife of former Crown Prince Uimin of Korea, pretender to the Korean throne; as Japanese Princess Masako Nashimoto, in Tokyo (d. 1989)
November 5, 1901 (Tuesday)
The British Cabinet voted in favor of the proposal by the Foreign Secretary, Lord Lansdowne, for an alliance between the United Kingdom and Japan.Ian Nish, The Anglo-Japanese Alliance: The Diplomacy of Two Island Empires, 1894–1907 (A&C Black, 2013) Poland's National Philharmonic Orchestra performed its first concert, with a program of music by Polish composers.Szu Ping Chan, Anthem Guide to the Opera, Concert Halls and Classical Music Venues of Europe (Anthem Press, 2009) p. 349 Seth Low, the President of Columbia University was elected as the second Mayor of New York City as a reform candidate, defeating Mayor Robert Van Wyck, who had been the first executive of the consolidated boroughs in 1898."Low and Fusion Win Big Victory in New York City", Chicago Daily Tribune, November 6, 1901, p1 With the defeat of Van Wyck, Democratic party boss Richard Croker announced his resignation as the leader of Tammany Hall control of city politics."Croker Is Out; Carroll Leads— Tammany Chief, Broken in Defeat, Says Another Must Take His Place", Chicago Daily Tribune, November 6, 1901, p3 Importing an event that was popular in Europe, the Automobile Club of New Jersey conducted the first automotive hill climb in the United States. The Eagle Rock Hill Climb took place in West Orange, New Jersey, with a race up the steep Eagle Rock Avenue.Joseph Fagan, Stories of West Orange (Arcadia Publishing, 2014) Nikola Tesla was granted U.S. Patent No. 685,957 for his invention, "Apparatus for the Utilization of Radiant Energy", which he described as a machine that could convert the sun's energy and turn it into electricity."Nikola Tesla U.S. Patent 685,957— Apparatus for the Utilization of Radiant Energy", TeslaUniverse.com The French Navy's Mediterranean Fleet seized three ports on the Turkish island of Midilli (now the Greek island of Lesbos), to be held until the government of the Ottoman Empire satisfied French debts."France Holds Turkish Port— Island of Mitylene in Grecian Archipelago Seized by Caillard's Fleet", Chicago Daily Tribune, November 6, 1901, p. 5 Police in St. Louis arrested American outlaw Ben Kilpatrick, a member of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch gang, for passing stolen bank notes. Because Kilpatrick initially refused to identify himself, the police thought at first that they had captured Harry Longabaugh, alias the Sundance Kid.Donna B. Ernst, The Sundance Kid: The Life of Harry Alonzo Longabaugh (University of Oklahoma Press, 2011) Voters in Berwyn and Oak Park, now both suburbs of Chicago, voted to separate from Cicero Township and to become independent cities.Douglas Deuchler, Images of America: Berwyn (Arcadia Publishing, 2005) The vote in Berwyn was 1,237 to 298 in favor of separation, and was 1,357 to 250 in Oak Park."Division Wins in Cicero— Oak Park and Berwyn Voted out by Big Majority", Chicago Daily Tribune, November 6, 1901, p. 7 Born: Etta Moten Barnett, African-American contralto vocalist known for her portrayal of Bess in Porgy and Bess; in Weimar, Texas (d. 2004) Victor C. Twitty, American embryologist and biologist; near Loogootee, Indiana (d. 1967)
November 6, 1901 (Wednesday) The United Kingdom and Brazil signed a treaty agreeing to arbitration to establish the boundary between northern Brazil and British Guiana (now Guyana). The King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, would render his decision on June 6, 1904, and, after agreeing to correct inaccuracies in the award, the nations would sign a treaty on April 22, 1926, to set the boundary along Essequibo River and the Courantyne River.Beatriz Garcia, The Amazon from an International Law Perspective (Cambridge University Press, 2011) pp. 56-57 At the Pan-American Conference, Guatemala introduced its draft plan for an international Court of Claims for the nations of the Western Hemisphere."Plan for Pan-American Court", Chicago Daily Tribune, November 7, 1901, p2 The municipality of Norris City, Illinois, was incorporated. Born: Richard Aaron, Welsh philosopher; in Seven Sisters (Blaendulais), West Glamorgan, Wales (d. 1987) Juanita Hall, American stage and film actress known for her Tony Award-winning performance in South Pacific; in Keyport, New Jersey (d. 1968) Died: Kate Greenaway, 55, English illustrator of children's books, died of breast cancer (b. 1846) "Kate Greenaway Dead— Creator of Type of Pictures Bearing Her Name Dies", Chicago Daily Tribune, November 8, 1901, p. 2
November 7, 1901 (Thursday) Twenty-six federal inmates, who had been working on construction of the new prison at Leavenworth, Kansas, overpowered their guards and escaped. Correctional Officer Joseph B. Waldrupe of the Federal Bureau of Prisons was shot and mortally wounded during the escape. He would die of his injuries on November 16. Mexico introduced a proposed arbitration treaty at the Pan-American Conference, modeled after the Hague Treaty signed by European states. Born: Norah McGuinness, Irish painter and illustrator; in County Londonderry (d. 1980) Died: Li Hongzhang, 78, Chinese general (b. 1823)
November 8, 1901 (Friday) The Ottoman Empire government yielded on French demands, prompting the French Navy to withdraw from blockading Turkish ports. Born: Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, General Secretary of the Romanian Communist Party (1955–1965), President of Romania (1961–1965), and Prime Minister (1952–1955); in Bârlad (d. 1965) Field Marshal Xu Xiangqian, Chinese military leader, Chief of Staff of the People's Liberation Army who served as Minister of National Defense of China (1978–1981); in Wutai, Shanxi Province (d. 1990) Mark Oliphant, Australian nuclear physicist who later served as Governor of South Australia (1971–1976), in Kent Town, South Australia (d. 2000) Albert Streckeisen, Swiss-born Romanian geologist; in Basel (d. 1998) Died: Mary Ann Bickerdyke, 84, American nurse, veterans advocate and humanitarian who established hundreds of field hospitals for Union Army soldiers during the American Civil War (b. 1817)"Death of Mrs. Bickerdyke; Famous as an Army Nurse", Chicago Daily Tribune, November 9, 1901, p. 4
November 9, 1901 (Saturday) Prince George, Duke of York, son of King Edward and heir apparent to the British throne, was named Prince of Wales and received the additional designation of Earl of Chester.Alison Weir, Britain's Royal Families: The Complete Genealogy (Random House, 2011) p. 320"Duke Is Prince of Wales— King Edward Confers New Title and Rank Upon the Heir Apparent to the Crown", Chicago Sunday Tribune, November 10, 1901, p. 2 He would become King George V on May 6, 1910, upon the death of his father.