WHAT HAPPENED IN 1897.
Look what happened the 1897.

Elva Zona Heaster is found dead in Greenbrier County, West Virginia. The resulting murder trial of her husband is perhaps the only case in United States history where the alleged testimony of a ghost helped secure a conviction. (23. January 1897)

Shinhan Bank, the oldest bank in South Korea, opens in Seoul. (1. February 1897)

The Greco-Turkish War breaks out. (3. February 1897)

Greco-Turkish War: The first full-scale battle takes place when the Greek expeditionary force in Crete defeats a 4,000-strong Ottoman force at Livadeia. (7. February 1897)

Queen Ranavalona III, the last monarch of Madagascar, is deposed by a French military force. (28. February 1897)

San Diego State University is founded. (13. March 1897)

The Aurora, Texas UFO incident (17. April 1897)

The Greco-Turkish War is declared between Greece and the Ottoman Empire. (18. April 1897)

Léo Taxil exposes his own fabrications concerning Freemasonry (19. April 1897)

Oscar Wilde is released from Reading Gaol Prison. (19. May 1897)

The Blackwall Tunnel under the River Thames is officially opened (22. May 1897)

Dracula, a novel by the Irish author Bram Stoker, is published. (26. May 1897)

A treaty annexing the Republic of Hawaii to the United States is signed; the Republic would not be dissolved until a year later. (16. June 1897)

British colonial officers Charles Walter Rand and Lt. Charles Egerton Ayerst are assassinated in Pune, Maharashtra, India by the Chapekar brothers and Mahadeo Vinayak Ranade, who are later caught and hanged. (22. June 1897)

Italian scientist Guglielmo Marconi obtains a patent for radio in London. (2. July 1897)

Salomon August Andrée leaves Spitsbergen to attempt to reach the North Pole by balloon. He later crashes and dies. (11. July 1897)

Anglo-Afghan War: The Pashtun fakir Saidullah leads an army of more than 10,000 to begin a siege of the British garrison in the Malakand Agency of the North West Frontier Province of India. (26. July 1897)

Anglo-Afghan War: The Siege of Malakand ends when a relief column is able to reach the British garrison in the Malakand states adjacent to India's North West Frontier Province. (2. August 1897)

Franco-Hova Wars: The town of Anosimena is captured by French troops from Menabe defenders in Madagascar. (14. August 1897)

Oldsmobile, a brand of American automobiles was founded. (21. August 1897)