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Belgium Catholic socialist/liberal parliamentary election

Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. Born in Brussels as the...

Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

Born in Brussels as the second but eldest-surviving son of King Leopold I and Queen Louise, Leopold succeeded his father to the Belgian throne in 1865 and reigned for 44 years until his death, the longest reign of a Belgian monarch to date. He died without surviving legitimate sons; the current king of the Belgians, Philippe, descends from his nephew and successor, Albert I.

Historical Significance

Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

Events Before

  1. Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing

    Joe Gans lands a devastating right to the head of Canadian challenger Kid Herman to retain his world lightweight boxing title with an 8th-round knockout in Tonopah, Nevada

  2. American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (24) weds Bess Fosburgh in Boston, Massachusetts

    American industrialist Henry J. Kaiser (24) weds Bess Fosburgh in Boston, Massachusetts

  3. Author Arthur Conan Doyle (48) weds Jean Elizabeth Leckie

    Author Arthur Conan Doyle (48) weds Jean Elizabeth Leckie

  4. Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, C

    Guglielmo Marconi's company begins the first commercial transatlantic wireless service between Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada and Clifden, Ireland

  5. A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to a nationwide run on US banks and the Panic of 1907

    A run on Knickerbocker Trust Company stock leads to a nationwide run on US banks and the Panic of 1907

Events After

  1. American Robert Fowler runs the then-world-record marathon (2:52:45.4) at Yonkers, New York

    American Robert Fowler runs the then-world-record marathon (2:52:45.4) at Yonkers, New York

  2. Stepan Bandera is born

    Stepan Bandera, Greek ukrainian nationalist leader, known for ukrainian nationalist leader, was born on 1909-01-01.

  3. Ernest Shackleton, as part of the British Nimrod Expedition, reaches a record farthest southern latitude of 88°23' south

    Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton (15 February 1874 – 5 January 1922) was an Anglo-Irish Antarctic explorer who led three British expeditions to the Antarctic.

  4. Russian military forces invade northern Persia to support Mohammad Ali Shah's coup d'état against the constitutional gov

    Russian military forces invade northern Persia to support Mohammad Ali Shah's coup d'état against the constitutional government in Persia and relieve the siege of Tabriz

  5. Mien Wenneker, Dutch prince Henry's lover, weds Uncle Cornelis Abbo

    Mien Wenneker, Dutch prince Henry's lover, weds Uncle Cornelis Abbo

More from the 1900s

First Powered Flight by the Wright Brothers

Orville and Wilbur Wright make the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered, heavier-than-air aircraft near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.

science technology

Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a c

Conference of 23 industrial trade unionists in Chicago, Illinois, issues the Industrial Union Manifesto, calling for a convention in Chicago in June and laying the groundwork for the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW)

death

James Longstreet dies

James Longstreet, Confederate confederate army general, known for confederate army general, died on 1904-01-02.

1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

1st Rose Bowl, Tournament Park, Pasadena, California: Michigan defeats Stanford 49-0; MVP: Michigan fullback Neil Snow

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 24, 1908?
Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908. Born in Brussels as the second but eldest-surviving son of King Leopold I and Queen Louise, Leopold succeeded his father to the Belgian throne in 1865 and reigned for 44 years until his death, the longest reign of a Belgian monarch to date. He died without surviving legitimate sons; the current king of the Belgians, Philippe, descends from his nephew and successor, Albert I.
Why is Belgium Catholic socialist/liberal parliamentary election significant?
Leopold II (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909) was the second king of the Belgians from 1865 to 1909, and the founder and sole owner of the Congo Free State from 1885 to 1908.

Explore More

May 24 in HistoryYear 1908