1902

From top to bottom, left to right: The 1902 eruption of Mount Pelée devastates Saint-Pierre in Martinique, killing nearly 30,000 and becoming one of history’s deadliest volcanic disasters; the Second Boer War ends with the Treaty of Vereeniging, bringing the Boer republics under British control; the Coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra at Westminster Abbey formally begins the Edwardian era; the Venezuelan crisis of 1902–1903 sees European powers blockade Venezuelan ports over debts, prompting U.S. diplomatic intervention; the Anthracite coal strike of 1902 leads to President Theodore Roosevelt mediating labor demands for higher wages and shorter workdays; and the French silent film A Trip to the Moon by Georges Méliès premieres, becoming an iconic early cinematic work.