March 1900 - March 28, 1900 (Wednesday)

March 28, 1900 (Wednesday)

• The War of the Golden Stool was triggered in the Britain's Gold Coast colony (modern-day Ghana) after Colonial Governor Frederick M. Hodgson offended a gathering of the chiefs of the Ashanti Kingdom. In Kumasi, Governor Hodgson demanded the Golden Stool, the most sacred relic of the Asante nation. After summoning the chiefs, Governor Hodgson refused to sit at the chair provided and demanded "Why did you not take the opportunity of my coming to Kumasi to bring the Golden Stool and give it to me to sit upon?" War broke out, and Hodgson and his party barely escaped with their lives.
• In Calcutta, the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon addressed the British governing council and announced that nearly 5,000,000 victims of famine were now receiving relief. Curzon stated that the cost was 525 "lacs of rupees". The value of 52,500,000 rupees was equivalent to £3,500,000 at the time.