Trivia quiz, historical garage

Someone asked me (as a trivia question) what important world event happened on September 3, 1900 (or maybe it was December 1, 1900). I figured it might have been the end of a big war.

For some reason, as we were talking, I was picturing a huge, open but covered garage, the kind that's more for public display than for storage (there weren't doors, just big archways, open on most or all of the walls), apparently period appropriate to 1900. There was a guy standing next to a very very old car.

I asked if it had anything to do with Napoleon. Then I thought very hard about how old Napoleon would have to be for that to work. (Note: Even Napoleon III died in 1873.)

Dad's reunion with The Monkees

Dad, in order to protest "the war" in the 70's, joined The Monkees. In the Wikipedia article, he is mentioned together with some other guy who was also only a minor member of the six-man band. I was naturally surprised that dad had managed to keep this from us for all these years.

All six of them, along with some family, were sitting around outdoors in chairs, which were arranged in an L-shaped pattern around/under a large oakish tree, at some kind of banquet event. I went and loaded up on stuff out of the buffet.