Technically the Truth
It’s been a minute since we last studied history, so we’re sure we wouldn’t be able to answer this question correctly, either. “What ended in 1986?” Probably countless things ended that year, so there really is no wrong answer if you spend too much time thinking about it.
The real answer to this question obviously escaped the OP’s mind during the exam, so they had to come up with a quick answer on the spot. However, the real question is whether or not the student got full marks for that question because it is technically the truth. 1895 had to end for 1896 to come into being, after all.