Pre 1920 News and Interesting Tidbits
1818 Stars And Stripes
Congress decided the U.S. flag would consist of 13 red and white stripes represent the original Thirteen Colonies that rebelled against the British crown and became the first states in the Union, and 20 stars, with a new star to be added for every new state.
The act specified that new flag designs should become official on the first July 4 (Independence Day) following admission of one or more new states.
1828 Democratic Donkey
In the 1828 Presidential Elections opponents of Andrew Jackson told all who would listen that Andrew Jackson was a "Stubborn Jackass" Jackson was proud of his reputation for stubbornness and even wanted to use it as a good quality, so started using a donkey on his campaign posters . Democrats have been using the symbol of the Donkey ever since.
1836 Texas Independence From Mexico
Texans led by Sam Houston defeat the Mexicans at San Jacinto, assuring Texas' independence
1851 The Great Exhibition of 1851 Crystal Palace
The Great Exhibition also known as Crystal Palace constructed from a cast iron frame and glass opens attracting six million people equivalent to a third of the entire population of Great Britain between 1 May to 15 October 1851
It also featured the first public conveniences in use in England / Monkey Closets and during the exhibition 827,280 visitors paid one penny each to use them which is where the British saying "to spend a penny" comes from.
1859 Big Ben
Big Ben rings out over the Houses of Parliament in Westminster, London, England for the first time.
1860 The Pony Express
The Pony Express a new faster mail service using riders on a horseback relay instead of the traditional stagecoaches begins service between St. Joseph, Mo., and Sacramento, Calif. The Pony Express reduced the time for mail to travel from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to around ten days. After only 1 year in March 1861 after suffering large losses and not gaining the mail contract The Pony Express Company ceased trading.
1865 President Lincoln is shot and mortally wounded
President Lincoln is shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth while attending the comedy "Our American Cousin" at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. He died the next day
1865 Robert E. Lee surrenders
Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia
1865 Ku Klux Klan Formed
A group of Confederate veterans convenes to form the secret society the "Ku Klux Klan." The KKK wished to ensure the local African American population did not gain civil and legal rights. 1865
1867 United States Buys Alaska
The United States government purchases Alaska in 1867. The purchase of Alaska from Russia for $7.2 million meant the US was paying roughly two cents per acre of land.
1871 Third Force Act also known as the "Ku Klux Act" Passed
Congress authorizes President Ulysses S. Grant to declare martial law, impose heavy penalties against terrorist organizations, and use military force to suppress the Ku Klux Klan (KKK).
1872 Mary Celeste Mystery
Crew from the Dei Gratia, a small British brig spot the Mary Celeste, at full sail near the Azores Islands in the Atlantic Ocean. The ship was seaworthy, its stores and supplies were untouched, but not a soul was on board.
1874 Republican Elephant
The republican elephant started when a political cartoonist ( Thomas Nast )who did not think President Ulysses S Grant should run for a third term had a cartoon published in Harper's Weekly in 1874 depicting the Republican Party as a stampeding Elephant.
1876 Patent Issued For The Telephone
Alexander Graham Bell receives a patent for his revolutionary new invention the telephone.
1876 Battle of the Little Bighorn
Custer's Last Stand during the Battle of the Little Bighorn.
Six hundred men of The U.S. Seventh Cavalry led by George Armstrong Custer, were attacked by 3,000 native American Indians consisting mostly of Sioux and Cheyenne led by Crazy Horse, within one hour of the attack every last one of the soldiers were dead.
1877 "Molly Maguires"
Ten members of the Irish Miners Group The "Molly Maguires" were hanged for murder, the hangings bought about an end to the group as members now feared for their lives and loved ones lives.
"Molly Maguires" were a group of Irish anthracite miners who were fighting for better working and living conditions in the coal fields of Pennsylvania, and were considered militant union activists but to understand the whole story my advice is look up "Molly Maguires" on your favorite search engine to gain a better perspective of the whole story.
1879 1st Woolworth 5 Cents Store Opened
Frank Winfield Woolworth opens the Great 5 Cents Store in Utica, New York. Pledging to sell "nothing" that cost more than a nickel expanding over the next 50 years to 1000 stores, but due to changes in the retail market the last Woolworths shop in the United States was closed down on July 17, 1997,
1880 Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time becomes the standard by which time around the world is set as +_ GMT
1881 Gunfight at the OK Corral
Tombstone, Arizona is the site for one of the most famous gunfights in history – the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral on October 26, 1881. Some of the recognizable names who participated include Doc Holliday, Wyatt Earp and his two brothers, Morgan and Virgil.
1882 Chinese Exclusion Act
Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act, which barred Chinese immigrants from the United States for 10 years.
1883 Brooklyn Bridge Opens
The Brooklyn Bridge, linking Brooklyn and Manhattan over the East River opens to traffic. In 1883 it was the largest suspension bridge in the world and had taken 13 years to complete.
1885 George Eastman created the modern photograph film technology
The technology that the modern camera is based on was created several hundred years ago. Although the ancient ideas were far away from the types of cameras that we know, they were well ahead of their time in relation to the technology and materials that they had at their disposal. It wasn’t until 1885 when George Eastman created the modern photograph film technology that made cameras
Check out more from our History of Camera Technology
Camera History of Technology
1885 Statue of Liberty Arrives In America
The French gift to the United States to mark the Centennial of the American Declaration of Independence From Great Britain "The Statue of Liberty" arrives in New York City aboard the French ship Isere.
1886 Haymarket Square Riot
A labor rally held in protest of the killing of a striker by the Chicago police the day before at Haymarket Square in Chicago, Illinois, ends with more violence as a bomb is thrown by the protesters and at the police and police responded with wild gunfire, killing several people in the crowd and injuring dozens more.
1889 Oklahoma Land Rush
The Oklahoma Land run begins with an estimated 50,000 people lined up at noon hoping to stake a claim for a homestead ( the claim could be up to 160 acres in size ), it included most of the following Oklahoma Counties, Canadian, Cleveland, Kingfisher, Logan, Oklahoma, and Payne ( in total about 2 million acres ).
This land had previously been occupied by Indians but the Indian Appropriations Bill approved the transfer of two million acres for settlement.
1889 Dam Break Johnstown, Pennsylvania
A dam breaks at a lake above Johnstown, Pennsylvania causing a tidal wave, over twenty feet in height, to sweep over Johnstown, PA eight miles below, sweeping everything before the avalanche of water including houses, factories, and bridges. The death toll is estimated to be in the thousands as there was very little warning for residents.
1891 Carnegie Hall
Carnegie Hall originally called Music Hall has it's official opening in New York City with a concert conducted by maestro Walter Damrosch and composer Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
1893 Lizzie Borden
In the case of the murder of her father Andrew Jackson Borden, and her stepmother, Abby Borden despite incriminating circumstances but with no murder weapon found and no blood evidence found. A jury in New Bedford, Mass., found Lizzie Borden innocent of the ax murders of her father and stepmother.
The case was is best remembered by the popular jump-rope rhyme:
Lizzie Borden took an axe
And gave her mother forty whacks.
And when she saw what she had done
She gave her father forty-one.
1895 Oscar Wilde
Playwright Oscar Wilde was found guilty of gross indecency in London and sentenced two years of hard labour.
Playwright Oscar Wilde was arrested on charges of "gross indecency" under Section 11 of the Criminal Law Amendment Act earlier in April ( in 1895 ) this term implied 'homosexual acts not amounting to buggery'.
1896 Olympic Games
The Olympic Games of the I Olympiad are held in Athens, Greece
This is the first of the Modern Olympic Games ,
The original Olympics date back to 776 BC and were held at Olympia on the border of Greece and Macedonia and only Greeks were allowed to compete
1896 Dow Jones Industrial Average first published
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was first published. The average price of the 12 initial stocks was 40.94
General Electric The only company still in existence and trading under original name.
American Cotton Oil Company, now part of Unilever
American Sugar Company, now Amstar Holdings
American Tobacco Company, Broken Up
Chicago Gas Company, now part of Integrys Energy Group, Inc.
Distilling & Cattle Feeding Company, now part of Lyondell Chemical Company
Laclede Gas Light Company, still in operation as The Laclede Group
National Lead Company, now NL Industries
North American Company, Broken Up
Tennessee Coalpart of U.S. Steel
U.S. Leather Company Gone
United States Rubber Company part of Michelin
1897 Boston Marathon
The Worlds oldest annual marathon run in Boston, Massachusetts, United States races for the first time. The Boston Marathon ranks as one of the world's most prestigious road racing events with an average of 20,000 taking part. The marathon is one of five members of the World Marathon Majors which include the cities of Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York City.
1898 US / Spanish War Declared
Spain declares war on the United States after rejecting America's ultimatum to withdraw from Cuba
1899 Bayer Patents Aspirin
The Patent Office in Berlin registers Aspirin, the brand name for ( acetylsalicylic acid which was originally made from a chemical found in the bark of willow trees ) on behalf of the German pharmaceutical company Friedrich Bayer & Co. 1899
1900 Work On New York Subway
Work on the New York subway begins on the first section from City Hall to the Bronx in the year 1900, financed by the issue of rapid transit bonds issued by the City of New York and because no company was willing to take the risk of such a large project. They decided to build the subways itself by subcontracting with the IRT who ran the elevated railways in the city to equip and operate the subways, sharing the profits with the City and guaranteeing a fixed five-cent fare. .
1900 Electric Cars
25% of all cars that were sold in 1900 were electric cars, .
1900 Irish Party Formed
In Dublin, Ireland Irish delegates convened to create what they called the “Irish Party” and denounced British atrocities in the Boer War. An applauded John Dillon proposed a resolution passed that “the South African war was entered upon in pursuance of a conspiracy to deprive two free nations of their liberty in the interests of capitalists and mine owners.”
1900 Small Pox Epidemic
In Kentucky a small pox epidemic was raging with hundreds of people stricken. The mortality rate was 20% and health authorities demanded that every person in the state be vaccinated.
1900 Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games of the II Olympiad are held in Paris, France
This is the first Olympics where women are allowed to compete
1901 Marconi sends first wireless transmission
Marconi sends first wireless transmission over 2000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean from Poldhu in Cornwall, England, to Newfoundland, Canada . The transmission consisted of the Morse-code signal for the letter "s" which consists of three dots ( ... ).
1901 Queen Victoria Dies
Queen Victoria passed away in the Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. She had become queen when she was 18 and had ruled for nearly 64 years of her life. She was succeeded by Prince Edward VII, her oldest son, who was 59 years old at the time, and reigned for nine years until his death.
1901 Americans Must Revoke Their Naturalization
In Syria officials demanded that all Americans must revoke their naturalization or be thrown out of Turkey. American charge d’affairs Spenser Eddy launched a protest on behalf of the Americans.
1901 Nobel Prizes
The first Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine, literature, and peace. The Nobel Prizes are funded by a fund created after the death of Alfred Nobel the Swedish inventor of dynamite and other high explosives. In his will, Nobel directed that the bulk of his vast fortune be placed in a fund in which the interest would be "annually distributed in the form of prizes to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind."
1901 Canada To Help In 2nd Boer War
The Canadian Mounted Military was going to supply 600-900 of its troops to help in fighting in the 2nd Boer War, to South Africa. They also would send 900 extra horses.
1901 Afghanistan Claims By England and Russia
Both England and Russia have laid claim to parts of Afghanistan and have been in constant conflict over it. However, a new ruler in Afghanistan may bring stability to the region. Unlike his unpopular father who created hardships for his people, his son, the new leader, planned to pay the military more and to reduce taxes.
1902 Triple AAA Started
A very useful company called AAA (American Automobile Association) was founded on this day. Before this time, other companies dealing with automobile concerns had existed. However, none of them seemed to last, and to this date AAA is one of the largest automobile organizations in the world. .
1903 Work On The Queensboro Bridge Begins
The Queensboro Bridge also known as the 59th Street Bridge, linking the New York boroughs of Manhattan and Queens, opened in 1909. The bridge which is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City was started in 1903.
1903 First UK Number Plate
The first car number plate ( A1 ) is issued to Earl Russel who camped outside the London County Council issuing office overnight to be sure he got it, ( he was the brother of the philosopher Bertrand Russell ) 1903
1903 Orville and Wright
Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful man-powered airplane flight, near Kitty Hawk, N.C. . The craft is referred to as an airship and Orville and Wright are looking for buyers for their machine which is capable of speeds up to 10 mph.
1903 Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago
The Iroquois Theater Fire in Chicago, Illinois, claims 602 lives, the theater had only been open for just over a month. This is still the worst single-building fire in U.S. history for the number of lives lost.
1904 The General Slocum
An excursion steamer The General Slocum, carrying more than 1,300 people from St. Mark's German Lutheran Church for their 17th annual Sunday school picnic burst into flames on New York's East River with the loss of over 1000 lives.
1904 Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games of the III Olympiad are held in St. Louis, United States
1904 Times Square
Long Acre Square in Manhattan, New York, was renamed Times Square
1905 The Nickelodeon
The world's first nickelodeon opened showing a silent film called The Great Train Robbery the name was used as it cost 5 cents or a nickel to watch the movie or live vaudeville acts .
1905 Illiteracy in the US
In 1905 Illiteracy in the U.S. was 106.6 per 1,000 persons. Statistics showed that 6,180,063 persons were illiterate in America. The Arizona Republican observed, “Illiteracy is more common in the country than in the city. This is due to the superior schools in the towns and the more general attendance of children.”
1906 Underground Fire France
An underground fire sparks a massive explosion that spreads through a series of mines killing over 1000 men in Courrieres, France.
1906 Morse Code SOS Adopted
International Morse code distress signal or SOS (· · · — — — · · ·) ( three dots, three dashes, three dots became the worldwide standard when it was included in the second International Radiotelegraphic Convention, in Berlin
1906 Mount Vesuvius erupted
Mount Vesuvius in Italy erupts causing gray ash and liquid lava erupted from the volcano burning homes built on the hillsides as it continued down the mountain.
1906 Earthquake San Francisco
An earthquake, measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale, shook the town of San Francisco , California and Thirty thousand homes were either partially or wholly destroyed and an estimated 3,000 are reported dead. The earthquake set off a series of fires which swept through the city.
Firefighters finally end the spread of flames in San Francisco 2 days after the earthquake The earthquake caused large parts of the city to burn and it had taken 2 days of constant fire fighting to stop the spread and bring the fires under control.
1907 Immigrant Workers in Canada
Toronto faced a throng of immigrant workers who faced poverty and starvation unless employment could be found for them. The worst off were 300 people from Bulgaria who were in danger of perishing in a matter of days. Advertisements had brought a large group of immigrants over from Europe to work on railways and in construction, but they were laid off until spring.
1907 The Zulu Tribe
The British were very concerned about the Ethiopian movement in South Africa. This movement had as its slogan “South Africa for the blacks” and its aim was to abolish British rule. The most radical group of rebels was the Zulu tribe.
1908 Messina Earthquake
The Messina Earthquake a category 7.5 according to today's Richter scale strikes the Straits of Messina in southern Italy, destroying the cities of Messina in Sicily and Reggio di Calabria on the Italian mainland. The earthquake and tsunami it caused killed between 50,000 and 150,000.
1908 Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games of the IV Olympiad are held in London, England
1909 First Fingerprint Evidence Used in Murder Case
For the first time fingerprint evidence is used to solve a murder case in 1909. The worlds first official Fingerprint Bureau was founded in Scotland Yard in 1901. It should also be noted that the World's first Fingerprint Bureau opened in Calcutta, India in 1897
1909 Taiwan Earthquake
A powerful earthquake and aftershocks rock Taiwan , killing over 1,200 people.
1909 Automobile Hearse
For the first time ever an automobile hearse was used in a funeral procession. Before this time, horse-drawn carriages had always been used to carry the honored body of a person who has passed away.
1909 The Queensboro Bridge Opens
The Queensboro Bridge also known as the 59th Street Bridge, linking the New York boroughs of Manhattan and Queens, opened in 1909. The bridge which is a cantilever bridge over the East River in New York City was started in 1903.
1909 First men to Reach The North Pole
Explorers Robert E. Peary and Matthew A. Henson claim to became the first men to reach the North Pole.
On April 6, they established "Camp Jesup" allegedly within five miles of the pole.
There is a large amount of controversy over this claim for a number of reasons including no independent verification and discrepancies in his journal, and even looking at those Societies who accepted or did not accept his claim makes it difficult to know for certain.
The National Geographic Society certified his claim
The Royal Geographical Society of London accepted Claim.
The American Geographical Society did not accept his claim
Societies of semi-Arctic Scandinavia did not accept his claim
1910 Immigration Into US
The immigration into the US hits an all time peak with 8.8 million immigrants over 10 years from 1901 - 1910
1910 King Edward VII Dies
King Edward VII dies after being Britains King for 9 years ( You will often see him referred as Bertie ) which was the name the royal family used for him.
1910 Idaho Big Burn
August 20-21, 1910 – The Great Fire, also known as the Big Burn or the Big Blowup, began as a forest fire. By the time it was contained and put out, the fire burned nearly three million acres of land throughout three different states – Idaho, Montana and Washington. More than 80 people were killed and it is often called the worst fire in the nation’s history.
1911 First Auto Electric Start
The First Electric Self Start was installed in a Cadillac By GM. Up till this time and all cars needed to be started by cranking a starting handle which was hard work and caused multiple minor injuries when the car backfired during the starting process.
1911 Madame Butterfly
Puccini's opera 'Madame Butterfly' which tells the story of an American sailor, B.F. Pinkerton, who marries and abandons a young Japanese geisha, Cio-Cio-San, or Madame Butterfly has its world premiere at La Scala in Milan, Italy.
1911 First Indianapolis 500
The first ever running of the Indianapolis 500 is won by Ray Harrounat at an average speed of 74.59 miles an hour.
1912 Sinking of the Titanic
Titanic sets sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York the Titanic has been described as the worlds most luxurious floating hotel which is unsinkable, and was only 5 days out when she hit an Iceberg and Sank in the Atlantic with the loss of many lives.
1912 Hellmann's Real Mayonnaise
Richard Hellmann owned a delicatessen in New York City where he sold his wife's delectable recipe for mayonnaise becoming so popular that Hellmann began selling it in "wooden boats" that were used for weighing butter.
Due to such high demand in 1912, Hellmann designed what is today the iconic "Blue Ribbon" label, to be placed on larger glass jars.
1912 Last Emperor of China
Hsian-T'ung, the last emperor of China, is forced to abdicate following Sun Yat-sen's republican revolution, ending 267 years of Manchu rule in China and 2,000 years of imperial rule.
1912 Girl Scouts of America Founded
Juliette Gordon Low founded the Girl Guides in the United States, she had lived in England with her first husband for many years and had been a Girl Guide leader while living in England. On March 12th, 1912 She gathered 18 girls together to register the first troop of American Girl Guides in Savannah, Georgia. The next years the name was changed to Girl Scouts of America the following year.
1912 Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games of the V Olympiad are held in Stockholm, Sweden
The introduction of Electronic Timing and Photo-Finish Equipment
1913 First Cross Word Puzzle
The first crossword puzzle was published, which was created by Arthur Wynne, a Liverpool journalist, and published as a "word-cross" puzzle in the New York World
1913 Ford Introduces Assembly Line
The Ford Motor Company introduced the continuous moving assembly line which could produce a complete car every two-and-a-half minutes. This change is one of the most significant changes in Car production and allowed Ford to sell cars cheaper than any other manufacturer which forced the others to also move to automated production lines.
1913 Mona Lisa Recovered
The Mona Lisa is recovered Two years after it's theft from the Louvre Museum in Paris in Florence in Italian waiter Vincenzo Peruggia's hotel room.
1914 Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission was organized following the Federal Trade Commission Act in 1914. Its principal mission is the promotion of "consumer protection" and the elimination and prevention of what regulators perceive to be "anti-competitive" business practices, one of it's roles is to enforce antitrust laws.
1914 The Empress of Ireland Sinks
The Empress of Ireland and A Norwegian coal freighter, the Storstad, crash in St. Lawrence River in thick fog causing the deaths of 1,073 passengers and crew, this was one of the worst maritime accidents in history.
1914 First US Income Tax
Congress pass the Revenue Act mandating the first tax on incomes over $3,000.
1914 Egypt under protection of the Crown
Great Britain placed Egypt under its protection of the Crown. The official Press Bureau read, “The suzerainty of Turkey over Egypt is thus terminated, and His Majesty’s government will adopt all measures necessary for the defence of Egypt and the protection of its inhabitants and interests.”
1914 Ford announced his $5-per-day program
Henry Ford raises minimum daily pay from $2.34 to $5 for qualifying workers. And car workers from other plants queued up for jobs, the changes he made to pay and working hours gave Ford the lowest labor turnover in his plants.
Henry Ford did not believe in Trade Unions and The Ford company was the last Detroit automaker to recognize the United Auto Workers union (UAW).
1914 The Panama Canal Opens
The Panama canal which took 34 years to build from 1880 - 1914 ( and cost over 27,000 workers their lives ) which provides a connection for shipping from The Atlantic to The Pacific opens in 1914
1914 World War I Christmas Truce
The soldiers of Germany, Russia, France, and Britain call a christmas truce with soldiers crossing the area of no mans land calling out "Merry Christmas" in their enemies' native tongues. 1914
1915 Suffrage Movement
As part of the women's suffrage movement 25,000 women march up Fifth Avenue in New York City demanding the right to vote.
1915 Lusitania Sunk By Torpedo
A German torpedo sinks the British Ocean liner Lusitania off the Irish coast, killing nearly 1,200 people.
1916 Pancho Villa Attacks Columbus New Mexico
Several hundred Mexican guerrillas under the command of Francisco "Pancho" Villa cross the U.S.-Mexican border and attack the small border town of Columbus, New Mexico Additionally, the center of the town was burned. Villa was also influential in various attacks made during the Mexican Revolution.
US forces are sent to capture Villa dead or alive but give up searching for Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa after nearly one year, following his massacre of 16 U.S. citizens at Santa Isabel in northern Mexico and 17 American Citizens in Columbus, New Mexico President Wilson had sent US forces into Mexico with orders to capture Villa dead or alive.
1916 Rasputin Murdered
Rasputin, the monk who had wielded powerful influence over the Russian royal family, was murdered by a group of noblemen led by Prince Felix Yusupov and the Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich .
1916 The Battle of Jutland
A German naval fleet consisting of 24 battleships, five battle cruisers, 11 light cruisers and 63 destroyers were just off the Jutland Peninsula, were attacked by a British fleet of 28 battleships, nine battle cruisers, 34 light cruisers and 80 destroyers in one of the greatest sea battles in History known as The Battle of Jutland or the Battle of the Skagerrak, a total of 100,000 men aboard 250 ships were involved in the battle
1916 - 1918 World War I Battle Of The Somme
One of the most costly battles in modern wartime is fought near the Somme Region and over 2 years when this small area of countryside saw the deaths of over 1 million men from both sides of the war.
1916 Easter uprising Ireland
The Easter uprising begins when some 1,600 militant Irish republicans who are members of the Irish Republican Brotherhood seize several key sites in Dublin hoping to win independence from British rule.
British forces suppressed the uprising after six days, and its leaders were court-Marshalled and executed.
1917 Russian Revolution
The beginning of the Russian Revolution ( Often Called The February Revolution March 1917 in the Western Calendar ) against Czarist Rule following the lack of food in Petrograd leading to the abdication by Nicholas II and the beginning of the communist party rule in Russia. After 300 years of rule by the Romanov Dynasty Czar Nicholas II is forced to abdicate following declining popularity due to the "Bloody Sunday" massacre when palace guards shot and killed defenseless demonstrators marching on the Winter Palace.
1917 British Royal Family Name Change
During the first World War as sentiment against Germany by the British People worsened King George V ordered the British royal family to end using the German-sounding surname, Saxe-Coburg-Gotha and to take on the name Royal House of Windsor.
1917 Boys Town Funded
Father Edward Flanagan founds Boys Town dedicated to the care of at-risk children, with national headquarters in the village of Boys Town, Nebraska.
1917 Puerto Rico Citizens given US Citizenship
The Jones-Shafroth Act granted U.S. citizenship to Puerto Ricans - a status they still hold today
1917 America enters World War I
Following the sinking of American liner Housatonic by a German U-boat and four more U.S. merchant ships President Wilson appeared before Congress and called for a declaration of war against Germany and on April 6th the United States formally declared war on Germany
1917 World War I Jerusalem Captured
Major Vivian Gilbert of the British army revealed the inside story of how Jerusalem fell during the First World War. He said that an army cook was out looking for eggs and was presented with the keys to the city by the mayor. The British won the Holy Land back from the Turks.
1917 Iraq British Take Control From Turkish Troops
British troops take control of Baqdad forcing the Turkish troops to evacuate.
1917 Mexican Constitution
Mexican President Venustiano Carranza proclaims the establishment of the modern-day Mexican constitution . This constitution consisted of promises made that are similar to the ones outlined by the American constitution.
For instance, the constitution of Mexico makes provisions for returning land to native people, and separation of church and state. This constitution also included plans for economic and educational reform.
1917 New Immigration Act
Congress passes a new Immigration Act which required a literacy test for immigrants and barred Asiatic laborers, except for those from countries with special treaties or agreements with the United States, such as the Philippines.
1917 Pulitzer Prizes Started
Pulitzer Prizes Started for outstanding work in Journalism, writing fiction and non fiction
1917 Earthquake Long Beach California
A deadly earthquake magnitude of 6.3 at Long Beach, California, kills an estimated 140 people
1917 Mata Hari
The exotic dancer Mata Hari is sentenced to execution by firing squad by a French court for spying on Germany's behalf during World War I.
1917 US Declares War On Germany and Sends Troops
Congress makes a declaration of war on Germany and sends U.S. troops into battle against Germany in World War I .
1917 King Constantine I
King Constantine I of Greece , abdicates his throne in the face of pressure from Britain and France and internal opponents
1917 Lenin Speech
Lenin makes his first appearance before the Congress of Soviets, in which the Bolsheviks hold a 60% majority. announcing "We shall now proceed to the construction of the socialist order,".
Czar Nicholas II
and his family are executed by the Bolsheviks, bringing an end to the three-century-old Romanov dynasty
1918 Influenza Epidemic
The first cases of one of the worst influenza epidemic ( FLU )in history are reported at Fort Riley, Kansas it would eventually kill more than 1/2 million Americans and more than 20 million people worldwide. In the worlds worst flu epidemic ( Spanish Flu called because the first major outbreak causing multiple deaths was in Spain) in history an estimated 30 million people died worldwide.
1918 First Use Of Aircraft In war
The first use of air combat by the US when Eight Curtiss "Jenny" planes of the First Aero Squadron are used in support for the 7,000 U.S. troops who invaded Mexico to capture Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa .
1918 "The Red Baron" German Fighter Ace Killed
Baron Manfred von Richthofen, the German ace known as the "Red Baron," credited with 80 confirmed air combat victories was killed in action during World War I.
1918 Lawrence of Arabia
Arab and British forces commanded by Lawrence of Arabia capture Damascus from Turkish forces
1918 Germany signs armistice
Germany facing invasion from the allies and with poor supplies of food and weapons signs armistice agreement with the allies bringing to an end World War I. 1918
1918 US Airmail Service
The first flights for the new U.S. airmail service begins between Washington, Philadelphia and New York.
1918 Royal Air force is Founded
The Royal Air force is founded in England, this is truly an amazing piece of History as the first flight was only made 8 years before by Wilbur and Wright and for countries around the World to set up a separate arms of the Forces shows how important politicians believed the aircraft would become as a part of the military.
The aircraft in use in 1918 when the RAF started included the Sopwith Pup, Bristol F2B Fighters, Sopwith Camels and Royal Aircraft Factory SE5's
1918 The American Legion
The American Legion has it's first meeting in Paris with about 1,000 officers and enlisted men attended to decide the organizations name. The next meeting takes place in St. Louis, Missouri two months later. The Legion served as a supportive group, a social club and a type of extended family for former service men and women and was also instrumental in creating the U.S. Veterans' Bureau, now known as the Department of Veterans Affairs.
1919 Creation Of The Italian National Fascist Party
Benito Mussolini establishes the Fascist Party in 1919
1919 League of Nations
The League of Nations is created which will later become the United Nations
1919 New York Shirt Factory Fire
148 Girls Perish In a New York Shirt Factory when they became trapped by a fire. The Triangle Shirtwaist Co. factory located on the eighth, ninth and tenth floors of a New York City loft building, didn't have an outside fire escape.
1919 Lady Astor
Lady Astor an American by birth is sworn in as the first female member of the British Parliament. A little known fact is that the first woman elected to the British Parliament was Constance Markiewicz, but she did not take up her seat because of her Irish nationalist views.
1919 Rotary Dial Telephones Invented
Rotary Dial Telephones Invented, before this every call made had to go through an operator but this invention allowed people to dial the number themselves.
1919 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
The 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, guaranteeing women the right to vote , is passed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification.
1919 Grand Canyon National Park
Congress established Grand Canyon National Park which includes the Grand Canyon, a gorge of the Colorado River, considered to be one of the major natural wonders of the world in Arizona. This is considered by many to be one of the earliest successes the environmental conservation movement.
Franklin D. Roosevelt marries
Franklin D. Roosevelt marries his distant cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt, in New York City. The wedding was attended by President Theodore Roosevelt, FDR's fifth cousin, who gave his niece away
Daylight Saving Time
The US Congress approves daylight-saving time. Germany started the use of DST in 1916 and other countries followed suit.
Daylight saving time or British summer time is the practice of adjusting clocks forward one hour near the start of spring so that afternoons have more daylight and mornings have less, and adjusting them backwards in the Autumn by 1 hour.
It is not used universally world wide but is common in Europe and North America
Pancho Villa Dead or Alive
US forces give up searching for Mexican revolutionary Pancho Villa after nearly one year, following his massacre of 16 U.S. citizens at Santa Isabel in northern Mexico and 17 American Citizens in Columbus, New Mexico President Wilson had sent US forces into Mexico with orders to capture Villa dead or alive.
Lease Aquired For Guantanamo Bay
The United States signed a leasing agreement between the US and Cuba , acquiring Guantanamo Bay a naval station at the southeastern end in Cuba
Jailed for Advocating Birth Control
Emma Goldman who worked as a nurse and midwife among the poor in New York who was also a crusader for women’s rights and social justice, is arrested in New York City for lecturing and distributing materials about birth control. She was accused of violating the Comstock Act of 1873, which made it a federal offense to disseminate contraceptive devices and information through the mail or across state lines.
( Current Year Is Pre 1920 ) ---- Following Year 1920
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