1900

V.E.S. Timeline

  • 2nd January: American Statesman and diplomat John Hay announces the Open-Door Policy to promote trade with China.

    2nd January: American Statesman and diplomat John Hay announces the Open-Door Policy to promote trade with China.
    Secretary of State John Hay first articulated the concept of the “Open Door” in China in a series of notes in 1899–1900. These Open Door Notes aimed to secure international agreement to the U.S. policy of promoting equal opportunity for international trade and commerce in China, and respect for China’s administrative and territorial integrity.
  • 5th February: The United States and the United Kingdom sign a treaty for the Panama Canal

    5th February: The United States and the United Kingdom sign a treaty for the Panama Canal
    The Hay–Pauncefote Treaty is a treaty signed by the United States and Great Britain on 18 November 1900, as a legal preliminary to the U.S. building of the Panama Canal.
  • 7th March: The Germany German liner SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse becomes the first ship to send Wireless telegraphy wireless signals to shore

    7th March: The Germany German liner SS Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse becomes the first ship to send Wireless telegraphy wireless signals to shore
    Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse became the first liner to have a commercial wireless telegraphy system when the Marconi Company installed one in February 1900.
  • 15th April: Philippine-American War: Filipinos Filipino guerrillas launch a suprise attack on U.S. infantry and begin a Siege Catubig four-day seige of Catubig, Northern Samar Catubig, Philipines.

    15th April: Philippine-American War: Filipinos Filipino guerrillas launch a suprise attack on U.S. infantry and begin a Siege Catubig four-day seige of Catubig, Northern Samar Catubig, Philipines.
    The Philippine–American War, known alternatively as the Philippine Insurrection, Filipino–American War, or Tagalog Insurgency, was fought between the First Philippine Republic and the United States from February 4, 1899, until July 2, 1902.
  • 24th May: Second Boer War; The United Kingdom annexes the Orange Free State

    24th May: Second Boer War; The United Kingdom annexes the Orange Free State
    The British occupied the capital of Bloemfontein in 1900. The 1900 Peace of Vereeniging, which ended the Boer War, annexed the Orange Free State to the British Empire.
  • 14th June: The Reichstag (German Empire) called Reichstag approves a second law that allows the expansion of the German navy.

    14th June: The Reichstag (German Empire) called Reichstag approves a second law that allows the expansion of the German navy.
    The Naval Laws (German: Flottengesetze, "Fleet Laws") were five separate laws passed by the German Empire, in 1898, 1900, 1906, 1908, and 1912.
  • 20th June: Boxer Rebellion: The imperial Chinese Army begins a Seige of the International Legations called 55-day seige of the Beijing Legation Quater or Legation Quarter in Beijing, China

    20th June: Boxer Rebellion: The imperial Chinese Army begins a Seige of the International Legations called 55-day seige of the Beijing Legation Quater or Legation Quarter in Beijing, China
    The Boxer Rebellion, also known as the Boxer Uprising, the Boxer Insurrection, or the Yihetuan Movement, was an anti-imperialist and anti-Christian uprising in China between 1899 and 1901, towards the end of the Qing dynasty, by the Society of Righteous and Harmonious Fists.
  • 29th July: In Italy, King Umberto I of Italy is assassinated by the Anarchism or anarchist Gaetano Bresci.

    29th July: In Italy, King Umberto I of Italy is assassinated by the Anarchism or anarchist Gaetano Bresci.
    Umberto I was King of Italy from 9 January 1878 until his assassination in 1900. His reign saw Italy's expansion into the Horn of Africa, as well as the creation of the Triple Alliance between Italy, Germany and Austria-Hungary.
  • 17th September: Philippine–American War: Filipino people Filipinos under Juan Cailles defeat United States Americans under Colonel (United States) Colonel Benjamin F. Cheatham at Mabitac.

    17th September: Philippine–American War: Filipino people Filipinos under Juan Cailles defeat United States Americans under Colonel (United States) Colonel Benjamin F. Cheatham at Mabitac.
    On June 2, 1899, the First Philippine Republic officially declared war against the United States. The Philippine President Emilio Aguinaldo was captured on March 23, 1901, and the war was officially declared ended by the American government on July 2, 1902, with a victory for the United States.
  • 7th November: Battle of Leliefontein, a battle during which the Royal Canadian Dragoons win three Victoria Crosses.

    7th November: Battle of Leliefontein, a battle during which the Royal Canadian Dragoons win three Victoria Crosses.
    Three members of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lieutenants H.Z.C. Cockburn and R.E.W. Turner and Sergeant E.J. Holland, were awarded the Victoria Cross during the desperate rear-guard action at Leliefontein on 7 November 1900.
  • January 1: The Australian colonies federate.

    January 1: The Australian colonies federate.
    Australia became a nation on 1 January 1901 when six British colonies—New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania—united to form the Commonwealth of Australia. This process is known as Federation.
  • January 22: Edward VII becomes King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India upon the death of Queen Victoria.

    January 22: Edward VII becomes King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India upon the death of Queen Victoria.
    Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
  • March 2: Platt Amendment limits the autonomy of Cuba in exchange for withdrawal of American troops.

    March 2: Platt Amendment limits the autonomy of Cuba in exchange for withdrawal of American troops.
    The Platt Amendment, an amendment to a U.S. army appropriations bill, established the terms under which the United States would end its military occupation of Cuba (which had begun in 1898 during the Spanish-American War) and "leave the government and control of the island of Cuba to its people."
  • September 6: Assassination of William McKinley. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt assumes office as President of the United States following McKinley's death on September 14.

    September 6: Assassination of William McKinley. Vice President Theodore Roosevelt assumes office as President of the United States following McKinley's death on September 14.
    On September 6, 1901, the popular President William McKinley was shot at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, while his Vice President, Theodore Roosevelt, was in Vermont at a speaking engagement. Over the next eight days, McKinley’s health condition varied until he died on September 14.
  • September 7: Boxer Rebellion defeated by international coalition. They impose heavy financial sanctions on China.

    September 7: Boxer Rebellion defeated by international coalition. They impose heavy financial sanctions on China.
    After defeating the Boxers, the foreign powers forced the Qing to submit to a punitive settlement that included a huge indemnity ($333 million) to be paid to the foreign nations. This essentially bankrupted the Qing government, which already faced serious financial difficulties.
  • December 12: Guglielmo Marconi receives the first trans-Atlantic radio signal.

    December 12: Guglielmo Marconi receives the first trans-Atlantic radio signal.
    On 12 December 1901, Guglielmo Marconi and his assistant, George Kemp, heard the faint clicks of Morse code for the letter "s" transmitted without wires across the Atlantic Ocean. This achievement, the first reception of transatlantic radio signals, led to considerable advances in both science and technology.
  • January 13: Unification of Saudi Arabia begins.

    January 13: Unification of Saudi Arabia begins.
    The Unification of Saudi Arabia was a military and political campaign in which the various tribes, sheikhdoms, city-states, emirates, and kingdoms of most of the central Arabian Peninsula were conquered by the House of Saud, or Al Saud.
  • May 20: Cuba given independence by the United States.

    May 20: Cuba given independence by the United States.
    Following the defeat of Spain in 1898, the United States remained in Cuba as an occupying power until the Republic of Cuba was formally installed on May 19, 1902. On May 20, 1902, the United States relinquished its occupation authority over Cuba, but claimed a continuing right to intervene in Cuba.
  • May 31: Second Boer War ends in British victory.

    May 31: Second Boer War ends in British victory.
    By 1902, the British had crushed the Boer resistance, and on May 31 of that year, the Peace of Vereeniging was signed, ending hostilities.
  • July 12: Arthur Balfour becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    July 12: Arthur Balfour becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
    After Salisbury's retirement, Balfour served as prime minister from July 12, 1902, to December 4, 1905. He sponsored and secured passage of the Education Act (Balfour Act; 1902), which reorganized the local administration of elementary and secondary schools.
  • July 17: Willis Carrier invents the first modern electrical air conditioning unit.

    July 17: Willis Carrier invents the first modern electrical air conditioning unit.
    In Buffalo, New York, on July 17, 1902, in response to an air quality problem experienced at the Sackett-Wilhelms Lithographing & Publishing Company of Brooklyn, New York, Willis Carrier submitted drawings for what became recognized as the world's first modern air conditioning system.
  • February 15: The first teddy bear is invented.

    February 15: The first teddy bear is invented.
    The first "Teddy bear" was put on sale on this day in history, Feb. 15, 1903. Named after President Theodore Roosevelt, the stuffed bear was first sold by Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn, New York, resident who owned a candy shop.
  • June 11: King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga are assassinated in a military coup.

    June 11: King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife Queen Draga are assassinated in a military coup.
    Early in the morning of June 11th, 1903, King Alexander Obrenovic of Serbia and his Queen were brutally murdered by a group of insurgent officers, who ransacked the royal palace of Belgrade in a fervour of inebriated patriotism.
  • July 1: The first Tour de France is held.

    July 1: The first Tour de France is held.
    The 1903 Tour de France was the first cycling race set up and sponsored by the newspaper L'Auto, ancestor of the current daily, L'Équipe. It ran from 1 to 19 July in six stages over 2,428 km (1,509 mi), and was won by Maurice Garin.
  • August 4: Pius X becomes Pope.

    August 4: Pius X becomes Pope.
    On August 4, 1903, the College of Cardinals in Vatican City elects Cardinal Giuseppe Sarto as the new Pope after the lengthy illness and death of Pope Leo XIII. He chooses the name Pius X, and leads the Catholic Church until his death in 1914.
  • November 18: Independence of Panama, the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed by the United States and Panama.

    November 18: Independence of Panama, the Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty is signed by the United States and Panama.
    Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty, (Nov. 18, 1903), agreement between the United States and Panama granting exclusive canal rights to the United States across the Isthmus of Panama in exchange for financial reimbursement and guarantees of protection to the newly established republic.
  • December 17: First controlled heavier-than-air flight of the Wright Brothers.

    December 17: First controlled heavier-than-air flight of the Wright Brothers.
    After building and testing three full-sized gliders, the Wrights' first powered airplane flew at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, on December 17, 1903, making a 12-second flight, traveling 36 m (120 ft), with Orville piloting. The best flight of the day, with Wilbur at the controls, covered 255.6 m (852 ft) in 59 seconds.
  • February 8: A Japanese surprise attack on Port Arthur (Lushun) starts the Russo-Japanese War.

    February 8: A Japanese surprise attack on Port Arthur (Lushun) starts the Russo-Japanese War.
    Russo-Japanese War, (1904–05), military conflict in which a victorious Japan forced Russia to abandon its expansionist policy in East Asia, thereby becoming the first Asian power in modern times to defeat a European power.
  • April 8: Entente cordiale signed between Britain and France.

    April 8: Entente cordiale signed between Britain and France.
    In the early 20th century, after a period of some tension between the two countries, Britain and France agreed to settle a number of outstanding colonial disputes. On April 8, 1904, four agreements were concluded in London, which established the Anglo-French Entente, or entente cordiale.
  • June 21: Trans-Siberian railway is completed.

    June 21: Trans-Siberian railway is completed.
    1904: Decreed by a czar, built by thousands of workers over a period of more than a decade, the Trans-Siberian Railway is officially completed. As you'd expect with a project of this size, complexity and scope, “officially completed” is a relative term.
  • January 22: The Revolution of 1905 in Russia erupts.

    January 22: The Revolution of 1905 in Russia erupts.
    The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, began on 22 January 1905. A wave of mass political and social unrest then began to spread across the vast areas of the Russian Empire.
  • June 7: The Norwegian Parliament declares the union with Sweden dissolved, and Norway achieves full independence.

    June 7: The Norwegian Parliament declares the union with Sweden dissolved, and Norway achieves full independence.
    On 7 June the Storting passed a resolution unilaterally dissolving the union. The resolution was confirmed by a referendum, which resulted in 368,208 votes in favour of dissolution and 184 against.
  • September 5: The Russo-Japanese War ends in Japanese victory.

    September 5: The Russo-Japanese War ends in Japanese victory.
    Under the terms of the treaty, which was signed by both parties on September 5, 1905, Russia turned over Port Arthur to the Japanese, while retaining the northern half of Sakhalin Island, which lies off its Pacific coast
  • September 26: Albert Einsteine's formulation of special relativity.

    September 26: Albert Einsteine's formulation of special relativity.
    Einstein postulated in this study that the speed of light is immutable, constant, and independent of the observer's motion. Therefore, with the exception of the speed of light constant, everything is relative, including time, distance, and mass.
  • October 16: The British Indian Province of Bengal, partitioned by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, despite strong opposition.

    October 16: The British Indian Province of Bengal, partitioned by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, despite strong opposition.
    October 16: The British Indian Province of Bengal, partitioned by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, despite strong
    opposition.
  • December 5: Liberal Henry Campbell-Bannerman becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    December 5: Liberal Henry Campbell-Bannerman becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
    Sir Henry Campbell-Bannerman GCB PC (né Campbell; 7 September 1836 – 22 April 1908) was a British statesman and Liberal politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1905 to 1908 and Leader of the Liberal Party from 1899 to 1908.
  • April 18: An earthquake in San Francisco, California, magnitude 7.9, kills 3,000.

    April 18: An earthquake in San Francisco, California, magnitude 7.9, kills 3,000.
    Despite a quick response from San Francisco's large military population, the city was devastated. The earthquake and fires killed an estimated 3,000 people and left half of the city's 400,000 residents homeless.
  • July 13: Alfred Dreyfus is exonerated and reinstated as a major in the French Army; the Dreyfus Affair ends.

    July 13: Alfred Dreyfus is exonerated and reinstated as a major in the French Army; the Dreyfus Affair ends.
    In 1906, the highest court in France cleared Dreyfus and reversed his convictions. The army reinstated Dreyfus and, to make amends, made him an officer in the Legion of Honor. He received this high military honor in a ceremony that took place on the same grounds where he had been degraded nearly 12 years before.
  • August 16: An earthquake in Valparaíso, Chile, magnitude 8.2, kills 20,000.

    August 16: An earthquake in Valparaíso, Chile, magnitude 8.2, kills 20,000.
    The shakings were so strong that many people thought the earth was going to open itself in deep and long strips." According to the University of Chile, there were 3,882 deaths. The earthquake left more than 20,000 injured.
  • September 28: The US begins the Second Occupation of Cuba.

    September 28: The US begins the Second Occupation of Cuba.
    The U.S. intervention in Cuba in 1906, commonly referred to as the Second Intervention, began on September 28, 1906 with the resignation of the Cuban president and his cabinet and ended on January 28, 1909 when the U.S. relinquished control of the state to its newly elected president.
  • October 23: Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont takes off and flies his 14-bis to a crowd in Paris.

    October 23: Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont takes off and flies his 14-bis to a crowd in Paris.
    Santos-Dumont then progressed to powered heavier-than-air machines and on 23 October 1906 flew about 60 metres at a height of two to three metres with the fixed-wing 14-bis (also dubbed the Oiseau de proie—"bird of prey") at the Bagatelle Gamefield in Paris, taking off unassisted by an external launch system.
  • December 30: The Muslim League is formed by Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dacca.

    December 30: The Muslim League is formed by Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dacca.
    On 30 December 1906, around 3000 delegates attended a conference of the Muhammadan Educational Conference at Dhaka in which the ban on politics was removed and a motion was moved to form the AIML. The name was proposed by Nawab Khwaja Sir Salimullah Bahadur and seconded by Hakim Ajmal Khan.
  • March 15 – 16: Elections to the new Parliament of Finland are the first in the world with woman candidates, as well as the first elections in Europe where universal suffrage is applied.

    March 15 – 16: Elections to the new Parliament of Finland are the first in the world with woman candidates, as well as the first elections in Europe where universal suffrage is applied.
    Parliamentary elections were held in the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland on 15 and 16 March 1907. They were the first parliamentary election in which members were elected to the new Parliament of Finland by universal suffrage and the first in the world in which female members were elected.
  • July 24: Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907.

    July 24: Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907.
    Negotiations were concluded on July 24, 1907. The treaty provided that Korea should act under the guidance of a Japanese resident general. The effect of the treaty's provisions was that the administration of internal affairs was turned over to Japan.
  • July: Young Turk Revolution in the Ottoman Empire.

    July: Young Turk Revolution in the Ottoman Empire.
    The revolt began in July 1908. Major Ahmed Niyazi, Ismail Enver, Eyub Sabri, and other Unionists within the Third Army fled into the mountains to organize guerilla bands of volunteers and deserters all the while pressuring Abdul Hamid to reinstate the Constitution.
  • April 8: Liberal H. H. Asquith becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    April 8: Liberal H. H. Asquith becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
    Early in April 1908 Campbell-Bannerman resigned and died some days later. Asquith, generally regarded as his inevitable successor, became prime minister and was to hold the office for nearly nine years. He appointed David Lloyd George to the Exchequer and made Winston Churchill president of the Board of Trade.
  • May 26: First commercial Middle-Eastern oilfield established, at Masjed Soleyman in southwest Persia.

    May 26: First commercial Middle-Eastern oilfield established, at Masjed Soleyman in southwest Persia.
    An oil well hits a gusher in an early oil field. Courtesy BP View Slideshow 1908: A British company strikes oil in Persia (now Iran). It's the first big petroleum find in the Middle East, and it sets off a wave of exploration, extraction and exploitation that will change the region's
  • June 30: The Tunguska impact devastates thousands of square kilometres of Siberia.

    June 30: The Tunguska impact devastates thousands of square kilometres of Siberia.
    Tunguska event, enormous explosion that is estimated to have occurred at 7:14 am plus or minus one minute on June 30, 1908, at an altitude of 5–10 km (15,000–30,000 feet), flattening some 2,000 square km (500,000 acres) and charring more than 100 square km of pine forest near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River
  • July 26: Founding of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI)

    July 26: Founding of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI)
    On July 26, 1908, Bonaparte ordered DOJ attorneys to refer most investigative matters to the Chief Examiner, Stanley W. Finch, who would determine if there were special agents under his direction available to investigate the case.
  • October 1: The Ford Motor Company invents the Model T.

    October 1: The Ford Motor Company invents the Model T.
    Released on October 1, 1908, the Ford Model T was a self-starting vehicle with a left-sided steering wheel, featuring an enclosed four-cylinder engine with a detachable cylinder head and a one-piece cylinder block. Fashioned from vanadium alloy steel, it offered superior strength despite its light weight.
  • October 5: Independence of Bulgaria.

    October 5: Independence of Bulgaria.
    Its boundaries were not finalized until after World War I. Bulgaria became independent of the Ottoman Empire on October 5, 1908, after which its reigning Prince, Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg, proclaimed himself Tsar.
  • December 2: Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China, assumes the throne.

    December 2: Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China, assumes the throne.
    Emperor of China (1908–1912) Chosen by Empress Dowager Cixi, Puyi became emperor at the age of 2 years and 10 months in December 1908 after the Guangxu Emperor, Puyi's half-uncle, died childless on 14 November.
  • December 28: The 1908 Messina earthquake in southern Italy, magnitude 7.1, kills 70,000 people.

    December 28: The 1908 Messina earthquake in southern Italy, magnitude 7.1, kills 70,000 people.
    The earthquake almost levelled Messina. At least 91% of structures in Messina were destroyed or irreparably damaged and 75,000 people were killed in the city and suburbs. Reggio Calabria and other locations in Calabria also suffered heavy damage, with some 25,000 people killed.
  • March 4: William Howard Taft is inaugurated as President of the United States; deep divisions in his Republican Party over tariffs.

    March 4: William Howard Taft is inaugurated as President of the United States; deep divisions in his Republican Party over tariffs.
    The presidency of William Howard Taft began on March 4, 1909, when William Howard Taft was inaugurated as 27th president of the United States, and ended on March 4, 1913. Taft, was a Republican from Ohio
  • March 10: Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 signed (effective on July 9).

    March 10: Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 signed (effective on July 9).
    The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 or Bangkok Treaty of 1909 was a treaty between the United Kingdom and the Kingdom of Siam signed on 10 March 1909, in Bangkok. Ratifications were exchanged in London on 9 July 1909, and the treaty established the modern Malaysia–Thailand border.
  • March 12: Indian Councils Act passed.

    March 12: Indian Councils Act passed.
    The Indian Councils Act 1909, commonly known as the Morley–Minto or Minto–Morley Reforms, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that brought about a limited increase in the involvement of Indians in the governance of British India.
  • April 6: Robert E. Peary claims to have reached the North Pole though the claim is subsequently heavily contested.

    April 6: Robert E. Peary claims to have reached the North Pole though the claim is subsequently heavily contested.
    On April 6, 1909, American explorer Robert Peary accomplishes a long elusive dream, when he, assistant Matthew Henson and four Inuits reach what they determine to be the North Pole.
  • April 13: A countercoup fails in the Ottoman Empire.

    April 13: A countercoup fails in the Ottoman Empire.
    The 31 March incident (Turkish: 31 Mart Olayı) was a political crisis within the Ottoman Empire in April 1909, during the Second Constitutional Era.
  • July 16: A revolution forces Mohammad Ali Shah, Persian Shah of the Qajar dynasty to abdicate in favor of his son Ahmad Shah Qajar.

    July 16: A revolution forces Mohammad Ali Shah, Persian Shah of the Qajar dynasty to abdicate in favor of his son Ahmad Shah Qajar.
    On 16 July 1909, the parliament voted to place Mohammad Ali Shah's 11-year-old son, Ahmad Shah on the throne.
  • February 8: Boy Scouts of America is founded.

    February 8: Boy Scouts of America is founded.
    As a result, William Boyce incorporated the Boy Scouts of America on February 8, 1910. He also created the Lone Scouts, which merged with the Boy Scouts of America in 1924. James E. West was appointed the first Chief Scout Executive of the Boy Scouts of America in 1911.
  • May 6: George V becomes King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India upon the death of Edward VII.

    May 6: George V becomes King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India upon the death of Edward VII.
    George V was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
  • May 31: Union of South Africa created.

    May 31: Union of South Africa created.
    On the 31 May 1910, exactly eight years after the Boers had made peace with the English through the Treaty of Vereeniging, South Africa became a Union. Despite the mistrust in the Boer camp, the Afrikaners, as they now became known, had negotiated and achieved self-determination.
  • August 28: Kingdom of Montenegro is proclaimed independent.

    August 28: Kingdom of Montenegro is proclaimed independent.
    Prince Nicholas of Montenegro proclaimed the Kingdom of Montenegro in Cetinje on 28 August 1910, elevating the country from the rank of Principality.
  • August 29: Imperial Japan annexes Korea.

    August 29: Imperial Japan annexes Korea.
    Annexation of the Korean Empire by the Empire of Japan · August 22, 1910 · August 29, 1910 · August 15, 1945
  • October 5: The 5 October 1910 revolution in Portugal and proclamation of the First Portuguese Republic.

    October 5: The 5 October 1910 revolution in Portugal and proclamation of the First Portuguese Republic.
    The 5 October 1910 revolution was the overthrow of the centuries-old Portuguese monarchy and its replacement by the First Portuguese Republic. It was the result of a coup d'état organized by the Portuguese Republican Party.
  • November 20: Beginning of the Mexican Revolution (Plan of San Luis Potosí).

    November 20: Beginning of the Mexican Revolution (Plan of San Luis Potosí).
    Written by Francisco I. Madero while in exile in Texas, the Plan called for an end to Porfirio Díaz's long presidential reign known as the Porfiriato, the provisional presidency for legitimate winner Madero, and for Mexicans to unite against despotism on November 20, 1910.
  • January 18: Eugene B. Ely lands on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania stationed in San Francisco harbor, marking the first time an aircraft lands on a ship.

    January 18: Eugene B. Ely lands on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania stationed in San Francisco harbor, marking the first time an aircraft lands on a ship.
    17 January 1911: Taking off from the U.S. Army’s Selfridge Field (the closed Tanforan race track at San Bruno, California) at approximately 10:45 a.m., Eugene Burton Ely flew his Curtiss-Ely pusher to San Francisco Bay where he landed aboard the armored cruiser USS Pennsylvania (ACR-4) as it lay at anchor.
  • March 25: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City results in the deaths of 146 workers and leads to sweeping workplace safety reforms.

    March 25: Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City results in the deaths of 146 workers and leads to sweeping workplace safety reforms.
    The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire killed 146 workers and injured dozens more. While trying to escape the fire, they encountered locked doors and broken fire escapes. Many chose to leap from the building in desperation, instead of succumbing to the blaze and smoke, and died on the sidewalks below.
  • September 29: The Italo-Turkish war which led to the capture of Libya by Italy, begins.

    September 29: The Italo-Turkish war which led to the capture of Libya by Italy, begins.
    The Italo-Turkish or Turco-Italian War was fought between the Kingdom of Italy and the Ottoman Empire from 29 September 1911, to 18 October 1912.
  • October 10: Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew the Qing dynasty of China, begins.

    October 10: Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew the Qing dynasty of China, begins.
    The Wuchang Uprising was an armed rebellion against the ruling Qing dynasty that took place in Wuchang (now Wuchang District of Wuhan), Hubei, China on 10 October 1911, beginning the Xinhai Revolution that successfully overthrew China's last imperial dynasty.
  • November 3: Swiss race car driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet co-founds the Chevrolet Motor Company in Detroit with his brother Arthur Chevrolet, William C. Durant and others.

    November 3: Swiss race car driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet co-founds the Chevrolet Motor Company in Detroit with his brother Arthur Chevrolet, William C. Durant and others.
    On November 3, 1911, Chevrolet co-founded the Chevrolet Motor Car Company with his brother Arthur Chevrolet, William C. Durant, and investment partners William Little (maker of the Little automobile) and Dr. Edwin R.
  • December 12: New Delhi becomes the capital of British India.

    December 12: New Delhi becomes the capital of British India.
    On 12th December, 1911, at the historic Delhi Durbar, the George V, the Emperor of the British Empire proclaimed the shifting of the capital of India from Calcutta to Delhi. After announcement of Delhi as the Capital of India, the preparation for the building a new city started with majesty, pomp and show.
  • December 14: Roald Amundsen first reaches the South Pole.

    December 14: Roald Amundsen first reaches the South Pole.
    At around 3pm on 14 December 1911, Amundsen raised the flag of Norway at the South Pole. He had reached the Pole a full 33 days before Captain Scott arrived. Amundsen and his crew returned to their base camp on 25 January 1912, 99 days and roughly 1400 nautical miles after their departure.
  • February 8: The African National Congress is founded.

    February 8: The African National Congress is founded.
    Founded on 8 January 1912 in Bloemfontein as the South African Native National Congress, the organization was formed to agitate for the rights of black South Africans.
  • February 12: End of the Chinese Empire. Republic of China established.

    February 12: End of the Chinese Empire. Republic of China established.
    On February 12, 1912, the boy emperor was made to abdicate the throne in a proclamation that transferred the government to the people's representatives, declared that the constitution should thenceforth be republican, and gave Yuan Shikai full powers to organize a provisional government.
  • February 14: Arizona becomes the last state to be admitted to the continental Union.

    February 14: Arizona becomes the last state to be admitted to the continental Union.
    On February 14, 1912, Arizona became the 48th state admitted to the Union. President Taft signed Arizona into statehood in the Oval Office.
  • March 30: Morocco becomes a protectorate of France.

    March 30: Morocco becomes a protectorate of France.
    Crisis (March 30, 1912-August 18, 1955): France established a protectorate over Morocco as a result of the signing of the Treaty of Fez on March 30, 1912. Prior to 1912, Morocco had been an independent kingdom for several centuries.
  • April 15: Sinking of the RMS Titanic.

    April 15: Sinking of the RMS Titanic.
    RMS Titanic sank in the early morning hours of 15 April 1912 in the North Atlantic Ocean, four days into her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York City. The largest ocean liner in service at the time, Titanic had an estimated 2,224 people on board when she struck an iceberg at around 23:40 (ship's time)[a] on Sunday, 14 April 1912.
  • July 30: Emperor Meiji dies, ending the Meiji Era; his son, the Emperor Taishō, becomes Emperor of Japan.

    July 30: Emperor Meiji dies, ending the Meiji Era; his son, the Emperor Taishō, becomes Emperor of Japan.
    Japan had developed within less than 30 years from a feudal country into the preeminent Asian power. On July 30 of 1912, Emperor Meiji died. His son Yoshihito followed his father to the throne. With him the Meiji era ended officially and the Taisho era began.
  • August 25: The Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party, is founded.

    August 25: The Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party, is founded.
    After the overthrow of the Qing Dynasty in the 1911 Xinhai Revolution and the founding of the Republic of China, the Kuomintang was formally established on 25 August 1912 at the Huguang Guild Hall in Beijing where the Revolutionary Alliance and several smaller revolutionary groups joined to contest the first National Assembly elections.
  • October 8: The First Balkan War begins.

    October 8: The First Balkan War begins.
    Montenegro opened hostilities by declaring war on Turkey on October 8, 1912, and the other members of the league followed suit 10 days later. The Balkan allies were soon victorious.
  • January 23: In the 1913 Ottoman coup d'état, Ismail Enver comes to power.

    January 23: In the 1913 Ottoman coup d'état, Ismail Enver comes to power.
    The 1913 Ottoman coup d'état (January 23, 1913), also known as the Raid on the Sublime Porte (Turkish: Bâb-ı Âlî Baskını), was a coup d'état carried out in the Ottoman Empire by a number of Committee of Union and Progress (CUP) members led by Ismail Enver Bey and Mehmed Talaat Bey, in which the group made a surprise raid on the central Ottoman government buildings, the Sublime Porte (Turkish: Bâb-ı Âlî). During the coup, the Minister of War, Nazım Pasha.
  • February 9 – 19: La Decena Trágica in Mexico City.

    February 9 – 19: La Decena Trágica in Mexico City.
    "The Decena Trágica is the best-known episode of Madero's life and movement." It instigated a new phase of the Mexican Revolution. The ten days of violence, the aim was to "create the illusion of chaos necessary to induce Madero to step down" from the presidency.
  • March 4: Woodrow Wilson is inaugurated as President of the United States.

    March 4: Woodrow Wilson is inaugurated as President of the United States.
    The first inauguration of Woodrow Wilson as the 28th president of the United States was held on Tuesday, March 4, 1913, at the East Portico of the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. This was the 32nd inauguration and marked the commencement of the first four-year term of Woodrow Wilson as president and Thomas R.
  • May 29: Igor Stravinsky The Rite of Spring infamously premiers in Paris.

    May 29: Igor Stravinsky The Rite of Spring infamously premiers in Paris.
    The work's premiere on May 29, 1913, at the Théatre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, was scandalous. In addition to the outrageous costumes, unusual choreography and bizarre story of pagan sacrifice, Stravinsky's musical innovations tested the patience of the audience to the fullest.
  • May 30: Treaty of London.

    May 30: Treaty of London.
    On May 30, 1913, a peace treaty is signed ending the First Balkan War, in which the newly aligned Slavic nations of Serbia, Montenegro, Bulgaria and Greece had driven Turkish forces out of Macedonia, a territory of the Ottoman Empire located in the tumultuous Balkans region of southeastern Europe.
  • August 10: Treaty of Bucharest.

    August 10: Treaty of Bucharest.
    The Treaty of Bucharest was concluded on 10 August 1913, by the delegates of Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia, Montenegro and Greece.
  • October 7: Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line.

    October 7: Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line.
    With the success of the magneto experiment, Ford engineers put the Model T motor and then the transmission on moving assembly lines. On October 7, 1913, the chassis also went on the moving assembly line, so that all the major components of the Model T were being assembled using this technique.
  • December 23: The Federal Reserve System is created.

    December 23: The Federal Reserve System is created.
    December 23, 1913. President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act in December 1913, culminating three years of discussion and debate over the development of a central bank.