What happened in the 1910s?
The 1910s were dominated by the First World War, but also brought the Titanic, the Russian Revolution and the first jazz records.
54 events, oldest first.
Timeline of The 1910s
-
1910
Halley's Comet causes panic
Some people bought 'comet pills' to protect themselves from its tail.
Modern history
-
1910
Neon lighting is first shown in Paris
Georges Claude displayed the first neon lamps at the Paris Motor Show.
Science & technology history
-
1910
Oxo cubes are launched
Oxo was an official sponsor of the 1908 London Olympics, before the cubes existed.
Food & brand history
-
1910
The Mexican Revolution begins
Pancho Villa and Emiliano Zapata became its most famous leaders.
Modern history
-
1911
Amundsen reaches the South Pole
He beat Robert Falcon Scott's team by about five weeks.
History of exploration
-
1911
Hiram Bingham reaches Machu Picchu
Local farmers were already living there, and a local boy guided him up.
History of exploration
-
1911
Rutherford discovers the atomic nucleus
He compared the result to a shell bouncing back off tissue paper.
Science & technology history
-
1911
The first Indianapolis 500
Winner Ray Harroun used one of the first rear-view mirrors fitted to a car.
History of sport
-
1911
The Mona Lisa is stolen from the Louvre
It vanished for two years; the thief was an Italian handyman who had worked at the museum.
Art & literature history
-
1911
The Xinhai Revolution begins in China
It ended more than 2,000 years of imperial rule in China.
Politics & society history
-
1912
Alfred Wegener proposes continental drift
He was widely ridiculed, and plate tectonics wasn't accepted until the 1960s.
Science & technology history
-
1912
Art medals are awarded at the Olympics
Painting, music and literature were Olympic events until 1948.
History of sport
-
1912
Jim Thorpe wins Olympic pentathlon and decathlon
Sweden's king reportedly told him, 'You, sir, are the greatest athlete in the world.'
History of sport
-
1912
Scott's team reaches the South Pole
They found that Amundsen had beaten them, leaving a tent and a letter.
History of exploration
-
1912
The Komodo dragon is described by science
Western scientists learned of it only after a Dutch officer investigated reports.
Natural history & deep time
-
1912
The Titanic sinks
The ship carried lifeboats for only about half of the people on board.
Modern history
-
1913
Death Valley records Earth's hottest temperature
Its reading of 56.7°C is still recognised as the world record.
Natural history & deep time
-
1913
Denali is first climbed
The first to reach the top, Walter Harper, was an Alaska Native.
History of exploration
-
1913
The first crossword puzzle is published
Arthur Wynne's puzzle in the New York World was diamond-shaped.
Pop culture history
-
1913
The Rite of Spring premieres in Paris
Stravinsky's ballet was so shocking that the audience broke into shouting and scuffles.
Art & literature history
-
1914
Archduke Franz Ferdinand is assassinated
His driver took a wrong turn and stopped right next to the assassin.
Politics & society history
-
1914
Martha, the last passenger pigeon, dies
Her species once numbered in the billions, with flocks darkening the sky for hours.
Natural history & deep time
-
1914
Roosevelt explores the River of Doubt
The former president almost died on the Amazon expedition.
History of exploration
-
1914
The Christmas truce on the Western Front
Enemy soldiers swapped gifts in no man's land and reportedly played football.
Modern history
-
1914
The first scheduled airline flight
The 23-minute hop across Tampa Bay carried one paying passenger.
Science & technology history
-
1914
The Panama Canal opens
It saved ships sailing from New York to San Francisco a voyage of nearly 8,000 miles.
Science & technology history
-
1915
Einstein publishes general relativity
It predicted that gravity bends light.
Science & technology history
-
1915
Kafka's The Metamorphosis is published
Kafka insisted the insect should never be drawn on the cover.
Art & literature history
-
1915
Shackleton's ship Endurance is crushed by ice
All 28 men survived, thanks to an epic open-boat journey to South Georgia.
History of exploration
-
1915
The first coast-to-coast phone call in the US
Bell repeated 'Mr Watson, come here', and Watson replied it would take him a week.
Science & technology history
-
1915
The Gallipoli landings
Anzac Day in Australia and New Zealand marks the anniversary.
Modern history
-
1915
The Lusitania is sunk
The loss of the liner helped turn American opinion against Germany.
Modern history
-
1916
Daylight saving time is introduced
Germany introduced it first, to save coal during the First World War.
Science & technology history
-
1916
Jeannette Rankin becomes the first congresswoman
She was elected to Congress four years before most American women could vote.
Politics & society history
-
1916
Nathan's opens its Coney Island hot dog stand
Its hot dog eating contest is held every 4 July.
Food & brand history
-
1916
The Battle of the Somme begins
Britain suffered about 57,000 casualties on the first day alone.
Modern history
-
1916
The Battle of Verdun begins
It lasted about ten months, one of the longest battles in history.
Modern history
-
1916
The Easter Rising in Dublin
The rebels' proclamation was read outside the General Post Office.
Politics & society history
-
1917
Marcel Duchamp submits a urinal as art
Signed 'R. Mutt' and titled Fountain, it was rejected by the show - but became hugely influential.
Art & literature history
-
1917
'OMG' is first used in a letter
Admiral John Fisher wrote 'O.M.G. (Oh! My God!)' in a letter to Winston Churchill.
Art & literature history
-
1917
The Balfour Declaration
The letter backed 'a national home for the Jewish people' in Palestine.
Politics & society history
-
1917
The Bolsheviks seize power in Russia
The Winter Palace was taken with far less fighting than later films showed.
Modern history
-
1917
The Halifax Explosion
A munitions ship blew up in the Canadian harbour - one of the largest accidental explosions ever.
Modern history
-
1918
Russia adopts the Gregorian calendar
That's why Russia's October Revolution actually happened in November by modern dates.
Politics & society history
-
1918
Some British women vote for the first time
At first, only women over 30 who met a property qualification could vote.
Politics & society history
-
1918
The First World War ends with the Armistice
The ceasefire came into force at 11 a.m. on 11 November.
Modern history
-
1918
The Spanish flu pandemic begins
It probably didn't start in Spain; Spain's uncensored press just reported it most.
Modern history
-
1919
Alcock and Brown fly nonstop across the Atlantic
They crash-landed in an Irish bog.
History of exploration
-
1919
An eclipse confirms Einstein's relativity
Arthur Eddington's measurements made Einstein world-famous overnight.
Science & technology history
-
1919
Nancy Astor takes her seat in Parliament
She was the first woman to sit as an MP in the House of Commons.
Politics & society history
-
1919
Tesco is founded as a market stall
The name combines the initials of a tea supplier, T. E. Stockwell, with Cohen.
Food & brand history
-
1919
The Bauhaus school is founded
Its teachers included the painters Paul Klee and Wassily Kandinsky.
Art & literature history
-
1919
The Grand Canyon becomes a national park
Theodore Roosevelt had already protected it as a national monument in 1908.
Natural history & deep time
-
1919
The Treaty of Versailles is signed
It was signed in the Hall of Mirrors, the same room where the German Empire was proclaimed.
Modern history
Think you know your history?
Put 5, 7 or 10 events in chronological order in three tries. A new Chrono-Shift puzzle arrives every day.
Play today's Chrono-ShiftOr try Eras and Higher or Lower.