The Past 100 Years
| 1899 |
Bloemfontein Conference on Transvaal provokes the Boer War First magnetic recordings of sound |
|---|---|
| 1900 |
Boxer risings in China against the Europeans The Commonwealth of Australia brings together seven separate states into one country First Browning revolvers manufactured First trial flight of the Zeppelin |
| 1901 |
Peace of Peking ends Boxer uprising Queen Victoria dies (born 1819) William McKinley assassinated by anarchist; succeeded by Theodore Roosevelt First motor-driven bicycles |
| 1902 |
Treaty of Vereeniging ends Boer War Leon Trotsky escapes from a Siberian prison and settles in London |
| 1903 |
British complete conquest of Northern Nigeria Orville and Wilber Wright build the first powered airplane Marie and Pierre Curie receive the Nobel Prize following their discovery of radium Henry Ford founds Ford Motor Company |
| 1904 |
Russo-Japanese War breaks out Elster devises the first practical photoelectric cell Rolls-Royce company founded First telegraphic transmission of photographs, from Munich to Nuremberg Paris Conference on white slave trade New York policeman arrests a woman for smoking a cigarette in public Hellen Keller graduates from Radcliffe College |
| 1905 |
Russo-Japanese War continues: Greeks in Crete revolt against Turks Norway separates from Sweden Sun Yat-sen founds a union of secret societies to expel the Manchus from China Einstein formulates the Special Theory of Relativity First neon light signs appear The Cullinan diamond, the world's largest (3,000+ carats) is found |
| 1906 |
All India Moslem League founded by Aga Khan Roald Amundsen traverses Northwest Passage and determines the position of the magnetic North Pole "Typhoid Mary" found and incarcerated Nikola Tesla shows advantages of alternating current over direct current; unveils plans for national power grid Revelations of conditions in Chicago stockyard contained in Upton Sinclair's novel "The Jungle" lead to the U.S. Pure Food and Drug Act |
| 1907 |
President Roosevelt bars Japanese from immigrating to the U.S. Oklahoma becomes the 46th state Sun Yat-sen announces the program of his Chinese Democratic Republic Dutch complete occupation of Sumatra with defeat of Achinese tribe Rasputin gains influence at the court of Czar Nicholas II Baden-Powell founds Boy Scout movement |
| 1908 |
Abdul Haifed proclaimed Sultan of Morocco, defeats his enemy Abdul Aziz at Marrakesh Union of South Africa established Ferdinand I of Bulgaria assumes the title czar and declares his country's independence Dutch establish rule in Bali Hermann Minkowski formulates a four-dimensional geometry Tunguska Event devastates large region in Siberia Sven Hedin explores Persia and Tibet Henry Ford's Model "T" is developed |
| 1909 |
Mohammed Ali, Shah of Persia, deposed; succeeded by Sultan Ahmed Shah (age 12) Robert Peary reaches the North Pole First commercial manufacture of Bakelite marks the beginning of the Plastic Age Women admitted to German universities |
| 1910 |
Japan annexes Korea (-1945) China abolishes slavery Start of the Mexican revolution Thompson's work shows deflection of "positive rays" in a magnetic field Florence Nightingale dies (age 90) |
| 1911 |
Armistace ends Mexican Civil War The Kaiser's Hamburg speech asserts Germany's "Place in the Sun" Beginning of Turk-Italian war; first offensive use of aircraft Revolution in Central China; Sun Yat-sen elected president of Chinese Republic and appoints Chiang Kai-shek as his military leader Roald Amundsen reaches the South Pole British Official Secrets Act becomes law |
| 1912 |
Montenegro declares war on Turkey; Bulgaria and Serbia mobilize their armies Lenin establishes connection with Stalin and takes over editorship of the newspaper "Pravda" Wilson's cloud-chamber photographs lead to the detection of protons and electrons Viktor Hess discovers cosmic radiation S.S. "Titanic" sinks on her maiden voyage, killing 1513 people Remains of the Piltdown Man "found" near Lewes, England (proved to be a hoax in 1953) |
| 1913 |
Federal income tax introduced in the U.S. through the 16th Amendment Balkan War: Bulgarians take Adrianople; Turkey signs armistace; London Peace Treaty signed Second Balkan War: Bulgaria attacks Serbia and Greece; Russia declares war on Bulgaria; armistace signed at Bucharest Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian Passive Resistance Movement, arrested Harriet Tubman dies (age 92) Geiger introduces the first device capable of counting individual alpha rays Rene Lorin states the basic ideas of jet propulsion The first woman magistrate is sworn in in England |
| 1914 |
Northern and Southern Nigeria united General Zamon becomes President of Haiti Peace treaty between Serbia and Turkey World War I begins: Party of U.S. Marines detained at Tampico, Mexico; upon release, President Huerta refuses to give a 21-gun salute; President Wilson sends fleet to Tampico; Marines occupy Vera Cruz; Huerta resigns, ending incident E.R. Burroughs authorized to write biography of "Tarzan of the Apes" U.S. Court decides patent suit on airplanes in favor of Wright brothers against Glenn Curtiss Dr. Alexis Carrel performs first open-heart surgery on a dog Bank of England authorized by government to issue money in excess of statutory limit Name of St. Petersburg changed to Petrograd <-1924) Panama Canal opened |
| 1915 |
World War I continues: U.S. recognizes government of President Venustiano Carranza of Mexico Albert Einstein postulates his General Theory of Relativity Hugo Junkers constructs the first fighter airplane First transcontinental call between New York and San Francisco Wireless service established between U.S. and Japan U.S. Coast Guard established by Congress The largest railroad station in Europe completed in Leipzig, Germany Margaret Sanger jailed for writing "Family Limitation," first book on birth control Motorized taxis appear Automobile speed record of 102.6 mph set by Gil Anderson, driving a Stutz |
| 1916 |
World War I continues: T.E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") appointed British political and liaison officer to Faisal's army Francisco "Pancho" Villa, Mexican revolutionary general, crosses border with guerrillas and raids Columbus, New Mexico, killing 17 Americans; Brigadier-General John Pershing pursues Villa with 6,000 troops but cannot find him; withdraws in 1917 after differences are settled by arbitration U.S. purchases Danish West Indies (Virgin Islands) for $25 million German saboteurs blow up munitions arsenal on Black Tom Island, NJ Blood for transfusion is refrigerated Paul Langevin (Fr.) constructs an underwater ultrasonic source for submarine detection Russian monk Rasputin dies (b.1871) National Park Service established under U.S. Department of the Interior First Rose Bowl won by Washington State College, 14-0 over Brown University |
| 1917 |
World War I continues: October Revolution in Petrograd (November 7): Dancer Mata Hari executed as a spy U.S. Government purchases Dutch West Indies Literacy requirements for U.S. citizenship passed by Congress over President Wilson's veto Sigmund Freud publishes "Introduction to Psychoanalysis" 100-inch reflecting telescope installed at Mount Wilson, California Trans-Siberian Railroad completed (begun 1891) "Buffalo Bill" (W.F. Cody) dies (born 1846) Four women arrested for picketing White House in behalf of women's suffrage and sentenced to six months in jail U.S. Senate rejects President Wilson's suffrage bill |
| 1918 |
World War One ends: Statistics: Russian constituent assembly in Petrograd dissolved by the Bolsheviks; transfer of Soviet government to Moscow British government abandons Home Rule for Ireland Ex-Czar Nicholas II and family executed Polish republic proclaimed; Jozef Pilsudski elected chief of state and vested with dictatorial powers Austria becomes a republic Montenegro united with Serbia Serbo-Croatian - Slovene Kingdom of Yugoslavia proclaimed Leonard Woolley begins Babylonian excavations Ludwig Prandtl, a German physicist, develops wing theory (flow of airplane wings of finite span) Harlow Shapley discovers the true dimensions of the Milky Way Regular airmail service established between New York City and Washington; first Chicago - New York City airmail delivered, flying time 10 hours 5 minutes Daylight saving time introduced in America Eight-hour day established by law in Germany Food shortage in Britain leads to rationing and the establishment of national food kitchens World-wide "Spanish flu" influenza strikes, by 1920 22 million are dead Missouri is the last state to ratify compulsory school attendance law Jack Dempsey, heavyweight boxing champion, knocks out Carl Morris in 14 seconds Total population of the U.S.: 103.5 million |
| 1919 |
German peace treaty signed at Versailles; peace treaty with Austria signed at St. Germain 18th Amendment (prohibition) ratified Benito Mussolini founds the Fasci del Combattmento (Fascist Party) Hapsburg dynasty exiled from Austria Red Army enters Crimea War between British, Indian and Afghan forces War between Finland and U.S.S.R. Race riots in Chicago International Labor Conference in Washington endorses eight-hour workday U.S. House of Representatives moves to curtail immigration Fighting begins between French and Syrians at Baalbek, Syria Under the Treaty of Neuilly, Bulgaria cedes territories to Rumania Hungarian Red troops invade Czechoslovakia but are forced to withdraw Robert Goddard publishes "A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes" and becomes known as the father of American rocketry First experiments with shortwave radio (under 100 meters) J.W. Alcock and A. Whitten Brown make first nonstop flight across the Atlantic from Newfoundland to Ireland in 16 hours 27 minutes Austria abolishes the death penalty Radio Corporation of America founded Sir Barton is first horse to win triple crown: Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes Juan Belmonte, Spanish matador, kills 200th bull |
| 1920 |
League of Nations is formed in Paris; the U.S. declines to enter Emir Feisal becomes king of an independent Syria Wolfgang Kapp stages short-lived monarchist coup d'etat in Berlin Conscription abolished in Britain 19th Amendment gives American women the vote League of Nations headquarters moved to Geneva End of Russian Civil War Government of Ireland Act passed by British Parliam ent; Northern and Southern Ireland each to have own Parliament Adolf Hitler announces his 25-point program at the Hofbrauhaus, Munich Royal Institute of International Affairs founded in London American surgeon Harvey Cushing develops new techniques in brain surgery German engineer Anton Flettner invents the rotor ship, origionally designed to propel ships with metal sails Swiss psychiatrist Herman Rorschach devises the "inkblot" test German astronomer Max Wolf shows the true shape of the Milky Way Mexican Alfredo Codona, the great aerialist, becomes the first man to perfect a triple somersault Earthquake in Kansu providence, China, kills 200,000 John T. Thompson patents his submachinegun Olympic games held at Antwerp after eight-year hiatus Mohandas Gandhi emerges as India's leader in it struggle for independence from British rule Marconi opens first public radio broadcasting station in Britsin at Writtle Statistics: |
| 1921 |
Paris conference of Allies fixes German liability at $33 billion and arranges reparations Upper Silesian plebiscite - 63% vote for incorporation in Germany Reza Khan carries out a coup d'etat in Teheran Capitol punishment abolished in Sweden Hitler's storm troopers (SA) begin to terrorize political opponents Faisal I becomes King of Iraq Mao Tse-Tung helps form the Chinese Communist Party Ex-Emperor Charles fails in his second attempt to regain the throne of Hungary Rapid fall of German mark; beginning of inflation Friedrich Bergius successfully hydrogenates coal to oil Albert Calmette and Camille Guerin develop the B-C-G tuberculosis vaccine Edgar Dacque initiates phylogenetically oriented paleontology Albert Einstein wins Nobel Prize in Physics for discovery of the photoelectric effect Hermann J. Oberth, one of the founders of modern astronautics, publishes "The Rocket into Interplanetary Space" British Broadcasting Company founded Radio station KDKA in Pittsburgh transmits the first regular radio programs in the U.S. Sacco and Vanzetti found guilty of murder Unknown Soldier interred at Arlington National Cemetary KKK activities become violent throughout southern US, destroying property and branding and whipping blacks and those who sympathize |
| 1922 |
U.S. - Japanese naval agreement signed Britain recognizes Kingdom of Egypt under Fuad I Ghandi sentenced to six years imprisonment for civil disobedience Treaty of Rapallo signed between Germany and the U.S.S.R. Germany cedes Upper Silesia to Poland Arab Congress at Nablus rejects British mandates for Palestine and Egypt Protectionist tariff established in the U.S. Mussolini's March on Rome; he forms Fascist government and becomes Il Duce, or dictator of Italy Ireland is divided: six of the nine Ulster counties in the north want to remain part of Great Britain; the south becomes a separate country called the Irish Free State Aniakchak, one of the world's greatest volcanoes, discovered on the Alaskan coast P.M.S. Blackett experiments with transmutation of elements Nobel Prize in Chemistry awarded to Niels Bohr for his investigations into atomic structure and radiation W.W. Coblentz obtains accurate measurements of the relative thermal intensities of stars Eng, Massolle and Vogt develop a sound film system John Harwood invents a self-winding wristwatch (patented in 1924) Insulin is first administered to diabetic patients Stockmarket "boom" starts in America after depression Governor of Georgia appoints first woman, Mrs. W.H. Felton, as U.S. Senator to fill vacency left by death of husband; term is one day |
| 1923 |
Centers of Tokyo and Yokohama destroyed by earthquake, 120,000 dead Teapot Dome oil scandal hearings in Washington, D.C. Value of German mark falls to 4 million to 1 U.S. dollar Ankara replaces Istanbul as capital of Turkey Hitler's coup d'etat in Munich (the "Beer Hall Putsch") fails Pancho Villa, Mexican national hero, dies (born 1878) Tri-state conclave of KKK in Kokomo, Indiana; 200,000 members attend U.S. Senate decides on recalling occupation forces from Rhineland Martial law decared in Oaklahoma to protect people and property from attacks by KKK Theory of acids and bases postulated by J.N. Bronsted Edwin P. Hubble discovers a distance-indicating cephid variable star in the Andromeda nebula The U.S.S.R. establishes its first polar station John B. Tytus invents continuous hot-strip rolling of steel Aeroflot, largest airline in the world, founded in the U.S.S.R. First birth-control clinic opens in New York German aircraft designer Willy Messerschmitt establishes his aircraft factory Nevada and Montana introduce old-age pensions Briton Hadden and Henry R. Luce found the weekly newsmagazine "Time" First crossing of the English Channel achieved by swimmer Enrique Tiriboschi in 16 hours 33 minutes Colonel Jacob Schick patents electric razor |
| 1924 |
Lenin dies (born 1870) Britain recognizes the U.S.S.R. Ahmed, Shah of Persia, dethroned; Reza Khan appointed regent Hitler sentinced to five years imprisonment; released after eight months First elections in Italy under Facist methods; 65% favor Mussolini U.S. bill limits immigrants and excludes all Japanese The new reichsmark introduced Albanian Republic founded Stalin, Zinoviev and Kanenev ally against Trotsky J. Edgar Hoover is appointed director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation "All Blacks", a New Zealand rugby team, make undefeated tour of Britain Ford Motor Company produces 10 millionth car German mass murderer Fritz Haarmann (26 victims) sentinced to death by decapitation First Winter Olympics held at Chamonix Notre Dame, under coach Knute Rockne, wins nine out of nine football games |
| 1925 |
Japan introduces general suffrage for men Hindenburg elected President of Germany Reza Khan ascends Persian throne Hitler reorganizes Nazi Party (27,000 members) and publishes "Mein Kampf" Scottish inventor John Baird transmits recognizable human features by television Heisenberg, Bohr, and Jordan develop quantum mechanics for atoms The Fischer and Tropsch synthesis leads to industrial development of synthetic oil French-Russian surgeon Voronoff, working in the field of induces rejuvination, combines animal and human experimentation Sohn Scopes, Tennessee teacher, convicted of teaching theory of evolution Chrystler Corporation founded Tornado in south central U.S. kills 689 people Alexander Alekhine, blindfolded, plays 28 simultaneous games of chess |
| 1926 |
Ibn Saud becomes King of Saudi Arabia Republic of Lebanon proclaimed Germany admitted to League of Nations Trotsky and Zinoviev exiled from Moscow Hirohito succeeds his father Yoshihito as Emperor of Japan Robert Goddard (U.S.) fires the first liquid fuel rocket Kodak produces the first 16mm film Deutsche Lufthansa airline founded Freemasons number 4.2 million in 28,000 lodges |
| 1927 |
Inter-Allied military control of Germany ends; all occupation troops leave within 2 years Economic conference in Geneva attended by 52 nations "Black Friday" in Germany - the economic system collapses Socialists riot in Vienna; general strike takes place following acquittal of Nazis for political murder Trotsky expelled from Communist Party Charles Lindbergh flies monoplane "Spirit of St. Louis," nonstop from New York to Paris in 33.5 hours Holland Tunnel opens as first vehicular tunnel linking New York and New Jersey The modern study of parapsychology born at Harvard University; coins terms such as psi and ESP 15 millionth Model "T" produced Harlem Globetrotters basketball team organized by Abe Saperstein Great flood disaster in Lower Mississippi Valley Babe Ruth hits 60 home runs for the New York Yankees |
| 1928 |
Women's suffrage in Britain reduced from age 30 to 21 Italy signs 20-year treaty of friendship with Ethiopia Kellogg-Briand Pact, outlawing war, signed in Paris by 65 countries Beginning of first Five-Year Plan in U.S.S.R. Chiang Kai-shek elected President of China Walt Disney makes the first Mickey Mouse cartoon Egyptian archaeologists discover a large ring on the Gaze Plateau J.L. Baird demonstrates color T.V. Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin H, Geiger and W. Muller construct the first "Geiger counter" Serge Veronoff publishes "The Conquest of Life," on rejuvination by transplanting glands "New York Times" installs "moving" electric sign around Times Building Brazil's economy collapses owing to over-production of coffee Abnormally high tide causes River Thames to overflow and burst it's banks Olympic Games in Amsterdam: |
| 1929 |
Dictatorship established in Yugoslavia under King Alexander I; constitution suppressed Trotsky expelled from the U.S.S.R. Lateran Treaty establishes independent Vatican City Arabs attack Jews in Palestine following disputes over Jewish use of the Wailing Wall Round Table Conference between Viceroy and Indian leaders on dominion status Einstein publishes "Unified Field Theory" Lt. James Doolittle pilots airplane solely using instruments Astronomer Edward Hubble measures large red shifts in the spectra of extragalactic nebulae On October 28, "Black Friday," the U.S. Stock Exchange collapses and U.S. securities lose $26 billion in value The Great Depression begins as economic uncertainty causes many banks and businesses go bankrupt; unemployment and poverty affect the whole world, especially Germany and Japan The term "apartheid" used for the first time St. Valentine's Day Massacre: six Chicago gansters gunned down by rival gang "Graf Zeppelin" airship circumnavigates the globe in 20 days |
| 1930 |
Austria and Italy sign a treaty of friendship Name of Constantinople changed to Istanbul Ras Tafari becomes Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia Britain, U.S. Japan, France, and Italy sign treaty on naval disarmament Brazilian revolution places Getulio Vargas as new president Congress creates Veterans Administration Pluto discovered by C.W. Tombaugh J. Walter Reppe (German) makes artificial fabrics from acetylene base South African microbiologist Max Theiler develops yellow fever vaccine Amy Johnson flies solo from London to Austrailia in 19.5 days France begins building the Maginot Line Picture telegraphy service begins between Britain and Germany |
| 1931 |
Japanese expansion begins; by the end of the year most of northern China is controlled U.S. Senate passes Veterans Compensation Act over President Hoover's veto Bankruptcy of German Danatbank leads to closure of all German banks; German economy is at lowest point in living memory Haimwehr coup d'etat in Austria fails German millionaire Hugenberg undertakes to support the 800,000-strong Nazi party; Kirdorf, Thyssen, and Schroder follow his example P.W. Bridgeman conducts research on materials at up to 100,000 atmospheres British physicist J.D. Cockcroft develops high-voltage apparatus for atomic transmutations Cyclotron invented by American physicist E.O. Lawrence Julius Nieuwland devises a process for producing a synthetic rubber, neoprene Benguella-Katanga, the first trans-African railroad line completed Starr Faithfull dies mysteriously at Long Beach, NY North face of Matterhorn climed by Franz and Toni Schmid |
| 1932 | 3
Indian Congress declared illegal; Ghandi arrested Stimson Doctrine protests against Japanese aggression in Manchuria; U.S. declares it will not recognize gains made by force Franklin D. Roosevelt is elected President and implements the "New Deal;" it invests large sums in public works, creates jobs and offers better welfare programs for the unemployed; the New Deal programs mark the end of the Great Depression Second Five-Year Plan begins in the U.S.S.R. as the country faces famine Hindenburg is elected President of Germany over Hitler 18 million to 11; Hitler refuses the position of Vice Chancellor Ibn Saud renames his kingdom Saudi Arabia C.D. Andrews discovers positron and formulates theory of antimatter Balloon tire produced for farm tractors Work begins on the Golden Gate Bridge Amelia Erhart is first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic, in 13.5 hours The Lindbergh baby is kidnapped Zuider Zee (Holland) drainage project completed Olympic Games at Los Angeles: |
| 1933 |
U.S. Congress votes independence for Philippines Adolph Hitler appointed Chancellor, then awarded dictatorial powers (Enabling Law); millions of poor and unemployed look to him to strengthen the country and return the national pride taken at the Treaty of Versailles First U.S. aircraft carrier, "Ranger," launched Goebbels named Hitler's Minister of Propeganda; boycott of Jews begins in Germany Japan withdraws from the League of Nations The first concentration camps erected in Germany; by 1939 more than 10 million civillians have been interned, by 1945 over 20 million; most of them die U.S. goes off the gold standard Chicago World's Fair (A Century of Progress International Exposition) opens Nazis win the Danzig elections with 92% of German electorate; all other political parties are banned Assyrian Christians massacred in Iraq U.S. recognizes U.S.S.R. and resumes trade 21st Amendment to U.S. Constitution repeals prohibition German scientific research is consiterably hampered by new Nazi regulations; over 60,000 artists (authors, actors, painters, musicians, etc.) emigrate from Germany over the next 6 years due to Nazi policies The theory that Neanderthal Man is in the line of descent of Homo Sapiens is rejected following the discovery of the Steinheim skull Germany adopts a Four-Year Plan, claiming it will abolish unemployment |
| 1934 |
U.S. Gold Reserve Act authorizes the president to revalue the dollar General strike staged in France British Road Traffic Act introduces driving tests Gandhi suspends civil disobedience campaign in India Hitler has most political rivals (Schleicher, Rohm, Strasser, others) assassinated German plebiscite votes for Hitler as Fuhrer The U.S.S.R. admitted to the League of Nations Stalin's close collaborator, Serge Kirov, assassinated in Leningrad; purge of Communist Party begins Japan renounces Washington treaties of 1922 and 1930 When Nationalist rulers attack them, Mao Tse-Tung leads the Communists on the 6,000 mile Long March across China to safety; fewer than one in ten survive the journey Osoaviakhim, U.S.S.R. balloon, ascends 13 miles into stratosphere Hans Berger invents electroencephalography, a method of measuring brain waves Dionne quintuplets born (Callendar, Ontario) F.B.I. kills John Dillinger, "Public Enemy #1" |
| 1935 |
Nazis repudiate Versailles Treaty and institute mandatory military service; the Nuremburg Laws Against Jews are enacted Show trials begin in the U.S.S.R. as Stalin begins to purge the Army of 'untrustworthy' elements Mussolini rejects Anthony Eden's concessions over Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) and invades; League Council declares Italy the agressor and imposes (largely ineffective) sanctions Chiang Kai-shek named President of China Persia changes its name to Iran Radar equipment to detect aircraft built by Robert Watt The longest bridge in the world opened over the lower Zambesi Alcoholics Anonymous organized in New York City Journal of Parapsychology founded Moscow subway opened |
| 1936 |
Koki Hirota named Premier of Japan German troops occupy Rhineland; elections in Germany give Hitler 99% of the vote Italy, Austria, and Hungary sign Rome Pact Britain, France, and the U.S. sign the London Naval Convention Arab High Committee formed to combat Jewish claims Abyssinian War ends and Italy annexes the country General Franco leads the Spanish against the republican government and begins the Spanish Civil War Mussolini and Hitler proclaim Rome-Berlin Axis Chiang Kai-shek declares war on Japan Germany begins building the Siegfried Line France devalues franc, Italy devalues lira Boulder (Hoover) Dam on Colorado River completed, creating Lake Mead, the largest reservoir in the world Dr. Alexis Carrel develops artificial heart BBC London inaugurates television service Floods sweep Johnstown, PA Olympic Games in Berlin: |
| 1937 |
Moscow show trial for Karl Radek and other political leaders takes place Spanish civil war forces Franco to move the government to Barcelona and begin a naval blockade All-India Congress Party wins elections Italy and Yugoslavia sign Belgrade Pact F.D. Roosevelt signs U.S. Neutrality Act Aggressive Japanese war policy begins: Japanese troops seize Peking, Tientsin, Shanghai, Nanking, and Hangchow Chaing Kai-shek unites with Communists, led by Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai; Chinese government makes Chungking its capitol Germany guarantees inviolability of Belgium U.S. Supreme Court rules in favor of minimum wage law for women Lord Halifax visits Hitler, beginning the policy of appeasment Italy withdraws from League of Nations Japanese planes sink U.S. gunboat "Panay" in Chinese waters First jet engine built by Frank Whittle Amelia Earhart lost on Pacific flight Disaster of German airship "Hindenburg" at Lakehurst, New Jersey described in first transcontinental radio broadcast; the disaster ends the age of hydrogen-filled blimps Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, opens Duke of Windsor marries Mrs. Wallis Simpson |
| 1938 |
Purge of the U.S.S.R.'s military and civilian leaders ends, for the most part; anyone not absolutely loyal to Stalin is dead Japanese enter Tsingtao, install a Chinese puppet government, withdraw from League of Nation and take Canton and Hankow Hitler appoints himself War Minister; he meets Schuschnigg at Berchtesgaden and marches into Austria Franco recaptures Teruel, takes Vinaroz and begins offensive in Catalonia Sudetn Germans in Czechoslovakia demand autonomy; Germany mobilizes; Munich conference takes place in September; German troops occupy Sudetenland in October Hungary annexes southern Slovakia Ballpoint pen invented by Lajos Biro, from Hungary 40-hour work weeks established in the U.S. S.S. "Queen Elizabeth" launched John Warde jumps after spending almost 12 hours on the 17th floor ledge of the Gotham Hotel, New York City |
| 1939 |
Roosevelt asks Congress for $552 million for defense and demands assurances from Hitler and Mussolini that they will not attack 31 named states Germany occupies Bohemia and Moravia, places Slovakia under 'protection,' annexes Memal, renounces nonaggression pact with Poland and naval agreement with England Japanese troops occupy Hainan and blockade British concession at Tientsin U.S. renounces Japanese trade agreement of 1911 Franco wins control of Spain and remains dictator until 1975; Spain leaves League of Nations Italy invades Albania Hungary quits League of Nations Conscription adopted in Britain; women and children first evacuated from London World War Two begins: U.S. Supreme Court rules sitdown strikes are illegal Coal strike by United Mine Workers demonstrates power of John Lewis (head of CIO) Hahn and Strassman obtain barium isotopes by bombarding uranium with neutrons Joliot-Curie demonstrates possibility of splitting the atom Igor Sikorsky (Russian-American) constructs first helicopter Edwin Armstrong invents frequency modulation (FM) Baseball game first televised in U.S. "The Wizard of Oz" and "Gone With the Wind" produced Earthquake in Anatolia, Turkey claims 45,000 Anglo-Saxon burial ship is excavated at Sutton Hoo, Suffolk Radar stations used in Britain to give early warning of approaching enemy aircraft |
| 1940 |
World War Two continues: The Lascaux caves discovered in France, containg prehistoric wall paintings from approximately 20,000 B.C. Giant cyclotron built at the University of California for producing mesotrons from atomic nuclei Howard Florey develops penicillin as a practical antibiotic First electron microscope demonstrated First transuranic element, neptunium, discovered "Galloping Gertie," suspension bridge over the Narrows of Puget Sound, Washington, breaks up in the wind |
| 1941 |
World War Two continues: "Manhattan Project" begins intensive atomic research American Bowling Congress Hall of Fame established Monument over Time Capsule to be opened in 6939, sealed at site of 1939 New York World's Fair, is dedicated |
| 1942 |
World War Two continues: FBI captures eight German saboteurs who landed in Florida and New York Gandhi demands independence for India and is arrested Enrico Fermi splits the atom First computers appear, as does magnetic recording tape Max Muller of Junkers develops the turbo-prop airplane Bell Aircraft tests first U.S. jetplane Henry Kaiser develops techniques for building 10,000-ton Liberty Ships in four days Mildenhall Treasure, a hoard of Roman silverware, is discoverek in Suffolk |
| 1943 |
World War Two continues: President Roosevelt freezes wages, salaries, and prices to forestall inflation Infantile paralysis epidemic kills 1,200 in U.S. Rationing in the U.S. includes shoes, meat, cheese, fats and canned food U.S. War Labor Board orders coal mines taken over when 500,000 miners go on strike Argentinan revolution makes Juan Peron ruler of the country Stark Enterprises founded Race riots break out in U.S. cities whose labor population has been bolstered by influx of southern blacks Zoot suit (with reet plaid) becomes popular among hepcats |
| 1944 |
World War Two continues: Vietnam declares independence from France under Ho Chi Minh First active nuclear pile built at Clinton, Tennessee Greece breaks out in civil war between the Communists and the supporters of the King; with help from Britain and the U.S. the Communists are defeated in 1949 |
| 1945 |
World War Two ends: Statistics: Allied Control Commission divides Germany into four zones; three-power occupation of Berlin takes effect Arab League founded to oppose creation of Jewish state Nuremburg trials of Nazi war criminals begin Feneral People's Republic of Yugoslavia proclaimed, with Tito as chief of state Empire State Building withstands B-25 impact at 78th floor |
| 1946 |
Truce declared in Chinese Civil War United Nations formed; forty-eight countries agree to settle arguments between countries peacefully Albania, Hungary, Transjordan, and Bulgaria become independent states President Truman creates Atomic Energy Commission Power in Japan transferred from Emperor to elected assembly Pilotless rocket missile developed Xerography process invented by Chester Carlson U.S. Navy first tests atomic bombs at Bikini Island Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to Hermann Muller (American) for study of mutations under the effect of x-ray and background cosmic radiation Women given right to vote in Italy Shortest recorded boxing fight in history: Couture wins against Walton with one punch in 10.5 seconds |
| 1947 |
British proposal to divite Palestine rejected by Arabs and Jews; question refered to UN which announces plan for partition U.S. withdraws as mediator in China Burma proclaimed independent republic India becomes independent of British rule and separates into the Hindu state of India and the Muslim state of Pakistan First supersonic airplane Thor Heyerdahl sails a raft from Peru to Polynesia in 101 days to prove prehistoric immigration Bell laboratories scientists invent the transistor Henry Ford dies (born 1963), leaving a fortune of $625 million Flying saucers reported in the U.S. mid- and southwest Francis Steele reconstructs the laws of Hammurabi Blizzard in New York City leaves almost 38 inches; city shut down for 11 days More than a million veterans enroll in colleges under U.S. "G.I. Bill of Rights" |
| 1948 |
Gandhi assassinated (born 1869) Communist coup d'etat in Czechoslovakia Jewish National Council proclaims the state of Israel in the land once called Palestine, over the oppositions of the Arab nations of Syria, Egypt, and Jordan Cold War begins when U.S.S.R. stops road and rail traffic between Berlin and the West; airlift begins (ends September 1949) Count Folke Bernadotte, UN mediator in Palestine, assassinated by Jewish terrorists Charlotte Auerbach begins the science of chemogenetics First World Health Assembly (later World Health Organization) meets in Geneva George Orwell publishes "1984" Olympics in London |
| 1949 |
Chinese civil war ends with Communist victory over Nationalist forces; Communist People's Republic proclaimed under Mao Tse-tung North Atlantic Treaty Organization formed to meet Communist threat Republic of Eire proclaimed and recognized as independent by Britain Israel admitted to United Nations German Federal Republic comes into being; Berlin Wall built Vietnam state established at Saigon South African Nationalist Party institutes apartheid U.S. completes withdrawl of occupying forces in South Korea; UN warns of civil war India adopts constitution as federal republic U.S.S.R. detonates atomic bomb First successful kidney transplant performed |
| 1950 |
Chinese forces occupy Tibet; UN appeals for cease-fire but is ignored Senator Joseph McCarthy advises President Truman about the Communist threat; between 1950 and 1954 over 200 people are supoened to testify before Senate committees; thousands are blacklisted Riots in Johannesburg against apartheid leave thousands dead Korean Conflict begins June 25th: Indonesia admitted to UN Congress passes McCarran Act over presidential veto; it calls for severe restrictions against Communists, Communist organizations and forbids entry to immigrants who have belonged to totalitarian organizations Plutonium separated from artificial concentrates Einstein publishes "General Field Theory" Black sphere forty miles in diameter covers an island in the Florida Keys, then vanishes after thirty-one hours European Broadcasting Union formed World population approximately 2.3 billion; 150 million Americans 1.5 million TV sets in the U.S.; next year the number is 15 million |
| 1951 |
Korean Conflict continues: Czechoslovak Communist Party purged Julius and Ethel Rosenburg sentenced to death for espionage; they are executed in 1953 Magnetic anomalies near the north pole are investigated Electric power produced from atomic energy Color television introduced John Campbell invents the term "psionics" Gordion, the Phyrgian capital from 4000 to 3000 B.C., excavated |
| 1952 |
Korean Conflict continues: General Mohammed Naguib seizes power in Egypt; constitution of 1923 abolished First hydrogen bomb detonated at Eniwetok Atoll State of emergency proclaimed in Kenya following Mau Mau disturbances Oral contraceptive, or the "pill", becomes available Cryam and Becker prove a statistical connection between death frequency and weather Jerich excavated John Cobb killed while establishing a water-speed record on Loch Ness, Scotland |
| 1953 |
Korean Conflict ends with signing of armistice; South Korea and U.S. sign mutual defense treaty New constitution proclaimed in Yugoslavia; Marshal Tito elected president; new government refuses to join Warsaw Pact Stalin dies (born 1879) and succeeded by G.M. Malenkov Vietnamese rebels attack Laos Queen Mary of England dies (born 1867); Queen Elizabeth crowned Cosmic ray observatory built on Mount Wrangell, Alaska Firse ascent of Mount Everent by Hillary and Tenzing U.S. jet place achieves 1,600 mph, 25 mile altitude Link discovered between smoking and lung cancer Tornados in Texas, Michigan and Massachusetts kill 1,300 and leave thousands more homeless |
| 1954 |
U.S. and Japan sign defensive agreement; hope it lasts longer than the previous one Colonel Nasser seizes power in Egypt Vietnamese Communists take Dien Bien Phu and occupy Hanoi; Indo-China armistice signed Southeast Asia Treaty Organization established Senator McCarthy's witch-hunt culminates in a nationally televised hearing seeking to prove Communist infiltration into the U.S. Army; his formal censure and condemnation by Senate resolution follow U.S.S.R. Central Observatory opens near Leningrad; 300-inch reflecting telescope is world's largest Concern begins about radioactive fallout after nuclear strikes U.S. launches first nuclear submarine "Nautilus" Dr. Jonas Salk develops antipolio serum and starts worldwide inoculation program Eurovision network formed Temple of Mithras excavated in the City of London Roger Bannister runs a mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds Six-week locust plague in Morocco destroys $14 million in crops The U.S. contains 6% of the world's population, 60% of all cars, and 45% of all radio sets |
| 1955 |
U.S.S.R. decrees end of war with Germany Malenkov resigns and is succeeded by N.A. Bulganin Italy, West Germany, and France establish the European Union Vienna Treaty restores Austria's independence U.S.S.R., East Germany and other eastern European nations form the Warsaw Pact Raids between Israel and Jordan increase U.S. Air Force Academy opens, modeled after West Point and Annapolis Blacks in Montgomery, Alabama, boycott segregated city bus lines due to the arrest of Rosa Parks Artificial manufacture of diamonds 82 die in a disaster at the Le Mans car race Bill Haley's "Rock Around the Clock" begins a new age in popular music; teenagers adopt new trends in music, clothes and heroes Film stars gaining popularity include Brigitte Bardot, James Dean and Marilyn Monroe Albert Einstein dies (born 1879) |
| 1956 |
UN arracnges cease-fire between Israel and Lebanon-Syria-Jordan; Israeli troops invade Sinai Peninsula; ultimatum to Egypt; U.S. sends military aid to Israel and denies Egypt a loan to build Aswan Dam Nasser elected President of Egypt and seizes Suez Canal; Anglo-French forces bomb Egyptian airfields; UN pressures effect cease-fire; U.S. fleet clears Suez Canal Soviet troops enter Hungary and crush anti-Communist uprising; martial law and mass arrests leave Communist government firmly in power; UN General Assembly censures U.S.S.R. Japan admitted to UN Martin Luther King emerges as a leader for nonviolent protest against segregation Fidel Castro lands in Cuba with small armed force intent on overthrow of dictator Fulgencio Batista Nutrinos produced at Los Alamos; antineutron discovered Bell Telephone Company begins to develop "visual telephone"; practical development halted due to lack of convenient power source Transatlantic telephone service begins Albert Sabin develops oral polio vaccine Palace of Emperor Diocletian (Roman Emperor 284-305) is excavated in Yugoslavia Olympics at Melbourne |
| 1957 |
President Eisenhower fomulates "Eisenhower Doctrine" for protection of Middle Eastern nations from Communist aggression Israeli forces withdraw from Sinai Peninsula and hand over Gaza Strip to UN forces; King Hussain proclaims martial law in Jordan Rome Treaty signed and begins Common Market in western Europe Teamsters Union expelled from AFL-CIO when Jimmy Hoffa refuses to expel criminals and union refuses to expel Hoffa U.S.S.R. launches Sputnik I and II: the first satellites Between 1957 and 1970 over 20 African nations win independence from European rule; in most cases the change comes about peacefully, but in Zaire and Nigeria civil wars break out after the Europeans leave Dr. Seuss publishes "The Cat in the Hat" Desegregation crisis in Little Rock, Arkansas; paratroopers sent to forstall violence Tidal wave follows hurrucan Audrey into coasts of Texas and Louisiana, leaving 530 dead or missing "Beatnik" takes hold to describe the "Beat Generation"; first treated in Kerouac's "On the Road" |
| 1958 |
Egypt and Syria form the United Arab Republic Khrushchev succeeds Bulganin as leader of Soviet Communist Party Fidel Castro begins "total war" against Batista government in Cuba Vice President Nixon, on a good-will tour of South America, is received with hostility Great Leap Forward in China fails; attempts at collective farming and modernizing industry collapse and hundreds of thousands starve to death Imre Nagy executed in Hungary after secret trial Alaska becomes 49th state U.S.S.R. grants a loan to UAR for building Aswan Dam Racial tension grows as desegregation of schools is attempted in the south; Governor of Arkansas defies Supreme Court by closing public schools in Little Rock and opening them as private, segregated schools U.S. launches it's first satellite, Explorer I; also launches first moon rocket but it fails to reach it's destination Rotocycle, an aerial motor scooter, invented National Aeronautics and Space Administration established Probes reveal Van Allen radiation belt around earth Government agents confiscate a supposed alien entity in Darlington, MA First parking meters appear in London First life peerages in Britain; last debutantes presented at court Prince Charles created Prince of Wales Arnold Palmer wins his first Masters' golf tournament |
| 1959 |
Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba Hawaii becomes 50th state European Free Trade Association ratifies treaty Disturbances in Nyasaland; Hastings Banda arrested U.S.S.R. Lunik II photographs lunar surface from orbit Alvarez discovers the neutral xi-particle U.S. Postmaster General bans "Lady Chatterly's Lover" on the grounds of obscenity; ruling reversed in 1960 Buddy Holly dies in a plane crash near Mason City, Iowa 600,000 year-old "Nutcracker Man" skull found in Tanganyika |
| 1960 |
Brezhnev becomes President of the U.S.S.R. U.S. admits to aerial reconnaissance flights over U.S.S.R. when U-2 airplane is shot down and pilot confesses Former Gestapo chief Adolf Eichmann arrested; he is executed in 1962 Televised debated between presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon Sirimavo Bandaranaika of Ceylon, now Sri Lanka, becomes first woman Prime Minister after her husband is assassinated Students protest segregation by nonviolent sit-ins at whites-only lunch counters in Greensboro, NC Three women admitted to ministry of the Swedish Lutheran Church Nobel Prize for Medicine awarded to Burnet and Medawar for discovery of stimulated immunity to foreign tissue Theodore Maiman builds first laser system Pope John XXIII announces first Ecumenical Council since 1870 Submersible "Trieste" reaches 35,800 in the Pacific near Guam Caryl Chessman, convicted rapist, executed in San Quentin after 12 years of appeals Bobby Fischer, 16, successfully defends U.S. chess title Neo-Nazi political groups banned in West Germany Olympic Games in Rome |
| 1961 |
U.S. breaks off diplomatic relations with Cuba John Birch Society activities come to Congressional notice UN General Assembly condemns apartheid Cuban exciles attempt invasion of Cuba at the Bay of Pigs; they were trained and supplied by the U.S.; President Kennedy admits responsibility Austria refuses application of Archduke Otto of Hapsburg to return Berlin Wall constructed Angola and Mozambique begin their long struggle for freedom from the Portuguese Yuri Gagarin (U.S.S.R.) becomes the first person to orbit the earth Atlas computer installed at Harwell Tanganyika conference moves to protect African wildlife "Freedom Riders," white and black libers loosely organized to test and enforce integration in the South, are attacked and beaten by whites in Anniston and Birmingham Last journey of the Orient Express (Paris - Bucharest) |
| 1962 |
U.S. military council established in Vietnam U.S.S.R. establishes fishing base in Cuba; Kennedy announces installation of missile base; Khrushchev offers to withdraw if U.S. removed bases in Turkey; Kennedy refuses and announces blockade; crisis ends when Khrushchev withdraws bombers Nine years of fighting end with Algerian independence from France Mariner 2 launched by NASA as Venus probe First industrial robots go to work Thalidomide causes hundreds of babies to be born deformed The first live satellite broadcasts between the US and Europe follow the launch of the Telstar communications satellite Russian scientist Chudinov revives fossil algae, aged 250 million years Nobel Prize in Medicine awarded to Watson, Wilkins, and Crick for determining the molecular structure of DNA James Meredith, black, denied admission to University of Mississippi by Governor; he is found guilty of civil contempt; U.S. marshalls and 3,000 troops suppress riots when Meredith arrives on campus Earthquake in northern Iran kills 10,000 World population 3.1 billion |
| 1963 |
Riots, police beatings and maltreatment by officials mark civil rights demonstrations in Alabama, culminating with the arrest of Martin Luther King and the calling out of 3,000 soldiers UAR, Syria, and Iraq agree to union "Hot line" set up between U.S. and U.S.S.R. Between 200,000 and 500,000 "Freedom Marchers" descend on Washington to demonstrate against segregation Profumo crisis Vietnam Conflict begins: President Kennedy assassinated by Lee Harvy Oswald; Jack Ruby assassinates Lee Harvy Oswald in 1964; Jack Ruby dies of cancer in 1965; commission appointed by President Johnson finds that Oswald acted alone Valentina Tereshkova (Russian) becomes the first woman astronaut Michael De Bakey successfully implants an artificial heart during surgery Soviet government allows department of psionic research in major universities 4,000 die in Cuba, Haiti and other Carribbean islands due to off-season hurricane Glasgow - London mail train robbery nets 2.5 million pounds sterling Coldest winter since 1740 strikes Britain "Credibility gap" becomes evident between the truth and official reports of events in Cuba, Vietnam, and elsewhere Hurricane and tsunamis leave 22,000 dead in Pakistan |
| 1964 |
Zanzibar combines with Tanganyika to form Tanzania; Kenya, Nyasaland and Malta also become independent this year 24th Amentment ratified, abolishing the poll tax UN peace force takes over in Cyprus; Greece rejects talks; Turkish planes attack Cyprus Vietnam Conflict continues: Khrushchev replaced as Soviet Prime Minister by Kosygin and as Party Secretary by Brezhnev Yassar Arafat takes control of Arab guerrilla force Al Fatah Fundamental particle omega-minus discovered using Nimrod-cyclotron Hoyle and Marlikar postulate a new theory of gravitation Ranger VII returns to Cape Kennedy with close-up photographs of the moon Egyptian President Nasser addresses the United Arab conference and calls for the destruction of Israel Major earthquake in Alaska kills 114 and causes $500 million in damage Race riots erupt in Harlem and other US cities as reaction against enforcement of civil rights laws James Hoffa found guilty of jury tampering, fraud and conspiracy The Watusi, Frug, Monkey, Funky Chicken and other dances drive people to discotheques; go-go girls set the pace World's Fair in New York Olympic Games in Tokyo: |
| 1965 |
Vietnam Conflict continues Winston Churchill dies (born 1874) Malcom X, black Muslim leader, shot in New York (born 1925) Medicare becomes law Martin Luther King heads 4,000 civil rights demonstrators from Selma to Montgomery to deliver Negro petition; KKK shootings in Selma North Vietnamese MIG aircraft shoot down a US fighter craft; U.S.S.R. admits supplying arms to Hanoi; Americans demonstrate against the war; Ho Chi Minh rejects peace talks Race riots in Watts district of Los Angeles; 35 die, 4000 arrested and $40 million in damage Podgorny replaces Mikoyan as President of the USSR Shah of Iran visits Moscow Gambis becomes independent and, along with Singapore & Maldive Islands, joins the UN T.S. Eliot dies (born 1888) Ian Fleming writes "Thunderball," a James Bond thriller featuring nuclear terrorism Pope Paul VI visits New York Albert Schweitzer dies (born 1875) Charles Chaplin and Ingmar Bergman awarded the Dutch Eurasmus Prize Cyclones ravage Pakistan leaving 20,000 dead Entire northeastern US and parts of Canada lose power due to faulty relay; 30 million people affected with a noticeable rise in birth rate 9 months later Substance T developed as the first high-temperature superconductor Soviet astronaut Leonov walks in space for 10 minutes By the end of the year, ninety-seven police and security personnel have been killed in metahuman-related crimes |
| 1966 |
Vietnam Conflict continues De Gaulle elected President of France, visits U.S.S.R. and requests NATO remove all military forces Indira Gandhi becomes Prime Minister of India International Days of Protest held against U.S. policy in Vietnam Italy and the U.S.S.R. sign an economic and technical pact 2,000 Madrid University students battle with police The Cultural Revolution begins in China; Mao forms students into groups of Red Guards who attack anything they think might be against Communist ideals; thousands of people are killed or imprisoned and much art and history is destroyed U.S. Congress authorizes lethal force in the arrest of metahumans; ESWAT teams formed Nkrumah overnment in Ghana removed by a military coup Israeli and Jordanian forces fight in Hebron area Billy Grahm conducts his Greater London Crusade The United Brethren and Methodist Churches unite as United Methodist Church Temples and statuary of Abu Simbel moved to avoid rising waters from the Aswan High Dam American B-52 bomber crashes off the coast of Spain; cargo of four hydrogen bombs is recovered after three months Soviet spacecraft Luna 9 successfully soft-lands on the moon Terrorist incidents total 41 in Israel, up from 37 last year; almost all are carried out by Arabs Floods ravage northern Italy Admiral Chester Nimitz dies (born 1885) Miniskirts come into fashion New York "Herald Tribune" ceases publication German team makes first successful direct ascent of Eiger north face 48-hour Christmas truce observed in Vietnam U.S. population 195 million |
| 1967 |
Vietnam Conflict continues Israeli forces use tanks against Syria in worsening border conflict Soviet Union and Britatin pledge to make every possible effort to bring peace to Vietnam Britain rejects Chinenes ultimatum demanding pro-Communist newspapers in Hong Kong; British embassy in Peking sacked and burned Black Power conference held in Newark, NJ France launches nuclear submarine "La Redoutable" 700,000 people march through New York in support of U.S. soldiers in Vietnam Hanoi directly attacked by U.S. bombers Six-Day War begins: 50,000 people demonstrate against Vietnem war in Washington, D.C. American Nazi Party leader G.L. Rockwell shot and killed English singer Gerry Dorsey changes his name to Engelbert Humberdink and gains world fame Martin Luther King leads anti-Vietnam march in New York City; a simultaneous event takes place in San Francisco; more and more people begin to demonstrate against the war, the draft and racial barriers King Constantine flees from Greece to Rome after failing to overthrow the military government Tom Stoppard writes "Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead" President Johnson appoints Thurgood Marshall to the Supreme Court Sanford University biochemists produce synthetic DNA Race riots in Chicago, Cleveland, Newark and Detroit The PRC detonates it's first hydrogen bomb Twiggy takes U.S. fashion by storm First heart transplant performed by Dr. Christiaan Barnard, in South Africa U.S. manned space flights are suspended after death of three astronauts in fire on landing pad Ilse Koch, Nazi war criminal "beast of Buchenwald" found hanged in prison cell Micky Mantle hits 500th home run Martha Webster lands a 410-pound shark at Rockport, MA Vince Lombardi coaches the Green Bay Packers to their third consecutive NFL championship |
| 1968 |
Vietnam Conflict continues: Alexander Dubcek named First Secretary of Czechoslovak Communist Party Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. is assassinated in Memphis; London Scotland Yard arrests James Earl Ray and extradites him to the U.S. Fighting breaks out in the streets of Paris when student demonstrators and striking workers clash with riot police Senator Robert Kennedy assassinated in Los Angeles after winning the California Democratic primary; Sirhan Sirhan of Jordan is arrested and convicted Czechoslovakia Communist Party leader Dubcek resists pressure from U.S.S.R. and tries to introduce "Communism with a human face"; Soviet and Warsaw-Pact forces invade, claiming the Czech government "had requested assistance" British government restricts immigration from India, Pakistan and the West Indies Researchers from Jerusalem University uncover the Temple of Herod, destroyed in 70 A.D. Richard Nixon elected 37th President of the U.S. and promises to end the Vietnam War Oliver Knussen, 15, conducts the first performance of his Symphony No. 1 by the London Symphony Orchestra Two unmanned Soviet satellited find each other by radar while in orbit Apollo 7 orbits the earth Pulsars identified by Hewish and Bell at Mullard Observatory, England Aretha Franklin and Jimi Hendrix compete for popularity Intelsat 3A, first of a new generation of communications satellites, launched Julie Nixon, daughter of President-elect Nixon, marries Dwight David Eisenhower, grandson of the former President Yuri A. Gagarin, Soviet conmonaut, dies (born 1878) Apollo 8 orbits the moon 28 million year old skull found in Fayyum region of U.A.R. James Watson publishes "The Double Helix" Olympic Games in Mexico City: |
| 1969 |
Vietnam Conflict continues: Violent fighting in Northern Ireland between Protestants and Roman Catholics Jan Palach, a Czech student, burns himself to death in Prague in protest against Soviet occupation Yasi Arafat elected Chairman of Palestine Liberation Organization and shifts main guerrilla forces to Jordan Senator Edward Kennedy drives into a pond at Chappaquiddick and kills passenger Mary Jo Kopechne Caribbean island of Anguilla vots to break all ties with Britain "Chicago Eight" indicted for civil disobedience; found not guilty after boisterous trial Judy Garland dies (born 1922) J. Weber observes gravitational waves U.S. discusses returning Ryukyu Islands (including Okinawa) to Japan Concorde supersonic aircraft makes first test flight British army sends troops into Belfast to quell rioting Supreme Court justice Abe Fortas resigns Charles Manson & co indicted for multiple homicides Apollo 11 lands Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon Hurricane Camille devastates the Gulf coast Parapsychological Association admitted to American Association for Advancement of Science After the failure of a civil rights movement, violence again breaks out between Nationalists who want a united Ireland and Unionists who wish to remain part of Britain Mariner space probes send back pictures of Mars World population estimated at 3.5 billion, growing at 2 per cent annually |
| 1970 |
Vietnam Conflict continues: Biafra capitulates to federal Nigerian government and ends a 30-month civil war Israel and U.A.R. agree to 90-day truce along Suez Canal Nuclear-powered pacemakers successfully implanted Guatemalan archaeologists unearth Buddha statue dating from 1200 B.C. Unmanned Soviet spacecraft Luna 16 returns from the moon Assassination attempt on Pope Paul VI in Philippines prevented by metahuman bodyguard Arab commandos hijack three European jets bound for New York Burt Bacharach composes "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head" Apollo 13 launched and (barely) recovered Floods and cyclones kill 500,000 in East Pakistan First complete gene synthesis completed Dow Jones indistrial average drops to 631 |
| 1971 |
Vietnam Conflict continues: Henry Kissinger secretly visits China Women granted right to vote in Switzerland Roman Catholic synod reaffirms role of celibacy for the clergy U.S. satellite Mariner 9 orbits Mars Mainland Chine admitted to UN Church of England and the Roman Catholic Church end 400-year old dispute and agree on "essential meaning of the Eucharist" Igor Stravisky dies (born 1882) Paul Terry, creator of Mighty Mouse, dies (born 1887) J. Underwood, super-genius, future multi-millionaire and all-around nice guy, is born Cigarette ads banned form U.S. television U.S.S.R. soft-lands a capsule on Mars Amtrack begins operation Violence worsens in Northern Ireland after Britain institutes preventative detention and internment without trial Nixon orders 90-day freeze on wages and prices to curb domestic inflation; U.S. later devalues dollar U.S. tests hydrogen bomb beneath Amchitka Island, Alaska Offtrack betting legalized in New York William Rehnquist named to Supreme Court Dr. Choh Hao Li synthesizes human growth hormone Five-day seige in Attica prison ends when police storm the complex; 10 guards and 32 prisoners killed Stanley Kubric produces "A Clockwork Orange" India (aiding Bengali rebels) and Pakistan go to war Mao's heir-apparent Lin Piao dies in a mysterious air crash, fleeing after an unsuccessful coup Hank Aaron hits 600th hoome run U.S. and U.S.S.R. agree to ban ocean-floor nuclear testing Algeria seizez control of French oil and gas interests but promises restitution Cyclone and tidal wave kills 10,000 in Bengal |
| 1972 |
Vietnam Conflict continues: U.S. returns Okinawa to Japan Richard Nixon reelected in a near-record landslide election The eastern part of Pakistan breaks away and forms the independent country of Bangladesh Five men arrested inside the Democratic National Headquarters in the Watergate convention complex The Star of Sierra Leone, the largest diamond ever found, weighs in at 969.8 carats The Tasadays discovered, a stone-age tribe living in southern Philippines; later revealed to be a hoax Supreme Court ruling effectively prohibits federal capital punishment Lon Nol takes complete control of Cambodian government Britain imposes direct rule on Northern Ireland; violence continues Phase II economic measures continue to control U.S. wages, prices and profits J. Edgar Hoover, F.B.I. director since 1924, dies (born 1895) Ceylon becomes a republic and changes name to Sri Lanka Violence in the Middle East continues Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos declares martial law in responce to a "Communist rebellion" and assumes near-dictatorial powers U.S. petrolium products shortage becomes apparent Both "Jesus Christ, Superstar" and "Grease" appear on Broadway Mujibur Rahman leads eastern part of Pakistan to break away and form Bangladesh; he is murdered two months later and his followers go on a suicidal rampage of death and destruction ending in a cholera outbreak; 200,000 people die and hundreds of thousands made homeless Soviet craft Venus 8 soft-lands on Venus Bobby Fischer wins world chess title from Boris Spassky U.S. military draft phased out and armed forces become all-volunteer Dow-Jones Index closes above 1,000 for the first time Charles Atlas dies (born 1893) Arab terrorists kill two Israeli Olympic athletes and take nine more hostage; all die Summer Olympics held in Munich; 11th Winter Olympics held in Sapporo, Japan |
| 1973 |
Vietnam Conflict ends: Watergate emerges as a scandal; tapes have "gaps" and Nixon is implicated Ireland, Britain and Denmark join the EEC; another half a dozen over the next 10 years Violence continues in Northern Ireland Vice President Spiro Agnew resigns and pleads "nolo contendre" to income tax evasion U.S. wage-price controls end except for food, health care and construction industries; dollar devaluated again Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi nationalizes all foreign-operated oil firms in Iran Fighting breaks out in Middle East between Arabs and Israelis; peace talks are initiated and broken off multiple times East and West Germany formally recognize each other Supreme Court rules states may not outlaw first and second-term abortions J.R.R. Tolkien dies (born 1892) "The Godfather" wins Academy Award for best picture American spacecraft Pioneer 10 sends back pictures of Jupiter Petrolium products and an Arab embargo create energy crisis in America, Europe and Japan Brazil tests a nuclear bomb on the Pasaja plateau Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in three straight sets: 6-4, 6-3, 6-3 Militant American Indians occupy Wounded Knee for 70 days Brezhnev and Nixon sign treaty to limit nuclear war Edward Rickenbacker, World War I flying ace, dies (born 1891) India begins release of 70,000 prisoners of war, held since 1971 Tom Bradley is elected first black Mayor of Los Angeles American Skylab missions I - III completed; Skylab IV enters permanent Earth orbit |
| 1974 |
Worldwide inflation helps cause dramatic increases in the cost of food, fuel and industrial supplies; oil-producing nations boos prices; economic growth slows to near zero in most industrialized nations A bloodless military coup in Portugal begins democratic reforms Secretary of State Henry Kissinger persuades Israel and Syria to a cease-fire on the Golan Heights Terrorism continues in Northern Ireland; Tower of London and Houses of Parliament are bombed Greek-led Cypriot rebels overthrow the government; Turkish forces invade and gain control President Richard Nixon is exposed as a co-conspirator in the Watergate cover-up and, facing impeachment by congress. resigns President Gerald Ford pardons Nixon for any crimes he may have committed; there is widespread protest Benthic Petroleum begin work on the Deep Core project Alexander Solzhenitsyn is stripped of his Soviet citizenship and exiled Soviet probe lands on Mars and finds the water vapor concentration higher than previously suspected India becomes the sixth country to detonate a nuclear device Four U.S. Episcopal bishops defy church law and ordain 11 women as priests President Ford grants limited amnesty to Vietnam War draft evaders and military deserters American SR-71 jet plane flies from New York to London in under 2 hours General Alexander Haig is appointed Supreme Commander of NATO U.S. satellite Mariner 10 transpits pictures of Venus and Mercury; Mercury is found to have an atmosphere Patricia Hearst announces she will join her kidnappers in the Symbionese Liberation Army Smallpox epidemic kills 20,000 in India Scientists discover the psi, or J-meson particle |
| 1975 |
Margaret Thatcher becomes leader of the British Conservative Party Apollo and Soyuz 19 spacecraft link up in orbit Eleven people associated with Nixon and Watergate are tried and convicted Fighting erupt between Ethopian government troops and rebels in the province of Eritria Portugese constitution gives all essential power to the military King Faisal of Saudi Arabia assassinated by nephew, who is beheaded; Khalid assumes the throne Charlie Chaplain knighted by Queen Elizabeth II Cambodian President Lon Nol flees before Communist forces; U.S. embassy closes; Khmer Rouge insurgents take power and institute harsh reform programs Communist forces overrun South Vietnam and Nguyen Van Thieu resigns as President; U.S. evacuation of Saigon Sikkim abolishes monarchy and is absorbed into India Egypt reopens the Suex Canal for the first itme since the Six-Day War U.S. Viking spacecraft sets out for Mars Four women ordained to the Episcopal priesthood; previous ordination of 11 women is invalidated by the House of Bishops Cambodian navy seizes U.S. merchant ship "Mayaguez", which is later retrieved be U.S. military forces New York City doctors go on strike for shorter working hours; malpractice suits cause insuracne rates to quadruple Laos becomes a Communist country Hawaiian volcano Mauna Loa erupts for the first time since 1950 First-class mail in the U.S. increases from 10 to 13 cents John Walker runs a mile in 3 minutes 49.4 seconds Bloody clashes between Christians and Moslems in Beruit causes formation of joint cabinet to halt fighting People of the northern Mariana Isnalds vote to become American citizens and become a commonwealth; first U.S. territorial acquisition since 1925 James Hoffa, former president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, disappears New York City's Council of Churches rejects application from Unification Church of Rev. Sun Myung Moon Forty Islamic nations vote to have Israel expelled from the United Nations Federal jury exonerates Ohio Governor and 27 National Guardsmen of any responsibility in the 1970 Kent State shootings Two assassination attempts on President Ford are prevented by metahuman bodyguards Rod Sterling missing, presumed dead (born 1925) OPEC raises oil prices by 10% Portugal grants independence to former colonies of Angolia, Mozambique, Cape Verde and Sao Tome & Principe; three other African countries declare their independence |
| 1976 |
Venezuela nationalizes the petrolium industry Lt. General Jorge Videla becomes president of Argentina's military junta Spain relinquishes colonial control of Spanish Sahara; Morocco and Mauritania divide the tarritory, ignoring the proclimation of independence U.S. and U.S.S.R. limit the size of underground nuclear testing; first on-site inspections of compliance U.S. celebrates bicentennial North and South Vietnam are reunited after 22 years as the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Seychells Islands declares independence from Britain Thailand's government falls in military coup Blacks in South Africa battle armed police as rioting and violence spreads across the countery President Ford and candidate Jimmy Carder debate on national television Syrian and Lebanese troops bettle Palestinian guerrillas and Lebanese Moslems in southern Lebanon Mao Tse-tung dies Civil war in Angola causes 9000 refugees to flee to Nambia Jimmy Carter elected 39th President Coup attempt by the Gang of Four is crushed East Germany issues new restrictions on emigration to the west Republic of Transkei is proclaimed, the first of South Africa's black homelands to attain independence Episcopal Church approves the ordination of women; the Anglican Church of Canada ordains six women Dame Agatha Christie dies (born 1891) Reverend Moon ends U.S. ministry amist protestations of brainwashing tactics Film "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" sweeps all five major awards; first film to do so since 1934 Werner Heisenberg dies (born 1901), but the cat lives New atomic particle "upsilon" detected National Academy of Science reports on damage to ozone layer from aerosol sprays Alex Haly publishes "Roots" First detailed radar observations of the surface of Venus recorded Viking I and II set down safely on Mars and transmit first closeup photos of the surface MIT announces construction of functional synthetic gene Ancient civilization of Ebla uncovered in northern Syria Howard Hughes dies (born 1905) Officials of the Mormon Church discover a handwritten will attributed to Howard Hughes that bequeathes one-sixteenth of Hughes's estates to a Mormon business; authenticity is questioned Concorde jets inaugurate scheduled supersonic passenger service Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Dallas Coyboys to win the Super Bowl 21-17; the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fail to post a win the entire season and end at 0-14 Israeli commandos rescue 103 hostages held in Uganda by pro-Palestinian hijackers U.S. Air Force Academy admits women Mysterious illness kills 29 people at an American Legion convention; "Legionnaires' disease" strikes 151 others Orient Express ends its Istanbul-to-Paris run Violent earquakes strike Italy, China, Phillippines, Turkey, Bali and Guatemala; an estimated 780,000 die Tanker "Argo Merchant" runs aground off Nantucket, MA, spilling millions of gallons of oil Henry "Hank" Aaron retires 12th Winter Olympics in Austria; Summer Olympics in Montreal; 32 African and Asian countries withdraw because of political issues |
| 1977 |
President Carter pardons most American draft dodgers of the Vietnam War era Indira Gandhi resigns as Prime Minister of India; succeeded by Morarji Desai Menahem Begin replaces Yitzhak Rabin as Israeli Prime Minister Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Silver Jubilee G. Gordon Liddy is released after 52.5 months in prison U.S. launches two probes into the atmosphere of Venus Pakistan's army overthrows the government and establishes martial law Leonid Brezhnev is elected President of the Soviet Union President Carter warns the energy crisis could bring on a "national catastrophe" Military junta seizes control of Thailand The first life-threatening viral infection is cured with drug therapy Elvis Presly "King of Rock 'n' Roll" dies (born 1935) U.S. space shuttle "Enterprise" makes first manned flight Jacqualine Means becomes the first woman ordained in the Episcopal Church in America Uranus is discovered to have rings resembling thos of Saturn Massive blackout in New York City lasts nearly a day, leading to 500 fires and 3,700 arrests SAT scores shown to be declining since 1963 Volcanoes erupt in Japan, Italy and Hawaii Star Wars is released Voyager I and II launched to the outer solar system Neutron bomb developed that kills with massive radiation, leaving most buildings intact First possible detection of the quark 2,300-year old tomb of King Philip II of Macedon is found in northern Greece Cyclone kills 20,000 and leaves two million homeless in India Janelle Commissiong, representing Trinidad-Tobago, becomes the first black Miss Universe U.S. population reaches 216 million |
| 1978 |
Sandinista guerrillas attempt to overthrow the Nicaraguan government A military junta siezes power in Afghanistan U.S. and the People's Republic of China establish full diplomatic relations Zaire is invaded by secessionist rebels; Angolan, Cuban & Russian backing is reported; French, Belgian, U.S. and other African countries send troops Israeli Premer Menahem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat win the Nobel Peace Prize Solomon Islands and Dominica become independent nations Charon, Pluto's moon, is discovered Three Russian human rights activists are convicted of "anti-Soviet agitation" and are sentenced to prisons and forced labor camps South Yemen's government deposed by pro-Soviet factions that sieze power; North Yemen's President is assassinated Arab League uses military force to separate warring Syrian and Christian militia forces in Lebanon A military junta takes control of Honduras Iran's Shan Mohammed Riza Pahlev imposes martial rule to put an end to violent anti-government demonstrations The Soviet Union and Vietnam sign a 25-year treaty of friendship and cooperation Pope Paul VI and his successor Pope John Paul I die; Cardinal Karol Wojtyla becomes Pope John Paul II; he is the first non-Italian to be elected in 456 years, and the first Pole chosen John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John star in "Grease" Army officers sieze control of Bolivia - the 200th coup in Bolivia's 158 years of independence Naomi Uemura becomes the first to complete a solo journey to the North Pole Lesley Brown gives birth to the world's first "test-tube" baby in Britain Oil drilling begins in the Baltimore Canyon region off the New Jersey shore David Berkowitz, also known as the .44 killer and the "Son of Sam," receives life imprisonment for six murders The "Chicago Daily News" ceases publication after 103 years Norman Rockwell dies (born 1894) Brigadier General Margaret A. Brewer becomes the first female general in the U.S. Marine Corps U.S. Congress extends the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment to 1982 Jonestown massacre; murder-suicide of 917 in Guyana by members of the People's Cult, a California-based religious cult World population at 4.4 billion |
| 1979 |
The Shah of Iran is replaced by the religious leader Ayatollah Khomeini; nearly 100 U.S. Embassy staff are taken hostage Vietnam invades Cambodia and installs new government under Heng Samrin; mass graves discovered containing 3 million victims of Khmer Rouge 273 die when an engine falls off a DC-10 in Chicago St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines win independence from Britain President Carter, Israeli Premier Menachem Begin and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat agree on the Camp David peace treaty; Egypt is expelled from the Arab League Carlos Romero, President of El Salvador, is overthrown in a military coup Margaret Thatcher is elected first woman Prime Minister of Britain General Alexander Haig, Chief of Allied Forces in Europe, survives a terrorist assassination attempt Nicaragua's President Anastosio Somoza is overthrown by Sandinistas after a bloody civil war; a new Marxist government is installed Pope John Paul II becomes the first Pope to visit a Communist country when he visits his native Poland Presidenty Carter and U.S.S.R. President Leonid Brezhnev sign SALT-2 arms limitation treaty Nuclear disaster narrowly averted at Three Mile Island, Pennsylvania Two Soviet cosmonauts orbit the Earth for 175 days in the Salyut 6 space station Patty Hearst is released from prison Ku Klux Klan stages a 50-mile "white rights" march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama Alvin Karpis, America's "public enemy number one" dies (born 1908) Sir Anthony Blut is unmasked as "fourth man" in spy scandal; Queen Elizabeth II strips him of his knighthood John Wayne dies (born 1907) Benthic's Deep Core underwater mining project fails during hurricane Anna Adolph Dubs, U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan, is kidnapped by Muslim terrorists and killed in a gun battle; Soviet army invades Afghanistan on Christmas Eve |
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| 1980 | The "War on Drugs" begins: The US spends increasing amounts of money to prevent the violence and suffering caused by illegal drug trade The Polish Solidarity trade union, led by Lech Walesa, demands better working conditions The Polish government declares martial law, but the union prevails with media assistance Iranian militants take 55 US Embassy staff hostage in Teheran They are held 444 days before release Walkmans go on sale 1980 John Lennon is shot outside the Dakota Apartments in New York by Mark David Chapman. |
| 1981 | The space shuttle "Columbia" is the first space shuttle to orbit the earth U.S. fighters shoot down two Libyan jets in defense over the Mediterranean Electric car research still at standstill due to lack of government interest and government regulations Top speed about 60 mph, range no more than 75 miles |
| 1982 | Argentina invades the British-owned Falkland Islands Britain regains control by sending a naval task force |
| 1983 | American Marine headquarters in Beirut bombed, killing 245 Sierra Society formed from alliance between Sierra Club and Audubon Society |
| 1984 | After years without rain, Ethiopia, Sudan and Chad suffer terrible famine Tens of thousands die from starvation and disease every year for the next decade Unconfirmed sightings of a flying saucer over New Jersey |
| 1985 | Much of Mexico City is destroyed by a huge earthquake which kills 5,000 and leaves many more homeless Mikhail Gorbachov becomes the leader of the Communist Party He begins a new age of Glasnost and Perestroika, ending Cold War In the world's worst industrial disaster, over 2,300 people die from Union Carbide gas poisoning at Bhopal, India |
| 1986 | A disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant causeswidespread radioactive pollution and forces thousands to leave their homes After 20 years as president and dictator, Ferdinand Marcos isremoved from power The new leader is Corazon Aquino Los Angeles police station destroyed by unknown metahuman; 17 officers killed in the worst law-enforcement incident of the past 15 years Space Shuttle Challenger explodes 76 seconds after launch, killing all 7 astronauts; NASA is set back by years |
| 1987 | Communist countries allow even more capitalist ideas into their countries due to failing economies and increasing internalproblems |
| 1988 |
Palestinians in the Occupoed Territories begin prolonged active resistance to Israeli rule Soviet nationalist demonstrations take place in the Baltic states and the Caucuses; many die before the army intervenes A U.K. S.A.S. unit shoots dead three suspected I.R.A. bombers; a Protestant gunman later kills 3 and wounds 50 at their funeral; two soldiers are later killed during a funeral of one of these victims Contra rebels and the Nicaraguan government agree on a 60-day cease-fire Ethiopia and Somalia sign a peace treaty after 11 years of border disputes Previously unrevealed treaty between Britain and U.S. initiates comprehensive free-trade agreement between U.S. and Canada Soviet troops begin to retreat from Afghanistan after nine-year occupation, but the Afghan communist government survives Angola, South Africa and Cuba agreee on a cease-fire in Angola Poland removes restrictions on private enterprise and allows foreign ownership of companies Vietnam begins to pull troops out of Kampuchea A million South African black workers hold a three-day strike against new labor laws U.S.S. "Vincennes" mistakenly shoots down an Iranian airliner over the Persian Gulf, killing 290 civilians Mikhail Gorbachev becomes President of the U.S.S.R.; he announcesunilateral military cuts of up to 15%, phased over two years Stephen Hawking publishes "A Brief History of Time" U.S. surgeons implant the world's first plutonium-powered pacemaker U.S. launches Nuclear Fuel Detector satellite to monitor the world supply of atomic material Both Soviet "Phobos" space probes to Mars fail Carbon dating establishes that the Turin Shroud dates from about 30 A.D. The B-2 "Stealth" bomber unveiled Druk traffickers kidnap and kill Colombia's Attourney General; related violence leads to more than 100 deaths McDonald's opens in Moscow A bomb planted by Lybian-backed terrorists blows apart a Pan Am 747 flying over Lockerbie, Scotland, killing 270 Olympic Games in South Korea |
| 1989 |
U.S. fighters shoot down two Libyan jets over the Gulf of Sidra Hirohito, Emper of of Japan since 1926, dies (born 1901); Crown Prince Akihito succeeds to the throne Western embassies withdraw from Kabul, Afghanistan, but the Mujaheddin do not capture the city; the last Soviet troops leave Afghanistan P.W. Botha resigns as President of South Africa and is succeeded by F.W. de Klerk Military coup in Paraguay places General Andre Rodriguez in power Ayatollah Khomeini announces a "fatwa" (death sentence) on Salman Rushdie for "blasphemy" in his book "The Satanic Verses" Massive peaceful opposition continues in Hungary; a mainly non-Communist government takes power in December under President Vaclav Havel China imposes martial law in Lhasa, Tibet, after anti-Chinese protests Soviet electors have a choice of candidates for the Congress of People's Deputies for the first time ever S.W.A.P.O. guerrillas break the Nambian cease-fire, but the cease-fire holds; demoncratic elections later put S.W.A.P.O. into power anyway Hundreds die in Lebanon in shelling between Christian and Islamic militias Thousands of pro-democracy students occupy Tiananmen Square in Peking; the occupation lasts seven weeks until the government imposes martial law and uses tanks to disperse the students; thousands are believed to have died; China reaffirms its hard-line Communist stance General Noriega annuls the Panamanian presidential elections, which the opposition leader has won; U.S. invades and installs new government Lt. Col. Oliver North found guilty of crimes in the Iran-Contra scandal and receives a suspended three-year prison sentence Arab terrorists hang William Higgins, taken hostage in Beirut in 1988 Colombian presidential candidate Luis Galan is shot dead by drug traffickers General Colin Powell is the first black to become Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff An I.R.A. bomb at the Royal Marines School of Music, London, kills 10 The German Communist government resigns; free travel between East and West Germany is sanctioned; the Berlin Wall is torn down Deng Xiaoping of China retires from politics because of age The Romanian Communist Party unanimously reelects Nicolae Ceausescu as President; fighting breaks out between protestors and the secret police and the government is overthrown; Ceausescu and his wife are tried and executed Alexander Dubcek makes a public speech for the first time since 1968; he is elected Chairman of the Czechoslovakian Parliament Rajiv Gandhi's Congress Party loses national elections to V.P. Singh Margaret Thatcher easily defeats Sir Anthony Meyer in the Conservative leadership ballot Hungary proclaims a new constitution to create a multiparty democracy Voyager 2 reaches Neptune and its satellite Triton DNA genetic "fingerprinting" admissible evidence in some states U.S. archeologists discover an ancient Assyrian city, Mashkanshapir, in Iraq Computer viruses infect networks worldwide; Lloyds of London insurers create a new policy to cover losses caused by computer viruses 80 nations adopt a declaration agreeing to stop production of chorofluorocarbons by 2000 A.D. NASA launches the "Galileo" space probe to Jupiter Astronomers discover a large, thin "sheet" of galaxies with vast emptiness on either side; it is dubbed the "Great Wall" and unexplained by current theories of gravitational attraction Mysterious "crop circles" appear in Britain Serial murderer Theodore Bundy is executed The "Exxon Valdez" causes the world's largest oil spillage (11 million gallons) when it runs aground in Alaska The wreck of the "Bismark" is found almost three miles beneath the surface of the North Atlantic Ronald Reagan is awarded an honorary knighthood by the Queen The U.S. savings and loan scandal costs taxpayers $300 billion President Reagan inaugurates a $7.8 billion "War on Drugs" A Tennessee court rules that a wife is not entitled to custody of frozen embryos fertilized by her ex-husband's sperm Hurrican Hugo devastates the Caribbean and South Carolina A complete ban on ivory trading is ratified worldwide Berlin Wall falls, hearlding the end of communist oppression Mitsubishi buys Rockefeller Center in New York City |
| 1990 |
Panamanian General Noriega surrenders to U.S. troops and is arrested on drug-trafficking charges Marion Barry, Jr., Mayor of Washington, is arrested for possession of crack cocaine The U.S.S.R. declares a state of emergency in Nagorno-Karabakh The Yugoslavian government intervenes to end communal strife in Kosovo Czechslovakia's first free postwar elections are won by the Civic Forum 600 Liberian refugees are massacred by government troops in the continuing civil war; President Samuel Doe is captured and killed by rebel troops Iraq invades Kuwait; the U.S. imposes sanctions and the U.S. and allies send aid, along with a deadline of January 15, 1991 to withdraw Brian Keenan is freed after being held hostage in Beruit for 1,596 days North Korean Premier Yon Hyong Muk makes an unprecedented visit to South Korea Helmut Kohl is elected first Chancellor of reunited Germany Ireland elects Mary Robinson as its first female President Emperor Akihito of Japan is formally proclaimed the 125th Emperor Mozambique ends one-party rule with a new constitution that provides for multiparty democracy and a free-market economy Lech Walesa is overwhelmingly elected President of Poland An exhibition of 175 photographs by Robert Maplethorp is shown at the Contemporary Arts Center in Cincinnati; many show sadomasochistic or homoerotic acts and the museum is indicted for obscenity, but found not guilty First kidney and bone marrow transplanted between humans; first gene therapy operation attempted English and French engineers meet under the sea as the Channel tunnel is completed Towyn, North Wales, is evacuated after flooding from the sea Prisoners in Strangeways Prison, Manchester, riot and seize several wings of the prison, which they hold for 24 days Imelda Marcos and Adnan Khashoggi found not guilty of fraud Michael Milken, former "junk bond" pioneer, fined $600 million in a fraud case The once independent republics of Latvia, Lithuania and Estoniadem and independence from the rest of the USSR East and West Germany reunited; Warsaw Pact breaks up into separate nations Breakup of Soviet mega-state From this point, the USSR begins a new era of reapproachment with western Europe |
| 1991 |
Genomporhic organisms banned by the U.N. as weapons of mass destruction Saudi Arabia admits U.S. forces and they defeat Iraqi forces in a week of fighting; both Iraq and Kuwait are decimated and spent years trying to recover Russian provence of Chechnia declares independence; Soviet troops move to retain power Attempted coup in the USSR fails President Gorbachov purges most old hard-liners from political system President Gorbachov announces the disbanding of the Soviet Communist Party; there are suicides among the top party leaders, but the general population is ambivalent Civil war breaks out in Yugoslavia |
| 1992 |
The Russian Federation eliminates state subsidies of goods and services, causing soaring prices and riots across the country European Community recognizes three Yugoslav republics: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Slovenia; leaders of Serbian-controlled Yugoslav government consider this "an intentional breakup of Yugoslavia"; fighting begins between Croata and Serbs, ending seven-month cease-fire U.N. Security Council deploys 13,000 troops in Croatia South African whites overwhelmingly approve a referendum to share power with blacks 119 Haitains risk their lives to travel to America; President Bush closes Guantanamo Bay and returns them to Haiti Presidential candidate Clinton says he experimented with marijuana but "did not inhale" Twelve thousand Sudanese boys fleeing their country's civil war arrive in Kenya after a 1,000-mile trek Los Angeles burns and 58 die in five days of the worst rioting in U.S. history, following the acquittal of five policemen charged with beating Rodney King Euro Disneyland opens in Paris amid cries of American cultural imperialism; the park shows a profit within six months Genetically engineered foods hit the U.S. markets President Bush refuses to back strict pollution controls at the U.N. Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro Vice President Quayle disputes the spelling of potato Carol Braun becomes the first black woman elected to the U.S. Senate Reports of torture and murder in Serbian detention camps are confirmed; more than 15,000 have died since the start of the Yugoslavian Civil War Led by neo-Nazis, more than 1,000 riot in Germany, urging the expulsion of foreigners Mount Spurr erupts again, showering Anchorage, Alaska with half an inch of ash An unknown force transforms New York City into a tropical wilderness and demands the release of a prisoner; after three days of negotiations the woman is released and the overgrowth rapidly vanishes U.S. Supreme Court rules that the burning of crosses is protected under the First Amendment U.S. votes to expel Yugoslavia Abimael Guzman, leader of Peru's bloody Shining Path guerrillas for 12 years, captured and help on public display like a tiger Five U.S. nuns are shot in Liberia U.N. stops distributing food in Somalia, saying workers will not retuen until their safety can be assured Over 100 tornadoes appear in November along a path between Texas to Ohio and kill 24 Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series, the first non-U.S. team to do so Don Gotti, the "Teflon Don," convicted of 44 counts of racketeering and murder Both Isaac Asimov and Superman die; only one of them returns Olympics in Barcelona: |
| 1993 |
Czechoslovakia breaks into two states: the Czech Republic and Slovakia START II treaty reduces strategic nuclear arsenals by 75 percent by the year 2003 London's financial district bombed by I.R.A. Serbian soldiers systematicly rape and torture 50,000 Muslim women to expedite "ethnic cleansing" U.S. launches missile strikes against Iraqi targets for repeated violations of U.N. "no fly" zone There is no evidence that cellular phones cause brain cancer New York's World Trade Center is damaged by a Muslim car bomb Raid on David Koresh's Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, leads to a 51-day standoff; compound if assaulted by FBI and more than 80 members die Abortion doctor David Gunn shot dead by a pro-life demonstrator Russian legislators vote to strip Boris Yeltsin of his power, asserting that the parliament, not the president, is constitutionally charged with running the country Intermediate Battery Storage System (IBS) developed; increases electric vehicle range to 150 miles, top speed 85 mph Second Rodney King trial results in conviction of two of the five officers for violations of civil rights Admira Ismic was Muslim; Bosko Brckic was Serbian; as they run across a bridge in Sarajevo, he is killed by a sniper's bullet; then she too is struck; Admira crawls to Bosko's side, wraps a limp arm around him and dies; they remain there for more than a week as neither side proves brave enough to stop warring and put the lovers to rest, in peace Flood of '93 creates a vast inland lake as the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers merge 20 miles west of their normal junction; the 3-month flood results in 50 dead and $12 billion in damage Telemarketing autodialing machines protected by freedom of speech Lorena Bobbitt takes a knife to her husband and inspires hundreds of off-color jokes U.S. bombs Baghdad in retaliation for a Saddam Hussain-backed plot to assassinate ex-President Bush Deputy White House Counsel Vincent Foster found dead in a Virginia park, an apparent suicide Contact lost with Mars Observer probe three days before its scheduled orbit The most devistating earthquake in 50 years hits India; tens of thousands perish, 120,000 left homeless U.S. forces in Mogadishu come under fire; President Clinton sends more troops to Somalia and warns that the U.S. will retaliate in kind Following more than two weeks of violence, troops loyal to Yeltsin put down an armed rebellion by hardliners and regain control of the parliament building; nearly 500 die in Moscow's worst civil unrest since the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917 South Africa ratifies a constitution that gives blacks and whites equal rights for the first time in more than 300 years U.N. embargo of Haiti is reinstated after a two-month suspension as the Haitian army continues to block the return of exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide The Eurodollar is created as a common currency unit for the European Community Toronto Blue Jays defeat the Philadelphia Phillies, for games to two, to win their second straight World Series North American Free Trade Agreement fails to pass Congress; Mexico's economy begins recession Scientists successfully clone human embryos Vincent Price dies, probably |
| 1994 |
Former political prisoner Nelson Mandela elected President of South Africa Jewish and Arab extremists renew middle east violence; 31 die during the holy day of Ramadan (Muslim) / Purim (Jewish) 20,000 U.S. troops escort President-in-exile Jean-Bertrand Aristide back to power in Haiti U.S. Supreme Court reverses Colorado's anti-gay legislation as unconstitutional Israel returns control of the Gaza strip and Jericho to Palestinians; Yasir Arafat returns from exile Rwanda's civil war between Hutu and Tutsis kills 500,000 and sends 2.5 million fleeing to Tanzania and Zaire; reports of massacres and genocidal death squads abound President Clinton lifts the 19-year old trade embargo against Vietnam Israel and Jordan end their 46-year war Comet fragments hit Jupiter, leaving an Earth-sized dark spot Mile-long "unity" flag winds through New York City during 1994 Gay Games IRA forces announce an to terrorist activities and seeks Irish union through political channels 10-year old Michael Kearney receives a B.A. in anthropology Mexico threatens to default on World Bank loan payments; U.S. and Mexican politicians complete an agreement to save Mexico's ecomony In Singapore, American teenager Michel Fay was caned as punishment for vandalism An outbreak of pneumonic plague hits India; the government places a bounty on rats Pope John Paul II published letter, "Priestly Ordination Reserved to Men Alone" Terrorist Carlos the Jackal arrested in Sudan, extradited to France, found guilty of murder, and executed Armed bandits make off with 1.9 million in jewelry from Tiffany's Four years after being jailed for smoking crack, ex-Mayor Marion Barry is returned to office by D.C. voters; humorists wonder just who's smoking what Strike ends baseball season The AIDS virus is cited as a lethal weapon in rape cases U.S. places in orbit the first of the orbital modular space stations Heather Whitestone, a deaf Alabamian, wins the Miss America pagent Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway: |
| 1995 |
Louis Farrakhan calls a Million Man March on Washington as a show of black solidarity Chechnyan rebels attack Russian strongpoints and gain worldwide attention; tens of thousands have died in the fighting over the past four years O.J. Simpson found not guilty for the murders of his wife and her friend NASA's budget increased after lunar geologic reports made public Navistar system completed; satellites can be used to track air and marine vessels throughout the globe Oklahoma City bombing kills 169; this is the worst terrorist incident in the U.S. Eleven hurricanes rage across the Western U.S., killing 110 and doing hunreds of millions of dollars in damage Mass cult suicide kills 53 in Canada Free Haitian elections keep President Jean-Bertrand Aristide in power; U.S. troops withdraw Conservation extremists use threat of ecotage against petroleum manufacturers who pollute environment Yitzhak Rabin is murdered by an Israeli law student Shannon Faulkner becomes the first female cadet accepted by the Citadel military academy; she (along with 23 other cadets) withdraws within 2 weeks Russia launches a plankton-farming addition to Mir; space station can now hold 16, comfortably and indefinitely The Balkan civil war continues: War in Zaire forces many Hutu exiles back into Rwanda to face an uncertain future |
| 1996 |
The year begins with the worst blizzard in North American history, dumping more than six feet of snow across the eastern U.S.; utilities are not completely restored for six weeks in some places NASA Mars probe reveals microscopic life on Mars 500-year old Inca mummy discovered atop Mount Ampato in the Andes Mountains Ted Kaczynsky arrested as the Unibomber, technophobic serial terrorist wanted for 11 deaths over 20 years President Clinton reelected, despite lowest voter turnout since 1924 ESA and Soviets launch joint mission to outer planets; probe will visit Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Pluto over the next 8 years George Burns turns 100, tours 23 cities TexxCorp building in Dallas bombed; blast kills 253 people, thousands injured; supervillain group "The Destroyers" is implicated and the U.S. government begins world-wide campaign to eliminate all known assets Binti-Jua, a gorilla in the Illinois zoo, saves the life of a 3-year old boy who falls into her enclosure North American Satellite Communications Network (NASCON), completed Unknown forces raise a volcanic island in the South Pacific Summer Olympics in Atlanta: |
| 1997 |
Psychoactives first used to combat and control criminal behavior in US prisons Superimmunosuppressives developed |
| 1998 |
Japan recognized as economic superpower due to the development of electronics, computers, and other high-technology US begins construction of first full-time full-use space station European Space Agency launches Hermes spaceplane Massive earthquake measuring 8.4 occurs in southern California causing 81 deaths and hundreds of millions in damage; the state stubbornly refuses to slide into the ocean Third wave of electric vehicles debuts with top speed of over 100 mph and a range of over 450 miles; most truck stops and some service stations offer recharging services Comm-Links become available; wrist-worn cellular phone links patch directly into the WorldSat Network to provide worldwide service So far this year: The Smithsonian and Library of Congress announce a program of placing all texts in their holdings on electronic deposit to create Intelnet; almost every book written will be available to anyone with a modem |
| 1999 | Notes
Space weaponry includes (but is not limited to): remote orbital mines, fleschettes, Krypton/Flouride Laser Platforms Data security includes but is not limited to: finger and handprint, retinal scan, voice recognition, Alpha Wave analysis Computers can be programmed to recognize specific users The volcanic island in the South Pacific ages at a fantastic rate; soil has formed and there is already evidence of grasses |
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