1910s
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Events and trends
The 1910s represent the culmination of European militarism which had its beginings during the second half of the 19th Century. The conservative lifestyles during the first half of the decade, as well as the legacy of military alliances, would forever be changed by the assassination of Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, on 28 June 1914. The murder would trigger a chain of events in which, within 30 days, war would break out in Europe, as well as other regions of the world. The long, wide, and protracted conflict would end in November 1918 with the controversial Treaty of Versailles. World War I-- also known as the Great War-- held the reputation of being the widest and most expensive conflict in history (at the time), and would leave a lasting legacy during the subsequent decades. The war would also be remembered for contributing to the collapse of aging empires and monarchies. The Hapsburgs as well as the German Kaiser went into exile after 1918, while czar Nicholas II and his family would be ruthlessly executed by Russian revolutionaries.
The decade was also described as a period of revolution in a number of countries. Mexico spear-headed the trend in November 1910, which lead to the ouster of dictator Porfirio Diaz, leading to a civil war that would drag on until about 1919. Russia also had a similar fate, since the Great War led to collapse in morale as well as economic chaos. This atmosphere encouraged the establishment of Bolshevism, which would be later renamed as Communism.
Technology
- Gideon Sundback patents the first modern zipper
- Harry Brearley invents stainless steel
- Charles P. Strite invents first pop-up bread toaster
Science
- Einstein's theory of general relativity
- Max von Laue discovers the diffraction of x-rays by crystals
- Alfred Wegener puts forward his theory of continental drift
War, peace and politics
- Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary leads to World War I
- October Revolution in Russia leads to the first Communist government; assassination of Emperor Nicholas II and the royal family
- Romania is unified with Transylvania and Bessarabia
- Easter Rising against the British in Ireland; eventually leads to Irish independence
- Xinhai Revolution causes the overthrow of China's ruling Qing Dynasty, and the establishment of the Republic of China.
Culture, religion
- Radio programming becomes popular
Others
- The ocean liner RMS Titanic strikes an iceberg in the North Atlantic in 1912, and sinks on its maiden voyage.
World leaders
- Emperor Franz Josef (Austria-Hungary)
- Emperor Karl (Austria-Hungary)
- Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden (Canada)
- Emperor Henry Pu Yi of the Qing Dynasty (China)
- Sun Yat-sen, President of the Republic of China
- Yuan Shikai, President of the Republic of China and briefly Emperor.
- Xu Shichang, President of the Republic of China
- Emperor Wilhelm II (Germany)
- Chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg (Germany)
- King Victor Emmanuel III (Italy)
- Pope Pius X
- Pope Benedict XV
- Emperor Nicholas II (Russia)
- Vladimir Lenin (Soviet Union)
- King George V (United Kingdom)
- Prime Minister Herbert Asquith (United Kingdom)
- Prime Minister David Lloyd George (United Kingdom)
- President William Howard Taft (United States)
- President Woodrow Wilson (United States)
Entertainers
- Fatty Arbuckle
- Theda Bara
- Richard Barthelmess
- Béla Bartók
- Irving Berlin
- Ben Black
- Eubie Blake
- Shelton Brooks
- Lew Brown
- Tom Brown
- Anne Caldwell
- Eddie Cantor
- Enrico Caruso
- Charlie Chaplin
- George M. Cohan
- Henry Creamer
- Cecil B. DeMille
- Buddy De Sylva
- Walter Donaldson
- Marie Dressler
- Eddie Edwards
- Gus Edwards
- Douglas Fairbanks
- Fred Fisher
- John Ford
- George Gershwin
- Beniamino Gigli
- Dorothy Gish
- Lillian Gish
- Samuel Goldwyn
- D. W. Griffith
- W. C. Handy
- Otto Harbach
- Lorenz Hart
- Victor Herbert
- Charles Ives
- Tony Jackson
- Emil Jannings
- William Jerome
- Al Jolson
- Gus Kahn
- Gustave Kahn
- Buster Keaton
- Jerome David Kern
- Ring Lardner
- Nick LaRocca
- Harry Lauder
- Florence Lawrence
- Ted Lewis
- Charles McCarron
- Joseph McCarthy
- Winsor McCay
- Oscar Micheaux
- Pola Negri
- Ivor Novello
- Alcide Nunez
- Geoffrey O'Hara
- Sidney Olcott
- Jack Pickford
- Mary Pickford
- Armand J. Piron
- Cole Porter
- Richard Rodgers
- Sigmund Romberg
- Jean Schwartz
- Mack Sennett
- Larry Shields
- Chris Smith
- Erich von Stroheim
- Arthur Sullivan
- Gloria Swanson
- Wilber Sweatman
- Albert Von Tilzer
- Harry Von Tilzer
- Sophie Tucker
- Pete Wendling
- Bert Williams
- Clarence Williams
- Harry Williams
- Spencer Williams
- P. G. Wodehouse
External links
Wanted! 500 000 Canadians for WW I — Canada and Recruitment during the First World War
