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John Hay announces the Open Door Policy to promote trade with China.
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The U.S. Congress passes the Platt Amendment, limiting the autonomy of Cuba as a condition for the withdrawal of American troops.
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For $10 million, the United States gains control of the Panama Canal Zone.
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U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt proclaims Devils Tower, Wyoming as the nation's first National Monument. A spark for his legacy of national land monuments and conservation
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William Howard Taft is sworn in as the 27th President of the United States.
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The British ocean liner RMS Titanic leaves Southampton, England on her maiden voyage for New York City.
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RMS Titanic sinks at 2:20 am, taking with her the lives of more than 1,500 people.
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The steamer Eastland capsizes in central Chicago, with the loss of 844 lives.
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Women's rights: The United States Congress approves the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which would guarantee suffrage to women, and sends it to the U.S. states for ratification.