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McKinley's second inauguration.
McKinley's is shot by anarchist Leon Czolgosz in Buffalo, N.Y.
He later dies from his wounds and is succeeded by his vice president, Theodore Roosevelt. -
U.S. acquires Panama Canal Zone.
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Theodore Roosevelt's second inauguration.
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Woodrow Wilson is inaugurated as the 28th president.
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The Seventeenth Amendment
The seventeenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, providing for the direct election of U.S. senators by popular vote rather than by the state legislatures. -
First Long-Distance Telephone
First long-distance telephone service, between New York and San Francisco, is demonstrated. -
U.S purchases Danish West Indies
The U.S. agrees to purchase Danish West Indies (Virgin Islands) for $25 million. -
Jeannette Rankin
Jeannette Rankin of Montana is the first woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. -
World War I
U.S. enters World War I, declaring war on Germany and Austria-Hungary. -
Armistice ending World War I is signed.
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League of Nations
League of Nations meets for the first time, the United States is not represented. -
The Eighteenth Amendment
The eighteenth amendment to the Constitution is ratified, prohibiting the manufacture, sale, and transportation of liquor. It is later repealed by the Twenty-First Amendment in 1933. -
The Nineteenth Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution is ratified, granting women the right to vote. -
Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles, outlining terms for peace at the end of World War I, is rejected by the Senate.