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Assassination of President William McKinley
President William McKinley was murdered by an anarchist known as Leon Czolgosz while in Buffalo, New York. Czolgosz believed that this assassination was needed because McKinley was the orchestrator of a corrupt government. Theodore Roosevelt was Vice President at this time, making him the next President of the United States. -
The Wright Brothers First Flight
Brothers Wilbur and Orville designed and flew the first ever powered and steerable aircraft in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. This 12-second flight opened up endless possibilities in the realms of military usage and transportation. -
The First Model T is Produced
The Model T revolutionized the way that Americans lived their lives by providing an inexpensive automobile that was easily available to the public. The widespread popularity of these affordable automobiles led to the creation of many roads and highways that brought people from rural areas to urban areas. -
The "Unsinkable" Titanic Sinks
On April 15th, 1912, the Titanic connected with an iceberg in the Atlantic ocean. The ship suffered irreversible damage and began to sink to the bottom of the ocean. When the public heard news of the nearly 1,500 people who had drowned on the "Unsinkable Ship", they were outraged. As a result of the coverage of this sinking, SOLAS was formed to govern maritime safety laws. -
World War I Begins
It all began with the Serbian assassination of Austria's Archduke, Francis Ferdinand. In response to this bold act, Austria declared war on Serbia, bringing allies such as Germany into the fight. What started as Austria relying on their allies turned into Germany forcefully captivating countries all around Europe, making themselves a known threat across the globe. This started a war that was bigger than any before. -
Germany Sinks the Lusitania
The Lusitania was a British-owned commercial ship full of British and American citizens. On May 7th, 1915, a German U-Boat shot a torpedo into the ship, causing it to sink in minutes. 1,201 Innocent civilians were killed, and 128 of them were American citizens. This event was important because it was one of the main factors that led to America's involvement in World War 1. -
United States joins World War I
After President Woodrow Wilson delivered a speech to the US Congress advocating for the war, America joined the Allied Forces, fighting beside Great Britain, Russia, and France. Over 4.7 million Americans had fought in the war by the time it was over. -
Treaty of Versailles Ends World War I
Exactly 5 years after the assassination of Francis Ferdinand, the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The treaty established peace between Germany and the Allied powers. As a result of the treaty, Germany was forced to return all land that was seized, pay money to the opposing countries, and greatly reduce the size of their military.