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The Open Door Policy stated that all nations, including the United States, could enjoy equal access to the Chinese market. Hay's logic was that American economic power would then be able to dominate the Chinese market and fend off other foreign competitors. However, by July 1900, Hay announced that each of the powers had granted its consent in principle. Competition continued abated among the various powers for special concessions within China for railroad rights, mining rights, and loans. -
The Hay–Pauncefote Treaty is a treaty signed by the United States and Great Britain on 18 November 1901, as a legal preliminary to the U.S. building of the Panama Canal. The British recognized their diminishing influence in the region and determined to cultivate the United States as a counterweight to Germany's influence in Central and South America. -
Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse was a German transatlantic ocean liner in service from 1897 to 1914, when it was scuttled in battle. It was the largest ship in the world for a time, and held the Blue Riband until Cunard Line’s Lusitania entered service in 1907. The ship began a new era in ocean travel and the novelty of having four funnels was quickly associated with size, strength, speed and above all luxury. -
The siege of Catubig (Filipino: Pagkubkob sa Catubig) was a long and bloody engagement fought during the Philippine–American War, in which Filipino guerrillas launched a surprise attack against a detachment of U.S. infantry, and then forced them to abandon the town after a four-day siege. This was a time when conventional war in the Philippines had been abandoned and had entered the new phase of guerrilla warfare. -
The siege of the International Legations occurred in 1900 in Peking, the capital of the Qing Empire, during the Boxer Rebellion and led to the deaths of approximately 2500 Chinese people by western soldiers.[citation needed] Threatened by the Boxers—an anti-Christian, anti-foreign peasant movement—900 soldiers, sailors, marines, and civilians, largely from Europe, Japan, and the United States, and about 2,800 Chinese Christians took refuge in the Peking Legation Quarter. -
The Second Boer War (Afrikaans: Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, lit. 'Second Freedom War', 11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South African Republic and the Orange Free State) over the Empire's influence in Southern Africa from 1899 to 1902. -
The Naval Laws (German: Flottengesetze, "Fleet Laws") were five separate laws passed by the German Empire, in 1898, 1900, 1906, 1908, and 1912. These acts, championed by Kaiser Wilhelm II and his Secretary of State for the Navy, Grand Admiral Alfred von Tirpitz, committed Germany to building up a navy capable of competing with the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom. -
Gaetano Bresci (Italian pronunciation: [ɡaeˈtaːno ˈbreʃʃi]; 11 November 1869 – 22 May 1901) was an Italian anarchist who assassinated King Umberto I of Italy. A weaver by trade, Bresci was radicalized to anarchism at a young age, due to his experiences in poverty. News of the Bava Beccaris massacre motivated him to return to Italy, where he planned to assassinate Umberto. -
The Battle of Mabitac (Filipino: Labanan sa Mabitac, Spanish: Batalla de Mabitac) was an engagement in the Philippine–American War, when on September 17, 1900, Filipinos under General Juan Cailles defeated an American force commanded by Colonel Benjamin F. Cheatham, Jr. Mabitac was linked to the garrison town of Siniloan by a causeway which, on the day of the battle, was flooded with water (in many parts waist-deep). -
The Battle of Leliefontein (also known as the Battle of Witkloof) was an engagement between British-Canadian and Boer forces during the Second Boer War on 7 November 1900, at the Komati River 30 kilometres (19 mi) south of Belfast at the present day Nooitgedacht Dam.
During the engagement, the Canadian rearguard successfully repelled Boer assaults against the column, facilitating the successful withdrawal of the British-Canadian force from the area. -
The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Western Australia agreed to unite and form the Commonwealth of Australia, establishing a system of federalism in Australia. -
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. As king, Edward played a role in the modernisation of the British Home Fleet and the reorganisation of the British Army after the Second Boer War of 1899–1902. -
On March 2, 1901, the Platt Amendment was passed as part of the 1901 Army Appropriations Bill. It stipulated seven conditions for the withdrawal of United States troops remaining in Cuba at the end of the Spanish–American War, and an eighth condition that Cuba signs a treaty accepting these seven conditions. It defined the terms of Cuban–U.S. relations essentially to be an unequal one of U.S. dominance over Cuba. -
William McKinley, the 25th president of the United States, was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term. He was shaking hands with the public when anarchist Leon Czolgosz shot him twice in the abdomen. McKinley died on September 14 of gangrene caused by the wounds. -
In the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, a Chinese secret organization called the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists led an uprising in northern China against the spread of Western and Japanese influence there. The rebels, referred to by Westerners as Boxers because they performed physical exercises they believed would make them able to withstand bullets, killed foreigners and Chinese Christians and destroyed foreign property. -
Guglielmo Giovanni Maria Marconi, 1st Marquis of Marconi FRSA (Italian: [ɡuʎˈʎɛlmo marˈkoːni]; 25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937) was an Italian inventor and electrical engineer, known for his creation of a practical radio wave–based wireless telegraph system. -
From 1927 to 1932, Ibn Saud administered the two main portions of his realm, Nejd and the Hejaz, as separate units. On 23 September 1932, Ibn Saud proclaimed the union of his dominions into the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Ibn Saud's eldest son Saud became crown prince in 1933. -
he Cuban War of Independence (Spanish: Guerra de Independencia cubana), also known in Cuba as The Necessary War (Spanish: La Guerra Necesaria), fought from 1895 to 1898, was the last of three liberation wars that Cuba fought against Spain, the other two being the Ten Years' War (1868–1878) and the Little War (1879–1880). -
The Second Boer War (Afrikaans: Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, lit. 'Second Freedom War', 11 October 1899 – 31 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the South African Republic and the Orange Free State) over the Empire's influence in Southern Africa from 1899 to 1902. -
The Trans-Siberian Railway, historically known as the Great Siberian Route[b] and often shortened to Transsib, is a large railway system that connects European Russia to the Russian Far East. Spanning a length of over 9,289 kilometers (5,772 miles), it is the longest railway line in the world.It runs from the city of Moscow in the west to the city of Vladivostok in the east. -
Arthur James Balfour, 1st Earl of Balfour, KG, OM, PC, FRS, FBA, DL (/ˈbælfər, -fɔːr/, traditionally Scottish /bəlˈfʊər/; 25 July 1848 – 19 March 1930), also known as Lord Balfour, was a British statesman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1902 to 1905. -
Willis Haviland Carrier (November 26, 1876 – October 7, 1950) was an American engineer, best known for inventing modern air conditioning. Carrier invented the first electrical air conditioning unit in 1902. In 1915, he founded Carrier Corporation, a company specializing in the manufacture and distribution of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. -
A teddy bear is a stuffed toy in the form of a bear. Developed apparently simultaneously by toymakers Morris Michtom in the U.S. and Richard Steiff under his aunt Margarete Steiff's company in Germany in the early 20th century, the teddy bear, named after President Theodore Roosevelt, became a popular children's toy and has been celebrated in story, song, and film. -
The 1903 Tour de France was the first cycling race set up and sponsored by the newspaper L'Auto, ancestor of the current daily, L'Équipe. It ran from 1 to 19 July in six stages over 2,428 km (1,509 mi), and was won by Maurice Garin. The race was invented to boost the circulation of L'Auto, after its circulation started to plummet from competition with the long-standing Le Vélo. Originally scheduled to start in June, the race was postponed one month, and the prize money was increased. -
The May Coup (Serbian: Мајски преврат, romanized: Majski prevrat) was a coup d'état involving the assassination of the Serbian King Alexander Obrenović and his consort Queen Draga inside the Royal Palace in Belgrade on the night of 10–11 June [O.S. 28–29 May] 1903. -
Pope Pius X (Italian: Pio X; born Giuseppe Melchiorre Sarto; 2 June 1835 – 20 August 1914) was head of the Catholic Church from 4 August 1903 to his death in August 1914. Pius X is known for vigorously opposing modernist interpretations of Catholic doctrine, and for promoting liturgical reforms and scholastic theology. He initiated the preparation of the 1917 Code of Canon Law, the first comprehensive and systemic work of its kind. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. -
The Hay–Bunau-Varilla Treaty (Spanish: Tratado Hay-Bunau Varilla) was a treaty signed on November 18, 1903, by the United States and Panama, which established the Panama Canal Zone and the subsequent construction of the Panama Canal. It was named after its two primary negotiators, Philippe-Jean Bunau-Varilla, the French diplomatic representative of Panama, and United States Secretary of State John Hay. By 1889, with engineering challenges caused by frequent landslides, slippage of equipment. -
The Wright Flyer (also known as the Kitty Hawk, Flyer I or the 1903 Flyer) made the first sustained flight by a manned heavier-than-air powered and controlled aircraft—an airplane—on December 17, 1903. Invented and flown by brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright, it marked the beginning of the pioneer era of aviation. -
The Battle of Port Arthur of 8–9 February 1904 marked the commencement of the Russo-Japanese War. It began with a surprise night attack by a squadron of Japanese destroyers on the neutral Russian fleet anchored at Port Arthur, Manchuria, and continued with an engagement the following morning; further skirmishing off Port Arthur would continue until May 1904. The attack ended inconclusively, though the war resulted in a decisive Japanese victory. -
The Entente Cordiale. 'Cordial Agreement') comprised a series of agreements signed on 8 April 1904 between the United Kingdom and the French Republic which saw a significant improvement in Anglo-French relations. On the surface the agreement dealt with minor issues related to fishing and colonial boundaries. Egypt was recognized as part of Britain's sphere of influence, and Morocco as part of France's -
The Russian Revolution of 1905, also known as the First Russian Revolution, began on 22 January 1905. A wave of mass political and social unrest then began to spread across the vast areas of the Russian Empire. The unrest was directed primarily against the Tsar, the nobility, and the ruling class. It included worker strikes, peasant unrest, and military mutinies. -
1905 is the year when Norway regained its independence after the dissolution of the Union between Sweden and Norway. For the first time since 1397 Norway had a national king, after 500 years of political unions with other Scandinavia countries — the Kalmar Union until 1532, then the united kingdoms of Denmark-Norway until 1814, and finally a personal union with Sweden until 1905. -
The complete victory of the Japanese military surprised international observers and transformed the balance of power in both East Asia and Europe, resulting in Japan's emergence as a great power and a decline in the Russian Empire's prestige and influence in Europe. -
n physics, the special theory of relativity, or special relativity for short, is a scientific theory of the relationship between space and time. In Albert Einstein's 1905 treatment, the theory is presented as being based on just two postulates. -
The British Indian Province of Bengal, partitioned by the Viceroy of India, Lord Curzon, despite strong opposition -
Liberal Henry Campbell-Bannerman becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. -
An earthquake in San Francisco, California, magnitude 7.9, kills 3,000. -
Alfred Dreyfus is exonerated and reinstated as a major in the French Army; the Dreyfus Affair ends. -
An earthquake in Valparaíso, Chile, magnitude 8.2, kills 20,000 -
The US begins the Second Occupation of Cuba -
Brazilian inventor Alberto Santos-Dumont takes off and flies his 14-bis to a crowd in Paris. -
The Muslim League is formed by Nawab Salimullah Khan of Dacca. -
Elections to the new Parliament of Finland are the first in the world with woman candidates, as well as the first elections in Europe where universal suffrage is applied. -
Japan–Korea Treaty of 1907. -
Liberal H. H. Asquith becomes Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. -
First commercial Middle-Eastern oilfield established, at Masjed Soleyman in southwest Persia. -
The Tunguska impact devastates thousands of square kilometres of Siberia. -
Founding of the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) -
Young Turk Revolution in the Ottoman Empire. -
The Ford Motor Company invents the Model T. -
Independence of Bulgaria. -
Pu Yi, the last Emperor of China, assumes the throne -
New Delhi becomes the capital of British India. -
The 1908 Messina earthquake in southern Italy, magnitude 7.1, kills 70,000 people. -
William Howard Taft is inaugurated as President of the United States; deep divisions in his Republican Party over tariffs. -
Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 signed (effective on July 9). -
Indian Councils Act passed. -
Robert E. Peary claims to have reached the North Pole though the claim is subsequently heavily contested. -
A countercoup fails in the Ottoman Empire. -
A revolution forces Mohammad Ali Shah, Persian Shah of the Qajar dynasty to abdicate in favor of his son Ahmad Shah Qajar. -
Boy Scouts of America is founded. -
George V becomes King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India upon the death of Edward VII. -
Union of South Africa created. -
Kingdom of Montenegro is proclaimed independent. -
Imperial Japan annexes Korea. -
The 5 October 1910 revolution in Portugal and proclamation of the First Portuguese Republic. -
Beginning of the Mexican Revolution (Plan of San Luis Potosí). -
Eugene B. Ely lands on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania stationed in San Francisco harbor, marking the first time an aircraft lands on a ship. -
The African National Congress is founded -
End of the Chinese Empire. Republic of China established -
Arizona becomes the last state to be admitted to the continental Union -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City results in the deaths of 146 workers and leads to sweeping workplace safety reforms. -
Morocco becomes a protectorate of France. -
Sinking of the RMS Titanic. -
The Italo-Turkish war which led to the capture of Libya by Italy, begins. -
Xinhai Revolution, which overthrew the Qing dynasty of China, begins. -
Swiss race car driver and automotive engineer Louis Chevrolet co-founds the Chevrolet Motor Company in Detroit with his brother Arthur Chevrolet, William C. Durant and others. -
Roald Amundsen first reaches the South Pole. -
Emperor Meiji dies, ending the Meiji Era; his son, the Emperor Taishō, becomes Emperor of Japan -
The Kuomintang, the Chinese nationalist party, is founded. -
The First Balkan War begins. -
In the 1913 Ottoman coup d'état, Ismail Enver comes to power. -
La Decena Trágica in Mexico City -
Woodrow Wilson is inaugurated as President of the United States. -
Ford Motor Company introduces the first moving assembly line -
Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring infamously premiers in Paris -
Treaty of London -
Treaty of Bucharest -
The Federal Reserve System is created.