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First oil well is drilled
George Bissell and Edwin L. Drake successfully drilled the first oil well on an Oil Creek near Titusville Pennsylvania. Two months later, Drake's oil well was destroyed by a fire. He rebuilt it at the original site. -
Transcontinental railroad is created
The Transcontinental Railroad was 1,912 miles long and connected the U.S from the east to the west. Before the Transcontinental Railroad was built, it cost about $1,000 to travel across the country. That fee was cut to $150 after the railroad was completed.
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Rockefeller founds Standard Oil
John D. Rockefeller and four partners founded the Standard Oil Company in Cleveland, Ohio. The company eventually gained control of nearly 95% of the oil refining industry in the U.S. -
Bell patents telephone
Alexander Graham Bell was a teacher at the Pemberton Avenue School for the Deaf. His interest towards creating a mechanism that combined aspects of a telegraph and a record player grew until his idea became a reality. He invented the telephone and received a patent for it. -
First telephone on the White House
President Rutherford B. Hayes ordered for the first phone to be installed in the telegraph room, which was then known as the Executive mansion, of the White House. However, he solemnly received calls and the Treasury Department kept the only other direct phone line to the White House at the time. -
Edison perfects incandescent lightbulb
Thomas Edison, the most famous of all incandescent inventors, succeeded in perfecting the first light bulb. The lightbulbs he made after 1880 lasted up to 600 hours. -
Railroads set up standard time zones
Before continental time zones were established, railroad timetables listed thousands of different departure and arrival times for the same railroad train. To end confusion and chaos, American railroads introduced and stuck with four continental time zones. -
First electric trolley line ~Richmond, VA~
The Richmond Union Passenger Railway was the first practical electric trolley line. The trolley was an advanced version of a motor coach and conventional streetcar combined. It set the precedent for future electric trolley systems around the world and played a key role in the engineering department. -
Sherman Anti-Trust Act is passed
The Sherman Antitrust Act was approved on July 2nd, 1890. It was the first federal act to ban monopolies and ensure that trusts became illegal. Not only did the act keep competition at an equilibrium amongst enterprises and big companies. but it also penalized those who continued to keep trusts. -
Carnegie Steel Company is formed
The first of Andrew Carnegie's steel mills was founded in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, Carnegie learned of the Bessemer Process, hence he began to earn a steady profit. From there, he bought new mills, ditched the Bessemer Process, produced steel with premium prices, and continued to expand his empire.
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J.P Morgan forms U.S Steel
J.P Morgan was one of the most powerful bankers of his time. He soon used the profit he made from the banking industry and invested in the steel industry. Founded in 1901, the United States Steel Corporation became the leading producer of steel and related products
