History 1920s Timeline

By tayburkholder

  • President Wilson is Sworn In

    Woodrow Wilson is elected president of the United States.

  • The Start of World War One

    Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife are assassinated on a trip to Sarajevo, Bosnia by Serbian forces. A domino trail of alliances sparks a war splitting Europe into two sides.

  • The Lusitania Sinks

    A German U-Boat torpedoes the cruise ship Lusitania, killing over 1,000 Brits and almost 130 Americans, triggering political unrest in America.
  • Period: to

    The Great Migration

    Millions of African-Americans move from the south to the north, looking for better job opportunities and to escape more extreme segregation.

  • Lenin's Revolution

    Lenin leads a revolution in Russia to overthrow the Russian government.

  • The First Woman is Sworn into Congress

    Representative Jeannette Rankin of Montana becomes the first woman in Congress after being voted into the House of Representatives on the platform of women’s suffrage.

  • The Selective Service Act

    Congress passes the Selective Service Act, forcing all American men between the ages of 21 and 30 to register for military service.

  • The Espionage Act

    Congress passes the Espionage Act, making it illegal to promote the success of the country’s enemies or share information intending to impede the US army’s progress.
  • Period: to

    The Influenza Epidemic

    The influenza virus, spurred on by the war, spreads worldwide, killing 50 million.

  • Wilson's 14 Points

    President Wilson delivers a fourteen-pointed speech before Congress proposing a way to end the war.

  • The Sedition Act

    Congress passes the Sedition Act, making it illegal to speak out against the movements of the US military in an effort to protect the country’s status in the war.

  • The End of World War One

    An armistice is reached as Germany finally agrees to sign on, ending World War One.
  • Period: to

    Schneck v. US

    Charles Schenck and Elizabeth Baur are taken to court for opposing the US draft enforced by the Selective Service Act. A unanimous decision is ruled against them.

  • The Nineteenth Amemdment

    The Nineteenth Amendment to the US Constitution is passed and ratified, granting women the right to vote.

  • Rejection of the Treaty or Versailles

    For the first time in history, the United States rejects a peace treaty.
  • Period: to

    The Teapot Dome Scandal

    Secretary of the Interior Albert Bacon Fall (under President Warren G. Harding) exploits the financial system of an Oil Company (the Teapot Dome) to receive excessive amounts of money.

  • President Harding is Sworn In

    Warren G. Harding is elected president of the United States.
  • The Discovery of Hafnium

    The Discovery of Hafnium

    The element hafnium is added to the periodic table, providing one of the missing links to controlled nuclear power.
  • The Great Gatsby is Published

    The Great Gatsby is Published

    The worst book of all time is released, retroactively causing years of anguish to bored high school students.
  • My Great-Grandmother is Born

    My Great-Grandmother is Born

    My Great-Grandmother, Lillian Reisinger, is born! :)
  • Steamboat Willie is Released

    Steamboat Willie is Released

    Disney releases Steamboat Willie to huge success as one of the earliest appearances of Mickey Mouse.
  • The Discovery of Pluto

    The Discovery of Pluto

    The celestial body Pluto is discovered and named at an observatory in Arizona by Clyde W. Tombaugh, and temporarily (sigh) classified as a planet.