history By hannah.dun1 1900 Charles Seeberger invented the modern escalator 1901 The Commonwealth of Australia is established 1902 Women granted franchise in Federal elections in Australia 1902 Willis Carrier invents the air conditioner 1903 The Wright brothers invent airplane. 1906 The Story of the Kelly Gang – first feature length Australian film 1906 New class of battleship Dreadnought is launched 1907 Rugby League breaks away from Rugby Union 1908 Model T Ford motor car first sold 1909 Patent for a gun silencer granted 1911 Alexander’s Ragtime Band first recorded 1913 Mary Phelps Jacob invents the bra 1914 WWI begins 1915 Prototype of army tank developed 1915 ANZAC troops land at Gallipoli 1916 Stainless steel invented by Henry Brearly 1916 Sonar developed to detect submarines 1917 The Russian revolution establishes first Communist government 1917 Australian troops fight the Battle of Bullecourt in France 1918 World War I ends 1920 The Band-Aid invented by Earle Dickson 1920 First sub-machine gun – Tommy gun 1921 Edith Cowan is elected to an Australian Parliament (WA) 1923 The television invented by Vladimir Kosma Zworykin 1925 Benito Mussolini becomes dictator of Italy 1927 First ‘talkie’ movie The Jazz Singer is released 1928 Scottish biologist Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin. 1929 Fats Waller sings Ain’t Misbehavin’ 1933 Release of movie King Kong 1933 Adolf Hitler becomes German Chancellor 1935 DuPont Labs invents nylon 1936 Edward VIII abdicates the British throne 1937 Chester F. Carlson invents the photocopier 1938 The ballpoint pen invented by Ladislo Biro. 1939 The Wizard of Oz movie is released 1939 World War II begins 1941 The Siege of Tobruk begins 1942 Australian troops fight the Japanese in PNG – Kokoda Campaign 1942 Bing Crosby sings White Christmas 1942 Napalm developed by US scientists 1943 Richard James invents the slinky 1945 First successful test of a nuclear bomb – Manhattan Project 1945 World War II ends 1946 The microwave oven invented by Percy Spencer 1948 The Frisbee invented by Walter Frederick Morrison and Warren Franscioni