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Minstrelsy Hits its Stride (1830s)
Minstrelsy, a theatrical form, started in the early 1800s, but hit its stride by the 1830s. It is America's first indigenous theatrical form. -
Texas becomes a state (1845)
On December 29, 1845, Texas became the 28th state in the Union.
(picture via http://www.discovertexasonline.com/2011/12/texas-becomes-the-28th-state-in-the-union/) -
American Civil War begins (1861)
On April 12, 1861, the American Civil War began when the Confederates attacked the Union soldiers at Fort Sumter.
(picture via https://aaregistry.org/story/the-american-civil-war-a-brief-summary/) -
Period: to
Reconstruction Era (1863-1877)
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American Civil War ends (1865)
On April 9, 1865, the Civil War ended after Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant.
(picture via http://www.thomaslegion.net/orderofsurrenderingconfederateforcesandarmiesoftheamericancivilwar.html) -
Slavery Ends in the United States (1865)
On December 6, 1865, the 13th Amendment was ratified, freeing all slaves within the United States.
(picture via https://www.quora.com/Did-the-13th-Amendment-really-end-slavery) -
Scott Joplin (1868-1917)
Scott Joplin was born on November 24, 1868 and died on April 1, 1917. He played the piano.
(picture via https://www.azquotes.com/author/42237-Scott_Joplin) -
14th Amendment (1868)
On July 9, 1869, the 14th Amendment was ratified, giving citizenship to all people born in the United States, including former slaves. All citizens were guaranteed equal protection under the law.
(picture via https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/08/opinion/14th-amendment-african-americans-citizenship.html) -
15th Amendment (1870)
On February 3, 1870, the 15th Amendment gave African American men the right to vote.
(picture via https://aaregistry.org/story/the-15th-amendment-an-ongoing-story/) -
W.C. Handy (1873-1958)
W.C. Handy was born on November 16, 1873 and died on March 28, 1958. He played the trumpet. He was also a bandleader.
(picture via https://kentakepage.com/w-c-handy-father-of-the-blues/) -
Jim Crow Laws begin (1877)
In 1877, Jim Crow Laws were enforced, creating racial segregation in the United States. They began following the end of Reconstruction up until the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/event/Jim-Crow-law) -
Buddy Bolden (1877-1931)
Buddy Bolden was born on September 6, 1877 and died on November 4, 1931. He played the cornet.
(picture via https://travsd.wordpress.com/2013/09/06/buddy-bolden-father-of-jazz/) -
James Reese Europe (1880-1919)
James Reese Europe was born on February 22, 1880 and died on May 9, 1919. He played the violin and the piano.
(picture via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Reese_Europe) -
Joe "King" Oliver (1881-1938)
Joe "King" Oliver was born on December 19, 1881 and died on April 10, 1938. He played the cornet.
(picture via https://64parishes.org/entry/king-oliver) -
Ma Rainey (1886-1939)
Ma Rainey was born on April 26, 1886 and died on December 22, 1939. She was a singer.
(picture via https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/obituaries/ma-rainey-overlooked.html) -
Nick LaRocca (1889-1961)
Nick LaRocca was born on April 11, 1889 and died on February 22 1961. He played the cornet and the trumpet.
(picture via https://musicrising.tulane.edu/discover/people/nick-larocca/) -
Paul Whiteman (1890-1967)
Paul Whiteman was born on March 28, 1890 and died on December 29, 1967. He played the violin and the viola (he was a violist). He was also a conductor.
(picture via http://www.bigbandlibrary.com/paulwhiteman.html) -
Jelly Roll Morton (1890-1941)
Jelly Roll Morton was born on October 20, 1890 and died on July 10, 1941. He played the piano.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/biography/Jelly-Roll-Morton) -
James P. Johnson (1894-1955)
James P. Johnson was born on February 1, 1894 and died on November 17, 1955. He played the piano.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-P-Johnson) -
Bessie Smith (1894-1937)
Bessie Smith was born on April 15, 1894 and died on September 26, 1937. She was a singer.
(picture via https://www.wbur.org/artery/2018/11/30/bessie-smith-empress-blues-the-cabot) -
Bennie Moten (1894-1935)
Bennie Moten was born on November 13, 1894 and died on April 2, 1935. He played the piano.
(picture via http://www.redhotjazz.com/moten.html) -
First Ice Cream Cone Produced (1896)
In 1896, Italo Marchiony produced the world's first ice cream cone. He was granted a patent in December of 1903 and the ice cream cone first appeared at the World's Fair in 1904.
(picture via https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/2015/12/14/from-ice-cream-cones-to-the-flag-of-israel-the-missouri-history-museum-is-showcasing-all-of-the-famous-items-that-debuted-at-the-1904-worlds-fair/77277544/) -
Period: to
Ragtime (1896-1920)
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Swimming first included in the Summer Olympic Games (1896)
On April 11, 1896, swimming made its debut in the first modern Olympic Games. Swimming events were open water and took place in the ocean.
(picture via http://program.dh.ucla.edu/dh101/2014/olympics/dh101group1.com/items/show/35.html) -
Sidney Bechet (1897-1959)
Sidney Bechet was born on May 14, 1897 and died on May 14, 1959. He played the clarinet and the soprano saxophone.
(picture via http://www.bluenote.com/artist/sidney-bechet/) -
Fletcher Henderson (1897-1952)
Fletcher Henderson was born on December 18, 1897 and died on December 29, 1952. He played the piano and was a bandleader.
(picture via http://soozebluesjazz.weebly.com/fletcher-henderson.html) -
Lillian (Lil) Hardin (1898-1971)
Lil Hardin was born on February 3, 1898 and died on August 27, 1971. She played the piano and was a singer.
(picture via http://www.womenofachievement.org/heritage/lil-hardin-armstrong-and-alberta-hunter/) -
Duke Ellington (1899-1974)
Duke Ellington was born on April 29, 1899 and died on May 24, 1974. He played the piano.
(picture via https://www.francemusique.com/musical-knowledge/5-reasons-why-duke-ellington-one-most-important-jazzmen-20th-century-20741) -
Period: to
The Blues
The Blues was created around the 1900s, maybe even a little sooner, and was widely influential around the world. -
First Olympic Games to feature women (1900)
The Summer Olympic Games held in Paris, starting May 14, 1900 was the first to include women.
(picture via https://timeline.com/most-badass-women-olympians-710204b0f3d6) -
Hélène de Pourtalès - First Female Olympian (1900)
On May 22, 1900, Hélène de Pourtalès became the first woman to compete in the Olympics and the first female Olympic medalist.
(picture via https://racingnelliebly.com/2-helene_de_pourtales_c1900/) -
Don Redman (1900-1964)
Don Redman was born on July 29, 1900 and died on November 30, 1964. He played the clarinet, saxophone, and was a singer.
(picture via https://digitalcollections.detroitpubliclibrary.org/islandora/object/islandora%3A198840) -
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
Louis Armstrong was born on August 4, 1901 and died on July 6, 1971. He played the trumpet, the cornet, and was a singer.
(picture via http://sacjazz.org/projects/louis-armstrong/) -
Jimmie Lunceford (1902-1947)
Jimmie Lunceford was born on June 6, 1902 and died on July 12, 1947. He played the saxophone and the flute.
(picture via https://www.discogs.com/artist/311058-Jimmie-Lunceford) -
Bix Beiderbecke (1903-1931)
Bix Beiderbecke was born on March 10, 1903 and died on August 6, 1931. He played the cornet and a little bit of piano.
(picture via http://sacjazz.org/projects/bix-beiderbecke/) -
Wright Brothers' First Successful Airplane (1903)
On December 17, 1903, Wilbur and Orville Wright achieved the status of inventing the first successful airplane when they made 4 flights with it.
(picture via http://www.wright-brothers.org/Information_Desk/Just_the_Facts/Airplanes/Wright_Airplanes.htm) -
Earl "Fatha" Hines (1903-1983)
Earl "Fatha" Hines was born on December 28, 1903 and died on April 22, 1983. He played the piano.
(picture via https://swingandbeyond.com/2018/05/18/g-t-stomp-1939-earl-fatha-hines/) -
Afro-American Realty Company brings African Americans to Harlem (1904)
In 1904, the Afro-American Realty Company began to bring African Americans to Harlem, ultimately initiating the Harlem Renaissance, which would continue to grow over the next few years.
(https://face2faceafrica.com/article/harlem-renaissance-the-20th-century-movement-that-elevated-black-culture-and-image) -
Glenn Miller (1904-1944)
Glenn Miller was born on March 1, 1904 and died on December 15, 1944. He played the trombone and was also a bandleader.
(picture via https://alchetron.com/Glenn-Miller) -
Fats Waller (1904-1943)
Fats Waller was born on May 21, 1904 and died on December 15, 1943. He played the piano.
(picture via https://spoletousa.org/blog/who-was-fats-waller/) -
Valaida Snow (1904-1956)
Valaida Snow was born on June 2, 1904 and died on May 30, 1956. She played the trumpet, and almost every other instrument.
(picture via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valaida_Snow) -
Count Basie (1904-1984)
Count Basie was born on August 21, 1904 and died on April 26, 1984. He played the piano and was a bandleader.
(picture via https://www.discogs.com/artist/145262-Count-Basie) -
Coleman Hawkins (1904-1969)
Coleman Hawkins was born on November 21, 1904 and died on May 19, 1969. He played the tenor saxophone, bass saxophone, and clarinet.
(picture via https://www.jazziz.com/short-history-disorder-border-coleman-hawkins-1944/) -
NCAA founded (1906)
In 1906, the National Collegiate Athletic Association was founded.
(picture via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Collegiate_Athletic_Association) -
Johnny Hodges (1907-1970)
Johnny Hodges was born on July 25, 1907 and died on May 11, 1970. He played the alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, and the clarinet.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johnny-Hodges) -
Benny Carter (1907-2003)
Benny Carter was born on August 8, 1907 and died on July 12, 2003. He played the saxophone, trumpet, and clarinet.
(picture via https://www.discogs.com/artist/258701-Benny-Carter) -
Chicago Cubs win first World Series (1907)
The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series title on October 12, 1907, beating the Detroit Tigers.
(picture via https://www.ebay.com/itm/1907-Chicago-Cubs-Photo-Large-11X14-Tinker-Evers-Chance-World-Series-Champions-/131071355685) -
Cab Calloway (1907-1994)
Cab Calloway was born on December 25, 1907 and died on November 18, 1994. He was a bandleader who did not play an instrument, but he was a singer.
(picture via https://www.biography.com/musician/cab-calloway) -
Chicago Cubs win second World Series (1908)
The Chicago Cubs won their second World Series title on October 14, 1908, again beating the Detroit Tigers. This would be their last World Series win for 108 years.
(picture via https://www.bleedcubbieblue.com/2016/10/28/13452876/the-1908-world-series) -
NAACP founded (1909)
On February 12, 1909, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People is founded by black activists. The NAACP is America's oldest and largest civil rights organization.
(picture via https://aaregistry.org/story/the-15th-amendment-an-ongoing-story/) -
Benny Goodman (1909-1986)
Benny Goodman was born on May 30, 1909 and died on June 13, 1986. He played the clarinet.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/biography/Benny-Goodman) -
Lester Young (1909-1959)
Lester Young was born on August 27, 1909 and died on March 15, 1959. He played the tenor saxophone and sometimes the clarinet.
(picture via https://www.discogs.com/artist/258433-Lester-Young) -
Art Tatum (1909-1956)
Art Tatum was born on October 13, 1909 and died on November 5, 1956. He played the piano.
(picture via https://www.discogs.com/artist/258433-Lester-Young) -
Period: to
Dixieland (1910-1930)
The Dixieland Era may have even begun earlier (i.e. 1905) -
Django Reinhardt (1910-1953)
Django Reinhardt was born on January 23, 1910 and died on May 16, 1953. He played the guitar.
(picture via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Django_Reinhardt) -
Mary Lou Williams (1910-1981)
Mary Lou Williams was born on May 8, 1910 and died on May 28, 1981. She played the piano.
(picture via https://www.discogs.com/artist/59405-Mary-Lou-Williams) -
Artie Shaw (1910-2004)
Artie Shaw was born on May 23, 1910 and died on December 30, 2003. He played the clarinet.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/biography/Artie-Shaw) -
Robert Johnson (1911-1938)
Robert Johnson was born on May 8, 1911 and died on August 16, 1938. He played the guitar.
(picture via https://www.rockhall.com/inductees/robert-johnson) -
Titanic sinks (1912)
In the early morning of April 15, 1912, the Titanic sank.
(picture via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_the_RMS_Titanic) -
World War I begins (1914)
On July 28, 1914, World War I began, as Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia following the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand.
(picture via http://www.discovertexasonline.com/2011/12/texas-becomes-the-28th-state-in-the-union/) -
Billie Holiday (1915-1959)
Billie Holiday was born on April 7, 1915 and died on July 17, 1959. She was a singer.
(picture via https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/worldfolkandjazz/11519134/Billie-Holiday-inimitable-and-triumphant.html) -
Period: to
The Great Migration (1916-1970)
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Charlie Christian (1916-1942)
Charlie Christian was born on July 29, 1916 and died on March 2, 1942. He played the guitar.
(picture via https://aaregistry.org/story/charlie-christian-the-father-of-jazz-guitar/) -
First Jazz Recording (1917)
On February 26, 1917, the Original Dixieland Jass Band (a white jazz band) made the first recording of jazz.
(picture via https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/was-first-jazz-recording-made-group-white-guys-180962246/) -
Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996)
Ella Fitzgerald was born on April 25, 1917 and died on June 15, 1996. She was a singer.
(picture via https://www.wrti.org/post/early-hardship-couldnt-muffle-ella-fitzgeralds-joy) -
World War I ends (1918)
On November 11, 1918, World War I ended, with Germany's surrender.
(picture via http://www.discovertexasonline.com/2011/12/texas-becomes-the-28th-state-in-the-union/) -
Nat "King" Cole (1919-1965)
Nat "King" Cole was born on March 17, 1919 and died on February 15, 1965. He played the piano and was a singer.
(picture via https://www.bbc.co.uk/music/artists/fbe054ec-a143-4101-9e9e-64abc5ff5ac9) -
Period: to
The Harlem Renaissance Flourishes (1920-1930)
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Period: to
Jazz Age
The 1920s mark the era where Jazz became a popular, prominent form of music. -
Period: to
Golden Age of Delta Blues Recording (1920-1930)
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Period: to
Boogie Woogie thrives
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The 18th Amendment - Prohibition (1920)
On January 17, 1920, the 18th Amendment took effect, outlawing the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol.
(picture via https://blogs.shu.edu/nyc-history/prohibition-era-new-york/) -
Women's Suffrage (1920)
On August 18, 1920, the 19th Amendment was ratified, granting women the right to vote in America.
(picture via https://patimes.org/celebrating-the-fight-for-womens-suffrage-an-interview-with-nancy-tate/) -
Erroll Garner (1923-1977)
Erroll Garner was born on June 15, 1923 and died on January 2, 1977. He played the piano.
(picture via https://www.npr.org/2007/09/19/14501602/erroll-garner-the-joy-of-a-genius) -
Period: to
Swing Era (1925-1945)
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Miles Davis (1926-1991)
Miles Davis was born on May 26, 1926 and died on September 28, 1991. He played the trumpet, flugelhorn, and electric organ.
(picture via https://www.udiscovermusic.com/stories/erin-davis-vince-wilburn-interview/) -
John Coltrane (1926-1967)
John Coltrane was born on September 23, 1926 and died on July 17, 1967. He played the tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, alto saxophone, and the flute.
(picture via https://www.discogs.com/artist/97545-John-Coltrane) -
Cannonball Adderley (1928-1975)
Cannonball Adderley was born on September 15, 1928 and died on August 8, 1975. He played the alto saxophone and the soprano saxophone.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cannonball-Adderley) -
Walt Disney creates Mickey Mouse (1928)
On October 1, 1928, Mickey Mouse was "born." It was on this day that Walt Disney began to create the character.
(picture via https://www.cnn.com/2017/11/18/entertainment/mickey-mouse-fun-facts-trivia-trnd/index.html) -
Black Thursday (1929)
On October 24, 1929, the New York Stock Exchange collapsed. This day began the downfall into the Great Depression.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/topic/Black-Thursday) -
Period: to
The Great Depression (1929-1939)
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Amelia Earhart, first woman to make solo flight across the Atlantic (1928)
On May 21, 1932, Amelia Earhart was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean.
(picture via https://www.msn.com/en-us/kids/people-places/crossing-the-atlantic-twice/ar-AAEO3wR) -
The 18th Amendment is Repealed (1933)
On December 5, 1933, the 18th Amendment, which prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, was repealed and replaced by the 21st Amendment.
(picture via https://moritzlaw.osu.edu/briefing-room/the-prohibition-era-and-policing/) -
Premiere of the First Fully Animated Disney Film (1937)
On December 21, 1937, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in Hollywood. This film was Walt Disney Studios' first fully animated feature film.
(picture via https://www.disneygeekery.com/2016/02/02/snow-white-blu-ray-review/) -
Freddie Hubbard (1938-2008)
Freddie Hubbard was born on April 7, 1938 and died on December 29, 2008. He played the trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet, French horn, and mellophone.
(picture via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freddie_Hubbard) -
Lee Morgan (1938-1972)
Lee Morgan was born on July 10, 1938 and died on February 19, 1972. He played the Trumpet and fluegelhorn.
(picture via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lee_Morgan) -
World War II begins (1939)
On September 1, 1939, WWII begins in Europe when Germany invaded Poland.
(picture via https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/09/world/world-war-ii-fast-facts/index.html) -
Attack on Pearl Harbor (1941)
On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
(picture via https://www.britannica.com/event/Pearl-Harbor-attack) -
World War II ends (1945)
On September 2, 1945, WWII ended, with Japan's surrender.
(picture via https://www.historyonthenet.com/when-did-ww2-2-end)
