Key Dates

By 158066
  • 1917

    Communist Revolution in Russia and its Empire creates several new countries that are known as the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and under the leadership of Vladimir Lenin.
  • 1923-37

    In the UK Stanly Baldwin (a conservative) and Ramsay MacDonald (Labour Leader) swap the prime ministership several times.
  • 1923

    Australia's first radio broadcast takes place in sydney
  • 1926

    James Logie Baird demonstrates the world's first television transmission.
  • 1927

    The Jazz singer begins the era of 'talking pictures' and the end of silent movies.
  • 1928

    Coniston massacre: 60 or more Aboriginal people killed in revenge attacks by police and others in he Northern Territory after the murder of a white dingo trapper—one of the last of such large-scale revenge massacres
  • 1931

    Japan invades Manchuria in Chine. Phar Lap wins Melbourne Cup.
  • 1932-33

    English cricket team devises 'bodyline bowling' to beat the run-scoring talents of Don Bradman
  • 1936

    Last thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) in captivity dies in Hobart.
  • 1939

    Black Friday bushfires in Victoria kill 71 people and destroy 5 towns
  • 1948

    The first Holden, the 48-215 (FX) the first, all Australian car is produced.
  • 1956

    First Australian Television broadcasts begin
  • 1974

    Cyclone Tracy destorys Darwin, killing 71 people
  • 1975

    Colour Television introduced in Australia
  • 1990

    Fall of the Berlin Wall formally concluded
  • 2002

    89 Australians are among the 202 killed in the Bali bombings in Indonesia
  • 2007

    Black Saturday fires in Victoria kill 173 people, the highest death toll of any Australian bushfire