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Elevators
The elevator was invented by Elisha Graves Otis in March 23, 1853. It was for skyscrapers and other tall buildings to go up faster than the stairs and would provide a safe and comfortable transport between floors in the building. -
Buying of Alaska
The U.S./Secretary of State William Seward bought Alaska in Washington D.C. on March 30, 1867. We bought Alaska to expand trade and gain access to the Pacific ocean. Increased the size and helped the U.S. become a global power. -
The Great Fire of Chicago
The Great Fire of Chicago happened on October 8, 1871. It killed around 300 people and destroyed more than 17,000 buildings. We do not know the real reason of how the Great Chicago fire started but we think it likely started in the barn of Patrick Catherine O'Leary. In the barn was a lantern and it may have gotten knocked over. The impact on the U.S. was started giving donations to them because of how many homeless people there was. -
Lightbulb
Thomas Edison invented the invention called the lightbulb in January 27, 1879. He made it to go inside your home to produce light and it let people control the light whenever they wanted to turn off and on. -
Skyscrapers
William LeBaron Jenney designed the first ever skyscraper on May 1, 1884. They are normally in the center of large cities to maximize space on limited, expensive urban land. They also provide housing and are great tourist locations. -
Statue of Liberty
The statue of Liberty was given t the U.S. by the French on October 28, 1886. It was created by a French sculpter named Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi and it was to symbolize freedom, democracy, and friendship from France. It was built by hammering copper sheets into shape over a steel framework and inspiring patriotism, welcoming immigrants to the U.S. -
Johnstown flood
On May 31, 1889 the Johnstown flood happened in Pennsylvania. More than 2,000 people where killed by it. The South Fork Dam couldn't hold all of the water any more and broke open flooding Johnstown. the dam had poor maintenance and lack of proper building. It would cost millions of dollars to fix all the damage it caused and left tons homeless. -
Modern Olympics
The modern olympics happened April 6-15, 1896 in Athens, Greece. The games had been founded by Pierre de Coubertin he was inspired by the ancient olympic games and 280 men participated in these games. Making the olympics become a tradition in the future. This allowed all people to compete in sporting events all around the world. -
National Parks
National Parks all over the U.S. were established by Theodore Roosevelt on June 8, 1906. They were made to protecting areas of historical and scientific interest for others to see and visit. He created the "Antiquities Act" to keep these places protected. These places were great places to stay at and see the beauty in them. -
Panama Canal
August 15, 1914 the Panama Canal was made by the U.S. We needed a quicker way to move warships and commerce between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and made it so we didn't have to go all the way around south America. It impacted trade, economy, and travel.