Timeline: Mr Dart's Events of the 20th Century History Timeline

Sep 2, 1900

Paris Olympics

Jan 9, 1905

Bloody Sunday, St. Petersburg, Russia

Sep 2, 1908

London Olympics

Jun 28, 1914

Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria

Period: Jul 28, 1914 to Nov 11, 1918

World War I

Human costs of the World War I
- 60 million Europeans mobilised
- 8 million killed
- 7 million permanently disabled
- 15 million seriously wounded
- Germany lost 15.1% of it's active male population
- France lost 10.5% of it's active male population
- 8 million orphans
- 5 million civillians died of war-induced causes.
From Martin Kitchen, Europe Between the Wars: A Political History, UK, 1988, p.22

Apr 25, 1915

Battle of Gallipoli begins

Jan 8, 1916

Battle of Gallipoli ends

Mar 2, 1917

Tsar Nicholas II abdicates

Apr 2, 1917

Lenin at Finland Station

Dec 16, 1917

Russia exits World War I as a result of the Russian Revolution

Jul 17, 1918

Tsar Nicholas and his family are assassinated.

You can read more about the assassination here.

Jun 28, 1919

Signing of the Treaty of Versailles

Nov 8, 1923

Beer Hall Putsch, Munich, Germany

The Nazi Party plans a march on Berlin with other nationalist right wing groups. The Putsch fails. Adolf Hitler jailed for one year.

Jan 30, 1933

Adolf Hilter becomes German Chancellor

Feb 27, 1933

Reichstag Fire

Apr 1, 1933

Boycott Day

May 10, 1933

The Burning of the Books

Jun 30, 1933

Night of the Long Knives

Sep 2, 1936

Berlin Olympics

Mar 13, 1938

Germany annexes Austria

Nov 9, 1938

Kristallnacht "The Night of the Broken Glass"

Period: Sep 1, 1939 to Sep 2, 1945

World War II

May 15, 1940

The Netherlands and Belgium surrender

Jun 10, 1940

Norway surrenders to Germany

Jun 10, 1940

France occupied by Germany

Jul 19, 1940

Germany announces it's intention to invade Britain

Apr 17, 1941

Yugoslavia surrenders to Germany

Apr 22, 1941

Greece surrenders to Germany

Dec 7, 1941

Japanese attack Pearl Harbour, Hawaii

Apr 30, 1945

Hitler commits suicide.

May 7, 1945

Germany surrenders, VE (Victory Europe) Day

Jul 16, 1945

First successful test of the atomic bomb "Trinity"

Aug 25, 1945

Vietnamese claim Independence from the French

Hanoi falls to the Viet Minh. Ho Chi Minh declared the Democratice Republic of Vietnam.

Sep 1, 1945

Atomic Bomb dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima.

The US plane Enola Gay dropped a single bomb on the city of Hiroshima. No bomb had ever killed so many people at once. WIthin two weeks 92,233 people had perished. According to historian Sarah Mirams:
"One of the first reporters on the scene described Hiroshima as a city only fit for vultures".

Oct 24, 1945

United Nations formed

The UN was formed with 51 member nations. Under the UN Charter , member states agree to settle disputes by peaceful means adn avoid using force against each other. Other roles include humanitarian assistance, economic and social programs, establish standards of international law and to promote human rights.

Mar 12, 1947

Truman Doctrine

The Truman Doctrine can be viewed here.President Harry S. Truman presents what is to become the Truman Doctrine in an address to the Joint Session of Congress.

Jun 28, 1948

The Berlin Blockade begins.

The borders into West Berlin were shut by the Soviets and power from Soviet power stations were cut off to West Berlin. Nothing could come in from the through the Soviet Zone by rail or road.

Jun 30, 1948

Berlin Airlift Begins

Operations Victuals was launched. Planes from the west began supplying the city. aiming to keep it's 2.5 million citizens fed, clothed and warm. By October, planes were landing every 90 seconds and being completely unloaded in seven minutes.

May 5, 1954

Battle of Diem Bien Phu

This was the battle that saw the French leave Vietnam permanently and also provided an inspiration to other colonised indgenous groups throughout Asia. If you would like more information on this battle please click here.

Sep 2, 1956