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Birth
Sigmund Freud was born in Freiburg, Moravia, Austrian Empire, which is now known as Czech Republic. His real name is Sigismund Schlomo Freud. He was born into a rather poor family however his parents made sure he was well-educated. Sigmund Freud was born to Jacob Freud who was a textile dealer and Amalia Nathanson who were both Jewish. Sigmund Freud had 7 siblings, one of which died at 18 months. At age 4, the family moved to the city of Vienna, Austria, a bustling metropolis (Chiriac). -
American Civil War begins
The American Civil War was undoubtedly a war that decided the fate of the United States. If the south won, the United States would've been split into two countries. If the north won, the United States was one country. The war was mainly caused by the fight over slaves. The North wanted slavery to be abolished while the south didn't. This war was very significant as it kept the United States unified and allowed for slaves to be free and have rights (McPherson). -
Alexander Graham Bell patents the telephone
Along with his assistant, Thomas Watson, Alexander Graham Bell created a working telephone and patented it. The telephone received sound waves, converted them into electrical currents, transmit the electrical currents to another telephone, and convert the electricity back to sound. Bell's revolutionary invention has enabled nearly everybody to communicate with ease over long distances. He cut the time to deliver a message from months to a few seconds (www.history.com). -
Freud graduates with a doctorate in medicine
Freud entered college at only 17. He went to the University of Austria and studied medicine. He was particularly interested in a new branch of science, bacteriology, the study of bacteria. He eventually became an assistant to one of his professors in the lab, studying the nervous systems of fish and eels (Daniels). -
Freud studies under Jean-Martin Charcot
Freud studied under Charcot for some time. Charcot, a leading neurologist in France and in the world left a lasting effect on Freud. Charcot introduced to Freud patients who have gone hysterical and talked about how these mental disorders may not be connected to the physical brain, but to the mental states of a person. This was a turning point in Freud's career as it inspired him to research more into an individual's mind, setting him up to create psychoanalysis (Jay). -
Freud marrys Martha Bernays
In 1886, Freud marries a German woman named Martha Bernays. He had fallen in love with her in 1882 faced a tough decision. If he married her, he'd have to give up his research due to lack of time. Freud married Bernays and set up a private practice to work in. Over the span of 9 years, the couple had 6 kids with the last one in 1895, Anna. Anna became one of Freud's most loyal colleagues, contributing much to her father's science of psychoanalysis (Gay). -
Freud studies the case of Anna O.
Freud's attention was drawn to Anna O. by his colleague Josef Breuer. Together they wrote a book detailing studies of people with hysteria, including Anna O. Breuer and Anna O. were especially influential to Freud as Breuer was able to heal Anna through mere talking. This treatment as talking is what psychoanalysis is all about, Breuer's influence is even seen in Freud's technique of free association (Daniels). -
Freud publishes '"The Interpretation of Dreams"
Many consider "The Interpretation of Dreams" to be one of Freud's greatest works. Freud says dreams are a way for the unconscious to express itself in such a vague way that it needs to be interpreted. Freud states that dreams are the path to the unconscious, understanding dreams will reveal the hidden thoughts of the unconscious. This revelation is significant as dream analysis is a necessity in Freud's psychoanalysis to heal mental illness (www.sigmundfreud.net). -
Freud publishes "The Psychopathology of Everyday Life"
In this work, Freud goes more in depth about the subconscious, detailing slips of the tongue and forgetfulness. Freud cites his everyday experiences and suggests that these seemingly forgettable mistakes have a greater meaning behind them. He explains these human errors as a conflict between the conscious and subconscious. This is significant as it continues to build the science of psychoanalysis (www.sigmundfreud.net). -
World War I begins
The start of World War I was sparked by the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie. This resulted in a rapid escalation of tension with the European countries and within a month the fragile European peace collapsed. This World War was devastating as there were 30 million soldier casualties and 10 million civilian casualties. This war is also cited as one of the reasons for WWII, due to Germany's bitter feelings towards the Treaty of Versailles (www.history.com). -
The Russian Revolution Begins
The revolution began in St. Petersburg where protesters clashed with police, angry at Czar Nicolas II who left the Russian economy in shambles and the military weakened after WWI. Many people went on strike to protest the government. As the days passed, an increasingly number of men from the army deserted the czar and joined the cause of the Russian people. This forced the czar to abdicate the throne to his brother who refused. This gave way to the founding of the Soviet Union (www.history.com). -
Freud publishes "The Ego and the Id"
This book written by Freud detail his theories on how the human mind is split into three parts, the ego, superego, and id. Freud claimed that the id was the main force behind our life, driven by our needs and wants and influencing our thoughts while we're unaware. He believed that mental illness could be treated by making the unconscious thoughts of the id conscious. Freud's theories seen here have become a staple of modern psychology and is one of his most famous (www.sigmundfreud.net). -
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin
Alexander Fleming's groundbreaking discovery of penicillin has saved hundreds of millions of lives around the world. Fleming was looking for a chemical that had antibacterial properties and happened upon penicillin by chance, in a mess of petri dishes. Fleming discovered penicillin as a mold and published a paper on it that highlighted potential uses which gained little traction. Fortunately, two scientists named Howard Florey and Ernst Chain were able to refine it for human use (www.pbs.org). -
Freud flees to England
During this time, Hitler's power became larger and larger as he conquered large swathes of land in Europe. Eventually, he took over Vienna and Austria itself. Freud was seemingly unconcerned even with his friends urging him to flee. However, when his daughter Anna, was detained and later released, Freud decided to flee to London, England with his family (Daniels). -
World War II Starts
Adolf Hitler quickly rose to power in Germany and planned to restore Germany's greatness, a message that resonated with many Germans. He spoke of antisemitism and tapped into the bitter feelings of Germans who were frustrated by the economic instability. Hitler wanted his country to expand to fit the needs of his perfect German race. He signed a treaty with the Soviet Union ensuring he could invade Poland without resistance and thus the invasion of Poland and WWII commenced (www.history.com). -
Death
Sigmund Freud died at the age of 83 in London, England due to suicide with morphine. He requested a lethal dose of morphine from his doctor after a long fight against oral cancer, probably caused by his cigars. Freud underwent 30 jaw surgeries, some of which removed pieces of Freud's jaw. Surprisingly, Freud never took painkillers as he feared that it would cause unwanted side effects to his mind. Knowing this, it's unsurprising that Freud was driven to suicide due to intolerable pain (Daniels).
