The first zeppelin flight is carried out in Germany
US President William McKinley is assassinated at the Pan-American Exposition in New York, aged 58
The Spanish football club Real Madrid is founded
Maurice Garin wins the first Tour de France bicycle race
Construction on the Panama Canal begins
The special theory of relativity is proposed by Albert Einstein
A devastating earthquake hits San Francisco, killing at least 3,000 and causing huge fires
Picasso paints 'Les Demoiselles d'Avignon' - the first cubist painting
SOS (···---···) officially becomes the international Morse code distress signal
Leo Baekeland creates the first synthetic plastic from phenol and formaldehyde, known as Bakelite
Boy Scouts of America is founded by William D. Boyce
Ernest Rutherford discovers the structure of atoms and that the nucleus holds much of an atom's mass
The RMS Titanic strikes an iceberg and sinks in the Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage, killing 1,502
A reconstructed Grand Central Terminal in New York opens and becomes the largest train station in the world
World War I Begins
The RMS Lusitania is sunk by a German U-boat, killing 1,198
The Battle of the Somme takes place from July to November resulting in more than 1 million casualties
Woodrow Wilson asks the US Congress for a declaration of war on Germany
Germany sign an armistice agreement with the allies, effectively ending the Great War
The League of Nations is formed, with 44 nations signing the LN Covenant
An earthquake measuring 8.6 in the Gansu Province in China causes a landslide, killing 180,000
Adolf Hitler becomes the Führer of the Nazi Party
The Tomb of King Tutankhamun is discovered by Howard Carter
The first issue of Time Magazine is released
The first Winter Olympics Games are held in Chamonix, France
The Chrysler Corporation is founded by Walter Percy Chrysler
Winnie the Pooh is created by A.A. Milne
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) is founded
Walt Disney creates Mickey Mouse
The stock market crashes, with the market losing over US$30 billion in two days
Pluto is discovered by Clyde Tombaugh
The Empire State Building opens
Iraq gains independence from Britain
The Loch Ness monster is allegedly spotted - its first official 'sighting'
The board game 'Monopoly' is released
Alcoholics Anonymous is Founded
Hoover Dam is completed
The German zeppelin 'Hindenburg' bursts into flame while attempting to dock, killing 36
Orson Welles broadcasts 'War of the Worlds' on the radio, causing panic across the US
World War II Begins
Winston Churchill becomes Prime Minister of the UK
Japan launches a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, killing approximately 2,400
Gandhi is arrested in Bombay by the British
Italy surrenders to the Allies
D-Day: 155,000 Allied troops land on the shores of Normandy to liberate France from Nazi occupation
Adolf Hitler commits Suicide, and the USA drop two atomic bombs on Japan, causing mass destruction and death.
The first meeting of the United Nations occurs in London, with 51 nations represented
Chuck Yeager becomes the first man to break the sound barrier
Gandhi is assassinated while preparing to address a prayer meeting, aged 78
'Nineteen Eighty-Four', written by George Orwell, is published