18 events in the story of civilization
The events of 1908 – 1909 AD — Austria Annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina -(10/6/08) Austria unilaterally; Young Turks Revolt (7/24/08) The Turkish Sultan Abdul-Hamid II was for; King Carlos & Crown Prince Assassinated -(2/1/08) Assassins killed Kin.
An Age in HistoryAustria Annexes Bosnia and Herzegovina -(10/6/08) Austria unilaterally announced the annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The decision was met with anger in Serbia, which had always regarded the area as Serbian. The Russians were aligned with the Serbs and also opposed the action. The Germans were Austrian allies and warned the Russians that any action taken would result in war. The British and F
Young Turks Revolt (7/24/08) The Turkish Sultan Abdul-Hamid II was forced to accede to the demands of the Young Turks, a group of army officers who demanded that constitutional rule be restored in Turkey. 1908
King Carlos & Crown Prince Assassinated -(2/1/08) Assassins killed King Carlos of Portugal, as well as his son and heir, Prince Luis Filipe. The assassins also tried to kill the Queen. The assassins were led by a sergeant in the Portuguese Army. Their hope was to provoke a revolution. Although panic ensued, a revolution did not materialize and Prince Manuel, the younger son of the King, succeeded
Bulgaria Declares Independence -(10/5/08)The Bulgarian Principality declared its complete independence from the Ottomans. Prince Ferdinand established a monarchy and became the first King of Bulgaria. 1908
(10/18/08) The Congo Free State, which had been the private property of Belgian King Leopold II, became an official Belgian colony. The action was taken by the Belgian Parliament, after revelations about Leopold's rule had become so scandalous that Parliament felt it had no other option. 1908
(4/6/09) After a month on the Arctic ice, Robert Peary became the first man to reach the North Pole. The only other American to reach the pole with Peary was an Afro-American named Matthew Henson. Four of the seven Eskimos who started the trip arrived with Perry, as well. 1908
"Dollar Diplomacy" received its terminology from the policy of additional support by the government for American enterprises abroad. This was particularly apparent in American relations with China. There, the American government intervened directly with the Chinese government on behalf of American bankers. 1908
The National Conservation Commission was an outgrowth of a very successful White House Conference on conservation. The Commission received the full backing of President Roosevelt. The President was fully committed to the concept of preserving the environment. 1908
First True Skyscraper Built -In 1908, the Singer Building, in lower Manhattan, was completed. It was the first true skyscraper, reaching 47 stories. Later the same year, the 50-story Metropolitan Life Building was finished. 1908
(5/26/08)A large deposit of oil was discovered in Southwestern Iran. The discovery was a precursor to the discovery of oil in the rest of Arabia. 1908
(9/17/08) On September 17th, Lt. Thomas Selfridge of the US Army was killed when a Wright Flyer, piloted by Orville Wright, crashed. The aircraft was involved in two weeks of trials for the Army. The aircraft had flown three laps, at 150 feet, when it suddenly shook and dove to the earth. Selfridge lost consciousness almost immediately, and died a few hours later. Orville was hurt, but not too ser
Sultan Abdul Deposed -(4/13/09)The Ottoman Sultan Abdul Hamid II was ousted by a unanimous vote of both houses of the Turkish Parliament. He was replaced by his brother Mohammed Rechad Effendi, who became known as Sultan Mehmed V Hamid. The action of Parliament was prompted by the massacre of Armenians in Adana. The deposed Sultan was officially charged with squandering the wealth of the Empire, b
The decision to send Spanish troops to Morocco precipitated widespread chaos in Spain. The protests were based on the inequalities of military service. The disruptions led to general strikes and rioting. Martial law was imposed and opponents of the government were arrested. Francusici Ferrer, a well-known anti-cleric, was executed, resulting in sweeping criticism throughout Europe. Spanish Prime M
Revolution in Persia -Revolution broke out in Persia when the Shah, Muhammad Ali, sought to destroy the constitutional monarchy that he himself had created. Nationalist troops occupied Teheran and forced the Shah to flee. He was replaced by his son, Ahmed Shah. 1909
Prince Ito Assassinated in Japan -(10/26/09) A Korean nationalist assassinated Hirobumi Ito on October 26th. Ito was considered the most important Japanese public figure in the late 19th century. He was considered the man most responsible for the modernization of Japan. The assassin was protesting the Japanese attempt to control Korea and the assassination gave the Japanese a convenient pretext fo
The President of Nicaragua was Jose Santos Zelaya. He had been in power since 1893, and had been trying to create a union of Central American countries by intervening actively in their affairs. These actions were opposed by the United States, which supported the opposition to Zelaya. When Zelaya started to execute these "rebels" -- including two Americans -- the US intervened militarily and ousted
The first newsreel was shown in a Paris theater by Charles Pathe. The next year, newsreels were introduced into US theaters, where they became very popular 1909
(7/25/09) On July 25th, Louis Bleriot became the first person to fly across the English Channel. Bleriot thus claimed the prize of 1,000 pounds sterling offered by the Daily Mail. He flew a Type XI Monoplane. The flight took 37 minutes. Bleriot took off from Les Barraques at 4:35AM. Winds pushed him off course; but, flying at a height of over 150 feet, Bleroit managed to follow ships back toward D