References are numbered in [brackets], which are listed here. A number after the dot gives the page in the source.

Last updated: 2008 April 30.

1919 January 1 Belorussian SSR established. [1] William W Campbell Canadian poet (Ian of the Orcades), dies at 60. [1] January 2 Anti-British uprising in Ireland. [1] Lithuania gains independence. [1] January 5 National Socialist Party (Nazi) forms as German Farmers Party. [1] The insurrection of the communist Spartakus group in Berlin, Germany, begins. It lasts for seven days before it is put down. A few days later the leaders of the group, Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg are assassinated. [1] [37] January 6 Theodore Roosevelt 26th President (1901-09), dies at his home in Oyster Bay New York at 60. [1] January 8 Peter Altenberg writer, dies at 59. [1] Richard Engländer [Peter Altenberg], Austrian author, dies at 59. [1] January 11 Three year old German communist party (Spartacus) crushed. [1] Romania annexes Transylvania. [1] January 15 Two million gallons of molasses "Tidal wave" Boston Massachusetts, drowning 21. [1] Frank Wedekind's "Die letzten Tage der Menschheit" premieres. [1] In Germany, Marxist revolutionaries Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht are murdered. [1] [37] Pianist and statesman Ignace Paderewski becomes first premier of Poland. [1] Semana Tragica (Tragic Week) Bloodbath in Buenos Aires. [1] W Collison and O Harbach's "Up in Mabel's Room" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] January 16 Jaroslav Jeremias composer, dies at 19. [1] Prohibition ratified by 3/4 of the states; Nebraska is 36th. [1] January 18 John C F son of English king George V, dies at 13. [1] WWI Peace Congress opens in Versailles, France. [1] January 19 "Tidal wave" of molasses 15 metres high x 25 metres wide kills dozens, Boston. [1] January 21 Sinn Fein proclaims parliament of Free Ireland. [1] January 25 Founding of League of Nations, first meeting one year later. [1] January 27 Endre Ady Hungarian poet (Margita élni akar), dies at 41. [1] January 29 Secretary of state proclaims the 18th amendment (prohibition). [1] January 31 Paul Lindau German playwright/critic (Estimate), dies at 79. [1] February 2 Monarchist riot in Portugal. [1] Xavier Henry Napoleon Leroux composer, dies at 55. [1] February 3 Herbert/Blossom's musical "Velvet Lady" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] League of Nations first meeting (Paris). [1] Socialist conference convenes (Berne Switzerland). [1] February 4 City of Bremen's Soviet Republic overthrown. [1] February 5 Vasili V Rozanov Russian philosopher/writer, dies at 62. [1] February 6 First day of 5-day Seattle general strike. [1] Friedrich W Mengelberg German sculptor/painter, dies at 81. [1] February 11 Friedrich Ebert (SPD), elected President of Germany. [1] February 14 United Parcel Service forms. [1] February 15 American Legion organizes in Paris. [1] Pieter K Pel Dutch internist (Pel-Ebstein fever), dies at 66. [1] February 19 Pan-African Congress, organized by W E B Du Bois (Paris). [1] February 20 French premier Clemenceau injured during assassination attempt. [1] February 21 German National Meeting accepts Anschluss incorporation of Austria. [1] Giovanni Bolzoni composer, dies at 77. [1] Habib Ullah Chan emir of Afghanistan (1901-19), murdered at 46. [1] Karl von Hohenzollern Prince of Belgium, dies. [1] Kurt Eisner premier Bayern (socialist), murdered at 51. [1] Revolutionary strike in Barcelona. [1] February 23 Benito Mussolini founds the Facist party of Italy. [1] February 24 Josephine McGill composer, dies at 41. [1] February 25 League of Nations set up by Paris Treaty. [1] Oregon is first state to tax gasoline (1 cent per gallon). [1] February 26 Acadia National Park established (as Lafayette National Park), Maine. [1] US Congress established Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona. [1] February 27 First public performance of Holst's "The Planets". [1] American Association for the Hard of Hearing formed (New York City, New York). [1] March 1 Demonstrations for Korean independence from Japan begin. [1] March 2 First congress of Communist International opens at the Kremlin. [1] March 3 First international air mail service from US, Seattle WA-Victoria British Columbia, Canada. [1] Communist Party in Germany announces a general strike. [1] March 5 Jozef Surzynski composer, dies at 67. [1] Louis Hirsch and Harold Atteridge's musical premieres in New York City, New York. [1] March 8 Auguste Tolbecque composer, dies at 88. [1] March 11 General strike in Germany, crushed. [1] Harald Fryklof composer, dies at 36. [1] March 12 Austrian National Meeting affirms Anschluss (incorporate into Germany). [1] George Bernard Shaw's "Augustus Does His Bit" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] March 15 American Legion forms (Paris France). [1] March 16 Frank Wedekind's "Elius Erweckung" premieres in Hamburg. [1] Sigurd von Koch composer, dies at 39. [1] March 17 Dutch steel workers strike for 8 hour day and minimum wages. [1] March 18 Order of DeMolay is established in Kansas City. [1] March 23 Bashkir ASSR, in RSFSR, constituted. [1] Benito Mussolini forms Fascist movement in Milan Italy. [1] Jean HL Bossard actor/impresario (2 Orphans), dies at 45. [1] Moscow's Politburo/Central Committee forms. [1] March 30 Belgian Army occupies Düsseldorf. [1] Gandhi announces resistance against Rowlatt Act. [1] Paul Claudel's "Tête d'Or" premieres in Paris France. [1] March 31 French Marshal Ferdinand Foch says to leaders of Great Britain and the USA that without the Rhine frontier in French possession, the Versailles settlement would be no more than "the armistice for twenty years". [10] Strike against Ruhrgebied government of Scheidemann. [1] April 3 Austria expels all Habsburgers. [1] Paul Geisler composer, dies at 62. [1] April 4 William Crookes English chemist/physicist (Crookes-pipe), dies at 86. [1] April 5 Eamon de Valera becomes president of Dail Eireann. [1] Heavyweight Jess Willard knocks out Jack Johnson in Havana. [1] Polish Army executes 35 young Jews. [1] April 6 Stefan Surzynski composer, dies at 63. [1] April 7 First parcel of land is purchased for Cleveland Metroparks. [1] April 8 Roland baron Eötvös Hungarian physicist, dies at 70. [1] April 10 Emiliano Zapata Mexican leader, murdered at 39. [1] April 12 British Parliament passes a 48-hour work week with minimum wages. [1] April 13 Amritsar Massacre - British Army fires on hundreds of Indian Nationalist rioters in India. [1] April 18 Enny Vrede [Maria M Müller] Dutch actress, drowns at 35. [1] April 19 André Messager 's opera "Monsieur Beaucaire" is produced (London). [1] French assembly decides on 8 hour work day. [1] Leslie Irvin of US makes first parachute jump and free fall. [1] April 20 Polish Army captures Vilno, Lithuania from Soviet Army. [1] April 22 Protocols for an alliance among France, Great Britain, and the USA are agreed on: Great Britain and USA make guarantees to France in the event of German aggression. The Rhineland is to be under Allied occupation for fifteen years. The document is signed by US President Woodrow Wilson and British Prime Minister David Lloyd George. [10] April 28 First jump with Army Air Corp (rip-cord type) parachute (Les Irvin). [1] May 1 Mount Kelud (Indonesia) erupts, boiling crater lake which broke through crater wall killing 5,000 people in 104 small villages. [1] May 2 First US air passenger service starts. [1] Gustav Landauer German socialist, dies. [1] May 3 Afghanistan Emir Amanoellah begins war against Great Britain. [1] America's first passenger flight (New York-Atlantic City). [1] May 6 Frank Lyman Baum author (Wizard of Oz), dies at 62. [1] Paris Peace Conference disposes of German colonies; German East Africa is assigned to Britain and France, German Southwest Africa to South Africa. [1] May 8 First transatlantic flight take-off by a navy seaplane. [1] May 10 Race riot in Charleston South Carolina, two blacks killed. [1] May 14 Pope Benedictus XV publishes encyclical In hac tanta. [1] May 17 Bohumil Pazdirek composer, dies at 80. [1] May 20 Jacob Verdam philosopher, dies. [1] Volcano Keluit on Java, erupts killing 550. [1] May 21 Victor A D Ségalen [Max Anély] French ship's doctor/writer, dies. [1] May 24 Amado Nervo [Juan C Ruiz de Nervo] Mexican poet, dies at 48. [1] May 25 Madame C J Walker wealthy cosmetics manufacturer, dies at 51. [1] May 27 First transatlantic flight ends; US Navy flying boat takes 11 days. [1] Charles Strite patents pop-up toaster. [1] May 28 Armenia declares its independence. [1] May 29 Charles Strite patents pop-up toaster. [1] Einstein's light-bending prediction confirmed by Arthur Eddington. [1] May 30 Lord John Raleigh British physicist (Nobel Prize 1904), dies. [1] May 31 First wedding held in an aircraft (over Houston Texas). [1] NC-4 aircraft commanded by AC Read completes first crossing of Atlantic. [1] June 3 Liberty Life Insurance Co (Chicago) organized by blacks. [1] June 4 Senate passes Women's Suffrage bill. [1] US marines invade Costa Rica. [1] June 11 Sir Barton becomes first horse to win the Triple Crown. [1] June 14 First nonstop air crossing of Atlantic (Alcock and Brown) leaves Newfoundland. [1] June 15 First nonstop Atlantic flight (Alcock and Brown) lands in Ireland. [1] June 17 "Barney Google" cartoon strip, by Billy De Beck, premiers. [1] June 20 Roy W. Allen opens his first root beer stand, in Lodi, California. His root beer sells for 5c a glass. (In a few years, he and partner Frank Wright form the A&W Root Beer company.) [2] June 21 Germans scuttle their own fleet. [1] June 25 First advanced monoplane airliner flight (Junkers F13). [1] June 26 First issue of New York Daily News published. [1] June 28 Harry S Truman married Elizabeth Virginia Wallace in Independence. [1] In Versailles, France, the peace Treaty of Versailles is signed, formally ending the Great War (World War I). [10] In Versailles, France, British Prime Minister David Lloyd George and French Prime Minister Georges Clemenceau sign the Treaty of Guarantee. The treaty calls for Great Britain and the USA to come to France's immediate aid if Germany makes an unprovoked assault on the country. (The treaty is not ratified by the American senate, so does not come into force.) [10] July 1 First class postage drops from 3 cents to 2 cents. [1] July 4 M Wolf discovers asteroid #914 Palisana. [1] July 6 The British dirigible R34 land in New York, completing the first crossing of the Atlantic by an airship (108 hours). [1] [5] July 8 President Wilson returns to New York City from Versailles Peace Conference. [1] July 10 President Wilson personally delivers Treaty of Versailles to Senate. [1] July 13 The British airship R34 lands in Norfolk, England after 182 hours of flight, completing the first airship return journey across the Atlantic. [5] Race riots in Longview and Gregg counties Texas. [1] July 21 Dirigible crashes through bank skylight killing 13 (Chicago, Ill). [1] July 24 Race Riot in Washington DC (6 killed, 100 wounded). [1] July 27 Chicago race riot (15 whites and 23 blacks killed, 500 injured). [1] August 6 First air flight over a major body of water in Australia (Harry Butler). [1] August 8 Treaty of Rawalpindi, British recognize Afghanistan's independence. [1] August 10 Ukranian National Army massacres 25 Jews in Podolia Ukrane. [1] August 13 Man o'War's only defeat (Upset wins at Saratoga). [1] August 23 "Gasoline Alley" cartoon strip premiers in Chicago Tribune. [1] August 25 First scheduled passenger service by airplane (Paris-London). [1] August 31 Communist Labor Party of America formed in Chicago. [1] Petlyura's Ukranian Army kills 35 members of a Jewish defense group. [1] September 2 Communist Party of America organized in Chicago. [1] September 9 Birth of Jimmy "the Greek" Snyder gambler/sportscaster (lay you 5 to 1). [1] Boston's police force goes on strike. [1] September 10 New York City welcomes home General John J Pershing and 25,000 WW I soldiers. [1] September 11 US marines invade Honduras. [1] September 16 American Legion incorporated by an act ofUS Congress. [1] September 18 Hurricane tides 16 feet above normal drown 280 along Gulf Coast. [1] September 22 Steel strike begins in US. [1] September 25 President Wilson becomes seriously ill and collapses after a speech. [1] September 27 Democratic National Committee votes to admit women. [1] October 1 World Series #16 begins as a best of 9 affair, Chicago White Sox intentionally throw this series to satisfy gamblers (The Black Sox Scandal). [1] October 2 President Woodrow Wilson suffers a stroke. [1] October 7 First London-Amsterdam airline service begins (British Aerial Transport). [1] October 11 First transcontinental air race ends. [1] October 13 Race riot at Elaine Arkansas. [1] October 15 Fourteen horses begin 300-mile race from Vt to Mass for $1000 prize money. [1] October 17 Radio Corporation of America (RCA) created. [1] October 19 First Distinguished Service Medal awarded to a woman. [1] October 27 Axeman of New Orleans claims last victim. [1] October 28 Volstead Act passed byUS Congress, start prohibition over Wilson's veto. [1] November 10 First observance of National Book Week. [1] American Legion's first national convention (Minneapolis). [1] November 12 Ross and Smith start a one month flight from London to Australia. [1] November 15 Senate first invokes cloture to end a filibuster (Versailles Treaty). [1] November 19 US Senate rejects (55-39) Treaty of Versailles and League of Nations. [1] November 20 First municipally owned airport in US opens in Tucson, Az. [1] November 28 US-born Lady Astor elected first female member of British Parliament. [1] December 1 AA Milne's "Mr Pim Passes By" premieres in Manchester. [1] Lady Nancy Astor sworn-in as first female member of British Parliament. [1] December 2 Henry Clay Frick built largest coke and steel operation, dies at 69. [1] December 3 Pierre A Renoir French painter/sculptor, dies at 78. [1] December 11 Boll weevil monument dedicated in Enterprise Alabama. [1] December 13 Amintore Galli composer, dies at 74. [1] Ross and Smith land in Australia from a flight from London. [1] December 15 Edna Saint Vincent Millay's "Aria da Capo" premieres in New York City, New York. [1] Fiume (Rijeka) declares its Independence. [1] December 17 Austria parliament approves 8-hour day. [1] December 18 Horatio William Parker composer, dies at 56. [1] John Alcock pilot (first non-stop over Atlantic), dies in crash at 27. [1] December 19 American Meteorological Society found. [1] December 20 Canadian National Railways established (North America's longest, 50,000 KM). [1] US House of Representatives restricts immigration. [1] December 21 J Edgar Hoover deports anarchists/feminist Emma Goldman to Russia. [1] December 22 Government of Ireland Act of Power (Home Rule for Ireland). [1] US deports 250 alien radicals, including anarchist Emma Goldman. [1] December 23 First hospital ship built to move wounded naval personnel launched. [1] Alice H Parker patents gas heating furnace. [1] December 27 Achilles Alferaki composer, dies at 73. [1] Theodoor H de Meester Dutch liberal premier (1905-08), dies at 68. [1]