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RMS Titanic Sank
The RMS Titanic was a transatlantic luxury passenger that set out on its’ maiden voyage April 10, 1912. On the night of April 14, the ship was issued several iceberg warnings but continued on. Despite being regarded by some as “unsinkable,” the boat struck an iceberg and began to take on water rapidly. Due to a lack of preparedness, only 705 out of ~2200 passengers made it onto lifeboats and over 1500 perished in the icy cold waters. Source:
https://www.britannica.com/technology/ocean-liner -
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World War I
An international conflict triggered by the assassination of the Austrian archduke Franz Ferdinand. The Central Powers included Germany, Austria-Hungary, and Turkey. The Allies included France, Great Britain, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the United States (after 1917). The war is known for its use of trench and chemical warfare, as well as military machinery such as tanks and warplanes. Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-I/Technology-of-war-in-1914 -
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The Great Depression
Due to factors such as high consumer debt, plummeting US Stock Market prices, and decreased consumer demand, the country fell into an economic recession. Regarded as the worst recession in history, the Great Depression had an international effect on the world’s economy. Although initiatives were enacted by Hoover and Roosevelt in order to stimulate the economy, the recession lasted until US involvement in WWII. Source:
https://www.history.com/topics/great-depression/great-depression-history -
Black Monday
This day marks the end of the “Roaring 20’s,” a time period characterized by financial prosperity in the US. Due to factors such as tightening of credit by the Federal Reserve and overzealous bank lending. The country experienced a sharp decline in stock market values. This contributed one of the worst recessions in history: the Great Depression. Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/stock-market-crash-of-1929 -
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World War II
Global conflict involving two major powers, the Axis and the Allies. The Axis powers were the aggressors and included Germany, Italy, and Japan. The Allies were comprised of France, the US, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. With over 40 million causalities, according to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, WW2 was the largest, ‘bloodiest’ conflict in human history. Source: https://www.britannica.com/event/World-War-II -
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The Nakba
Meaning “catastrophe” in Arabic, this event is characterized by the ethnic cleansing and displacement of Palestinian populations by Israeli forces. During this time period, ~40% of the population was displaced and ~15,000 Palestinians were killed. Causes include the emergence of zionism in Eastern Europe, an ideology based in the belief that Jewish people as a race deserve their own state. Source:
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/features/2017/5/23/the-nakba-did-not-start-or-end-in-1948 -
John F. Kennedy Assassination
During a presidential motorcade in Dallas, Texas, President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald was arrested immediately and detained for two days before being murdered by Jack Ruby, a local nightclub owner. To this day, the assassination is the source of many conspiracy theories and the declassification of documents has even been used as campaign promise by Donald Trump. Source:
https://millercenter.org/president/kennedy/death-of-the-president -
1994 South African general election
After years of conflict between races and the rule of an apartheid state, the country of South Africa had its first general election. The first citizen to vote was Nelson Mandela, a civil rights activist who fought for equality and led in the fight to dismantle the apartheid government. ~20 million South Africans attended the election, marking the rebirth of a nation.
Source: https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/features/2024/4/27/thirty-years-of-freedom-failed-dreams-and-hope-for-a-better-south-africa