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Some of These Days - Sophie Tucker.
Sophie Tucker, known as "The Last of the Red-Hot Mamas," was a prominent Russian-born vaudeville star who embraced music from Black composers. She performed "Some of These Days," a song by Shelton Brooks. The song became immensely popular, selling over a million copies and recorded by various artists, including Louis Armstrong and Bing Crosby. Initially recorded by Tucker in 1911, it reached the top of the charts and gained further recognition when inducted into the Grammy Hall of fame. -
Italo-Turkish War
The Italy-Turkish War (1911–12) was a conflict initiated by Italy to acquire colonies in North Africa by capturing the Turkish provinces of Tripolitania and Cyrenaica, now known as modern Libya. Italy seized the opportunity during a period of international uncertainty following the Moroccan crisis of 1911 to pursue its long-held ambition to establish a colony in North Africa. In May 1912, Italian naval forces seized Rhodes and several of the Dodecanese islands off the Turkish coast. -
Wadai War
The Wadai War, lasting from 1906 to 1912, involved France and its African allies fighting against the Wadai Empire in eastern Chad and western Sudan. The Wadai Empire, led by Dud Murra, fiercely resisted the French invasion. Despite losing its capital, Abéché, in 1909, Dud Murra continued to fight from allied areas like Darfur and Dar Masalit, achieving some victories against French forces. The last resistance to French rule in Wadai was suppressed by 1912, region remained under French control. -
The Titanic Sinks
On the night of April 14-15, 1912, the RMS Titanic tragically struck an iceberg during its maiden voyage, resulting in the loss of over 1,500 lives. This incident remains one of the most catastrophic peacetime maritime disasters in history. The Titanic was engineered with some of the most advanced technologies available at the time, and it had garnered a reputation for being unsinkable. -
Sir Thomas Lewis
Thomas Lewis was a Welsh cardiologist, who has played a great part in the development of electrocardiography deserves special mention. It is the general interest in ECG would certainly not have risen so high. He developed lead (S5-lead) electrode configuration in 1913 to help detect atrial activity and its relationship to ventricular activity. It is useful in observing flutter waves in atrial flutter and detecting P waves in wide complex tachyarrhythmia to identify atrioventricular dissociation. -
The College at War
By the outbreak of the First World War, approximately 900 students and 60 staff members were enrolled at the college, 300 of whom volunteered for military service in 1914. The South Kensington site was affected as buildings were commandeered for soldier billeting and army operations. The War Office occupied the top two floors of the Goldsmith's extension, while the Army Pay Corps Machine Gun section took over the RSM examination hall. The Admiralty Inventions and Research board used Engineering. -
First Scheduled Commercial Airplane
In 1914, the world’s first scheduled passenger service, an airboat piloted by Tony Jannus, set off from St. Petersburg, Florida, and landed at Tampa, around 17 miles away in 23 minutes. The service only ran for four months, but it had unlocked the appetite of those keen to tap into the novelty of air transport. This service ran until May 5, 1914. -
First Use of Poison Gas as a Weapon
Germany was the first country to use gas as a weapon on a large scale during World War I, despite France deploying some tear gas grenades in 1914. On January 31, 1915, the Germans fired 18,000 artillery shells filled with T-Stoff, a tear gas, at Russian positions during the Battle of Bolimov. However, the gas froze instead of vaporizing, resulting in no effect. Chlorine gas was first used by the Germans at the Second Battle of Ypres in April 1915. -
Reinald Werrenrath - “Hello, Frisco”
Werrenrath son of George Werrenrath. Before making his operatic debut in 1907 with "Die Meistersinger." He began recording with Edison Records and with the Victor Talking Machine Company, producing hundreds of recordings between 1906 and 1929. His popular songs recordings included "As Long As The World Rolls On", "Hello Frisco!" from "Ziegfeld Follies" of 1915, and "Smilin' Through." His first appearance at the Metropolitan Opera in 1919 and performed in over 3,000 concerts during his career. -
The Transcontinental Telephone
The first coast-to-coast long-distance telephone call was made on 25th January 1915. Engineer Alexander Graham Bell placed a call in New York to his assistant Thomas Watson in San Francisco, aided by a newly invented vacuum tube amplifier. The telephone line they used had been completed in June 1914, but for maximum publicity the telephone company responsible, ATT, waited until the start of the 1915 Panama-Pacific exposition in San Francisco to instigate the call. -
Ford Builds One Millionth Car
The Ford Motor Company produced its one millionth automobile at its River Rouge plant in Detroit on December 10, 1915. The Model T could now be mass-produced thanks to the 1913 invention of the moving assembly line, which completely changed production. Ford's industrial influence was demonstrated in 1924 when it celebrated the production of its ten millionth automobile with a cross-country trip, despite its early lack of recognition. -
The Battle of the Somme
The Battle of the Somme was orchestrated as a collaborative military operation between French and British forces, aimed at alleviating pressure on Verdun, which had severely impacted the French army. On July 1, 1916, the Allied troops launched their advance from the trenches across a 20-mile front. Tragically, by the conclusion of the first day, approximately one-third of British soldiers were reported as casualties, amounting to around 58,000. -
Nora Bayes -“Over There”
Nora rose to prominence in 1910 with the Victor Talking Machine Company, gaining widespread recognition for her hit song "Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly." Dubbed "The World's Greatest Singing Single Comedienne," Bayes excelled on the Keith vaudeville circuit and appeared in notable Broadway shows, including “Ladies First”. She became well-known for recording patriotic and popular tunes such as "Over There" in 1917. Producing over 60 songs during her six-year contract with Columbia Records. -
Lili Boulanger
Lili Boulanger, despite her short life, displayed remarkable talent as a composer, surpassing the expectations of women in her era. With perfect pitch, she pursued music from a young age, winning the Prix de Rome for her piece "Faust et Hélène" at just 19, making her the first woman to achieve this honor. Her sister, Nadia Boulanger, was a renowned teacher at the Paris Conservatoire, instructing notable 20th-century composers like Aaron Copland and Philip Glass. -
Scientific contribution to the war effort of 1914-18
The College contributed significantly to the First World War through various inventions and scientific advancements. J.C. Philip managed drug production, while Jocelyn Thorpe set up a drug production line in the Chemistry Department. Martha Annie Whiteley worked on lachrymatory gases and trench warfare experiments. H. Brereton Baker analyzed German poison gases and developed CARBON MONOXIDE venting solutions. Hilda Judd and Dorothy Haynes focused on cold food storage, and Entomology Department. -
Radomir Rebellion (1918)
The rebellion in Radomir, west of Sofia, threatened a national revolution but was swiftly suppressed due to several factors and a lack of resources. Lasting from September 28 to October 2, the short-lived uprising initially succeeded in entering Bulgaria's capital. However, Tsarist forces led by General Aleksandar Protogerov crushed it, resulting in around 2,000 deaths and 3,000 arrests.
Ferdinand was succeeded by his son, Boris III, with the Allies' approval. -
The German revolution of 1918–1919
The German Revolution of 1918–1919, also known as the November Revolution, was an uprising by workers and soldiers that led to the collapse of the German Empire and the establishment of the Weimar Republic. It began in late October 1918 with a sailors' mutiny in Kiel and quickly spread as workers' and soldiers' councils took control. On November 9, Germany was declared a republic, and by month's end, all monarchs, including Emperor Wilhelm II, abdicated. -
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Agatha Christie’s first published novel, which introduced Hercule Poirot, was released in 1920 and received widespread acclaim. This achievement was impressive, given it was her debut as an author. The novel helped launch the Golden Age of Detective Fiction and earned Christie lasting admiration from readers. Motivated by a challenge to write a mystery where readers could identify the culprit before the detective, Christie succeeded brilliantly. She is celebrated novelists in literary history. -
Al Jolson (1920)
“Swanee” achieved remarkable success and popularity due to its broad appeal, combining the spirit of a show tune, a patriotic anthem, and the charm of a campfire classic. It became one of Al Jolson's signature pieces and marked George Gershwin's most successful composition, selling over two million recordings and one million sheets of music. “Swanee” debuted in New Wayburn’s “Demi-Tasse Revue” on October 24, 1919, featuring six chorus girls with twinkling shoe lights. -
Chauncy Olcott -“When Irish Eyes Are Smiling”
In the early years of his career, Olcott performed in minstrel shows before studying singing in London during the 1880s. Lillian Russell was instrumental in his rise to Broadway stardom. In 1893, producer Augustus Pitou invited him to William J. Scanlan as the leading tenor in sentimental operettas focused on Irish themes. He skillfully blended traditional Irish musical elements with creating popular songs "My Wild Irish Rose," "Mother Machree," and "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling" between 1920. -
The Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was a vibrant period of African American art, music, literature, and poetry centered in Harlem, New York City. Key authors like Zora Neale Hurston, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes emerged during this time. The 1920s also saw African Americans significantly influence jazz, with Duke Ellington becoming a leading bandleader and composer, frequently performing at the Cotton Club.