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Econmics 100 Year Timeline
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The Teddy Bear is Introduced
On November 16, 1902, a cartoon from a hunting trip was published in the newspaper. The cartoon involved President Theodore Roosevelt and others on a hunting trip where a bear was killed. Morris Miichtom saw the cartoon and was inspired to make a new toy called the Teddy Bear, after Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt. -
First Silent Movie
The first silent movie to ever be released to the public was "The Great Train Robbery." The movie was written, produced, and directed by Edwin S. Porter. It was only twelve minutes long, but is considered an essential milestone is film history. -
First NYC Subway
The first subway in NYC is opened. The original subway was built from City Hall to the Bronx. -
World War I begins
The war was sparked by the assination of Austria's Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife. A month later, Austria-Hungary officially declared war on Serbia. By this time much of Europe had already become involved in the war. At the beginnign of the war, the two sides were the Allied Powers (France, UK, Russia) and dthe Central Powers (Germany and Austria-Hungary). -
Spanish Flu Pandemic
The Spanish flu spread quickly in three waves. This flu started out as a garden-variety flu, but mutated into something much more deadly. It killed about 5% of the world's population. -
World War I Ends
Just a year after the U.S enter WWI, the Treaty of Versailles is signed and the war ends. Many of the conditions of the treaty were against Germany's favor and many believe that this led to WWII. -
Prohibition Begins in the United States
A year after the 18th amendment was ratified, it went into affect. This maede the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol illegal and began Prohibition in the United States. -
First Talking Movie
"The Jazz Singer" was the first talking movie to ever be released. Both dialouge and music were inlcuded in this movie. -
The Great Depression Begins
After almost a decade of optimism and prosperity, the United States hit a rough patch. On October 29, 1929, it was announced that the stock market had crashed. officially beginning the Great Depression. Panic was spread throughout the country for fear of what was to come. -
Empire State Building Completed
On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was officially finished being built and open to the public in New York City. When it opened, it was the tallest building in the world, standing 1,250 ft tall. -
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl was a series of severe dust storms in the mid-south that lasted for almost a decade. Along with the dust storms, there was also a severe drought in that area. Some of the worst storms were known as "black blizzards" where darkness covered the entire sky and sometimes reached as far as the East Coast. -
World War II Begins
World War II officially began on September 1, 1939. The two sides were the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with over 100 million people serving from more than 30 countries, with over 50 million deaths total. -
Jeep Invented
In 1941, the first ever model of the Jeep was invented. It is the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. This car was and still is extremely popular in war. -
Slinky Is Invented
In November of 1945, the slinky was introduced by Richard James who had been perfecting it for a few years. The slinky is a helical spring that stretches and can bounce up and down. Little did James know what a success this toy would be. It sold its entire unit of 400 units in 90 minutes. -
Polariod Camera Invented
The polariod camera was invented in 1947 by Edwin Land. This original camera produced black and whtie prints in about one minute. The camera would then immediatetly eject the picture on a piece of film. -
Color TV Introduced
In June of 1951, color television was introduced. CBS was the firs channel to do this when it showed a commercial color program. Even though almost no one was able to see the show in color, it was still a huge step in the film industry. -
Disneyland Opens
On July 17, 1955 Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California for a few thousand speciially inivted guests and opened publically the following day. -
LEGO Toys Are Invented
In 1958, the LEGO toy bricks that we know today were first introduced. After undregoing many changes through the years, 1958 was when the toy was perfected. -
First Walmart Opens
On July 2, 1962, the first Walmart store was opened. Walmart is a chain retail department and warehouse store. It is currently the world's third largest corporation. -
Beatles Become Popular in the U.S.
When the Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan show after coming over from England, it was proven that they would be popular. The Beatles were a huge influence in the music industry. -
First Heart Transplant
On December 3, 1965, the first ever heart transplant was performed by South African surgeon Christian Barnard on 53 year old Lewis Washkansky. Although the operation was a success, the medication given to the patient afterwards led to his death. -
Pocket Calculator Introduced
In 1972, Hewlett Packard invented the pocket calculator. This calculator had more than just the basic functions and was a big step in the advancement of math. -
DNA is first used to convict criminals
In 1987, DNA was first used to convict criminals. This would provide a match of the convict with 99% accuracy. -
Microsoft is Founded
On Microsoft was founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen. It is the world's largest software maker and one of the most valuable companies. Bill Gates would later become the wealthiest man in the world. -
Sony Introduces The Walkman
In 1979, Sony first introduced the walkman. The walkman is a portable audio cassatte player. This created a change in how people listened to music because now they could carry it around with them and only share it with themselves. -
E.T. Movie Released
On June 11, 1982, the movie "E.T.:The Extra-Terreestrial" was released. The movie was a hit from the day it was released and quickly become one of the most beloved movies of all time. -
Michael Jackson Releases Thriller
On November 30, 1982, Michael Jackson released his hit "Thriller." This song would become one of the most popular songs of all time and the dance that came along with it would also be popular. -
End of Cold War
In 1992, the Cold War was officially declared over after nearly a decade. -
World Trade Center Bombed
On February 26, 1993, the World Trade Center was bombed for the first time. A truck bomb was placed below the North Tower and Muslims were responsible for the bombing.