-
Birth
Henry Ford was born on July 30, 1863. Henry's parents were William and Mary Ford. Henry Ford grew up in a small farmhouse near Dearborn Michigan. All through his childhood, he was forced to help in the fields. However, he did not like these labor intensive chores and took a much larger interest in things mechanical (Kenneth 14-16). -
American Civil War Ends
After about four years of fighting between the North and South, the confederates states surrendered to the union on May 9, 1865. Around 620,000 American deaths occurred which is more American deaths than any other war. The end to the war also lead to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, and the rise of industries in the south (learnodo-newtonic.com). -
Education
In 1882 Henry Ford attended Bryant and Stratton Business college. Ford used his time in Dearborn to learn everything he could about steam engines. Ford had mastered the arts of the Westinghouse portable steam engine. Not only could he operate these machines, he was able to troubleshoot and fix nearly anything on the portable engines. His new found knowledge of these engines, and of business, would eventually lead Henry Ford on a path to success (Biography.com). -
Married
On April 11, 1888, Henry Ford married Clara Jane Bryant. The married couple purchased a small farm house, similar to the one where Ford grew up. Ford's income came mostly from their small farm that was on their new property. Shortly after they were married, Henry and Clara Ford welcomed their only son, Edsel Ford (Kenneth 27). -
Quadricycle
Henry Ford completed building his first car on June 4, 1896. The wooden framed car had four bicycle like tires which lead it to be known as the Quadricycle. The Quadricycle started with only a two cylinder engine, but would later be improved to a four cylinder, engine with a metal body. Fords improvements to the Quadricycle peaked the interest of the people in his area (Kenneth 31). -
Triple Nine Wins Big
In October 1902, the Triple Nine car driven by Barney Oldfield, won the Detroit auto race. The 80 horsepower car was built by Henry Ford. Fords company would end up receiving a massive amount of publicity after building a car that won its first ever race (Kenneth 10). -
The Start of Ford Motor Company
After Ford had built a reputable line of winning race cars, his company finally took off. Henry Ford was building cars specifically for racing which allowed him to perfect his designs to eventually sell to the rest of the country. On June 16, 1903 Ford successfully launched Ford Motor Company after two failed attempts. The new company would sell over 1700 cars by 1904(Carson and Bonk 1999). -
Introduction of The Model T
In 1908, Henry Ford introduced the Model T. The Model T would become an affordable car that was available to most Americans. The Model T, nicknamed the "Tin Lizzie" was known for being very durable. Fords new automobile was a major success for the company and was produced until 1927 (biography.com). -
The First Moving Assembly Line
By 1913, Ford Motor Company was very successful, but looking for another improvement in the company. Henry Ford then introduced the first moving assembly line. The assembly line helped make mass production possible by decreasing the build time to only two hours. Ford's assembly line maximized company production which would lead to a cheaper Model T and increase sales (biography.com). -
World War I Ends
The first world war came to an end when Germany had surrendered on November 11, 1918. After Germany surrendered, all other nations involved in the war, attempted to make peace. These nations would eventually sign the Treaty of Versailles which would lead to relative peace until the start of World War II (www.americaslibrary.gov). -
Mussolini Becomes Prime Minister of Italy
In 1922, Benito Mussolini was appointed Prime Minister of Italy. Mussolini lead as a dictator. He demanded laws which would rig elections so they are in his favor, and created relationships with other leaders, like Adolf Hitler. After Hitler and Mussolini united, Italian soldiers were forced to assist Germans as the Rome-Berlin Axis (history.com). -
Introduction of The Model A
After almost 20 years of Model T production, Ford Motor Company noticed the number of Model T's being sold was decreasing rapidly. Henry Ford, and his son, created a new model car to get Ford caught up to their competitors. They created the Model A. The Model A was significant because it was their first car with an annual model change. The new design set the company standards much higher for the new models to come. The company sold over 4 million Model A's (Dow and Noce 1999). -
Stalin Launches Plan to Expand Soviet Union
In 1928, Joseph Stalin launched a 5 year plan in an attempt to expand the soviet union. As part of the plan, Stalin wanted to take over his peoples farms, but many farmers refused to give it up. Stalin had those who refused to hand over their farms killed. The plan lead to a famine and killed millions of people (history.com). -
Nazi's Begin Organized Persecution
The nazi's, lead by Adolf Hitler, opened their first concentration camp in 1933. The camp held political prisoners that were the first victims of Hitler's organized persecution. Through the 1900's, the concentration camps began to spread which would lead to the deaths of millions of people (history.com). -
World War II Ends
After 6 years, World War II had finally came to an end. The war ended after Japan surrendered on September 2, 1945. World War II was one of the deadliest wars with 35 to 60 million deaths. The end to the war lead to communism in Europe and a more powerful United States (History.com). -
Death
Henry Ford passed away on April 7, 1947. Ford died at the 83 years old due to a cerebral hemorrhage. He died near his home in Dearborn, Michigan. Henry Ford had passed on his company to his grandson before he died, while his wife kept their home in Michigan (Biography.com).
