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Birth of Joseph Stalin
Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, known as Joseph Stalin, was born on December 21, 1879 in the small town of Gori, Georgia to parents Besarion Jughashvili and Ketevan Geladze. His father, Besarion Jughashvili was an alcoholic and a shoemaker who was abusive. His mother, Ketevan Geladze was a religious peasant who wanted Stalin to become a priest. This event is significant because Joseph Stalin would later become a General Secretary for the Soviet Army in the 1920s (Archer 28)(Blassingame 10). -
The Statue of Liberty was built
On October 28, 1886, the Statue of Liberty was officially opened to the public. This structure was made by the French sculptor Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi and designer Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel. Parts of the statue was built in Paris and shipped to New York to be assembled together. This event is significant because the Statue of Liberty represents freedom. It was a joint effort between America and France so there was peace between the two countries (History.com Editors). -
The Eiffel Tower was Built
On March 31, 1889, the Eiffel Tower was built in Paris, France. Gustave Eiffel’s company built the Eiffel Tower for the Exposition Universelle. It marked the 100-year anniversary of the French Revolution. The tower was supposed to be temporary and it almost got knocked down but many realized its value. This event is significant because the Eiffel Tower is one of the most recognizable structures on the planet. It's also a tourist attraction to many people around the world (History.com Editors). -
Attending Tiflis Theological Seminary
In 1894, Joseph Stalin had attended the Tiflis Theological Seminary. Stalin won a scholarship to the Tiflis Theological Seminary which led him to get a high education. He had secretly studied Marxist and other books that were smuggled into the seminary instead of studying for the priesthood. He was later expelled after getting punished thirteen times for smuggling in books. This event is significant because it led him to join the local Social Democratic Party winning the leadership (Archer 28). -
First Modern Olympic Games in Athens, Greece
On April 6, 1896, the first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens, Greece. The International Olympic Committee had met up in Paris but chose Greece as the place to hold the actual Olympics. The first modern Olympics had 241 male athletes representing 14 different nations who competed in 43 events. This event is significant because once the first modern Olympic games were done, more were held in different areas of the world with more events (History.com Editors). -
Boston Red Sox won their first World Series
In 1903, Boston Red sox had won their first World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates faced the Boston Red Sox for the first ever World Series. The Americans had won five games out of three, making it the first ever win in the World Series. This event is significant because it paved the way for Major League Baseball. If the Pittsburgh Pirates had won, then Major League Baseball would have never existed (History.com Editors). -
Stalin Arrested and Exiled to Siberia
In 1908, Stalin was arrested and exiled to Siberia. This went on until the year of 1912 and he was arrested and exiled a total of five times and escaped a total of five times as well. He was accused of murdering four thousand victims because of guerrilla squads throwing bombs, attacking police, and holding up banks, post offices, trains, and arsenals. This event is significant because he later told Mitka that someone found out about his secret and Mitka ended up stabbing a workman (Archer 29). -
Stalin is married to Nadezhda Alliluyeva
In 1919, Stalin married his second wife Nadezhda Alliluyeva who wanted to moderate Stalin's policies like everybody else. Stalin and Nadezhda had two children, Vasily and Svetlana. Vasily became an alcoholic after rising to a high rank in the Soviet Air Force and Svetlana was the reason of her father's alternating affection and bad temper. This event is significant because after his death, Svetlana later wrote memoirs about Stalin's private life in more detail (Hingley Britannica.com). -
Stalin Elected as General Secretary of the Communist Party
In 1922, Stalin became the General Secretary of the Communist Party. It was not an important post at the time but it still gave Stalin control over everybody's appointments. By having control, it allowed him to work his way up and build his base. He made appointments and strengthened his power so that later on all members owed respect him. This event is significant because Stalin took complete control after Vladimir Lenin's death. He got so paranoid that he conducted a reign of terror. -
The Jazz Singer Movie
In 1927, the American musical film, The Jazz Singer was released. It was the first ever feature-length movie with synchronized dialogue. In the movie, it’s based on a 13-year-old boy named Jakie who becomes a jazz singer. Later on, he had to choose between singing at the synagogue in Cantor’s place or singing at the dress rehearsal for his Broadway show. This event is significant because it ends the silent-film era. Movies beyond this point all have consistent dialogue (Pfeiffer Britannica.com). -
Stalin and his first Five-Year Plan
In 1928, Stalin launched his first Five-Year Plan. This was a way to industrialize the Soviet Union faster. He wanted to change Russia into a technically modernized country. Russians began working for long hours in order to build factories and machines. When the peasants refused to work, Stalin would execute or deport them to Siberia for slave-labor camps. This event is significant because it caused Stalin to go into public rage and it caused many to be shocked and concerned (Archer 30). -
Pluto is Discovered
On February 18, 1930, Pluto was discovered by Clyde W. Tombaugh. Pluto was originally classified as our solar systems ninth planet but it’s now classified as a drawf planet. Pluto takes about 248 years to make one trip around the Sun and it hasn’t had a single orbit since it’s discovery. This event is significant because discovering Pluto helped us understand the formation and evolution of our solar system. Discovering Pluto has helped us discover and learn new things (Klesman Astronomy.com). -
Stalin Launched his second Five-Year Plan
In 1933, Stalin had launched his second Five-Year Plan. This Five-Year plan created a new spirit of cheerfulness. It consisted of factory classes in dancing, classes in literacy, hygiene, and etiquette. Stalin had also begun building the city of Moscow as a Socialist showplace. This event is significant because later in 1935, Stalin discovered a Leningrad plot to overthrow him so he accused people as traitors and killed them as well (Archer 31). -
The Broken Pact between Stalin and Hitler
Stalin had come up with a brilliant idea of signing a "non-aggression pact," with Adolph Hitler and Nazi Germany to divide Poland. He had complete faith in Hitler and wasn't worried about the pact breaking. Then on June 22, 1941, the Nazi attacked the Soviet Army. The Soviet Army were unprepared so this led to many deaths. This event is significant because Stalin became distraught and by the time he regained his resolve, German armies had already conquered a lot of land (Biography.com Editors). -
Stalin Orders an Economic Blockade
In 1948, Stalin saw blockading Berlin as a victory and by doing this, it would force the Western powers out. Harry Truman prevented Stalin from blockading Berlin by sending forty-five hundred tons of supplies to Berliners each day. This event is significant because it made Stalin fight back. Stalin tried to encourage the Communist government of North Korea to move against the South Koreans. Truman, thinking one step ahead had already won the military support for South Koreans (Archer 33). -
Death of Joseph Stalin
On March 5, 1953 at the age of 74, Joseph Stalin had died because of a stroke in Moscow. Stalin had vomitied blood and his stomach started hemorrhaging. He had suffered through heart attacks and strokes before which made his health very bad. He seeked medical help from different doctors that tried to help him as much as they could. This event is significant because he left a legacy of death and horror after turning Russia into something powerful (Mansky Smithsonian.com)(Biography.com Editors).
