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The Birth of a Future Tyrant
On December 21, 1879, Joseph Stalin, originally called, Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, was born in Gori, Georgia. His father, Vissarion, a shoemaker, and his mother, Ekaterina Georgievna Gheladze, lived in extreme poverty. His father’s ambition was to rise to the status of lower middle class. This event is vital because Stalin would go on to be the tyrant of the future Soviet Union from the mid-1920’s to his death, changing his country (Liversidge 3-4). -
Edison's First Electric Lamp
On December 21, 1879, Edison, along with Wallace invented the 1st incandescent lamp. This lamp wasn't as intense, needed less power, and, unlike arc lamps, could be operated with multiple lamps in a circuit. Edison did a demo on this lamp, that consisted of about 60 lamps mounted on poles lighting the laboratory grounds and country roads in the neighborhood. This invention was well received in the society. It is vital, as it set the basis for future inventions related to lamps (sparkmuseum.org). -
The Berlin Conference
The Berlin Conference, in February 26, 1885, was a meeting between European nations to create rules on how to peacefully divide Africa among them for colonization. It was one of the defining moments of African history. It regulated European colonization and trade in Africa, and coincided with Germany's sudden emergence as an imperial power. France, Germany, GB, and USA participated. It is significant, because it changed the political boundaries of Africa (onthisday.com)(thoughtco.com). -
The Forth Bridge
On March 4, 1890, the longest bridge in Scotland, called the Forth Bridge, was opened by the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII. It is a cantilever railway bridge across the Forth Road on the east of Scotland. It operates as an important passenger and freight rail bridge. It depicts the large scale engineering work. This is important, for its distinctive, industrial, aesthetic and innovative design makes it a huge milestone in bridge design (onthisday.com)(unesco.org). -
Expulsion from School, Revolution over Studies
While attending the Tiflis Theological Seminary, Stalin got into revolution, which brought him down. In 1898, he joined a political movement, Messame Dassy, left the seminary secretely at night to attend revolutionary meetings, and learned tactics of the revolutionary. He became indifferent to his studies, got rebuked numerous times by his monks, and later, got expelled on May 29, 1899. This is significant because his interest in revolution eventually made him a dictator (Liversidge 8-17). -
The Galveston Hurricane
The deadliest natural disaster in US history remains the 1900 hurricane in the island city of Galveston, Texas. On September 8, a category four hurricane descended on the town, destroying more than 3,600 buildings with winds surpassing 135 miles per hour. Estimates of the death toll range from 6,000 to 12,000, as per the National Oceanic and atmospheric Association. Evacuation was one of the big challenges. It’s vital, as it helped US to have better communication policies in place (history.com). -
The Russian Revolution of 1917
As WWI continued, Russia suffered losses. Stalin had no role during the March Explosions. Revolution spread in 1917, and Stalin became the editor of Pravda, a newspaper, and wrote editorials suggesting that the Bolsheviks should cooperate with Provisional Government. Lenin, denying that, said that Bolsheviks are the only ones who were tough enough to lead a revolution and called them communists. This is vital, as it served as building blocks for his future power (Blassingame 40-55). -
Stalin's Role Under Lenin's Leadership
In the 1920s, upon formation of new Communist Government under Lenin, Stalin worked with Ukrainians and Georgians as Commissar of Nationalities. He then was the main leader in Petrograd cleaning up the city. He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner medal and was ruthless, destroying whoever was against communism. He later was General Secretary of Communist Party. It's vital, as it gave Stalin many positions to learn communism and set a powerful federation of Soviet States (Blassingame 55-70). -
The Struggle for Power
After Lenin’s death, Stalin emerged more in the public, and quietly brought trusted army troops and political police to Moscow. He
arrested and banished his other opponents, thereby slowly gaining power in January 1924. Trotsky, who always opposed Stalin, made sure that Kamenev and Zinoviev were aware of Stalin’s motive. At the 15th Congress, Stalin denounced the trio and ordered Trotsky to Siberia. This is vital, for the Communist Party was with him and he was gaining power (Archer 77-88). -
The Dreyfus Hotel Disaster
On July 4, 1925, a total of 12 people were killed when the Dreyfus hotel collapsed. These bodies were taken from the ruins. A lot of people were missing and the police went on a search. Throughout the day, police crews worked with a big steam shovel and automobile trucks to clear the ruins. It is vital, for one of the well known hotels in the Boston area with good architecture, and it brought huge attention among the people (usdeadlyevents.com). -
The Five-Year Plan
The basic purpose of the Five-Year Plan in 1928 was to change USSR from backward agricultural nation into a modern industrial power. There were two parts, one to deal with development of new power plants, and the other was agriculture. Stalin used people to produce farm crops and sold those to other countries for steel and machinery. This is vital, for there was strict discipline due to which in a short time Russia was converted to a modern power under Stalin's leadership (Blassingame 91-101). -
World War II
When Germans under Hitler fought the Russians, Stalin wanted the Russians to fight for their motherland. Stalin pleaded help from Britain and US to fight Germany. When US was willing to help, they came to know that Stalin was ruling Russia like a dictator. Slowly, Germany started to invade Russia in 1941, but Stalin handled it well, believing that victory relies on supplies and the will of the people to fight. It’s vital, for Stalin thought about his people over communism (Blassingame 132-142). -
The Yalta Conference
In February 1945, the Yalta Conference was mainly conducted to talk about the post war effects. Stalin's role was big in this conference, because he convinced the US and British leaders to enter the Pacific War against Japan. He also recommended that Russia would take Berlin and control the eastern half of Germany upon its surrender. This event is vital because he, with his leaders, gave supreme authority to take steps to prevent German aggression (thenagain.info). -
The Cold War
After WWII, Stalin wanted help from US and Britain, but they showed a state of political hostility, which was marked by threats and propaganda. Stalin was always tyrannical and blood-thirsty for his country. The US wanted to help him, but they didn't trust him enough to give all of the support needed. The US and the British didn't treat USSR as a legitimate part of the community due to Stalin. So, tensions occurred in 1947. It is vital as it set a stage against his allies (Archer 156-167). -
Frances Bolton and Her Son
In January 3, 1953, Frances Bolton and her son, Oliver, from Ohio became the first mother and son to serve simultaneously in the US Congress. Frances Bolton was a republican politician, who was the first woman elected to Congress. Oliver got into politics, serving two terms in Congress - 83rd and 84th. Both Bolton and Oliver had similar principles and worked tirelessly. This is vital, as it was the first mother-and-son political entry in the congress in the US (onthisday.com)(history.house.gov). -
The Death of a Ruler
Stalin, who was admired for his ruling, later fell ill. He thought that an assassination plan was unveiled, so he asked the police to start a new purge. But before it was carried out, Stalin died in March 5, 1953, after suffering from a stroke. This is vital, as he left a legacy of power improving agriculture and industrialization in Russia. It also led Nikita Khrushchev to rise to power. He described how evil Stalin was and started to make reforms in 1956 (Biography.com).
