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Jane Addams opens Hull House in Chicago
Hull House provided social and educational opportunities to working class folks, with an emphasis on women's education and serving immigrants. -
We Need a Plan
The Committee on Secondary School Studies (commonly called the Committee of Ten) convenes under the chairmanship of Charles Eliot, president of Harvard. Their report, issued the following year, is the first standardized curriculum for American public schools. -
An Uncommon Mind
Frederick Douglass, who was a former slave and went on to become a well respected writer and orator and worked as an abolitionist, social reformer and statesman, dies in Washington, D.C. at age 77. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Plessy v. Ferguson that the "separate but equal" principle of Jim Crow laws in the segregated American South is legal. -
The Color Line
W.E.B. DuBois publishes "The Souls of Black Folk", which has a profound impact on the view of educating African-Americans and their rightful place in modern society. -
First Flight
The Wright brothers make the first controlled, sustained flight in heavier-than-air aircraft at Kitty Hawk, N.C. -
Healthier Food
The Pure Food and Drug Act and the Meat Inspection Act is passed. -
Motorcars for the Multitudes
First moving assembly line begins production by the Ford Motor Company allowing price and time of producing new cars to drop drastically, meaning many more people can afford them. -
International Goods: Faster and Cheaper
Panama Canal opens, making it faster and cheaper to ship goods internationally. -
Democracy & Education
John Dewey’s "Democracy and Education" is published, helps advance the notion of “progressive education." -
Breaking the Glass Ceiling
Jeanette Rankin is first woman elected to congress. -
Educating the Workforce
Smith-Hughes Act passes, which provides federal funding for vocational training. -
Bring your #2 Pencils
Development of Army “Alpha and Beta” tests to screen incoming troops for intellectual aptitude, lays foundation for future use of standardized testing. -
World War I
U.S. enters World War I, declaring war on Germany and eventually Austria-Hungary three years after the conflict began in 1914. -
You Will Go To School
All states have laws requiring students to complete elementary school. -
Ah-choo!
Spanish flu epidemic spans the globe, killing 20 million total. -
How the Other Half Votes
The 19th Amendment is ratified-gives women the right to vote. -
Another Take On It
Helen Parkhurst publishes a series of articles detailing the "Dalton Plan", which allows the curriculum to be more closely tailored to the interest and abilities of the individual student and places an emphasis on independence and social responsibility. -
Okay, Just Some of Your Huddled Masses, I Guess
Emergency Quota Act passes congress, which curbs legal immigration into the US for the first time. -
Darwin on Trial
Scopes “Monkey” Trial begins, ends in conviction of John Scopes. He is fined $100 for teaching Darwinian evolution in Dayton, TN, which is illegal at the time. -
Yet Another Take On It
The Winnetka Plan, championed by district Superintendent Carelton Washburne, emerges. It places an added emphasis on social-efficiency ideas and uses "creative activities" to promote social and emotional development in students. Is the precursor to "programmed instruction", offshoots of which are still seen today in education. -
Say What?
Advent of “talkies” (motion pictures with sound) occurs in New York City. -
Gone, All Gone
Stock market crashes, foretelling the Great Depression. -
Social Programs to the Rescue
Social Security Act is passed. -
Day's Wages for a Day's Work
The Fair Labor Standards Act sets first minimum wage in America ($0.25/hour). -
Oh, No You Didn't
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, US joins World War II the next day. -
Hit the Beach
Allied forces land at Omaha Beach to begin ground offensive on the European continent, known as D-Day. -
You're Going to College, Soldier
G.I. Bill of Rights is passed into law, providing benefits to veterans, including educational resources for them to attend college. -
What Have We Done?
US drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. -
Peace in Our Time
Japan signs unconditional surrender aboard USS Missouri. -
Batter Up!
Jackie Robinson breaks the color barrier in professional sports by playing first base for the Brooklyn Dodgers. -
This Will Only Hurt a Little
First widespread vaccination for polio in US begins in Pittsburg, PA. -
On Second Thought...
Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka-overturns Plessy vs. Ferguson’s “separate but equal” doctrine, paves way for full integration of public schools. -
From the Bench
US Supreme Court orders integration of all public schools. -
I'm Quite Comfortable Up Front, Thank You
Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus, becomes a centralized figure and rallying point for the ongoing civil rights movement. -
Knowledge in Bloom
Bloom’s Taxonomy is published, breaks cognitive domain into distinct categories: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis and synthesis. -
It's Beeping
USSR launches first man-made object to orbit the Earth, called Sputnik, which immediately creates embarrassment for and facilitates a grand response from the U.S. who was seen as lagging behind on the world stage. -
Missed It By That Much
US attempt at launching a satellite in orbit around Earth fails when it explodes on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral, FL. -
Get Your Priorities Straight
In response to being outpaced by the Russian space program, the National Defense Education Act is launched, which increases federal funding for science, math and foreign language education. -
Back in the Game
Explorer I, first US satellite, is launched successfully.