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Birth
Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856, to Amalia Nathanson and Jacob Freud. He was born as the first child of his twice-widowed father's third marriage, in Freiberg, Moravia (which is now Czechoslovakia). His mother and father were 19 and 39, respectively, when they wed. He grew up in a rather peculiar family situation, his mother being the same age as his older stepbrothers, and his first playmate was actually his nephew. (Byers 103) -
Family Moves to Vienna
When Sigmund was four years old, his family moved to Vienna. This was a very important event in his life, because had he not lived in Vienna he might not have become so interested in science. Vienna was one of the medical centers of Europe, and this fueled his interest in science and medicine. (Byers 103) -
University of Vienna
At age 17, Freud qualified to attend the University of Vienna. He was a clearly gifted student, and passed his final exam with flying colors. This was an extremely important event because it was the beginning of his extensive education and the acquisition of his doctorate in medicine. (Byers 103) -
Lightbulb Invented
Thomas Edison is credited with completing the first working model of the electric lightbulb in 1877. He became famous as the inventor of the electric light, or incandescent lamp. He is often quoted as saying, about the failure of his former experiments with electric light, that he "did not fail. [He] simply found 10,000 ways that do not work." (Helms 177). -
Engaged
In 1882 Freud became engaged to Martha Bernays, and was separated for about 4 years after their marriage. Due to this separation, Freud and Bernays partook in the exchange of of over 900 letters over the years. An enormous amount was discovered within these letters, with information about his life, work, and general personality. (Byers 103) -
Statue of Liberty Unveiled
In 1886, the Statue of Liberty was unveiled in New York City. It was announced by President Grover Cleveland as a gift from France. Speakers at the ceremony included French engineer Ferdinand de Lesseps, and for the finale there was an appearance by Frederic-Auguste Bartholdi, the designer of the statue. The statue stands 151 feet tall and depicts Lady Liberty holding a torch in her right hand and in her left is a tablet inscribed with the date July 4, 1776. (Schulten) -
Allgemein Krankenhaus
In 1887 Freud began what would total three years of research in Allgemein Krankenhaus, a hospital in Vienna. He carefully observed patients in the psychiatry department, in the hopes that he could diagnose the organic disease of their brains. Freud's later work in this area was revolutionary; at the time, psychiatry was a very detailed albeit unvarying subject. His studies led to his thorough understanding and developng expertise, as well as the publishing of his papers on neurology (Byers 103). -
Eiffel Tower Exposition
On May 6, 1889, the Paris Exposition attracted many individuals to see the grand opening of the Eiffel Tower. On this night, attendees of the exposition flocked to wander across over 200 acres of art, architecture, and music. Visitors were allowed up to the second story of the tower. Although it is currently the world's most-visited paid monument, originally it was denigrated by French critics upon its world debut. (Frank) -
Published Studies on Hysteria
In 1895, Freud, along with his older friend and mentor Joseph Bruer, published his paper on the study of hysteria. Here, he first used the word "psychoanalysis," and would later perform this on himself. This was the transition into some of the most important events of his life. (Byers 104) -
Publishes The Interpretation of Dreams
In December of 1899, Freud published one of his most famous works, The Interpretation of Dreams ("Freud Museum of London: Timeline"). This book is still regarded in modern psychology as one of the most important tools used to understand dreams; Freud himself was even quoted as saying that it includes "the most valuable of all the discoveries" that he has made while working in psychology. (Cherry) -
Wright Brothers' First Flight
On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright are responsible for the first flight of a powered airplane. The Wright Brothers had taken over 700 successful glided flights, but they eventually found success in the art of powered flying as well. Orville piloted the airplane above a beach in North Carolina; the flight lasted 12 seconds and spanned 120 feet. Later that day, Wilbur would complete a record flight of 852 feet/59 seconds. ("The Wright Brothers - First Flight, 1903") -
Freud Visits US
In 1909, Freud received an invitation from G. Stanley Hall, the President of Clark University, to give several lectures on the history of psychoanalysis. Freud's first reaction to the invitation was to reject it, because he did not want to give up his work for several weeks. However, Hall offered Freud a total of $714.60 in exchange for 5 lectures. Freud agreed to go, and brought two of his associates: Dr. Sandor Ferenczi and Carl Jung. This was the f]only time he had been to the US. (Cherry) -
World War I Ends
On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, an end is brought to the First World War. An armistice is signed by Germany and the Allies. Part of the agreement was that Germany would retreat from enemy territories, and release the Alied prisoners. Germany did not really have a choice in the matter; Kaiser WIlhelm, who had led them to war, abducated on Nov. 10, so Germany welcomed the opportunity for peace. (Schulten) -
Publication of The Ego and the Id
The Ego and the Id was a book written by Freud about different concepts involving the brain, and his theories as to what each concept was responsible for. Analogies were used for the three concepts, and they grew more famous as books became popular. The Id was referred to as the "horse," where desires and urges are; the Ego was the "driver" of the chariot, and what Freud called the "Superego" was referred to as the "father" of the chariot driver, who points out the latter's mistakes. (Wilson) -
FDR Elected
Franklin Delano Roosevelt, born in Hyde Park, NY, in 1882, was elected President of the United States in March of 1933. Economically speaking, this was one of the worst times in US history (the Great Depression). The evening before his inauguration he was famously quoted as saying "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." FDR won the affection of many through his use of "fireside chats" over the radio. He served a record four terms ("Franklin Roosevelt"). -
Death
Sigmund Freud died on September 23, 1939. He was diagnosed with jaw cancer in 1923, being a heavy cigar smoker. Freud had already received multiple surgeries for this, but when his cancer returned, his doctor informed him that the cancer was incurable. When talking grew increasingly painful for him, he recorded a message for the British Broadcasting Company, and months later he requested that his doctor deliver a fatal dose of morphine to him, killing him two days later. (Cherry)
