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Mass Production (cars)
The first car to be mass produced in US was the 1901 Curved Dash Oldsmobile, which was built by the American car manufacturer Ransome Eli Odds. He invented the basic concept of the assembly line and started the Detroit area automobile industry. -
End of WWI
At 11 o’clock French time on the 11th of November 1918 the fighting of the First World War ended leaving all countries in celebration. This day marked the end of a horrible time for the world as it resulted in the death of 9 million soliders and 21 million injured. -
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was the peace settlement that was signed after World War I had finished. The treaty was signed at the vast Versailles Palace near Paris. -
The Jazz Age
The Jazz Age, otherwise known as the Golden Twenties or the Roaring Twenties, was a time in America where everybody seemed to have money. The young set themselves free by embracing in new hairstyles and shorter clothing, which shocked the older generation. Women who wore skimpy bikinis were known as Flappers who also went out without a man to look after them, went to parties all night, drove cars, smoked in public and held men’s hand without the protection of a glove. -
Invention of television
John Loggie Baird successfully transmitted the first TV picture in England. The massive breakthrough in technology was having the ability to be able to send sound and pictures over the air. The word ‘television’ comes from the Greek and Latin word ‘vision’ or ‘seeing from a distance’. -
Stock Market Crash of 1929
After the end of the First World War, the New York Stock Exchange experienced the worst financial panic ever. Although there have been crashed with bigger number and loses, but nothing is quite like the terror and devastation of Black Tuesday. -
The Great Depression
The Great Depression was a time of incredible poverty throughout the people of Australia. The depression was caused by a fall in export prices and sales, a fall in overseas loans which lead to a reduction in government spending and also a fall in residential construction. The impact this had on the life of people was incredibly and had children leaving school at the age of 13 and 14, a whole heap of men trying to find work and also causing people to do desperate things in order to make money. -
Day of Mourning
As the Australians were celebrating the 150 years of European settlement, about 100 indigenous men, women and children gathered in the Australian Hall to call for citizen rights. The event was called a Day of Mourning and protest because it is not a day of celebrating for the aboriginals but a day of mourning. Although the day celebrates the 150 year of ‘progress’ for Australians, it also celebrates 150 years of misery and degradation for the original native inhabitants. -
Start of World War II
World War 11 begun with the invasion of Germany attacking Poland, other European countries then felt the need to join in, resulting in another World War. The war went on for 6 years, resulting in over 56 million deaths. -
Japanese Attack on Pearl Harbour
The Japanese launched a surprise air attack on the U.S. Naval Babe which is located in Pearl Harbour, Hawaii. After 2 hours of the attack, 2,400 Americans were dead, 21 ships had either been sunk or damaged and at least 188 U.S. aircraft destroyed. The Americans were so angered by the Japanese that they cancelled their laws of isolation and declared war on them the following day. -
Bombing of Darwin
The mainland of Australia came under attack for the first time the Japanese mounted two air raids on Darwin. After Japan bombing Darwin 64 times, the air attacks stopped in November 1943. -
Atomic Bombing of Hiroshima
On the 6th of August 1945, the United States used an atomic bomb against Hiroshima, Japan. With around 20,000tons of TNT, the atomic bomb flattened the city and killed thousand of civilians. -
Decleration of Human Rights
The United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration as they were motivated by the experiences of the happening world wars. Australia was a massive part of the decision that the UN made due to the influential leadership of Dr Hebert Vere Evatt. -
Melbourne Olympic Games
The Melbourne Olympic Games were the first time Australia had ever held the Olympics. The games were based around the Melbourne Cricket Ground and Australians did amazingly well and for some athletes made sure that they made it into Australian sporting history. The Olympic games had their debut in a number of sporting teams. It was said that it would be another 40 years before Australia had such a large amount of athletes competing at the games. -
Invention of the internet
Unlike most inventions, the internet has no single inventor. It more seemed to evolve over time, starting by the use of the United States Government in the Cold War. For years, scientists and researches use it as a way to communicate with each other. -
Cuban Missile Crisis
An American U-2 spy plane secretly photographed nuclear missiles being built by the Soviet Reunion on the island of Cuba. President of the time, JFK, did not want the Soviet Reunion to know of their discovery and instead spoke in secrecy with his advisors for several days to discuss the problem. -
Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech
Martin Luther King Jr. tells his “I have a dream” speech on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The speech that he spoke during the March for Washington for Jobs and Freedom, played a key part in the role for equality and freedom during the American Civil Rights Movement. -
Australian Freedom Rides
A group of students from Sydney University organised a Freedom Rides bus tour of western and coastal NWS towns. The idea of this was to raise awareness to the poor state of Aboriginal heath, education and housing. -
Invention of Mobile Phone
Martin Cooper took the next step in the invention of phones by inventing the first portable phone. He created a Motorola Dynatac which was 5 inches wide and 9 inches long, weighing around 1kg. The time it took for the mobile to recharge was 10 hours, with a total of 35 minutes of talk time. The phone had the abilities to dial, talk and listen however was missing a screen. Soon enough, refinements were made and the mobile phones suddenly began to massively improve. -
Release of Crocodile Dundee
Crocodile Dundee is an Australian film about an American reporter who goes to the Australian outback in order to meet and eccentric crocodile poacher. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
As the cold war began to soften across Eastern Europe, the spokesmen for East Berlin’ announced a change in the city’s relationship with the West, allowing the two sides of the concrete wall to mix once again. At midnight people from East Germany were allowed to cross the country’s borders. -
United Nations Convention on the Rights of a Child
The convention of the rights of a child is a worldwide treaty that recognizes the rights of a child, a child being someone who is under the age of 18. World War I & II exposed the acute vulnerability of a child and the myth of inevitable progress. After both wars, defining what was owned to the children and how best to meet their needs was a large part of the international negotiations regarding power and prestige.
