-
First Automobile Patent
The first United States patent for the automobile, #549160, is granted to George B. Selden for his two stroke automobile engine. -
Racial Segregation Approved.
Plessy versus Ferguson decision by the Supreme Court states that racial segregation is approved under the "separate but equal" doctrine -
An Oil Discovery
Oil is discovered in Indian territory for the first time on land leased from the Osage tribe, leading to rapid population growth near Bartlesville, Oklahoma. -
First Subway
The era of the subway begins when the first underground public transportation in North America opens in Boston, Massachusetts. -
End of Spanish-American War
The Peace Treaty ending the Spanish-American War is signed in Paris. The Spanish government agrees to grant independence to Cuba and cede Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States -
Gold Standard Act
The Gold Standard Act is ratified, placing the United States currency on the gold standard. -
Major Oil Discovery in Texas.
The first major oil discovery in Texas occurs near Spindletop in Beaumont. -
Air Conditioner Invented
Willis Haviland Carrier, a native of Angola, New York, invents the air conditioner. He would patent the device on February 2, 1906 and his company would air condition such buildings as Madison Square Garden, The U.S Senate, and House of Representatives. -
First Manned Plane Flight
Inventors Wilbur and Orville Wright succeed in the first sustained and manned plane flight, taking the heavier-than-air machine through the winds of Kill Devil Hill, North Carolina, and man into an age of flight. The plane, mechanically propelled with a petroleum engine, flew 120 feet in 12 seconds, and later the same day, flew 852 feet in 59 seconds. They would patent the Airplane three years later on May 22, 1906. -
First Tractor Invented
The first successful field tractor is invented by American Benjamin Holt, using a caterpillar track to spread the weight in heavy agricultural machinery.