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Hollywood, California, becomes the center of movie production in the U.S.
Hollywood becomes the center of movie production in the U.S. -
Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand
On June 28, a teenage Serbian nationalist gunned down Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, as their motorcade maneuvered through the streets of Sarajevo. Next in line for the Austro-Hungarian throne, Ferdinand had not been particularly well liked in aristocratic circles. -
Germany declares war on Russia and France. Great Britain declares war on Germany and Austria-Hungary.
The alliance system pulled one nation after another into the conflict. The assassination set off treaties and war began to flare among the nations. -
Albert Einstein propses his general theory of relativity.
In 1905, Albert Einstein determined that the laws of physics are the same for all non-accelerating observers, and that the speed of light in a vacuum was independent of the motion of all observers. This was the theory of special relativity. -
German U-Boats sink the Lusitania, and 1,198 people died.
Germany justified the attack by stating, correctly, that the Lusitania was an enemy ship, and that it was carrying munitions. It was primarily a passenger ship, however, and among the 1,201 drowned in the attack were many women and children, including 128 Americans. -
Alexander Graham Bell makes the first transontinental telephone call.
Called From New York to San Fransico. Co-Founder of At&t. -
The battles of Verdun and the Somme claim milions of lives.
This World War I siege stemmed from German General Erich von Falkenhayn’s edict to elicit major bloodshed from the French defense of the fortress complex around Verdun. German forces advanced quickly in February 1916, claiming Fort Douaumont and Fort Vaux after brutal subterranean melees. -
Woodrow Wilson relected president.
The United States presidential election of 1916 was the 33rd quadrennial presidential election, held on Tuesday, November 7, 1916. Incumbent President Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic candidate, was pitted against Supreme Court Justice Charles Evans Hughes, the Republican candidate. -
Russia withdraws from the war.
Russia's withdraw from the war was a huge blow to the allies because they lost eastern front from Germany relieving the pressure on Germany so they could focus their forces on the allies. -
The United States declares war on Germany.
On April 6, 1917, the United States Congress declared war upon the German Empire; on April 2, President Woodrow Wilson had asked a special joint session of Congress for this declaration. -
The Selective Service Act sets up the draft.
The Selective Service Act or Selective Draft Act (Pub.L. 65–12, 40 Stat. 76, enacted May 18, 1917) authorized the federal government to raise a national army for the American entry into World War I through the compulsory enlistment of people. It was envisioned in December 1916 and brought to President Woodrow Wilson's attention shortly after the break in relations with Germany in February 1917.