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Date |
Event(s) |
| 1 | 1877 | - 2 Mar 1877: Compromise of 1877
A political deal that ended the disputed 1876 presidential election and resulted in the withdrawal of federal troops from the South, ending Reconstruction.
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| 2 | 1881 | - 1 Jan 1881: American Federation of Labor founded
The AFL was founded by Samuel Gompers as a national federation of labor unions.
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| 3 | 1882 | - 4 Sep 1882: Edison's Pearl Street Station
Thomas Edison's electric power plant began operation in New York City, providing power for the first time.
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| 4 | 1886 | - 1 May 1886: Haymarket Affair
A labor protest rally in Chicago turned into a riot after a bomb was thrown, killing police officers and civilians.
- 28 Oct 1886: Statue of Liberty dedicated
The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in New York Harbor.
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| 5 | 1890 | - 1 Dec 1890: Wounded Knee Massacre
U.S. soldiers killed over 150 Lakota people in what is considered the final major conflict of the Indian Wars.
- 29 Dec 1890: Sherman Antitrust Act
Congress passed the first federal law prohibiting trusts and monopolies to promote competition.
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| 6 | 1893 | - 1 Jan 1893: Panic of 1893
A severe economic depression began, marked by bank failures and high unemployment.
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| 7 | 1896 | - 1 Jan 1896: Plessy v. Ferguson decision
The Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the "separate but equal" doctrine.
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| 8 | 1898 | - 15 Feb 1898: USS Maine explodes
The USS Maine battleship exploded in Havana Harbor, leading to the Spanish-American War.
- 21 Apr 1898: Spanish-American War begins
The United States declared war on Spain.
- 13 Aug 1898: Spanish-American War ends
The Treaty of Paris was signed, ending the war and ceding territories like Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Philippines to the United States.
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| 9 | 1900 | - 14 Dec 1900: Hawaii annexed
The United States officially annexed Hawaii.
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| 10 | 1901 | - 14 Sep 1901: Theodore Roosevelt becomes President
Theodore Roosevelt became president after the assassination of President William McKinley.
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| 11 | 1903 | - 1 Jan 1903: Wright brothers' first flight
Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first powered, controlled, and sustained flight of an aircraft at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina.
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| 12 | 1906 | - 1 Jan 1906: San Francisco Earthquake
A major earthquake and subsequent fires devastated San Francisco, California.
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| 13 | 1908 | - 1 Jan 1908: Ford Model T introduced
Henry Ford introduced the Model T, making the automobile affordable for the average American.
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| 14 | 1912 | - 15 Apr 1912: Titanic sinks
The "unsinkable" passenger liner Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg, resulting in over 1,500 deaths.
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| 15 | 1913 | - 1 Jan 1913: 16th Amendment ratified
The 16th Amendment was ratified, allowing the federal government to collect an income tax.
- 1 Jan 1913: 17th Amendment ratified
The 17th Amendment was ratified, providing for the direct election of U.S. Senators.
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| 16 | 1914 | - 1 Jan 1914: Panama Canal opens
The Panama Canal officially opened, allowing ships to travel between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.
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| 17 | 1915 | - 1 Jan 1915: Lusitania sinks
A German U-boat sank the British passenger liner Lusitania, killing 128 Americans and turning public opinion against Germany.
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| 18 | 1917 | - 6 Apr 1917: U.S. enters World War I
The United States declared war on Germany, officially entering World War I.
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| 19 | 1918 | - 1 Jan 1918: Spanish Flu pandemic
The first cases of the devastating influenza pandemic were reported in the U.S.
- 11 Nov 1918: Armistice Day
An armistice was signed, ending World War I.
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| 20 | 1919 | - 1 Jan 1919: 18th Amendment ratified
The 18th Amendment, which prohibited the manufacture, sale, or transportation of alcoholic beverages, was ratified.
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| 21 | 1920 | - 19 Jan 1920: Prohibition begins
The Volstead Act went into effect, implementing the 18th Amendment.
- 18 Aug 1920: 19th Amendment ratified
The 19th Amendment was ratified, granting American women the right to vote.
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| 22 | 1921 | - 1 Jan 1921: Emergency Quota Act
Congress passed a law limiting the number of immigrants from any country to 3% of the people from that country already living in the U.S.
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| 23 | 1924 | - 1 Jan 1924: Immigration Act of 1924
A law that further restricted immigration, establishing a national origins quota.
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| 24 | 1925 | - 21 Jan 1925: Scopes "Monkey" Trial
A high school teacher, John Scopes, was tried for teaching evolution in a highly publicized trial.
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| 25 | 1927 | - 1 Jan 1927: Charles Lindbergh's solo flight
Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo, nonstop transatlantic flight from New York to Paris.
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| 26 | 1929 | - 29 Oct 1929: Stock Market Crash
Known as "Black Tuesday," the stock market crashed, beginning the Great Depression.
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| 27 | 1931 | - 1 Jan 1931: Empire State Building opens
The Empire State Building officially opened in New York City.
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| 28 | 1932 | - 1 Jan 1932: Bonus Army march
Thousands of World War I veterans marched on Washington, D.C., to demand early payment of a bonus owed to them.
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| 29 | 1933 | - 1 Jan 1933: 20th Amendment ratified
The 20th Amendment was ratified, moving the presidential inauguration date from March to January.
- 4 Mar 1933: FDR's first inauguration
Franklin D. Roosevelt was inaugurated as the 32nd President, promising a "New Deal" for the American people.
- 5 Apr 1933: FDR's Fireside Chats
President Roosevelt began his series of radio broadcasts to address the American public directly.
- 5 Dec 1933: 21st Amendment ratified
The 21st Amendment was ratified, repealing the 18th Amendment and ending Prohibition.
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| 30 | 1935 | - 1 Jan 1935: Social Security Act
A law was passed creating a system of old-age benefits, unemployment insurance, and aid for disabled and dependent Americans.
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| 31 | 1936 | - 1 Jan 1936: Jesse Owens at the Olympics
African American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals at the Berlin Olympics, defying Adolf Hitler's belief in Aryan supremacy.
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| 32 | 1937 | - 1 Jan 1937: Hindenburg disaster
The German airship Hindenburg caught fire while docking in New Jersey, ending the era of commercial airship travel.
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| 33 | 1938 | - 1 Jan 1938: Fair Labor Standards Act
A law was passed establishing a national minimum wage, a 40-hour work week, and prohibiting child labor.
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| 34 | 1939 | - 1 Jan 1939: World War II begins in Europe
Germany invaded Poland, marking the start of World War II in Europe.
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| 35 | 1940 | - 1 Jan 1940: FDR reelected for third term
Franklin D. Roosevelt became the first and only president to be elected to a third term.
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1877 - 1940 (63 years)
