1901

Events in 1901 51

• 1813 – 1901 Giuseppe Verdi Italian opera master The dominant figure of Italian opera, whose works — Rigoletto, La Traviata, Otello, Falstaff — combine dramatic power with unforgettable melody.
• 1819 – 1901 Queen Victoria (1819-1901) Died 22 January 1901, aged 81 Victoria died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight after reigning for 63 years, then the longest of any British monarch. Her death ended the Victorian era and was followed by state mourning across the British Empire. Her son succeeded her as Edward VII.
• 1827 – 1901 Johanna Spyri (1827-1901) Died 7 July 1901, aged 74 Spyri was a Swiss author best known for the children's novel Heidi, published in 1880-81, which became one of the best-selling books ever written. She died in Zurich on 7 July 1901. Her work remains a staple of children's literature worldwide.
• 1833 – 1901 Benjamin Harrison 23rd President — grandson of William Henry Harrison Benjamin Harrison (Aug 20, 1833 – Mar 13, 1901) was the 23rd President 1889-1893 and grandson of William Henry Harrison. Six states were admitted to the Union during his presidency.
• 1840 – 1901 Empress Frederick (1840-1901) Died 5 August 1901, aged 60 Victoria, Princess Royal of Britain, was Empress consort of Germany and Queen consort of Prussia during her husband Frederick III's brief reign in 1888. Widowed after 99 days, she spent her later years at Friedrichshof and died of cancer on 5 August 1901. She was the eldest child of Queen Victoria and mother of Kaiser Wilhelm II.
• 1843 – 1901 William McKinley 25th President — led US into imperialism William McKinley (Jan 29, 1843 – Sep 14, 1901) was the 25th President 1897-1901. He led the US to victory in the Spanish-American War (1898), acquiring Guam, Puerto Rico and the Philippines. He was assassinated in 1901.
• 1864 – 1901 Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec Post-Impressionism · France Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (November 24, 1864 – September 9, 1901) was a French Post-Impressionist painter who captured the nightlife of Montmartre with vivid immediacy. His posters for the Moulin Rouge defined the Art Nouveau aesthetic.
• 1899 – 1901 The Boxer Rebellion Eight armies in Peking A movement of village martial artists the foreign press calls Boxers rises against Christian missionaries and foreign concessions, and the Qing court under Empress Dowager Cixi throws its weight behind them. The legations in Peking are besieged for fifty-five days until an eight-nation expedition — Japanese, Russian, British, French, American, German, Italian and Austro-Hungarian — fights its way in and loots the city. The Boxer Protocol imposes an indemnity of 450 million taels, roughly the Qing government's annual revenue several times over, and the dynasty never recovers its authority.
• 1901 – 1960 Clark Gable (1901-1960) Died 16 November 1960, aged 59 American film actor known as "The King of Hollywood," celebrated for his role as Rhett Butler in Gone with the Wind. He died of a heart attack shortly after completing filming of The Misfits.
• 1901 First Nobel Prizes awarded First Nobel Prizes awarded Alfred Nobel's will established prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature and Peace, first awarded in Stockholm.
• 1901 – 1961 Gary Cooper (1901-1961) Died 13 May 1961, aged 60 American film actor known for roles in High Noon and Sergeant York, and a two-time Academy Award winner for Best Actor. He died of cancer shortly after receiving an honorary Oscar for his career.
• 1901 – 1966 Hendrik Verwoerd (1901-1966) Died 6 September 1966, aged 64 Hendrik Verwoerd served as Prime Minister of South Africa and was a principal architect of the apartheid system. He was assassinated in the House of Assembly in Cape Town on 6 September 1966.
• 1901 – 1932 Nadezhda Alliluyeva (1901-1932) Died 9 November 1932, aged 31 The second wife of Joseph Stalin killed herself in the Kremlin after a quarrel with him.
• 1901 – 1944 Nikolai Vatutin (1901-1944) Died 15 April 1944, aged 42 Soviet army general who commanded fronts at Stalingrad, Kursk and the liberation of Kyiv. He was ambushed and badly wounded by Ukrainian nationalist insurgents in February 1944. He died of his wounds in Kyiv.
• 1901 Nobel Prize First Ceremony Royal Tradition The first Nobel Prizes were awarded, establishing a tradition involving the Swedish King.
• 1901 – 1964 Paul of Greece (1901-1964) Died 6 March 1964, aged 62 Paul reigned as King of the Hellenes from 1947 until his death, a period marked by postwar reconstruction and Cold War tension in Greece. He was succeeded by his son, Constantine II.
• 1901 – 1970 Sukarno (1901-1970) Died 21 June 1970, aged 69 Sukarno, the first President of Indonesia and leader of its independence movement, died under house arrest in Jakarta after being ousted from power by General Suharto. He remains a foundational figure in Indonesian national identity.
• 1901 – 1974 Vittorio De Sica (1901-1974) Died 13 November 1974, aged 73 Vittorio De Sica was an Italian film director central to the Italian neorealist movement, directing classics including Bicycle Thieves. He won multiple Academy Awards for his films.
• 1901 – 1966 Walt Disney (1901-1966) Died 15 December 1966, aged 65 Walt Disney was an American animator, film producer, and entrepreneur who built the Disney entertainment empire and pioneered feature-length animation. He died of lung cancer in Burbank, California, on 15 December 1966.
• 1901 Yellow Fever Transmission Confirmed Reed Commission proves mosquitoes spread the disease In 1901 the US Army's Yellow Fever Commission, led by Walter Reed, confirmed that yellow fever was transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito rather than by direct contact. The finding, based on experiments conducted in Cuba, enabled mosquito-control campaigns that curbed the disease in Havana and later during construction of the Panama Canal. It marked a major advance in tropical medicine.
• 1901 – 1938 Ödön von Horváth (1901-1938) Died 1 June 1938, aged 36 Horváth was an Austro-Hungarian playwright and novelist, known for Tales from the Vienna Woods. He was killed in Paris by a falling branch during a storm.
• 1901 Commonwealth of Australia Established Six British colonies federate into one nation On 1 January 1901 the six Australian colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia under a new constitution. Edmund Barton became the country's first Prime Minister. The federation created a single national government while the former colonies became states.
• 1901 Spindletop Oil Gusher Texas oil strike launches the modern petroleum industry On 10 January 1901 a drilling crew near Beaumont, Texas struck oil at Spindletop, producing a gusher that flowed at roughly 100,000 barrels a day. The discovery triggered a Texas oil boom and led to the founding of companies including Texaco and Gulf Oil. It marked the start of the United States as a major oil producer.
• 1901 – 1971 Bebe Daniels (1901-1971) American actress, Harold Lloyd's first leading lady, who later became a radio star in Britain.
• 1901 Edward VII becomes King Sixty years as heir Victoria dies at Osborne House after sixty-three years on the throne and her eldest son succeeds at fifty-nine, having spent his entire adult life waiting and being kept away from state papers. He proves an unexpectedly effective monarch abroad, and his enthusiasm for France helps make the Entente Cordiale possible. The decade takes his name.
• 1901 – 1987 Jascha Heifetz (1901-1987) Died 10 December 1987, aged 86 Heifetz was a Russian-born American violinist widely regarded as one of the greatest of the twentieth century. His technical precision set a standard against which later violinists were measured. He died in Los Angeles.
• 1901 – 1972 Brian Donlevy (1901-1972) American actor of tough-guy roles, from Beau Geste to The Great McGinty.
• 1901 – 1992 Stella Adler (1901-1992) Died 21 December 1992, aged 91 Stella Adler was an American actress and influential acting teacher whose students included Marlon Brando and Robert De Niro. She developed a technique emphasizing imagination over personal memory, distinguishing her approach from Method acting. Her studio in New York trained generations of American actors.
• 1901 United States Steel Corporation Founded First billion-dollar company formed US Steel was incorporated on 25 February 1901 through a merger orchestrated by financier J.P. Morgan, combining Andrew Carnegie's steel operations with several rivals. Capitalized at $1.4 billion, it became the world's first billion-dollar corporation. It controlled roughly two-thirds of American steel production at its founding.
• 1901 – 1979 Zeppo Marx (1901-1979) Died 30 November 1979, aged 78 Zeppo Marx, the youngest of the Marx Brothers comedy team, died of lung cancer in Palm Springs, California. After leaving the act in the 1930s he became a successful engineer and talent agent. He died on 30 November 1979.
• 1901 The Platt Amendment Independence, with conditions The United States makes withdrawal from Cuba conditional on terms written into the Cuban constitution: no treaties with other powers, no debt beyond what revenues can service, an American right to intervene, and a naval station on lease. The station is Guantanamo Bay. Cuba becomes formally independent in 1902 and effectively a protectorate until the amendment is repealed in 1934.
• 1901 Capture of Emilio Aguinaldo US forces seize the Philippine revolutionary leader On 23 March 1901 American troops under General Frederick Funston captured Emilio Aguinaldo, president of the First Philippine Republic, in a raid on his hideout at Palanan. Aguinaldo subsequently swore allegiance to the United States and called on his remaining forces to lay down arms. His capture severely weakened the Philippine resistance to American rule.
• 1901 – 2000 Carl Barks (1901-2000) Died 25 August 2000, aged 99 Carl Barks was the Disney comics artist who defined Donald Duck in print and created Scrooge McDuck, Duckburg and much of its supporting cast. Working anonymously for decades, he was known to readers only as "the good duck artist" until fans identified him. His adventure stories influenced later cartoonists and filmmakers.
• 1901 – 1981 Melvyn Douglas (1901-1981) Died 4 August 1981, aged 80 American actor Melvyn Douglas, a two-time Academy Award winner for Hud and Being There, died in New York City on 4 August 1981. His career spanned five decades, from romantic leading roles opposite Greta Garbo in the 1930s to character parts in his later years. He was also active in Democratic politics.
• 1901 New Zealand Annexes the Cook Islands Pacific island group placed under New Zealand administration On 11 June 1901 the Cook Islands and Niue were annexed by New Zealand, transferring them from direct British colonial control. The move extended New Zealand's presence in the South Pacific. The islands remained under New Zealand administration into the twentieth century.
• 1901 – 1967 Nelson Eddy (1901-1967) American baritone and actor, Jeanette MacDonald's partner in eight operetta films.
• 1901 – 2000 Dame Barbara Cartland (1901-2000) Died 21 May 2000, aged 98 Barbara Cartland was among the most prolific authors in history, publishing more than 700 books, mostly chaste historical romances, and selling hundreds of millions of copies. A flamboyant figure in pink chiffon, she was step-grandmother to Diana, Princess of Wales. In her last years she dictated a new novel every couple of weeks.
• 1901 – 1986 Rudy Vallée (1901-1986) American singer, bandleader and actor, one of the first pop idols of the radio age.
• 1901 – 1971 Louis Armstrong Louis Daniel Armstrong (4 August 1901 -- 6 July 1971) was an American jazz trumpeter, vocalist and bandleader who is widely considered the most important individual in the history of jazz. Born into poverty in New Orleans, Armstrong transformed the trumpet from a section instrument into a solo voice, invented the jazz cadenza, established the primacy of the improvising soloist, and popularised scat singing. His recordings of the 1920s with the Hot Five and Hot Seven are the foundation documents of jazz. He subsequently became the most beloved entertainer in America -- a global ambassador for jazz and for a particular vision of American optimism that transcended the racism he navigated throughout his life.
• 1901 Boxer Protocol Signed Peace settlement ends the Boxer Rebellion in China On 7 September 1901 the Qing government signed the Boxer Protocol with eleven foreign powers, ending the Boxer Rebellion. China agreed to pay a large indemnity, allow foreign troops to be stationed in Beijing, and execute officials who had supported the uprising. The settlement deepened foreign control over Chinese affairs.
• 1901 Theodore Roosevelt Becomes President Youngest US president takes office after McKinley's assassination Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as the 26th President of the United States on 14 September 1901, hours after President William McKinley died from an assassin's gunshot wounds. At 42, Roosevelt became the youngest person to hold the office. His presidency brought an assertive foreign policy and a program of trust-busting and conservation.
• 1901 – 1999 Robert Bresson (1901-1999) Died 18 December 1999, aged 98 Robert Bresson was a French film director renowned for a spare, austere style that influenced generations of art-house filmmakers. His works include Diary of a Country Priest and Au Hasard Balthazar. He was widely regarded as one of cinema's most important auteurs.
• 1901 – 1980 George Raft (1901-1980) American actor and dancer, the coin-flipping gangster of Scarface.
• 1901 – 1954 Enrico Fermi Architect of the Nuclear Age Nobel Prize-winning physicist who created the first nuclear reactor.
• 1901 – 1966 Alberto Giacometti The Walking Man Influential Swiss sculptor and painter known for his elongated, skeletal figures.
• 1901 Booker T. Washington Dines at the White House First Black American invited to a presidential dinner there On 16 October 1901 President Theodore Roosevelt hosted educator Booker T. Washington for dinner at the White House, the first time a Black American had been invited to dine there as a guest. The meeting provoked fierce criticism from segregationists across the South. It remained a widely cited symbol of the era's racial tensions.
• 1901 – 1976 Andre Malraux (1901-1976) Died 23 November 1976, aged 75 Andre Malraux, the French novelist, art theorist and statesman, died near Paris. He wrote the acclaimed novel Man's Fate and later served as France's first Minister of Cultural Affairs under Charles de Gaulle. He had also been an active participant in the Spanish Civil War and French Resistance.
• 1901 Hay-Pauncefote Treaty Signed Britain cedes exclusive canal rights to the United States Signed on 18 November 1901, the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty between the United States and Britain superseded the 1850 Clayton-Bulwer Treaty and gave the US sole authority to build, control, and fortify a canal across Central America. It cleared the diplomatic path for construction of the Panama Canal. Britain received no toll concessions in return.
• 1901 – 1976 Werner Heisenberg Physicist, 1901-1976 - matrix mechanics, the uncertainty principle, the Uranverein Werner Heisenberg, the German theoretical physicist who formulated the uncertainty principle, died in Munich. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1932 for the creation of quantum mechanics. He also led Nazi Germany's nuclear research programme during the Second World War.
• 1901 Marconi's Transatlantic Radio Signal First wireless message sent across the Atlantic Ocean On 12 December 1901 Guglielmo Marconi received the Morse code letter "S" transmitted from Poldhu, Cornwall, at a receiving station in St. John's, Newfoundland. The transmission demonstrated that radio waves could travel beyond the horizon, contradicting expectations that they traveled only in straight lines. It opened the way for transoceanic wireless communication.
• 1901 – 1992 Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) Died 6 May 1992, aged 90 Marlene Dietrich was a German-American actress and singer who rose to fame in "The Blue Angel" and became a Hollywood icon of the 1930s and 1940s. She was noted for her androgynous style and for entertaining Allied troops during the Second World War. She died in Paris, having lived as a recluse in her final years.