The Second Millenium

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1886!


Russian Orthodox missionaries convert large numbers of Tlingit Indians in Alaska. Most of the 17,000 Tlingits today are still Russian Orthodox.

The American evangelist D. L. Moody founds Moody Bible Institute, one of the world’s leading Christain educational institutions.

The US Supreme Court rules that American Indians are wards of the federal, not state governments, and that the federal government can pass laws for Indian reservations. This protects Indians from abuse by state governements, but weakens the rights of Indians to govern themselves.

The legendary Indian leader, Geronimo, surrenders to the US. Although used to the desert, his Indians are relocated to Florida.

A series of strikes, plus one riot, leads to the US establishing the eight-hour work day.

Coca-Cola is invented.

22 Ugandan Christians, Anglican and Catholic, are executed by a Ugandan chief.

The Church of God is established.

The Statue of Liberty is dedicated.

The US is hit by an extremely harsh winter that kills tens of thousands of cattle.

The Catholic Church ordains its first Black American priest.

 

[Vince53]

We have finally reached the year 1887 AD!


France conquers Vietnam and Cambodia.

The US Navy obtains exclusive rights to Pearl Harbor, a large deep-water lagoon in Hawaii that is now America’s largest naval base in the Pacific. The shallow entrance, however, made the harbor impassable for large ships, but years later, the US would dredge it.



In England, the “Downgrade Controversy” begins when Charles Spurgeon attacks his own Baptist denomination for having leaders who do not believe the Bible. Known today as “The Prince of Preachers,” Spurgeon regularly preached to over 10,000 people in his Sunday morning services. His sermons are so well-read today that he is possibly the most widely-read author in the English language. Eventually, Spurgeon will separate and his church will be the largest independent Baptist church in the world until the 1970s.

A strong Calvinist fundamentalist, Spurgeon drew a lot of criticism for his open opposition to slavery. In the US, he was condemned by the Southern Baptist Convention, which today has a statue of him in their headquarters. His occasional cigars are still a source of controversy (and humor) among fundamentalists, who oppose smoking.

Available free online, Spurgeon’s sermon “He Hears the Raven’s Cry” is the most widely-read sermon outside of the Bible.
http://biblehub.com/sermons/pub/the_ravens'_cry.htm
France begins constructing the Eiffel Tower.

 

[Vince53]

We return to 1887!

Earmuffs are invented.

Susanna Salter becomes the first female mayor in the US.

Catholic University, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, is established in Washington DC.

The punched card calculator is patented. Usually used for textile machinery, punched cards were used to store information for voting, turnpike tolls, large dance organs, and other types of machinery. A few punched card calculators are still in use today.

Wealthy American businessmen, backed by wealthy Europeans and Hawaiians, seize control of the Hawaiian government.

In China, the Yellow River floods, killing at least 900,000 people. The resulting disease and famine kill an additional 1 million people. It was due to poor planning--the Yellow River was built up with dikes, allowing more water to flow to areas that needed it while draining a lot of flooded land that could be used for farms. The flood went over the dikes and hit populated areas that weren't prepared for it.

The first Sherlock Holmes story appears. And No, he never said "Elementary, my dear Watson!" And, although often portrayed as stupid by Hollywood, Dr. Watson is a very intelligent man in the stories. And Yes, Sherlock Holmes is the most famous non-comic-book fictional character in history.

 

[Vince53]

1888 is a bad year for American blizzards.

A brief warm spell in a bitterly cold winter throws residents of the northwestern US off guard, when a massive blizzard suddenly hits, killing 235 people, mostly children walking home from school. Two months later, a blizzard dumps 40 inches of snow on the northeast US. The second blizzard kills almost 100 sailors when their ships are either grounded or sunk; another 300 are killed on land.

Brazil outlaws slavery.

An American woman sets a world record by driving a car forty miles.

Jack the Ripper begins murdering London prostitutes. To this day, he has never been identified.

The Kodak camera is invented.

 

[Gerald3199]

Gotta say that the effort you're putting into updating this regularly is impressive, and being a student who loves History, I like seeing the information that you post on this thread. Keep it up pal. God bless

 

[Vince53]

And now it is 1889.


Japan enacts a new constitution, giving the Emperor supreme power (which had been held by the Shogun and Parliament). Parliament is permitted to exist, but the Emperor can remove members at will, and he is supreme commander of the armed forces. No rights are granted to the people.

Ethiopia wins a major battle against a coalition of Moslems, even though the Ethiopian Emperor is killed.

An American Indian founds the Ghost Dance religion. He claims that the spirits of slain Indians will help the Indians defeat the Whites, who will then disappear from the land. Large numbers of Indians soon convert, as they claim to have seen visions of these Indians after dancing.

The Oklahoma Land Rush—50,000 settlers settle in former Indian lands in one day.

Columbia Records is formed. They will later co-found the CBS radio and TV networks, and are currently owned by Sony. Although they no longer make vinyl records, they are still in existence.

The Eiffel Tower, the world's tallest building at the time, is opened to the public.

Adolf Hitler is born.

The Johnstown Flood kills about 2,200 people in western Pennsylvania. A local telegraph operator and her daughter become local legends when they die at their posts, sending warnings to areas in the path of the flood.

Britain decrees that the Royal Navy must be bigger than any two other navies combined.

Quick! What the most widely-read newspaper in the world? The Wall Street Journal is first published.

Brazil overthrows its monarchy and remains a republic to this day.

 

[Vince53]

And now we greet 1890!

It's not a true computer because it doesn't have a Central Processing Unit (computer ship), but a punched card tabulating machine is used for the US census. The tabulating machine company later becomes IBM.

After completing 70 paintings in 70 days, the insane genius Vincent van Gogh shoots himself.

A French inventor launches a steam-powered, unmanned airplane on a 160 foot flight.

Navy beats Army 24-0 in the first Army-Navy football game. The military will dominate early American college football, but as other schools recruit talented athletes, the American military academies have dropped down to the average level.

The first scientific archaeological excavations begin in the Holy Land.

And at Wounded Knee, South Dakota...

 

[Vince53]

The Wounded Knee Massacre December 29, 1890



Spotted Elk had become a revered Indian chief, successfully getting his defeated people to adapt to life on Indian reservations and settling disputes between various Indian tribes. He had converted to the Ghost Dancers, a peaceful religion that believed that the spirits of dead Indians would reclaim the land.

On December 20, the legendary Indian leader Sitting Bull had been killed while resisting arrest, and his followers fled to Spotted Elk’s reservation. Fearing reprisals for taking them in, Spotted Elk led his followers to another reservation, hoping to negotiate peace with the US. On the new reservation, the Indians were surrounded by the 7th Calvary, which included men who had served under Custer. After surrendering peacefully, the Indians were surrounded by more of Custer’s men, who brought in four light cannon. The next day, the Army began disarming the Indians.

It is unclear who fired a shot, but the Army then opened fire on the mostly unarmed Indians. As Indians grabbed confiscated weapons and returned fire, Army discipline broke down. Most soldiers tried not to kill non-combatants while others chased down and killed fleeing Indians. The four cannon opened fire on a nearby group of women and children, and the mostly unarmed men then charged the heavily-armed soldiers (That’s why we call them “braves.”), giving the women and children a chance to escape.

A battle broke out the next day between survivors who pinned down soldiers, who were then rescued by a Black regiment. Overall, about 300 of the 350 Indians, including Spotted Elk, were killed.

General Nelson Miles blatantly accused the commanding general of a massacre, but the US exonerated him. Various high-ranking Army officers also concluded, over the years, that the Indians had been killed in a massacre, not a battle.

Effectively, however, armed Indian resistance to the US collapsed along with the Ghost Dance. None of the minor conflicts that occurred later were a threat to the US.

 

[Vince53]

1891

A none-month civil war breaks out in Chile as The Congress and the people seek to overthrow the President. 10,000 casualties later, Congress wins and the President commits suicide. Chile keeps the office of President but lessens his power.

Queen Liliuokalani begins her two year reign as Hawaii's last monarch. Seeking to restore the rights of the Hawaiian people that had been taken away by American and foreign businessmen, she accidentally provoked a successful revolt in which the businessmen seized her kingdom. The businessmen realized that as a US possession, Hawaii would gain more trading rights with the US, and all of them, including the Europeans, sought American annexation. Believing that the revolt was illegal, the US sent forces to restore her throne, but the native Hawaiians supported the businessmen--on the plantations, the Hawaiians had been treated better by the American owners than by the Hawaiian government. Two years later, the US peacefully annexed Hawaii.

The escalator is invented.

A Chinese secret society rebels in Mongolia, killing tens of thousands of Mongolians (possibly 150,000 Mongolians eventually die) before being defeated by the government.

James Naismith invents basketball.

 

[Vince53]

Let's see what new in 1892!

Lizzie Borden took an ax,
Gave her mother forty whacks.
When she saw what she had done,
She gave her father 41.

After informing a visiting relative that they intended to decrease their daughters' inheritance, the father and stepmother of Lizzie Borden are axed to death. To this day, it remains one of the most controversial unsolved crimes in history. A popular source of study in law colleges, it pits the requirement of "guilty beyond a reasonable doubt" against the doctrine of probable guilt. The overwhelming consensus of legal authorities today is that the jury was correct in not convicting Lizzie, even though she was almost certainly guilty.

The diesel engine is invented. Unlike a steam engine, a diesel engine can run at full speed without moving a vehicle; this allows it to pull a heavier load out of a dead stop. A steam engine has to start moving its vehicle while it and the vehicle build up speed. And if you've ever seen a video of a steam locomotive, you know that it pours a huge amount of pollution into the air.

Large cattle ranchers in Wyoming hire criminal gunmen to murder small ranchers and drive them out. The four year long Johnson County War involves a battle and victory for armed volunteers over the criminals.

General Electric is formed. Today it is the fourth largest company in the world.

Homer Plessey, a White man with a Black great-grandparent, was defined as "Black" by Louisiana law. He deliberately sits in a "Whites Only" railcar in order to be arrested so can challenge the law in court. To be continued...

"The Nutcracker" is first performed. An ballet, not a story, it includes large scenes that allow different ballet companies to perform their best acts without regard to the story. Several different stories have been written to explain the plot.

A Russian scientist discovers viruses.

 

[Vince53]

It's 1893 today!


Led by American businessmen, native Hawaiians overthrow their government and ask to be annexed by the US. Why? Because being an American possession would guarantee that the US would buy Hawaii’s entire sugar supply, keeping the kingdom prosperous. And knowing abut European brutality, the Hawaiians feared being seized by a European nation. And, the Hawaiians didn’t like the way their rulers treated them, but liked the way they were treated by their American employers. When an American warship arrives to restore the kingdom, armed Hawaiians assemble to resist. Five years later, the US annexes the Republic of Hawaii without resistance.

After forty years of construction, Mormons finish their Salt Lake City temple, one of the most beautiful buildings in the world.

Belgium grants universal suffrage to its citizens.

Ghandi begins using civil disobedience to set India free. Trained in law, he is an Asian Indian who lives in South Africa, where he started working for the civil rights of Indian immigrants there. His eventual success in gaining Indian independence makes him a world-wide hero and an inspiration to other minorities seeking equality.

In the US, the gasoline-powered car is invented.

Tired of writing about him, British author Arthur Conan Doyle kills off Sherlock Holmes.

 

[Vince53]

1894


After defeating China and seizing Korea, Japan becomes the most powerful nation in the region. A humiliated China hands over Taiwan and other possessions, including a mainland peninsula. But with the western world now united against them, the Japanese are unable to prevent Russia from seizing the mainland peninsula a few years later.

Coca-Cola is sold in bottles for the first time. Previously, it had been sold from fountains and served in a glass. About 1.8 billion Cokes are now drunk every day, and YES, not all Coke is identical. Coke makes a concentrate that is shipped to suppliers world-wide. Those suppliers add local water and sugar as they see fit.

The Black plague breaks out in Hong Kong, killing about 2,500 people.

Nicholas II becomes the last Emperor of Russia. Under his incompetent 23 year leadership, Russia will decline rapidly from a major power to a backwards, poverty-stricken nation, full of economic and military failure. He will launch anti-Jewish pogroms, brutally suppress revolutions, and execute opponents. His poor leadership in the Russo-Japanese War and World War 1 produce two major disasters that lead to the collapse of the Empire and the rise of Communism.

 

[Vince53]

Things revive in 1895!


With most of Africa under European control, Italy invades Ethiopia. But Ethiopia wins two smashing victories in two days, driving the invaders back to an uncompleted fort.

It hits -17F (-27.2C) in Scotland, the lowest temperature ever recorded in Britain.

The Cuban War of Independence begins.

In Britain, the famous author Oscar Wilde is sentenced to two years of hard labor for practicing homosexuality.

The first automobile race in history is held in Paris.

The great Negro educator Booker T. Washington, gives a famous speech in which he calls for Blacks and Whites to be as integrated and as separated as the fingers on a hand. Unintentionally, he provides major justification for segregation in the US with that illustration.

X-rays are discovered. The Nobel Prize is established. Volleyball is invented. The Greenhouse Effect (The more carbon dioxide produced by factories, the higher the earth's temperature will rise) is discovered. The handheld electric drill is invented.

The Ottoman Empire begins massacring Armenian Christians in south-eastern Turkey.

 

[Vince53]

1896


What? You’ve never heard of Judson Van DeVenter? A moderately successful evangelist, he writes the hymn “I surrender All.” Four decades later, as a Bible college professor, he will heavily influence one of his students, Billy Graham. Graham will adopt “I Surrender All” as one of his theme songs, making it one of the most popular hymns in history.

Ethiopia wins one of the greatest victories in the history of Africa when it defeats an invading Italian army at the Battle of Adwa. The defeated Italians leave, and Ethiopia remains independent.

An English auto driver receives the first speeding fine in history for going 8 MPH, which was 6 miles over the speed limit.

The US Supreme Court upholds segregation, explaining that while the Constitution requires equality, it permits "separate but equal."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average begins. It consists of twelve large industrial stocks that represent the entire US Stock Market.

The first Ford automobile is sold. Zooming along at 10mph, but with a top speed of 20, it used four bicycle wheels.

27,000 Japanese are killed in an earthquake and tidal wave.

The Philippines revolt against Spain.

 

[Vince53]

1897


British scientists develop a vaccine for the Black Plague. Hard to believe, but it isn’t eradicated until 1959.

Already shaky after a long civil war, the Spanish government is further destabilized when its Prime minister is assassinated. And having brutally defeated Cuba’s war for independence, Spain could not afford the instability that would be produced if Cuba went free. To make it worse, Cuba was not a colony; it had actually been annexed as a Spanish province and was part of the nation itself. But Cuba wanted to be free, so Spain brutalized the Cubans, stirring up American anger, as well as American fear.

Spain signs a truce with Filipino rebels.

The word "computer" is invented. At the time, it refers to a mechanical calculating device.

Benin, now a city in southern Nigeria, ambushes a British force, killing all but two British soldiers. Britain then invades, seizes Benin, and burns the entire city to the ground.

The electron is discovered. This negative particle is 1,800 times smaller than the proton. Later theories speculate that electrons can condense into particles or expand into waves.

Bram Stoker's novel, "Dracula," is published. It becomes such a successful stage play that even Sherlock Holmes has to outsmart a vampire (who was innocent and had been framed).

Aspirin is invented.

"Zionism" begins. Zionism's goals are to have a free Israeli state and to protect Jews around the world. Sometimes militant, occasionally evil, and usually benevolent, Zionism has helped protect world-wide Jewish rights.

 

[Vince53]

1898 Remember the Maine!

March 28—The USS Maine explodes and sinks in Havanna Harbor. Although unprovable either way, the explosion probably occurred in the Maine’s coal bin, and the Spanish didn’t do it. But that’s not what American newspapers reported.

April 21—Demanding that Spain grant Cuban independence, the US Navy blockades Cuba.

April 23—Spain declares war on the United States.

May 1—The US Navy sinks the entire Spanish fleet (consisting of obsolete ships) in Manila. Germany immediately starts helping the Spanish, expecting the US to be defeated, allowing Germany to seize the Philippines. But when the US threatens war, Germany backs down.

June 12—Filipino hero Emilio Aguinaldo, backed up by the US, declares the Philippines to be independent.

June 20—Not knowing that war had been declared, Guam surrenders to the US without a fight. Today its 160,000 residents are US citizens, with self-government within the laws of the US. Tourism and US military bases provide the island with economic prosperity.

July 2—Theodore Roosevelt leads “The Rough Riders” as they charge on foot up San Juan Hill in Cuba. The event turns Roosevelt into an American legend.

July 25—The US invades Puerto Rico. Today its 3.6 million people are US citizens with self-government under US law. A slight majority favor US statehood.

August 12—A ceasefire is signed.

December 10—With only one fleet left to protect its own coast, a battered Spain gives up its entire empire outside of Africa. Cuba is granted independence, and the Philippines, Guam, and Puerto Rico go to the US. In 112 years, the United States has leaped across North America and the Pacific to become an empire.

The war helped unify the US, settling Civil War grievances, gaining respect for Blacks (who fought with courage and distinction during the war) and bringing in two decades of prosperity for the US.



Why? The US really was upset over Spanish mistreatment of the native people (who usually fought for the Americans); the US wanted to remove a European threat on its southeast flank; American businessmen correctly predicted increased US prosperity from guaranteed trading partners; the US had a legitimate fear that Germany would seize the Philippines if the US didn’t seize it first.

When it was over, a demoralized Spain bitterly blamed the natives for not wanting to remain under Spanish rule.

 

[Vince53]

We return to 1898--a very, very bad year for Spain.

The Shroud of Turin is photographed for the first time. The surprised photographer realizes that the image on the shroud appears to be a photographic negative of Jesus. The shroud dates from the Medieval Period, and scientists cannot agree on how the image was formed.

Britain forces China to rent them Hong Kong for 99 years.

Supported by the native people, the US officially annexes Hawaii. In 1959, it becomes the fiftieth state. Not only are its 1.42 million people among the most prosperous in the Pacific; they about the most prosperous in the United States.

Britain conquers the Sudan, a miserable, poverty-stricken desert south of Egypt.

Having conquered, enslaved, and abused millions of American Indians, a shocked Spain yields what's left of its American empire to the United States. Also losing the Philippines and Guam, the Spanish Empire now consists of a few African holdings.

Radium is discovered.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to 1899!


Infected rats from Chinese ships bring the Black Plague to Hawaii. As the plague quickly spreads, health officials quickly burn down a few infected buildings. But the fires get out of control and 4,000 people are left homeless. On the other hand, the plague ends.

The US seizes Wake, an uninhabited island that is one of the most isolated places on earth. A major military base today, it has one of the longest airfields in the world, plus a missile launch center.

The Philippines rebel against their American occupiers, form a republic, and declare war on the United States. Over the next three years, about 125,000 Filipinos (mostly civilians) will die, both sides will commit atrocities, the Catholic Church will lose its status as a state church, English will be established as the primary language, and the Philippines will surrender after three years.

Why did this happen? 1) The US wanted the Philippines as a military base and trading partner. 2) The US genuinely feared that Germany would seize the Philippines. 3) The Philippine Republic did not actually exist--the islands had already divided into several nations. 4) The US genuinely feared that the Philippines would erupt into civil wars as the various small nations (some of them Moslem) demolished the country. 5) The majority of Filipinos did not support independence. 6) On the other hand, the Filipino rebels had clearly stated from the beginning that they sought independence, and that the Americans were only Allies, not rulers. 7) Most of the Philippines had been freed from Spain by the Filipinos, not the Americans.

A radio signal is broadcast across the English Channel.

The paper clip is invented.

A Black contestant wins the world bicycling championship in Montreal, becoming the first Black world champion in any sport.

On December 2, the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Mars and Saturn are all within 15° of each other, with Venus 5° ahead of this conjunction and Jupiter 15° behind. Nothing happens.

Beef bullion cubes are invented.

 

[Vince53]

Welcome to the Twentieth Century!

I will be spending a LONG time in the introduction, focusing on WHY various things happened in the Twentieth Century. And I will be concentrating on NUMBERS, not what I personally believe. I expect some people to get offended when I explain the backgrounds of various events, but if you'll be patient and listen to knowledge from outside your own group, you'll learn information that is not taught in your own group.

Certain major religious events dominate the Twentieth Century (not necessarily in this order):
1) The rise and failure of Atheism.
2) The rise and success of the Charismatic Movement.
3) The spread and failure of "Christian" modernism.
4) The spread and disaster of Evolution.

 

[Vince53]

The Rise and Failure of Atheism

Nations often went to war and threw in religion as a propaganda value. You would even have warring nations with the same or similar religions claiming that God was on their side, while committing atrocities that those same religions forbade. But Communism made Atheism, socialism, and enslavement integral parts of their system.

With roughly 1/3 of the world under their control, Atheists murdered more people in the Twentieth Century than every other religion in history combined. One of Atheism's most powerful defenses is that religions have been to blame for a lot of innocent deaths, but without religion, Atheism is even worse. It has been pointed out that even the Nazis had higher moral standards than the Atheists.

“The highest death tolls that have been documented in communist states occurred in the Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin, in the People's Republic of China under Mao Zedong, and in Cambodia under the Khmer Rouge. The estimates of the number of non-combatants killed by these three regimes alone range from a low of 21 million to a high of 70 million.” Wikipedia

Part of the problem is that the Atheists destroyed as many records as they could. Another problem is that under their incompetent leadership, Atheists produced mass famines that killed millions unintentionally.

Written by European scholars , one of whom later became President of Germany, “The Black Book of Communism,” published in the US by Harvard University Press, estimates that Communists killed 94 million people. This is not counting military casualties in World War 2.