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1865 BCE
The Ku Klux Klan is Established
The Ku Klux Klan, commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is the name of an American white supremacist, far-right terrorist organization and hate group. Various historians, including Fergus Bordewich, have characterized the Klan as America's first terrorist group. -
1857 BCE
The Dead Rabbits Riot
The Dead Rabbits riot was a two-day civil disturbance in New York City evolving from what was originally a small-scale street fight between members of the Dead Rabbits and the Bowery Boys into a citywide gang war, which occurred July 4–5, 1857 -
John D. Rockefeller Creates Standard Oil
The success of this business empire made Rockefeller one of the world's first billionaires and a celebrated philanthropist. He garnered both admirers and critics during his lifetime and after his death. -
Alexander Graham Bell Patents the Telephone
Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers. On March 7, 1876, Alexander Graham Bell successfully received a patent for the telephone and secured the rights to the discovery. Days later, he made the first-ever telephone call to his partner, Thomas Watson. -
The Great Oklahoma Land Race
a day of chaos, excitement, and utter confusion. Men and women rushed to claim homesteads or purchase lots in one of the many new towns that sprang into existence overnight. An estimated eleven thousand agricultural homesteads were claimed. -
Ellis Island Opens to Process Immigrants
- Thomas Fitchie was appointed “Commissioner of Immigration” by President William McKinley. On June 14, a fire destroys the wooden buildings on Ellis Island. Consequently, all staff and immigrants are evacuated.
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The Wizard of Oz (Book) is Published
The first edition had a printing of 10,000 copies and was sold in advance of the publication date of September 1, 1900. On May 17, 1900, the first copy came off the press; Baum assembled it by hand and presented it to his sister, Mary Louise Baum Brewster. -
J.P. Morgan Founded U.S. Steel
Early in 1901, J. P. Morgan, the country's most powerful banker, merged Andrew Carnegie's Carnegie Steel Corporation with nine other steel companies to form the world's largest corporation. The United States Steel Corporation, usually known as U.S. Steel or simply Big Steel, was capitalized at $1.4 billion. -
Ford Motor Company is Founded
Henry and 12 others invested $28,000 and created Ford Motor Company. The first car built by the Company was sold on July 15, 1903. -
Ida Tarbell Publishes Her Article About Standard Oil
In 1901, Tarbell began to investigate Standard Oil; her articles appeared in every issue of McClure's between November 1902 and May 1904 and were collected into a book in November 1904. -
Teddy Roosevelt Becomes President of the United States
The presidency of Theodore Roosevelt started on September 14, 1901, when Theodore Roosevelt became the 26th president of the United States upon the assassination of President William McKinley, and ended on March 4, 1909. Roosevelt had been the vice president for only 194 days when he succeeded to the presidency. -
Angel Island Opens to Process Immigrants
over the late objections of Chinese community leaders, this hastily built immigration station was opened on the northeastern edge of Angel Island, ready to receive its first guests. The first stop on disembarking at the pier on Angel Island was the Administration Building -
The 17th Amendment is Passed
Proponents of the Amendment argued that removing from state legislatures the power to choose U.S. Senators would make state democracy work better, allowing voters to focus on state issues when choosing state officials. -
The 16th Amendment is Passed
Passed by Congress on July 2, 1909, and ratified on February 3, 1913, the 16th Amendment established Congress's right to impose a Federal income tax. -
The Empire State Building Opens
The Empire State Building is a 102-story Art Deco skyscraper in the Midtown South neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The building was designed by Shreve, Lamb Harmon and built from 1930 to 1931. Its name is derived from "Empire State", the nickname of the state of New York.