The first experimental steam-powered, self-propelled road vehicles appeared in France in the late 18th century. By the late 19th century, there were also vehicles powered by battery and by internal combustion. But in the early years of the twentieth century, the automobile comes into its own as a practical, economic form of transportation.
Bust of Edward VII, King of the United Kingdom from 1901-1910.
In the United Kingdom, the constitutional crisis over the role of the House of Lords comes to a head in 1910, amid two general elections and the death of King Edward VII.
Symphony No. 3 in E♭ Major (“Eroica”)
Composed in 1804 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Public domain.
Performed by Czech National Symphony Orchestra. Public domain. Source.
For many years, Mexico has been living under the rule of Porfirio Díaz. By the early twentieth century, Díaz is in his 70s and is growing increasingly out of touch. He will be deposed, and that will trigger the Mexican Revolution.
“El Pájaro Carpintero” (“The Carpenter Bird”)
Traditional. Public domain.
Performed by Los Hijos de la Malinche (Noé González Molina, Alberto de Jesus Nazario, & Julio Cesar de la Cruz Gonzalez) and edited by Widkipedia users Manetx, PlatinumCarlos, Sophie AgDz, Andresmedina95 & AmandaGraM95. Source.
Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.
From the December 9, 1906 edition of The New York Times.
An episode on certain developments in astronomy in the early years of the twentieth century: the appearance of Comet Halley, of a second, brighter comet, the Tunguska event, and the debate on the possibility of life on Mars.
1. X. 1905
Composed in 1905 by Leoš Janáček. Public domain.
Performed by Pandora Selfridge. Public domain recording. Source.
Symphony No. 1 in D major
Composed by Gustav Mahler in 1888. Public domain.
Performed by the DuPage Symphony Orchestra, Barbara Schubert conducting.
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 License.Source.
William Howard Taft, the 27th President of the United States.
Before Theodore Roosevelt left office, he’d settled on William Howard Taft as his successor. The two men had been political allies and close friends. With Roosevelt’s support, Taft was elected President in 1908, but the two men would have a falling out soon afterward.
Euphonic Sounds
Composed in 1909 by Scott Joplin. Public domain.
Public domain recording. Source. With much gratitude to Ragnar Hellspong for converting the music into a playable mp3 file.
Donald Manson, an employee of the Marconi Wireless Company at work in 1905.
A look at the invention of radio, the first step on the road to modern electronics and modern mass media, a revolution in information, news, and entertainment.
The French publication Le Petit Journal on the annexation of Bosnia. Ferdinand of Bulgaria is shown tearing Bulgaria away from the Ottoman Empire with one hand as he crowns himself king with the other. Austrian Kaiser Franz Josef is shown similarly tearing away Bosnia and Herzegovina, as the Ottoman Sultan, Abdul Hamid II, looks on, annoyed but helpless.
Austria-Hungary makes a bid for relevance in the twentieth century by annexing Bosnia and Herzegovina, but in so doing, shakes things up in Europe.
An der schönen blauen Donau (On the Beautiful Blue Danube)
Composed in 1866 by Johann Strauss II. Public domain.
Recording used pursuant to a Creative Commons license. Details.
Strauss Waltz Medley
Arranged and performed by the United States Air Force Band Strolling Strings. Public domain. Source.
Published in Vienna in 1901, these humorous sketches caricature the conducting style of Gustav Mahler.
Austria-Hungary was known as “the prison of nations,” owing to its incorporation of many ethnic groups that would have preferred to be part of their own states. Vienna was a hotbed of anti-Semitism, but also an important cultural center.
Hungarian Dance No. 5 in G minor
Composed in 1869 by Johannes Brahms. Public domain.
Performed by the Fulda Symphonic Orchestra, and used pursuant to an EFF Open Audio License. Details.
Carnival Overture
Composed in 1891 by Antonín Dvořák. Public domain.
Performed by the United States Marine Band. Public domain. Source.
Symphony No. 9 in E minor, “From the New World”
Composed in 1893 by Antonín Dvořák. Public domain.
Performed by the Dupage Symphony Orchestra. Recording used pursuant to a Creative Commons license. Details.
Symphony No. 5
Composed in 1902 by Gustav Mahler. Public domain.
Performed by the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra, Jason Weinberger conducting. Recording used pursuant to a Creative Commons license. Details.
