Key Events and Figures of the 20th Century: Transportation, Suffrage, and Conflicts

Early 20th Century in Transportation

Two key advances were made at the beginning of the 20th century in terms of transport, both in the US. In 1903, the Wright brothers made what is considered the first flight in their aircraft named the Wright Flyer. In the US, 1903 was also the year which saw the Ford Motor Company produce its first car, the Model A, which was closely followed by its first mass-produced car, the Model T in 1908.

Women's Suffrage in the United Kingdom

It was not until after World War I that a percentage of women in the UK were granted the right to vote through the Representation of the People Act. However, women's suffrage will only be on equal footing with that of men in 1928, with the passing of the Equal Franchise Act. Two main gruops fought for women’s suffrage, the suffraggists who campaigned using peaceful methods and the suffraggettes who were considered militans,

Alan Turing and Modern Computing

The man who is considered the father of modern day computing is Alan Turing, who invented the first digital computer, called Autonamitc Computic Engine, which could decode and perform any set of instructions.
In the first part of the 20th century, international socialism united workers worldwide in the common struggle for their rights. In Britain, the period saw the development of the Labour Party, the growth of the Trade Union movement and the affirmation of the right to strike.

Devastating Wars of the 20th Century

The period was marked by devastating wars in which nations were involved worldwide.

World War I (1914-1918) saw the deaths of almost one in three men aged between 18 and World War II killed more than 400000 British people.
In Dublin the Easter Rising turned rebels into heroes of a nation longing for self-rule and self-determination. The rebellion failed but initiated a series of events which would eventually lead to the divide between Ireland and its northern provinces.

Art Deco and Modernity

Art Deco, a development of Art Nouveau, took its name from an Exhibition held in Paris in 1925. The style is far from being homogenous but represented sophistication and modernity.
When the Titanic sank in 1912, more than 1500 people died and Britain's pride as the world leader in industry and technology took a huge blow.
Edward Vlll gave up the throne to his brother to marry twice-divorced Wallis Simpson, an American poor woman. The romantic gesture solved another potential constitutional crisis as Edward was a Nazi and Fascist sympathiser. During World War Il his brother made him Governor of the Bahamas to keep him away from more trouble.

Recruitment and Reality of World War I

When World War I broke out in 1914. There was a rush to recruit as patriotic feelings ran high. The reality, however, was a horrific war which lasted four years and killed nearly a million soldiers from all over the British Empire.
When World War Il broke out in 1939, Winston Churchill was appointed First Lord of the Admiralty. In May 1940 he became Prime Minister and was the ideal leader during

the war. Britain fought long and hard both on the ground and in the air to defend its shores and to help liberate occupied countries in Europe. London was bombed heavily by the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). Alone Britain was in difficulty but it found allies both in the east from Stalin's Soviet Union and in the west from Roosevelt's US. Germany finally surrendered on 8th May 1945.