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When: 1914 - 1918 Beginning in 1914, World War I was history's first truly global conflict. Kickstarted by the assassination of an Austro-Hungarian nobleman in Serbia, the conflict rapidly escalated because of a complex series of secret alliances that bound the European powers into mutual defence agreements. As the first waves of men began dying…
The "Red Baron" during WWI in front of his bright-red Fokker DR.I aircraft. Many sources indicate that Richthofen resented the publicity he gained from his combat record. (Pinterest) On this day in 1918, German Air Force pilot Manfred von Richthofen was killed while engaging in aerial combat over Vaux-sur-Somme, France. Richthofen - known as Der…
Curie at work in her lab around the turn of the century. Prolonged exposure to radioactive materials likely killed Curie, who died in 1934. (Biography.com) On this day in 1902, Polish scientist Marie Curie succeeded in refining radium-chloride (RaCl2), a salt compound used in cancer treatments and various other technologies. Aided by her husband Pierre,…
Troops on the Eastern Front during a gas attack. The Treaty of Brest-Litovsk ended the fighting there after years of brutal, mobile combat. (Reddit) On this day in 1918, Russia and the Central Powers signed the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, a territorial agreement that closed WWI's Eastern Front and brought an end to hostilities there. Signed…
A German U-Boat (submarine) and an American passenger ship. After February of 1917, U-Boats targeted vessels like this one, leading to America's entry into WWI. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1917, a note was handed to Walter Hines, American Ambassador to the UK. In it was the Zimmerman Telegram, a top-secret communication between German…
Imperial Russian troops care for wounded German prisoners after a battle on the Eastern Front. (Flickr) On this day in 1915 - well into WWI - the German 9th Army launched an attack against Imperial Russian positions located near Bolimów, a small Polish town 50 km (31 miles) from Warsaw. The town was not of…
Rasputin (middle) with two Russian officers in the early 20th century. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1916, Russian mystic Grigori Rasputin was murdered by enemies of Tsar Nicholas II, ruler of the Russian Empire. Rasputin - spiritual advisor to the Tsar and his family - was hated by many in the royal court for…
A "Boche" and "Tommy" share a cigarette at a POW camp during the later years of the war. "Fraternisation" like this was generally discouraged by higher command after the 1914 Christmas Truce. (Reddit) On Christmas Eve of 1914, nearly 100,000 soldiers on both sides laid down their arms in a series of informal ceasefires along…
One of Goldman's many mugshots. (Wikimedia Commons) On this day in 1919, American anarcho-feminist Emma Goldman was deported to Russia, her home country, for crimes listed under the Anarchist Expulsion Act. Goldman - born in Lithuania, then part of the Russian Empire - travelled to America in 1885. As a young woman, Goldman began writing;…
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