Looking back: Notable events of 1910

Few can believe the first decade of the 21st century is already in the books. But with 2010 upon us, now is as good a time as any to look back 100 years to 1910 and some of that year’s more memorable events. January First junior high school in the U.S. opens in Berkeley, California The Globe (now the Lunt-Fontanne) Theatre opens in New York City Heavy rains in Paris cause the Seine to overflow, flooding the city February The Boy Scouts of America is established The first radio contest is held in Philadelphia March Baroness Raymonde de Laroche of Paris is the first woman to become a licensed pilot China ends slavery A new land speed record of 131.7 mph is set by Barney Oldfield at Daytona April Climbers scale Mr. McKinley, the highest mountain in North America President Taft becomes the first president to throw out the first ball on opening day of baseball season The first night air flight is made by Claude Grahame-White of England May Earth passes through the tail of Halley’s comet Union of South Africa declares its independence from Great Britain June Father’s Day celebrated for the first time in Spokane, Washington “Krazy Kat” comic strip by George Herriman first appears in the New York Journal July Chicago’s Comiskey Park opens Baseball’s Cy Young registers his 500th career victory August Alva Fisher patents the first electric washing machine, called the Thor September The Great Fire destroys three million acres in Washington, Idaho and Montana The first commercially successful electric trolleybus line opens in Hollywood, California The world’s first female police officer, Alice Stebbins Wells, is appointed by the Los Angeles Police Department First test flight of a twin-engine aircraft in France October A bomb explodes at the Los Angeles Times building, killing 21 people November The first air freight shipment takes place in Ohio, from Dayton to Columbus, by the Wright Brothers and department store owner Max Moorehouse First movie stunt performed when a man jumps into the Hudson River from a burning balloon Mexican Revolution begins, led by Francisco I. Madero Pennsylvania Station opens in New York City as the world’s largest railway terminal December Neon lights are seen publicly for the first time at the Paris Auto Show A coal mine explosion in Hulton, England kills 344 mine workers The first short flight in a plane with a jet engine is made by Romanian aerodynamics pioneer Henri Coand