Century
20th Century CE
What happened in the 20th Century CE.
ArtFounding of the Bengal School of Artc. 1905 CE · Calcutta (Kolkata), IndiaAbanindranath Tagore pioneers a new indigenous Indian art style.
WarOutbreak of World War IJuly 28, 1914 CE · Sarajevo, BosniaAssassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggers a global conflict involving major powers.
PoliticsOctober RevolutionNovember 7, 1917 · Petrograd (St. Petersburg), RussiaBolsheviks overthrow the Provisional Government, creating the first socialist state.
PoliticsTreaty of Versailles SignedJune 28, 1919 · Versailles, FrancePeace treaty ends WWI but imposes harsh terms on Germany, sowing seeds for WWII.
DisasterWall Street Crash and Great DepressionOctober 29, 1929 · New York City, USAStock market crash triggers the worst global economic depression in history.
ArtCreation of Guernica by PicassoMay 1, 1937 CE · Paris, FrancePicasso paints anti-war masterpiece depicting bombing of Basque town during Spanish Civil War.
WarAttack on Pearl HarborDecember 7, 1941 · Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USAJapan attacks US fleet, bringing America into World War II.
WarAtomic Bombing of HiroshimaAugust 6, 1945 CE · Hiroshima, JapanUS drops the first nuclear weapon on a city, ending WWII and starting the atomic age.
PoliticsFounding of the United NationsOctober 24, 1945 · San Francisco, USA (Charter signed)UN Charter ratified to prevent future global conflicts and promote cooperation.
TechnologyInvention of the TransistorDecember 23, 1947 · Bell Labs, New Jersey, USAScientists create the transistor, enabling modern electronics and computing.
ScienceDiscovery of DNA StructureFebruary 28, 1953 CE · Cambridge, EnglandWatson and Crick identify the double helix structure of DNA revealing genetic code.
TechnologyLaunch of Sputnik 1October 4, 1957 · Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan (USSR)Soviet Union launches first artificial satellite, starting the Space Age.
ExplorationApollo 11 Moon LandingJuly 20, 1969 CE · Cape Canaveral, USAHumans first walk on the lunar surface during the Space Race.
DisasterChernobyl Nuclear DisasterApril 26, 1986 CE · Pripyat, UkraineReactor explosion releases radiation contaminating large parts of Europe.
PoliticsFall of the Berlin WallNovember 9, 1989 CE · Berlin, GermanyCitizens breach the barrier dividing East and West Berlin ending Cold War division.
ScienceLaunch of Hubble Space TelescopeApril 24, 1990 CE · Cape Canaveral, USASpace telescope deployed into orbit providing unprecedented deep space observations.