1800 – 1945

The Modern Age

Industry, nations, and the world wars that remade the globe.

Battle of Waterloo WarBattle of WaterlooJune 18, 1815 · Waterloo, BelgiumNapoleon Bonaparte is defeated, ending the Napoleonic Wars.Creation of The Great Wave off Kanagawa ArtCreation of The Great Wave off Kanagawac. 1831 CE · Kanagawa, JapanHokusai produces iconic woodblock print influencing Western art movements.Publication of Hokusai's Great Wave ArtPublication of Hokusai's Great Wavec. 1831 CE · Edo (Tokyo), JapanKatsushika Hokusai releases the iconic woodblock print of Mount Fuji.First Opium War Begins WarFirst Opium War BeginsSeptember 4, 1839 · Guangzhou, ChinaBritain forces open Chinese trade via war, beginning the Century of Humiliation.Publication of Origin of Species SciencePublication of Origin of SpeciesNovember 24, 1859 CE · London, EnglandCharles Darwin proposes natural selection as the mechanism for evolution of life.Great Famine of India (1876-1878) DisasterGreat Famine of India (1876-1878)November 1, 1876 · Southern IndiaDrought and British policy cause mass starvation in India.Creation of The Starry Night ArtCreation of The Starry NightJune 1889 · Saint-Rémy-de-Provence, FranceVincent van Gogh paints his most famous masterpiece from an asylum window.Second Boer War Begins WarSecond Boer War BeginsOctober 11, 1899 · Pretoria, South AfricaBritish Empire fights Boer republics, introducing concentration camps.Founding of the Bengal School of Art ArtFounding of the Bengal School of Artc. 1905 CE · Calcutta (Kolkata), IndiaAbanindranath Tagore pioneers a new indigenous Indian art style.Outbreak of World War I WarOutbreak of World War IJuly 28, 1914 CE · Sarajevo, BosniaAssassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggers a global conflict involving major powers.October Revolution PoliticsOctober RevolutionNovember 7, 1917 · Petrograd (St. Petersburg), RussiaBolsheviks overthrow the Provisional Government, creating the first socialist state.Treaty of Versailles Signed PoliticsTreaty of Versailles SignedJune 28, 1919 · Versailles, FrancePeace treaty ends WWI but imposes harsh terms on Germany, sowing seeds for WWII.Wall Street Crash and Great Depression DisasterWall Street Crash and Great DepressionOctober 29, 1929 · New York City, USAStock market crash triggers the worst global economic depression in history.Creation of Guernica by Picasso ArtCreation of Guernica by PicassoMay 1, 1937 CE · Paris, FrancePicasso paints anti-war masterpiece depicting bombing of Basque town during Spanish Civil War.Attack on Pearl Harbor WarAttack on Pearl HarborDecember 7, 1941 · Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USAJapan attacks US fleet, bringing America into World War II.