Video: 'The Lincoln Memorial, Washington, DC.'
(Thursday, February 12, 1914) — The groundbreaking for the Lincoln Memorial took place in Washington, D.C., today, the 105th anniversary of the late president’s birth. A year later on this date, the Memorial’s cornerstone was laid.
Video: 'Kid Auto Races at Venice (1914) - 1st Charlie Chaplin Movie Appearance as The Tramp - Henry Lehrman'
(Monday, February 2, 1914) — Kid Auto Races at Venice, a film starring Charles Chaplin in which his “Little Tramp” character makes his first appearance in a film exhibited before the public, premiered today in the U.S.
Directed by Henry Lehrman, the film also starred Lehrman, Frank D. Williams, Billy Jacobs, Charlotte Fitzpatrick, Thelma Salter and Gordon Griffith.
Video: 'Making a Living (1914) - 1st Charlie Chaplin Movie Appearance - Henry Lehrman'
(Monday, February 2, 1914) — Making a Living, a comedy short film about a lady-charming swindler who runs afoul of the Keystone Kops, premiered today in the U.S.
Directed by Henry Lehrman, the film starred Charles Chaplin (in his movie debut), Chester Conklin, Minta Durfee and Virginia Kirtley.
Video: 'American Experience - Henry Ford - 5 Dollar A Day Wage'
(Monday, January 5, 1914) — Auto industrialist Henry Ford announced today he was going to pay workers $5 for an 8-hour day, as opposed to $2.34 for a 9-hour day. Employees still worked six days a week; the 5-day work week was instituted in 1926.
(Monday, December 29, 1913) — The first true “cliffhanger” movie serial, The Adventures of Kathlyn, premiered today.
Filmed in Chicago, its thirteen episodes were directed by Francis J. Grandon from a story by Harold MacGrath and Gilson Willets and starred Kathlyn Williams as the heroine.
Video: 'Italian Hall Disaster of 1913'
(Wednesday, December 24, 1913; Christmas Eve) — 73 people, most of them children, died today in a crush of panic after someone falsely called out “fire!” during a Christmas party for striking miners and their families at the Italian Hall in Calumet, Michigan.
(Tuesday, December 23, 1913) — The Federal Reserve Act, an Act of Congress that created and set up the Federal Reserve System, the central banking system of the United States of America, and granted it the legal authority to issue Federal Reserve Notes (now commonly known as the U.S. Dollar) and Federal Reserve Bank Notes as legal tender, was signed into law today by President Woodrow Wilson.
Video: 'Arthur Wynne and the Crossword - Hidden Genius'
(Sunday, December 21, 1913) — What’s regarded as the first newspaper crossword puzzle was published today in the New York World. Created by journalist Arthur Wynne, it was billed as a “Word-Cross Puzzle.”
Image: 'The Polo Grounds during a 1913 World Series game'
(Saturday, October 11, 1913) — The Philadelphia Athletics won the 1913 World Series today, beating the New York Giants 3-1 at the Polo Grounds (IV) in upper Manhattan, New York, in the fifth and deciding game. It was the third of nine World Series victories for the Athletics (1910-1989).
Video: 'Experience Panama - Seven Wonders Of The World - Episode 5: The Panama Canal, by BBC' (Oct. 10, 1913, at 47:11)
(Friday, October 10, 1913, 2 p.m. local time) — The Panama Canal was effectively completed today as President Woodrow Wilson sent a signal from the White House by telegraph, setting off explosives that destroyed a section of the Gamboa dike.
