Major Events of December 1910: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from December 1910 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of December 1910: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Dec 1910 Birth of Dame Alicia Markova, Pioneering Ballerina: Alicia Lilian Alice Marks, later known professionally as Dame Markova, was born in London. She would become a groundbreaking British ballerina who significantly influenced 20th-century dance, helping to establish ballet as a respected art form in the United Kingdom and internationally.
02 Dec 1910 Scott's Antarctic Expedition Faces Perilous Storm: Three days into Robert Falcon Scott's ambitious Antarctic expedition departing from New Zealand, the expedition's ship, the *Terra Nova*, encountered a devastating hurricane that nearly resulted in the vessel's destruction. This harrowing experience underscored the extreme dangers faced by early 20th-century polar explorers in their quest to reach the South Pole.
03 Dec 1910 First Multiple Fatality Airplane Accident: The first multiple fatality airplane accident in history occurred at Centocelle, near Rome, when an airplane carrying Lt. Enrico Cammarota and Private S. Castellani crashed, resulting in their deaths. This tragic event marked the 26th and 27th fatalities in aviation history, highlighting the early dangers of flight technology.
04 Dec 1910 First Grey Cup Championship in Canadian Football: The inaugural Grey Cup was awarded after the Toronto Varsity Blues defeated the Toronto Parkdale team in Canada's amateur gridiron football championship game. This historic match marked the beginning of what would become one of Canada's most prestigious sporting traditions in football.
05 Dec 1910 Founding of the Italian Nationalist Association: Luigi Federzoni established the Italian Nationalist Association, a right-wing political organization that would later play a crucial role in the rise of fascism in Italy. In 1921, this association would merge with Benito Mussolini's National Fascist Party, significantly influencing the political landscape of early 20th-century Italy.
06 Dec 1910 The Rite of Spring Ballet Premiere: Igor Stravinsky's groundbreaking ballet 'The Rite of Spring' (Le Sacre du Printemps) receives its first public performance in Paris, France. This revolutionary work would later become known for its radical musical and choreographic innovations that challenged traditional classical music and dance conventions.
07 Dec 1910 Notable Musicians Born: On December 7, 1910, two significant musicians were born: Louis Prima, a renowned American bandleader from New Orleans who would later become famous for his energetic performances and contributions to jazz and swing music, and Edmundo Ros, a celebrated Trinidadian bandleader from Port of Spain who would make significant contributions to Latin and Caribbean music.
08 Dec 1910 Emanuel Lasker Retains World Chess Championship: Renowned German chess grandmaster Emanuel Lasker successfully defended his world chess championship title by defeating David Janowski in a decisive match held in Berlin. Lasker won 8 out of 11 games, demonstrating his exceptional strategic prowess and solidifying his reputation as one of the most dominant chess players of the early 20th century.
09 Dec 1910 Arizona State Constitution Advancement: A significant step towards statehood occurred when delegates adopted the proposed state constitution for Arizona with a vote of 40–12. The constitution was subsequently submitted for voter approval, scheduled for February 9, 1911, marking a crucial phase in Arizona's journey to becoming a U.S. state.
10 Dec 1910 Johannes van der Waals Wins Nobel Prize in Physics: Johannes van der Waals, a prominent Dutch physicist, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for his groundbreaking work on the equation of state for gases and liquids, which significantly advanced understanding of molecular interactions and thermodynamic properties.
12 Dec 1910 Mysterious Disappearance of Dorothy Arnold: On December 12, 1910, Dorothy Arnold, a prominent 25-year-old New York City socialite from a wealthy Manhattan family, vanished without a trace after shopping on Fifth Avenue. Her disappearance became one of the most intriguing missing person cases of the early 20th century. Remarkably, her affluent family delayed reporting her disappearance to authorities for six weeks, choosing instead to conduct their own private investigations. Despite extensive searches and private detective work, Dorothy was never found, and her fate remains an unsolved mystery to this day.
13 Dec 1910 Uneventful Day in 1910: While no specific major historical events are documented for December 13, 1910, this period was part of the late Edwardian era, characterized by significant social and technological transformations. The world was on the cusp of major changes, with industrialization rapidly progressing and global tensions building towards what would become World War I.
14 Dec 1910 First Multiple Fatality Airplane Accident in History: On December 14, 1910, a tragic milestone in aviation history occurred near Rome at Centocelle airfield. Lieutenant Enrico Cammarota and Private S. Castellani became the first multiple fatalities in a single airplane accident, marking a somber moment in the early development of aviation technology. Their deaths highlighted the significant risks and experimental nature of early flight, underscoring the dangerous pioneering efforts of early aviators who were pushing the boundaries of human technological achievement.
15 Dec 1910 Premiere of Madama Butterfly: On December 15, 1910, the renowned Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's iconic opera 'Madama Butterfly' was first performed publicly at La Scala opera house in Milan, Italy. The opera, set in Nagasaki, Japan, tells a tragic love story between a Japanese geisha and an American naval officer, and would go on to become one of Puccini's most famous and enduring works.
16 Dec 1910 First Jet Propulsion Aircraft Incident: During a ground test of his Coandă-1910 plane, Romanian aviation pioneer Henri Coandă experienced an unexpected and dramatic moment when the powerful jet engine unexpectedly lifted the aircraft, causing him to lose control. The experimental aircraft subsequently crashed, marking a significant moment in early aviation history.
17 Dec 1910 Russian Newspaper Suppression: In an act of governmental censorship, Russian authorities seized all editions of five national newspapers after Deputy Purishkevich delivered a radical speech in the Duma (Russian parliament). This event underscores the tight control of media and political discourse during the late Imperial Russian period, reflecting the regime's intolerance of dissenting or provocative political statements.
18 Dec 1910 Battle of the Trebia: A pivotal battle during the Second Punic War where Hannibal's Carthaginian army decisively defeated Roman forces in northern Italy, demonstrating Hannibal's military genius and strategic prowess.
19 Dec 1910 Edward Douglass White Becomes Chief Justice: Edward Douglass White is sworn in as the 9th Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court, succeeding Melville Fuller and continuing to shape the nation's judicial landscape.
21 Dec 1910 Hulton Bank Colliery Mining Disaster: A catastrophic underground explosion occurred at the Hulton Bank Colliery No. 3 Pit in Over Hulton, Westhoughton, England, resulting in the tragic death of 344 miners. This devastating incident stands as one of the most significant mining accidents in early 20th-century British industrial history, highlighting the dangerous working conditions in coal mines during that era.
22 Dec 1910 Deadly Chicago Union Stock Yards Fire: A catastrophic fire at the Chicago Union Stock Yards resulted in a tragic loss of life when a building collapsed during firefighting efforts, killing twenty-one firefighters. This devastating incident highlighted the extreme risks faced by first responders in early 20th-century industrial settings and prompted subsequent safety reforms in firefighting protocols.
23 Dec 1910 Uneventful Day in 1910: While no specific significant historical events were documented for December 23, 1910, this period was part of the late Edwardian era, characterized by significant technological and social transformations preceding World War I. The world was experiencing rapid industrialization, colonial expansions, and emerging tensions between European powers.
24 Dec 1910 Tragic Train Derailment in Kirkby Stephen: On Christmas Eve, a devastating train accident occurred when the 'Scotch Express' derailed in northern England. The train, carrying approximately 500 passengers traveling from England to Scotland, resulted in 27 fatalities. The incident highlighted the significant safety challenges in early 20th-century railway transportation.
25 Dec 1910 Christmas Day 1910: A Quiet Historical Moment: On December 25, 1910, Christmas Day passed without any notable recorded historical events. While the day might have been celebrated quietly by families and communities around the world, no significant global or regional occurrences were documented for this specific date.
26 Dec 1910 Lucy Faithfull: Children's Rights Advocate: Lucy Faithfull was a prominent British social reformer and children's rights campaigner who dedicated her life to protecting and improving the welfare of children. Born in the early 20th century, she became a significant figure in child protection and social welfare movements, advocating for legislative changes and social policies that would safeguard children's interests.
27 Dec 1910 First International Ice Hockey Game Between Canada and United States: On December 27, 1910, a groundbreaking international ice hockey match was played in Cleveland, Ohio, marking a significant milestone in the sport's cross-border development. The game featured a Canadian team from Berlin, Ontario (now known as Kitchener) competing against a local American team. The Canadian squad demonstrated superior skill and strategy, securing a decisive victory that highlighted the early dominance of Canadian hockey players in international competition.
28 Dec 1910 Failed Assassination Attempt on Japanese Governor-General in Korea: A significant political incident occurred in Sonchon, northern Korea, involving a failed assassination attempt on Japanese Governor-General Terauchi Masatake. The Korean independence group Shinminhoe was implicated, leading to widespread arrests of Koreans and foreign missionaries. 105 Koreans were ultimately convicted of treason and sentenced to hard labor, highlighting the intense political tensions during the Japanese colonial period in Korea.
29 Dec 1910 Birth of Ronald Coase: Ronald Coase, a prominent British economist who would later win the Bank of Sweden Prize (Nobel Prize in Economics), was born on December 29, 1910. Coase would become renowned for his groundbreaking work in transaction cost economics and institutional economics.
30 Dec 1910 First Human Observation of a Stellar Birth: Thomas Espin, an astronomer, became the first human to scientifically document the birth of a new star. This groundbreaking observation occurred at a star located approximately 5,117 light-years away, with an estimated distance of 1,569 parsecs. This moment represented a significant milestone in astronomical research and understanding of stellar formation.
31 Dec 1910 US Tobacco Industry Milestone in 1910: In a significant industrial achievement, the United States tobacco industry produced 9 billion cigarettes in the year 1910, marking a substantial growth in manufacturing and consumer demand for tobacco products during the early 20th century.