Major Events of March 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 March 1910 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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

01 Mar 1910 Wellington Avalanche of 1910: The deadliest avalanche in United States history occurred near Stevens Pass in northeastern King County, Washington, when a massive snow slide struck two stranded Great Northern Railway trains. The catastrophic event killed 96 people, primarily railroad passengers who had been trapped by severe winter conditions since February 24th. Shortly after 1:00 a.m. on March 1st, a violent thunderstorm triggered an enormous avalanche that swept the trains down a 150-foot-deep canyon, marking a tragic moment in American transportation history.
02 Mar 1910 First U.S. Military Airplane Pilot: On March 2, 1910, U.S. Army Lieutenant Benjamin Foulois made history by becoming the first American military airplane pilot. He successfully completed a solo flight in a Wright Brothers' aircraft, marking a significant milestone in military aviation and technological advancement. This event symbolized the United States' emerging capabilities in aerial technology and military innovation during the early days of powered flight.
03 Mar 1910 Rockefeller Foundation's Philanthropic Pivot: John D. Rockefeller Jr. announced his retirement from active business management to dedicate himself fully to philanthropic endeavors, marking a significant transition in his career and signaling a new era of strategic charitable giving.
04 Mar 1910 Deadly Rogers Pass Avalanche Claims 58 Railway Workers: On March 4, 1910, a catastrophic avalanche struck Rogers Pass in British Columbia's Selkirk Mountains, devastating a team of Canadian Pacific Railway workers who were clearing snow-covered tracks. The massive snowslide was the most deadly in Canadian history, instantly killing 58 men and highlighting the extreme dangers faced by railway construction workers in the rugged mountain terrain. This tragic event underscored the immense human cost of building transportation infrastructure in challenging alpine environments during the early 20th century.
05 Mar 1910 First Russian Opera at Metropolitan Opera: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of Spades" made history as the first Russian opera performed at New York's Metropolitan Opera. Notably, the opera was conducted by Gustav Mahler and sung in German, marking a significant cultural exchange in early 20th-century classical music.
06 Mar 1910 First Woman Awarded Airplane Pilot's License: On March 6, 1910, Madame Raymonde de Laroche made history by becoming the first woman to be officially authorized to fly an airplane. She was awarded pilot's license #36 by the Federation Aeronautique Internationale, breaking significant gender barriers in the emerging field of aviation and paving the way for future women pilots.
07 Mar 1910 Founding of Hollandia (Jayapura): On March 7, 1910, the Dutch colonial administration established the city of Hollandia in the Dutch East Indies, which would later become known as Jayapura, the capital of Papua province in Indonesia. The city was strategically located on the northern coast of New Guinea and served as an important administrative and trading center during the Dutch colonial period.
08 Mar 1910 First Female Pilot Licensed: Baroness Raymonde de Laroche of Paris, France, made aviation history by becoming the first woman to receive an official pilot's license. Her groundbreaking achievement challenged gender barriers in the emerging field of aviation and paved the way for future generations of female pilots.
09 Mar 1910 Ekaterina Breshkovskaya Political Conviction: Ekaterina Breshkovskaya, a prominent revolutionary figure known as the 'Grandmother of the Russian Revolution,' was convicted at age 66 for political agitation. Her arrest underscored the Russian Empire's harsh suppression of revolutionary and political dissent during the pre-revolutionary period.
10 Mar 1910 China Abolishes Slavery: The Chinese government officially abolishes slavery, representing a significant social and humanitarian reform in Chinese history and marking a pivotal moment in the country's progression towards human rights.
11 Mar 1910 Birth of Infamous Outlaw Clyde Barrow: Clyde Barrow was born in Ellis County, Texas, who would later become one of America's most notorious criminal figures. Together with his partner Bonnie Parker, he would become a legendary Depression-era criminal duo known for a string of robberies and violent confrontations with law enforcement across the central United States.
12 Mar 1910 Florence Lawrence: First Named Movie Star: Movie history was made when Florence Lawrence became recognized as the first named movie star by film industry pioneer Carl Laemmle of Independent Moving Pictures (I.M.P.). This groundbreaking moment marked a significant shift in how film actors were perceived and marketed, transforming Lawrence into a recognizable public figure and paving the way for the modern concept of celebrity.
13 Mar 1910 Arrest of Veer Savarkar in London: Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, a prominent Indian revolutionary and nationalist leader, was arrested by London police upon his return to the United Kingdom. This arrest was significant in the context of the Indian independence movement, as Savarkar was a key figure in challenging British colonial rule and advocating for Hindu nationalist ideology. His detention would become a pivotal moment in his political activism and the broader struggle against British imperialism.
14 Mar 1910 Lakeview Gusher: Historic Oil Well Disaster: On March 14, 1910, the Lakeview Gusher near Bakersfield, California, became one of the most significant oil well incidents in U.S. history. This massive uncontrolled oil well eruption released approximately 9 million barrels of crude oil over an extraordinary 18-month period, marking the largest accidental oil spill in history. The gusher vented directly into the atmosphere, creating an environmental catastrophe that would become a landmark event in the early petroleum industry.
15 Mar 1910 President Taft's Conservation Proposal for Bering Sea: President William Howard Taft proposed congressional intervention to protect seal populations in the Bering Sea islands, demonstrating early 20th-century environmental conservation efforts and diplomatic wildlife management strategies.
16 Mar 1910 Congressional Power Redistribution: U.S. Representative George W. Norris successfully introduced a resolution that dramatically reduced the Speaker of the House's power, creating a bipartisan Rules Committee and ending what he called 'the long dynasty of the all-powerful Speaker'.
17 Mar 1910 Founding of Camp Fire Girls Organization: Luther Gulick and his wife Charlotte established the Camp Fire Girls, a pioneering youth organization focused on character development, outdoor skills, and personal growth for young women. The organization was formally announced in 1912 and would later evolve into Camp Fire USA, becoming one of the first gender-inclusive youth development organizations in the United States.
18 Mar 1910 First Controlled Airplane Flight in Australia: On March 18, 1910, Australia witnessed its first controlled airplane flight, a groundbreaking moment in the nation's aviation history. The flight was notably performed by Harry Houdini, who was already famous as a magician and escape artist. This event marked a crucial milestone in Australia's technological advancement and demonstrated the expanding global reach of early aviation pioneers.
19 Mar 1910 U.S. House of Representatives Reforms Speaker's Powers: On March 19, 1910, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a landmark resolution that significantly curtailed the Speaker's traditional powers, representing a pivotal moment in congressional governance and institutional reform. This change aimed to reduce the absolute control wielded by the Speaker and promote more democratic decision-making processes within the legislative branch.
20 Mar 1910 First Occupational Diseases Clinic Established: A groundbreaking medical facility dedicated to the treatment and study of occupational diseases was opened, marking a significant milestone in workplace health and medical research. This clinic represented an early recognition of the health risks associated with industrial and professional environments.
21 Mar 1910 Deadly Train Derailment in Gladbrook, Iowa: On March 21, 1910, a catastrophic train accident occurred in Gladbrook, Iowa, resulting in the tragic deaths of forty-seven people. The incident involved trains No. 10 and No. 21 of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The consolidated trains were traveling at approximately 30 miles per hour when the locomotive struck a spread rail, causing a devastating derailment that highlighted the transportation safety challenges of the early 20th century.
22 Mar 1910 British House of Lords Reform Resolution: The British House of Lords passed a groundbreaking reform resolution, explicitly stating that mere possession of a peerage would no longer automatically guarantee membership in the House, signaling a significant shift in the traditional aristocratic governance model.
23 Mar 1910 Rif Rebellion Suppressed in Spanish Morocco: On March 23, 1910, the Spanish military successfully suppressed a prolonged rebellion by Rif tribesmen in Spanish Morocco after an 8-month conflict. The brutal campaign resulted in significant casualties, with approximately 8,000 Berbers and 2,000 Spanish soldiers losing their lives, highlighting the intense colonial tensions in North Africa during the early 20th century.
24 Mar 1910 British Colonial Authorities Ban Gandhi's Hind Swaraj: On March 24, 1910, colonial authorities in British India banned 'Hind Swaraj', a seminal political pamphlet written by Mohandas K. Gandhi. The document, which advocated non-violent resistance and civil disobedience against British imperial rule, was deemed subversive by Sir H.A. Stuart, marking an early instance of colonial suppression of Gandhi's emerging independence movement.
25 Mar 1910 Tragic Fire at Fish Furniture Store in Chicago: A devastating fire at the Fish Furniture Store in Chicago resulted in the deaths of 16 employees, predominantly women and girls, who were trapped on the fourth and fifth floors. The fire was reportedly started accidentally by a clerk filling pocket cigarette lighters with benzene, as instructed by his supervisor.
26 Mar 1910 First Aviation Instruction School Established: Orville Wright, one of the pioneering Wright brothers, established the first formal flying school in Montgomery, Alabama, beginning instruction for five student aviators, marking a significant milestone in early aviation education.
27 Mar 1910 Deadly Barn Dance Fire in Hungary: A tragic fire erupted during a barn dance in Ököritófülpös, Hungary, resulting in 312 fatalities. The disaster was caused when pine branch decorations used for festive lantern lighting caught fire, quickly engulfing the ballroom in flames.
28 Mar 1910 First Successful Seaplane Flight by Henri Fabre: French aviation pioneer Henri Fabre made history by becoming the first person to successfully fly a seaplane, the Fabre Hydravion. He took off from a water runway near Martigues, France, demonstrating a groundbreaking moment in aviation technology that would revolutionize maritime and aerial transportation.
29 Mar 1910 Pennsylvania Railroad Wage Increase of 1910: In a significant labor relations move, the Pennsylvania Railroad announced a substantial 6% pay raise for employees earning less than $300 per month. This wage increase represented an important moment in early 20th-century labor practices, demonstrating the railroad's recognition of worker compensation during an era of rapid industrial expansion.
30 Mar 1910 Founding of University of Southern Mississippi: The Mississippi Legislature established the University of Southern Mississippi, expanding higher education opportunities in the state and contributing to the region's academic development.
31 Mar 1910 Formation of Stoke-on-Trent: On March 31, 1910, six historic pottery towns in North Staffordshire united to create the modern city of Stoke-on-Trent. This federation marked a significant administrative and economic consolidation in the ceramics manufacturing region of England, bringing together local municipalities to form a more powerful and cohesive urban center.