Major Events of January 1911: 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 January 1911 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of January 1911: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Jan 1911 First Monte Carlo Rally: The inaugural Monte Carlo Rally is held, marking the beginning of one of the most prestigious and challenging automobile racing events in the world. This event would become a cornerstone of international motorsport.
02 Jan 1911 Boy Scouts of America National Council Established: The National Council of the Boy Scouts of America was officially established at 200 Fifth Avenue in New York City, beginning with a modest team of seven employees, marking the formal organization of this influential youth movement.
03 Jan 1911 Siege of Sidney Street: A dramatic seven-hour siege unfolded in London's East End, involving a combined police and military force confronting two Latvian anarchists. Home Secretary Winston Churchill personally arrived at the scene to oversee the operations, which ultimately resulted in the deaths of both anarchists. This event highlighted the political tensions and law enforcement challenges of the era.
04 Jan 1911 British Antarctic Expedition Reaches Antarctica: On January 4, 1911, Robert Falcon Scott's British Antarctic Expedition, aboard the ship Terra Nova, successfully landed at Cape Evans on the Antarctic continent. This landmark expedition was part of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, with Scott and his team aiming to be the first to reach the South Pole. The expedition would later become famous for its tragic end, with Scott and several team members perishing during their return journey from the pole after being beaten to their goal by Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen.
05 Jan 1911 Founding of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity: Kappa Alpha Psi, the world's second oldest and largest historically African American fraternity, was founded at Indiana University, representing a significant moment in African American collegiate history and social organization.
06 Jan 1911 President Taft Denies Pardon to Lumber Industrialist: In a notable display of executive authority, U.S. President William Howard Taft refused to grant a pardon to H.S. Harlan, a prominent lumber and turpentine factory manager who had been convicted of labor law violations. This decision underscored the administration's commitment to enforcing labor regulations and holding industrial leaders accountable for workplace misconduct during the Progressive Era.
07 Jan 1911 World's First Downhill Skiing Race in Switzerland: A historic moment in winter sports occurred when the world's inaugural downhill skiing race was held at Crans-Montana in the Swiss Alps. Sponsored by Lord Roberts of Kandahar, the event featured 20 competitors who climbed to a glacier hut and then descended 4,000 feet. British competitor Cecil Hopkinson emerged as the first champion, winning the Roberts of Kandahar Challenge Cup.
08 Jan 1911 Douglas Mawson's Australasian Antarctic Expedition Reaches Cape Denison: On January 8, 1911, the Australasian Antarctic Expedition, led by the renowned explorer Douglas Mawson, successfully arrived at Cape Denison in Antarctica. The expedition faced extreme challenges from the outset, with relentless and powerful winds creating harsh conditions that would test the resilience and determination of the explorers. Mawson's team was part of the heroic age of Antarctic exploration, seeking to map and understand the largely unknown Antarctic continent. The constant, fierce winds at Cape Denison would later become legendary, with the location recognized as one of the windiest places on Earth, presenting significant logistical and survival challenges for the expedition members.
09 Jan 1911 Landmark Patent Reversal in Automobile Industry: A pivotal U.S. Court of Appeals panel reversed a previous federal court decision, invalidating George B. Selden's exclusive automobile patent. This ruling significantly impacted the automotive industry, particularly benefiting Henry Ford, who had been previously sued by the Association of Licensed Automobile Manufacturers (ALAM) for patent infringement and royalty payments. The decision effectively cleared the path for Ford to establish what would become the nation's largest automobile manufacturing company, marking a crucial moment in American industrial innovation.
10 Jan 1911 Record-Breaking Temperature Drop in Rapid City: A meteorological phenomenon occurred in Rapid City, South Dakota, where the temperature plummeted from 55°F to 8°F within just fifteen minutes, representing the fastest recorded temperature drop in meteorological history. This extreme weather event highlights the unpredictability of climate conditions.
11 Jan 1911 US-Honduras Treaty Signed: The United States signed a strategic financial treaty with Honduras, providing a loan to the Central American nation while carefully avoiding establishing a direct protectorate. This diplomatic and economic agreement highlighted the complex international relations of the era.
12 Jan 1911 Establishment of University of Philippines College of Law: On January 12, 1911, the University of the Philippines College of Law was formally established, marking a significant milestone in Philippine legal education. Notably, three future presidents of the Philippines were among the inaugural class of students, highlighting the institution's potential for producing national leadership talent.
13 Jan 1911 Amundsen's Expedition Reaches Walvis Bay: Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen, famous for being the first person to reach the South Pole in 1911, anchored at Walvis Bay in present-day Namibia. This was likely part of his preparations or a stopover during his groundbreaking polar expeditions.
14 Jan 1911 Roald Amundsen's Historic South Pole Expedition Landfall: Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen's groundbreaking South Pole expedition successfully made landfall on the eastern edge of the Ross Ice Shelf, marking a critical moment in polar exploration. This strategic landing was part of Amundsen's carefully planned mission to be the first to reach the geographic South Pole, which he would ultimately achieve on December 14, 1911.
15 Jan 1911 Wu Tingfang Cuts Queue, Symbolizes Modern China: In a powerful symbolic act of modernization, Wu Tingfang, a future Chinese Premier, addressed 40,000 people at Shanghai's Zhang Gardens. He publicly cut off his traditional queue hairstyle, a symbol of Qing dynasty subservience, and encouraged others to do the same. At least 1,000 people immediately followed his lead, signaling a cultural and political transformation in China.
16 Jan 1911 First Military Reconnaissance Flight in India: The British Indian Army conducted the first known military reconnaissance flight by airplane in India, potentially representing a global milestone in military aviation technology and strategy.
17 Jan 1911 Luis W. Alvarez: Pioneering Physicist: Luis W. Alvarez, a renowned American physicist known for his groundbreaking work in subatomic physics, was born. He would later be awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1968 for his significant contributions to scientific understanding.
18 Jan 1911 First Aircraft Shipboard Landing in Naval History: Eugene B. Ely successfully landed his Curtiss biplane on the deck of the USS Pennsylvania in San Francisco harbor, marking a groundbreaking moment in aviation and naval technology. This historic achievement demonstrated the potential for aircraft to operate directly from naval vessels, fundamentally transforming maritime and military strategies.
19 Jan 1911 First Cordotomy Performed on a Human Patient: On January 19, 1911, Dr. Edward Martin, in collaboration with neurologist Dr. William Spiller, successfully performed the first cordotomy on a human being. This groundbreaking medical procedure was designed to provide relief for patients suffering from intractable, chronic pain by surgically interrupting specific nerve pathways in the spinal cord. The cordotomy represented a significant advancement in pain management techniques and neurosurgical interventions, offering hope for patients with previously untreatable pain conditions.
20 Jan 1911 Deadly Mine Fire in Sosnowiec, Russian Poland: On January 20, 1911, a catastrophic fire erupted in a coal mine located in Sosnowiec, a mining region in Russian-controlled Poland. The tragic incident resulted in the immediate death of 40 coal miners, highlighting the dangerous working conditions and significant safety risks faced by industrial workers during the early 20th century. The event underscores the harsh realities of mining operations during this period, where worker safety was often overlooked in pursuit of industrial productivity.
21 Jan 1911 First Monte Carlo Rally Launches Prestigious Motorsport Event: On January 21, 1911, the inaugural Monte Carlo Rally was held, marking the beginning of one of the most iconic and challenging automobile competitions in motorsport history. Organized by Prince Albert I of Monaco, the rally was designed to promote the principality and attract wealthy tourists during the winter season. Participants drove from various starting points across Europe, converging in Monaco, testing both their vehicles' reliability and drivers' skills across challenging alpine routes.
22 Jan 1911 Philip Orin Parmelee Sets Airplane Flight Endurance Record: On January 22, 1911, pioneering aviator Philip Orin Parmelee established a remarkable milestone in early aviation history by setting a new airplane flight endurance record. Flying a Wright Flyer, Parmelee successfully kept the aircraft airborne for an impressive 3 hours and 40 minutes over a course in Dayton, Ohio. This achievement was significant during the nascent era of powered flight, demonstrating the growing capabilities of aircraft and the skill of early pilots in maintaining sustained flight.
23 Jan 1911 Murder of David Graham Phillips: Bestselling author David Graham Phillips was tragically assassinated in New York City by a disgruntled individual who took extreme offense to his provocative novel, 'The Fashionable Adventures of Joshua Craig'. The murder highlighted the intense personal and social tensions surrounding literary works during the early 20th century.
24 Jan 1911 Execution of Kotoku Shusui and Anarchist Conspirators: On January 24, 1911, Kotoku Shusui, a prominent Japanese anarchist and political activist, along with ten other individuals, were executed by hanging in Japan. They were convicted of conspiracy to assassinate Crown Prince Hirohito (who would later become Emperor Hirohito or Emperor Showa), just six days after their trial. This event was part of the broader suppression of radical political movements in early 20th-century Japan.
25 Jan 1911 Mercenary Invasion of Honduras: An army of 1,600 mercenaries led by Manuel Bonilla invaded Honduras, engaging in a significant battle at La Ceiba against the Honduran Army. After successfully defeating local forces, the mercenary troops advanced towards Tegucigalpa, the capital city, which was expected to fall within weeks of the initial invasion.
26 Jan 1911 First Successful Hydroplane Flight: Aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss achieves a groundbreaking milestone by piloting the first successful hydroplane in San Diego, California, demonstrating significant advancement in early aviation technology.
27 Jan 1911 UNC's First College Basketball Game: On January 27, 1911, the University of North Carolina made history by playing its inaugural college basketball game, defeating Virginia Christian College (now known as Lynchburg College). This match marked the beginning of UNC's significant basketball legacy.
28 Jan 1911 Diamond Match Company Advances Match Safety: The Diamond Match Company made a groundbreaking decision to surrender its patent rights for a safer match substitute, effectively helping to eliminate the use of toxic white phosphorus in match production. This voluntary action represented a significant public health advancement, paving the way for safer manufacturing practices and reducing worker exposure to harmful chemicals.
29 Jan 1911 Mexican Liberal Party Captures Mexicali: A significant moment in the Mexican Revolution occurs as the Mexican Liberal Party captures Mexicali, sparking the Magonista rebellion of 1911, which was a crucial uprising against the regime of Porfirio Díaz.
30 Jan 1911 Taal Volcano Catastrophic Eruption: A devastating eruption of Taal Volcano in the Philippines resulted in approximately 1,500 fatalities and extensive environmental and infrastructural damage.
31 Jan 1911 Panama Canal Opening Celebration Site Selection: The United States Congress officially designated San Francisco as the host city for the Panama Canal opening celebration, marking a significant moment in early 20th-century maritime and national infrastructure commemoration.