1910s Facts for Kids

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century – 20th century – 21st century
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s – 1910s – 1920s 1930s 1940s
Years:	1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919
Categories:	Births – Deaths – Architecture Establishments – Disestablishments

The 1910s was a ten-year period that began on January 1, 1910, and ended on December 31, 1919. This decade was a time of big changes and important events around the world. It saw major wars, new inventions, and shifts in how countries were governed.

Major Conflicts and Changes

The Balkan Wars

The Balkan Wars were two short wars in 1912 and 1913. They involved countries in the Balkans region of Europe. These wars were a big step towards World War I.

China's Big Change

From 1911 to 1912, the Republic of China was formed. This new government took over from the old Qing Dynasty. It ended thousands of years of rule by emperors in China.

The Sinking of the Titanic

In 1912, the famous ship RMS Titanic hit an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean. It sank on its very first trip. This was a very sad event that many people still remember today.

Olympic Games in Sweden

The Olympic Games were held in Stockholm, Sweden in 1912. Athletes from all over the world came together to compete in different sports.

World War I

From 1914 to 1918, the world was gripped by World War I. This was a huge global conflict that involved many countries. Sadly, about 15 million people lost their lives during this war.

The Russian Revolution

In 1917, the October Revolution happened in Russia. This event led to Communists taking power. They removed the king (called the Tsar) from his rule.

The Spanish Flu Pandemic

From 1918 to 1919, a terrible illness called Spanish Flu spread across Europe and the world. It was a very serious flu that killed between 25 million and 50 million people.

Important World Leaders

Many important leaders guided their countries through the changes of the 1910s.

Leaders in Australia

Prime Minister Andrew Fisher
Prime Minister Joseph Cook
Prime Minister Billy Hughes

Leaders in Austria-Hungary

Emperor Franz Josef
Emperor Karl

Leaders in Canada

Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden

Leaders in the Ottoman Empire

Sultan Vahidettin

Leaders in Persia (Iran)

Ahmad Shah Qajar of Qajar dynasty

Leaders in Russia and the Soviet Union

Emperor Nicholas II
Vladimir Lenin (who led the new Soviet Union)

Leaders in Spain

King Alfonso XIII
Prime Minister José Canalejas
Prime Minister Eduardo Dato Iradier

Leaders in the United Kingdom

King George V
Prime Minister H. H. Asquith
Prime Minister David Lloyd George

Leaders in the United States

President William Howard Taft
President Woodrow Wilson

Famous Births

Many well-known people were born in the 1910s:

1911 – Ronald Reagan, who later became a US President
1912 – Alan Turing, a brilliant mathematician and computer scientist
1912 – John Cage, a famous composer
1912 – Pope John Paul I, a Pope
1913 – Richard Nixon, who later became a US President
1913 – Gerald Ford, who also became a US President
1914 – Richard Widmark, an actor
1916 – Gregory Peck, a famous actor
1918 – Nelson Mandela, a South African leader and president
1918 – Paul Harvey, an American radio host
1919 – Eva Perón, a well-known political figure in Argentina

Notable Deaths

Some important people passed away in this decade:

1914 – Adlai E. Stevenson, an American politician
1914 – John Philip Holland, who designed early submarines
1919 – Emiliano Zapata, a leader in the Mexican Revolution

Images for kids

Treaty of Versailles
Sinking of the Titanic.
British World War I Mark V tank
Babe Ruth, 1915
Pablo Picasso, Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler, 1910. Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque helped create Cubism, a new way of painting.
Henri Matisse, L'Atelier Rouge, 1911.
Armory Show poster, 1913. This was an important art exhibition.