1919 Facts for Kids

Millennium:	2nd millennium
Centuries:	19th century – 20th century – 21st century
Decades:	1880s 1890s 1900s – 1910s – 1920s 1930s 1940s
Years:	1916 1917 1918 – 1919 – 1920 1921 1922

The year 1919 was a common year starting on Wednesday in the Gregorian calendar. It was a time of big changes around the world, especially after World War I. Many important events happened, and new ideas began to shape the future.

Major Events of 1919

January 15 – A strange and tragic event called the Great Molasses Flood happened in Boston. A huge tank of molasses burst, flooding the streets and sadly killing 21 people.
January 16 – Prohibition began in the United States. This law made it illegal to make, sell, or transport alcoholic drinks.
June 28 – The Treaty of Versailles was signed. This important agreement officially ended World War I between Germany and the Allied powers.
Charles Strite invented the toaster. This made it much easier for people to make toast at home!
Jules Bordet, a Belgian doctor, won the 1919 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. He was honored for his discoveries about how our bodies fight off diseases.

Many famous people were born in 1919:

May 3 - Pete Seeger, an American folk musician known for his songs and activism. (d. 2014)
May 7 – Eva Perón, who became the First Lady of Argentina and worked to help poor people. (d. 1952)
July 20 – Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer. He was one of the first two people to reach the top of Mount Everest. (d. 2008)
September 26 - Matilde Camus, a Spanish poet. (d. 2012)
October 3 - James M. Buchanan, an American economist who won a Nobel Prize. (d. 2013)
October 18 – Pierre Trudeau, who later became the Prime Minister of Canada. (d. 2000)
October 26 - Edward Brooke, an American politician.

Some well-known people passed away in 1919:

Alexis Mérodack-Jeanneau – A French painter.
January 6 – Theodore Roosevelt, who was the 26th President of the United States.
April 10 – Emiliano Zapata, a key leader in the Mexican Revolution.
May 6 – L. Frank Baum, the American writer famous for "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."
August 11 – Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish businessman who became very wealthy and gave a lot of money to charity.
October 7 – Alfred Deakin, the second Prime Minister of Australia.
October 13 – Karl Adolph Gjellerup, a Danish writer who won the Nobel Prize in Literature.