the encyclopedic entry of 1905

Overview

As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War, more than 100,000 die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos leads to a revolution against the Tsar. Canada and the U.S. expand west, with the Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces and the founding of Las Vegas. The April earthquake in India, killing 20,000, foreshadows the 1906 earthquakes. Year 1905 is also the annus mirabilis of Albert Einstein, publishing papers that laid the foundations of quantum physics, introduces the special theory of relativity, explains Brownian motion and proves the existence of atoms.

January 1 - The Trans-Siberian Railway officially opens after its completion on July 21, 1904.
January 2 - Russo-Japanese War: The Russian Army surrenders at Port Arthur, China.
January 5 - The play The Scarlet Pimpernel opens at the New Theatre in London and begins a run of 122 performances and numerous revivals
January 22 (January 9 O.S.) - Bloody Sunday massacre of Russian demonstrators at the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, one of the triggers of the abortive Russian Revolution of 1905.
January 26 - The Cullinan Diamond is found near Pretoria, South Africa at the Premier Mine.

February 12 - In Christchurch, New Zealand, the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament is opened.
February 16 - At Haulbowline Base in Ireland, two explosions onboard the HM Submarine A5, due to petrol fumes after refueling, kill 6 of 11 crew.
February 17 - At Fremantle, Western Australia, the R.M.S. Orizaba wrecks, but all 160 passengers and the mail are saved.
February 19 - Russo-Japanese War: The Battle of Mukden begins in Manchuria.
February 23 - Rotary founded.

March 1 - Australian Conservative leader Richard Butler takes office as Premier of South Australia.
March 3 - Tsar Nicholas II of Russia agrees to create an elected assembly (the Duma).
March 4 - US. President Theodore Roosevelt begins full term.
March 5 - Russo-Japanese War: Russian troops begin to retreat from Mukden after losing 100,000 troops in three days.
March 10

Russo-Japanese War: Japanese capture of Mukden (now Shenyang) completes rout of Russian armies in Manchuria.
Cassie Chadwick sentenced for 14 years in Cleveland for fraud.

March 14 - Chelsea FC founded
March 17 - Albert Einstein publishes his paper "On a heuristic viewpoint concerning the production and transformation of light" in which he explains the photoelectric effect using the notion of light quanta.
March 20 - Grover Shoe Factory disaster: boiler explosion, building collapse and fire in Brockton, Massachusetts kills 58.
March 31 - German emperor William II asserts German equality with France in Morocco, triggering the Tangier or First Moroccan Crisis.

April - Albert Einstein works on the special theory of relativity as well as the theory of Brownian motion.
April 2 - The Simplon Tunnel is officially opened through the Alps.
April 4 - In India, an earthquake near Kangra kills 20,000.
April 7 - The Supreme Court of the United States invalidates New York's eight-hour-day law in Lochner v. New York.

May 11 - Albert Einstein submits his doctoral dissertation "On the Motion of Small Particles...", in which he explains Brownian motion. In the course of the year, Einstein publishes four papers, formulates the theory of special relativity and explains the photoelectric effect by quantization. 1905 is regarded as his "miracle year".
May 13 - Mata Hari debuts in Paris.
May 15 - Las Vegas, Nevada is founded when 110 acres (0.4 km²), in what later would become downtown, are auctioned off.
May 27-28 - Russo-Japanese War: Battle of Tsushima - The Japanese fleet under Admiral Heihachiro Togo destroys the Russian fleet under Admiral Zinovi Petrovich Rozhdestvenski in a two-day battle.

June 7 - Norwegian Parliament declares the union with Sweden dissolved and Norway achieves full independence.
June 9 - Charlton Athletic F.C. is founded.
June 15 - Princess Margaret of Connaught marries Gustav, Crown Prince of Sweden.
June 27 - (June 14 according to the Julian calendar): Mutiny breaks out on the Russian ironclad Potemkin.
June 30 - Albert Einstein publishes the article "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies" where he reveals his theory of special relativity.

August 13 - Norway holds referendum in favour of dissolving the union with Sweden.
August 15 - First All-Russian Congress of Muslims is held in Nizhny Novgorod (Russia).

September 1 - The Canadian provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan are established from the southwestern part of the Northwest Territories.
September 5 - Russo-Japanese War: Treaty of Portsmouth is signed. In New Hampshire, a treaty mediated by US President Theodore Roosevelt is signed by victor Japan and Russia. Russia cedes the island of Sakhalin and port and rail rights in Manchuria to Japan.
September 5 - First forward pass is thrown in professional American football.

October 2 - HMS Dreadnought is laid down, revolutionizing battleship design and triggering a naval arms race.
October 5 - Wright Brothers third aeroplane, Wright Flyer III stays in the air for 39 minutes with Wilbur piloting. This is the first aeroplane flight lasting over 1/2 an hour.
October 16 - Russian Revolution of 1905: Russian army opens fire in a meeting on a street market in Estonia, killing 94 and injuring over 200.
October 26 - Sweden agrees to the repeal of the union with Norway.
October 30 - Tsar Nicholas II is forced to grant Russia's first constitution, conceding a national assembly (Duma) with limited powers.

November 9 - The Province of Alberta, Canada holds its first general election.
November 18 - Prince Carl of Denmark becomes King Haakon VII of Norway.
November 28 - Irish nationalist Arthur Griffith founds Sinn Féin in Dublin as a political party whose goal is independence for all of Ireland.

December 30 - Bomb kills Frank Steunenberg, ex-governor of Idaho. Case leads to a trial against leaders of the Western Federation of Miners.

Women given vote and admitted to practice of law in Queensland.
Workers Compensation introduced in Queensland.
The title Prime Minister of the United Kingdom is officially recognized by King Edward VII.
Pathé Frères colors black and white films by machine.
Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer are banned from the Brooklyn Public Library for setting a "bad example."
Neo-Druidic rituals begin in Stonehenge.
Alfred Einhorn introduces novocaine.
The first U-boat is launched.
Wolves are extinct in Japan by this date.
The Fauvism movement is founded, led by Henri Matisse and André Derain.
The word "lime" is first used to describe a color.
Civil service examinations are abolished in China.