1910s

The conservative lifestyles during the first half of the decade, as well as the legacy of military alliances, were forever changed by the June 28, 1914 assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, the heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

The conflict dragged on until a truce was declared on November 11, 1918, leading to the controversial and one-sided Treaty of Versailles, signed on June 28, 1919.

[a] However, each of these states (with the possible exception of Yugoslavia) had large German and Hungarian minorities, creating some unexpected problems that would be brought to light in the next two decades.

China saw 2,000 years of imperial rule ended with the Xinhai Revolution, becoming a nominal republic until Yuan Shikai's failed attempt to restore the monarchy and his death started the Warlord Era in 1916.

Prominent assassinations include: Below are the best-selling books in the United States of each year, as determined by The Bookman, a New York-based literary journal (1910–1912) and Publishers Weekly (1913 and beyond).

Ford Model T Sinking of the ''Titanic'' World War I Spanish flu Western Front (World War 1) Eastern Front (World War I) Russian Revolution Battle of the Somme
From left, clockwise: The Ford Model T is introduced and becomes widespread; The sinking of the RMS Titanic causes the deaths of nearly 1,500 people and attracts global and historical attention; CONTEXT : All the events below are part of World War I (1914–1918) ; French Army lookout at his observation post in 1917; Russian troops awaiting a German attack; A ration party of the Royal Irish Rifles in a communication trench during the Battle of the Somme ; Vladimir Lenin addresses a crowd in the midst of the Russian Revolution , beginning in 1917; The Spanish flu pandemic in 1918 kills tens of millions worldwide.
Treaty of Versailles
World map showing all empires and colonies in 1914, just before World War I .
Vladimir Lenin, Leader of the Bolshevik Party during the Russian Revolution
Sinking of the Titanic .
Halifax Explosion
British World War I Mark V tank
Henry Ford
Charlie Chaplin
Lillian Gish
Mary Pickford
Babe Ruth , 1915