1914

This year saw the beginning of what became known as the First World War, after Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austrian throne was assassinated by Serbian nationalist Gavrilo Princip.

It also saw the first airline to provide scheduled regular commercial passenger services with heavier-than-air aircraft, with the St. Petersburg–Tampa Airboat Line.

They interpret biblical prophecies to assert that in October 1914, Jesus Christ began his invisible reign as King in heaven, marking the conclusion of the “Gentile Times” or “appointed times of the nations” mentioned in Luke 21:24.

Jehovah’s Witnesses also associate 1914 with the onset of the “last days,” characterized by global conflicts, natural disasters, and moral decline, as foretold in scriptures like Matthew 24:3-8 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5.

They view events such as World War I, which began in 1914, as fulfillment of these prophecies, signifying Christ’s heavenly enthronement and the establishment of God’s Kingdom.