1905

Events of 1905

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, an event that shocks the world.
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 - In Austin, Texas and San Antonio, TX, it is the coldest February on record, with average monthly temperature of 42.3°F and 43.9°F degrees (the previous record was -1°F and 4°F on February 12, 1899).
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 - In Manchuria, the Battle of Mukden begins, the largest world battle of that era.
February 23 - Rotary International is 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 - Russian troops begin to retreat from Mukden, Manchuria after losing one-hundred thousand troops in three days.
March 10
- 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 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.
April 24 - Death of the Miniconjou Teton Sioux warrior Touch the Clouds, at the age of 69.

May 15: Las Vegas, Nevada is founded with auction of 110 acres.

May 11 - Albert Einstein submits his doctoral dissertation "On the Motion of Small Particles...", in which he explains Brownian motion.
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.

May 11: Einstein submits his dissertation.

June 7 - Norwegian Parliament declares the union with Sweden dissolved and Norway achieves full independence.
June 9 - The 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.

July 6 - Alfred Deakin becomes Prime Minister of Australia for the second time.
July 29 - Taft-Katsura Agreement.
August 13 - Norway holds referendum in favour of dissolving the union with Sweden.
August 15 - the First All-Russian Congress of Muslims was 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 - Pro Football: First Pro Football foward pass is thrown

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 was the first aeroplane to fly successfully for 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 20 - Galatasaray SK Biggest football club in Turkey, Galatasaray SK founded
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.
Albert Einstein publishes four papers. In particular, he formulates the theory of special relativity and explains the photoelectric effect by quantization. 1905 is regarded as his "miracle year".
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."
Druidic rituals begin in Stonehenge.
Alfred Einhorn introduces novocaine.
The first U-boat is launched.
The Ancient Egyptian Order of Sciots is formed.
Wolves are extinct in Japan by this date.
The Fauve art form is formed with leaders such as Henri Matisse and others.
The word lime is first used to describe a color.

As the second year of the massive Russo-Japanese War, more than 100,000 would die in the largest world battles of that era, and the war chaos lead to a revolution against the Tsar. Canada and the U.S. expanded west, with the Alberta and Saskatchewan provinces and the founding of Las Vegas. The April earthquake in India, killing 20,000, foreshadowed the 1906 earthquakes. Year 1905 was also the annus mirabilis of Albert Einstein, publishing papers that lay the foundations for quantum physics, introduced the special theory of relativity, explained Brownian motion and proved the existence of atoms.