Events in the year 1909 in
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
.
Incumbents
National level
*
Kaiser
Kaiser ( ; ) is the title historically used by German and Austrian emperors. In German, the title in principle applies to rulers anywhere in the world above the rank of king (). In English, the word ''kaiser'' is mainly applied to the emperors ...
–
Wilhelm II
Wilhelm II (Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert; 27 January 18594 June 1941) was the last German Emperor and King of Prussia from 1888 until Abdication of Wilhelm II, his abdication in 1918, which marked the end of the German Empire as well as th ...
*
Chancellor
Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...
–
Bernhard von Bülow
Bernhard Heinrich Karl Martin, Prince of Bülow ( ; 3 May 1849 – 28 October 1929) was a German politician who served as the chancellor of the German Empire, imperial chancellor of the German Empire and minister-president of Prussia from 1900 to ...
until 14 July, then
Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg
Theobald Theodor Friedrich Alfred von Bethmann Hollweg (29 November 1856 – 1 January 1921) was a German politician who was chancellor of the German Empire, imperial chancellor of the German Empire from 1909 to 1917. He oversaw the German entry ...
State level
Kingdoms
*
King of Bavaria
The King of Bavaria () was a title held by the hereditary Wittelsbach rulers of Bavaria in the state known as the Kingdom of Bavaria from 1805 until 1918, when the kingdom was abolished. It was the second time Bavaria was a kingdom, almost a t ...
–
Otto
Otto is a masculine German given name and a surname. It originates as an Old High German short form (variants '' Audo'', '' Odo'', '' Udo'') of Germanic names beginning in ''aud-'', an element meaning "wealth, prosperity".
The name is recorded fr ...
*
King of Prussia
The monarchs of Prussia were members of the House of Hohenzollern who were the hereditary rulers of the former German state of Prussia from its founding in 1525 as the Duchy of Prussia. The Duchy had evolved out of the Teutonic Order, a Roman C ...
– Wilhelm II
*
King of Saxony
This article lists dukes, electors, and kings ruling over different territories named Saxony from the beginning of the Saxon Duchy in the 6th century to the end of the German monarchies in 1918.
The electors of Saxony from John the Steadfast ...
–
Frederick Augustus III
*
King of Württemberg
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by f ...
–
William II
Grand Duchies
*
Grand Duke of Baden
The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918.
The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a margravi ...
–
Frederick II
*
Grand Duke of Hesse
The Grand Duchy of Hesse and by Rhine () was a grand duchy in western Germany that existed from 1806 to 1918. The grand duchy originally formed from the Landgraviate of Hesse-Darmstadt in 1806 as the Grand Duchy of Hesse (). It assumed the name ...
–
Ernest Louis
*
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin
This list of dukes and grand dukes of Mecklenburg dates from the origins of the Germany, German princely state of Mecklenburg's royal house in the High Middle Ages to the monarchy's abolition at the end of World War I. Strictly speaking, Mecklen ...
–
Frederick Francis IV
*
Grand Duke of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
The Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was a territory in Northern Germany, held by the younger line of the House of Mecklenburg residing in Neustrelitz. Like the neighbouring Grand Duchy of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, it was a sovereign member state ...
–
Adolphus Frederick V
*
Grand Duke of Oldenburg
120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg
120px, Shield of the Counts of Oldenburg-Delmenhorst
This is a list of the counts, dukes, grand dukes, and prime ministers of Oldenburg.
Counts of Oldenburg
* 1088/1101–1108 Elimar I
* 1108–1143 ...
–
Frederick Augustus II
*
Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach
Saxe-Weimar-Eisenach () was a German state, created as a duchy in 1809 by the merger of the Ernestine duchies of Saxe-Weimar and Saxe-Eisenach, which had been in personal union since 1741. It was raised to a grand duchy in 1815 by resolution of ...
–
William Ernest
Principalities
*
Schaumburg-Lippe
Schaumburg-Lippe, also called Lippe-Schaumburg, was created as a county in 1647, became a principality in 1807 and a free state in 1918, and was until 1946 a small state in Germany, located in the present-day state of Lower Saxony, with its capi ...
–
George, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe
George, Prince of Schaumburg-Lippe (10 October 1846 – 29 April 1911) was the ruler of the small Principality of Schaumburg-Lippe within the German Empire from 1893 to 1911, succeeding his father Adolf I, and being succeeded by his son Adolf ...
*
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was a small historic state in present-day Thuringia, Germany, with its capital at Rudolstadt.
History
Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt was established in 1599 in the course of a resettlement of House of Schwarzburg, Schwarzburg dy ...
–
Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (who assumed the title "Prince of Schwarzburg" from 28 March)
*
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a small principality in Germany, in the present day state of Thuringia, with its capital at Sondershausen.
History
Schwarzburg-Sondershausen was a county (earldom) until 1697. In that year, it became a principal ...
–
Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (; 7 August 1830 – 28 March 1909) was the ruler of the principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, a constituent state of the German Empire, and head of the House of Schwarzburg from 17 J ...
to 28 March, then
Günther Victor, Prince of Schwarzburg
Günther Victor (21 August 1852 – 16 April 1925) was the final sovereign prince of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt and Schwarzburg-Sondershausen.
Biography
He was born in Rudolstadt the son of Prince Adolf of Schwarzburg-Rudolstadt (1801–1875) and ...
*
Principality of Lippe
Lippe (later Lippe-Detmold and then again Lippe) was a state in Germany, ruled by the House of Lippe. It was located between the Weser river and the southeast part of the Teutoburg Forest. It originated as a state during the Holy Roman Empire, an ...
–
Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe
Leopold IV, Prince of Lippe (''Leopold Julius Bernhard Adalbert Otto Karl Gustav''; 30 May 1871 – 30 December 1949) was the final sovereign of the Principality of Lippe in northwestern Germany from 1905 until his abdication in 1918. Prior t ...
*
Reuss Elder Line
The Principality of Reuss-Greiz (), officially called the Principality of the Reuss Elder Line () after 1848, was a state in the German Empire, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. The Counts Reuss of Greiz, Lower-Greiz and Upper-Greiz () we ...
–
Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz
Heinrich XXIV, Prince Reuss of Greiz (; 20 March 187813 October 1927) was the last reigning Prince Reuss of Greiz from 1902 to 1918. Then he became head of the House Reuss of Greiz, which became extinct at his death in 1927.
Early life
Heinrich ...
(with
Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line as regent)
*
Reuss Younger Line
The Principality of Reuss-Gera (), officially called the Principality of the Reuss Junior Line () after 1848, was a sovereign state in modern Germany, ruled by members of the House of Reuss. It was one of the successor states of the Imperial Cou ...
– Heinrich XIV, Prince Reuss Younger Line
*
Waldeck and Pyrmont
The County of Waldeck (later the Principality of Waldeck and Principality of Waldeck and Pyrmont) was a state of the Holy Roman Empire and its successors from the late 12th century until 1929. In 1349 the county gained Imperial immediacy and ...
–
Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont
Friedrich, Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont (''Friedrich Adolf Hermann Fürst zu Waldeck und Pyrmont''; 20 January 1865 – 26 May 1946) was the last reigning Prince of Waldeck and Pyrmont from 12 May 1893 to 13 November 1918.
Early life, fa ...
Duchies
*
Duke of Anhalt –
Frederick II, Duke of Anhalt
*
Duke of Brunswick
Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they a ...
–
Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg
Duke John Albert of Mecklenburg (; given names ''John Albert Ernest Constantine Frederick Henry''; 8 December 1857 – 16 February 1920) was a member of the House of Mecklenburg-Schwerin who served as the regent of two states of the German Empir ...
(regent)
*
Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Saxe-Altenburg () was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine duchies, Ernestine branch of the House of Wettin in present-day Thuringia. It was one of the smallest of the German states with an area of 1323 square kilometers and a populati ...
–
Ernst II, Duke of Saxe-Altenburg
Ernst II (31 August 1871 – 22 March 1955) was the last reigning duke of Saxe-Altenburg and a German general active during World War I.
Early life
He was the fourth child and only son of Prince Moritz, the youngest son of Georg, Duke of Saxe- ...
*
Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Saxe-Coburg and Gotha (), or Saxe-Coburg-Gotha ( ), was an Ernestine duchy in Thuringia ruled by a branch of the House of Wettin, consisting of territories in the present-day states of Thuringia and Bavaria in Germany. It lasted from 1826 to ...
–
Charles Edward, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
Charles Edward (Leopold Charles Edward George Albert; 19 July 18846 March 1954) was at various points in his life a British prince, a German duke, and a Nazi politician. He was the last ruling duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, a state of the G ...
*
Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Saxe-Meiningen ( ; ) was one of the Saxon duchies held by the Ernestine duchies, Ernestine line of the House of Wettin, located in the southwest of the present-day Germany, German state of Thuringia.
Established in 1681, by partition of the Ern ...
–
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen
Georg II, Duke of Saxe-Meiningen (2 April 1826 – 25 June 1914), was the penultimate Duke of Saxe-Meiningen, reigning from 1866 to 1914. For his support for his successful court theatre he was also known as the ''Theaterherzog'' (theatre duke ...
Colonial Governors
*
Cameroon
Cameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon, is a country in Central Africa. It shares boundaries with Nigeria to the west and north, Chad to the northeast, the Central African Republic to the east, and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the R ...
(Kamerun) –
Theodor Seitz ''(3rd term)'' to 10 February, then
Wilhelm Peter Hansen ''(acting governor)'' to October, the again Theodor Seitz ''(4th and final term)''
*
Kiaochow (Kiautschou) –
Oskar von Truppel
*
German East Africa
German East Africa (GEA; ) was a German colonial empire, German colony in the African Great Lakes region, which included present-day Burundi, Rwanda, the Tanzania mainland, and the Kionga Triangle, a small region later incorporated into Portugu ...
(Deutsch-Ostafrika) –
Georg Albrecht Freiherr von Rechenberg
*
German New Guinea
German New Guinea () consisted of the northeastern part of the island of New Guinea and several nearby island groups, and was part of the German colonial empire. The mainland part of the territory, called , became a German protectorate in 188 ...
(Deutsch-Neuguinea) –
Albert Hahl ''(2nd term)''
*
German Samoa
German Samoa officially Malo Kaisalika / Kingdom of Samoa (; Samoan: ''Malo Kaisalika'') was a German protectorate from 1900 to 1920, consisting of the islands of Upolu, Savai'i, Apolima and Manono, now wholly within the Independent State ...
(Deutsch-Samoa) –
Wilhelm Solf
Wilhelm Heinrich Solf (5 October 1862 – 6 February 1936) was a German scholar, diplomat, jurist and statesman.
Early life
Solf was born into a wealthy and liberal family in Berlin. He attended secondary schools in Anklam, western Pomerania, a ...
*
German South-West Africa
German South West Africa () was a colony of the German Empire from 1884 until 1915, though Germany did not officially recognise its loss of this territory until the 1919 Treaty of Versailles.
German rule over this territory was punctuated by ...
(Deutsch-Südwestafrika) –
Bruno von Schuckmann
*
Togoland
Togoland, officially the Togoland Protectorate (; ), was a protectorate of the German Empire in West Africa from 1884 to 1914, encompassing what is now the nation of Togo and most of what is now the Volta Region of Ghana, approximately 90,400&nb ...
–
Johann Nepomuk Graf Zech auf Neuhofen
Events
*
19 December: German football club
Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, often known simply as Borussia Dortmund () or by its initialism BVB (), or just Dortmund by International fans, is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is ...
was founded.
* Summer – German Chemists
Fritz Haber
Fritz Jakob Haber (; 9 December 1868 – 29 January 1934) was a German chemist who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1918 for his invention of the Haber process, a method used in industry to synthesize ammonia from nitrogen gas and hydrog ...
and
Carl Bosch
Carl Bosch (; 27 August 1874 – 26 April 1940) was a German chemist and engineer and Nobel Laureate in Chemistry. He was a pioneer in the field of high-pressure industrial chemistry and founder of IG Farben, at one point the world's largest ...
first demonstrate the
Haber process
The Haber process, also called the Haber–Bosch process, is the main industrial procedure for the ammonia production, production of ammonia. It converts atmospheric nitrogen (N2) to ammonia (NH3) by a reaction with hydrogen (H2) using finely di ...
, the catalytic formation of ammonia from hydrogen and atmospheric nitrogen under conditions of high temperature and pressure.
Undated
*
Bavaria 09 Berlin, German association football club founded.
* A team under German chemist
Fritz Hofmann first synthesizes
synthetic rubber
A synthetic rubber is an artificial elastomer. They are polymers synthesized from petroleum byproducts. About of rubber is produced annually in the United States, and of that amount two thirds are synthetic. Synthetic rubber, just like natural ru ...
(Methylkautschuk).
*
Linde–Frank–Caro process was invented by
Adolf Frank and developed with
Carl von Linde
Carl Paul Gottfried von Linde (11 June 1842 – 16 November 1934) was a German scientist, engineer, and businessman. He discovered the refrigeration cycle and invented the first industrial-scale air separation and gas liquefaction processes, ...
and
Heinrich Caro
Heinrich Caro (February 13, 1834 – September 11, 1910) was a German chemist.
Caro was of Sephardic Jewish origin He started his study of chemistry at the Humboldt University of Berlin, Friedrich Wilhelms University and later chemistry and dy ...
.
(Methylkautschuk).
Births
*
4 January
Events Pre-1600
*46 BC – Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.
* 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army.
1601–1900
*1642 – En ...
–
Cilly Aussem
Cilly Aussem (; 4 January 1909 – 22 March 1963) was a German tennis player.
She was the first German, male or female, to win the singles title at Wimbledon, which she did in 1931. She also won the women's single titles at the French Champions ...
, German tennis player (died
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
)
*
8 January –
Willy Millowitsch
Willy Millowitsch (, ; 8 January 1909 – 20 September 1999) was a German stage and TV actor and the director of the ''Volkstheater Millowitsch'' in Cologne.
Early life
Millowitsch was born in Cologne, Rhine Province. His parents were Peter a ...
, German actor (died
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
)
*
15 January –
Jean Bugatti
Jean Bugatti (''né'' Gianoberto Maria Carlo Bugatti; 15 January 1909 – 11 August 1939) was a French automotive designer and test engineer for Bugatti. He was the son of Bugatti's founder Ettore Bugatti.
Biography
Born in Cologne, Jean B ...
, German automobile designer (died
1939
This year also marks the start of the World War II, Second World War, the largest and deadliest conflict in human history.
Events
Events related to World War II have a "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 1
** Coming into effect in Nazi Ger ...
)
*
31 January –
Yosef Burg German-born
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
i politician and rabbi (died
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
)
*
3 February
Events Pre-1600
*1047 – Drogo of Hauteville is elected as count of the Apulian Normans during the Norman conquest of Southern Italy.
* 1112 – Ramon Berenguer III, Count of Barcelona, and Douce I, Countess of Provence, marry, unitin ...
–
Kurt Petter
Kurt Petter (3 February 1909 – 3 October 1969) was a German physician, youth leader and educational administrator.
Petter was born in 1909, the son of Bernhard and Marie Petter. He studied medicine at the University of Würzburg, University of ...
, physician, youth leader and educational administrator (died
1969
1969 ( MCMLXIX) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1969th year of the Common Era (CE) and ''Anno Domini'' (AD) designations, the 969th year of the 2nd millennium, the 69th year of the 20th century, and the ...
)
*
20 February –
Heinz Erhardt
Heinz Erhardt (; 20 February 1909 – 5 June 1979) was a German comedian, musician, entertainer, actor and poet.
Life
Heinz Erhardt was born in Riga, the son of Baltic German Kapellmeister Gustav Erhardt. He lived most of his childhood at his gr ...
, German comedian (died
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
)
*
19 March
Events Pre-1600
* 1277 – The Byzantine–Venetian treaty of 1277 is concluded, stipulating a two-year truce and renewing Venetian commercial privileges in the Byzantine Empire.
* 1279 – A Mongol victory at the Battle of Yamen en ...
–
Otto John
Otto John (19 March 1909 – 26 March 1997) was a German lawyer and intelligence official. During World War Two, he was a conspirator in the 20 July plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler. Following the war, he became the first head of West Germa ...
, German lawyer (died
1997
Events January
* January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States.
* January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis.
* January 1 ...
)
*
27 March
Events Pre-1600
*1309 – Pope Clement V imposes excommunication and interdiction on Venice, and a general prohibition of all commercial intercourse with Venice, which had seized Ferrara, a papal fiefdom.
*1329 – Pope John XXII issu ...
–
Golo Mann
Golo Mann (born Angelus Gottfried Thomas Mann; 27 March 1909 – 7 April 1994) was a popular German historian and essayist. After completing a doctorate in philosophy under Karl Jaspers at Heidelberg, in 1933 he fled Hitler's Germany. He followe ...
, German historian, essayist and writer (died
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
)
*
2 April
Events Pre-1600
* 1513 – Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of St. Augustine and the mouth of the St. Jo ...
–
Otto Haxel
Otto Haxel (2 April 1909, in Neu-Ulm – 26 February 1998, in Heidelberg) was a German nuclear physics, nuclear physicist. During World War II, he worked on the German nuclear energy project. After the war, he was on the staff of the Max Planck I ...
, German nuclear physicist (died
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for Lunar water, frozen water, in soil i ...
)
*
23 April
Events Pre-1600
* 215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
*599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in so ...
–
Karl Klasen, German banker (died
1991
It was the final year of the Cold War, which had begun in 1947. During the year, the Soviet Union Dissolution of the Soviet Union, collapsed, leaving Post-soviet states, fifteen sovereign republics and the Commonwealth of Independent State ...
)
*
24 April
Events Pre-1600
*1479 BC – Thutmose III ascends to the throne of Egypt, although power effectively shifts to Hatshepsut (according to the Low Chronology of the 18th dynasty).
* 1183 BC – Traditional reckoning of the Fall of Troy ma ...
:
Bernhard Grzimek
Bernhard Klemens Maria Hoffbauer Pius Grzimek (; 24 April 1909 – 13 March 1987) was a German zoo director, zoologist, book author, editor, and Animal Conservation, animal conservationist in postwar West Germany. During the Third Reich, he served ...
German zoo director, zoologist, book author, editor, and animal conservationist in postwar West-Germany.(died
1987
Events January
* January 1 – Bolivia reintroduces the Boliviano currency.
* January 2 – Chadian–Libyan conflict – Battle of Fada: The Military of Chad, Chadian army destroys a Libyan armoured brigade.
* January 3 – Afghan leader ...
)
*
Konrad Frey
Konrad Frey (24 April 1909 in Bad Kreuznach – 24 May 1974 ib.) was a German gymnast best known to be the most successful German male competitor at a single Olympics.
With 3 Gold and 6 medals in total at the 1936 Summer Olympics, he had beaten ...
, German gymnast (died
1974
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; ...
)
*
Werner Jacobs
Werner Jacobs (1909–1999) was a German film director and film editor, editor. He was born in Berlin on the 24 April 1909. He is best known for his contributions to Modebummel (1951), Der Stern von Santa Clara (1958) and André und Ursula (1955). ...
, German film director (died
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
)
*
25 April –
Ludwig Martin, German lawyer (died
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
)
*
26 April
Events Pre-1600
* 1336 – Francesco Petrarca (Petrarch) ascends Mont Ventoux.
* 1478 – The Pazzi family attack on Lorenzo de' Medici in order to displace the ruling Medici family kills his brother Giuliano during High Mass in Fl ...
–
Marianne Hoppe
Marianne Hoppe (26 April 1909 – 23 October 2002) was a German theatre and film actress.
Life and work
Born in Rostock, Hoppe became a leading lady of stage and films in Germany. She was born into a wealthy landowning family and was initial ...
, German actress (died
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
)
*
8 May –
Paul May
Paul May (8 May 1909 – 25 February 1976) was a German film director and film editor, editor. He directed 40 films between 1935 and 1972.
Biography
He was the son of Peter Ostermayr, a film producer with Universum Film AG, and his wife O ...
, German film director (died
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
)
*
11 May
Events Pre-1600
* 330 – Constantine the Great dedicates the much-expanded and rebuilt city of Byzantium, changing its name to New Rome and declaring it the new capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.
* 868 – A copy of the Diamond S ...
–
Georg von Holtzbrinck, German publisher (died
1983
1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning of the ...
)
*
22 May –
Willi Geiger, German judge (died
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
)
*
25 May
Events Pre-1600
*567 BC – Servius Tullius, the king of Rome, celebrates a triumph for his victory over the Etruscans.
*240 BC – First recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
* 1085 – Alfonso VI of Castile takes Toledo ...
–
Alfred Kubel, German politician (died
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
)
*
21 June
Events Pre-1600
* 533 – A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarios sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily.
* 1307 – Külüg Khan is enthroned as Khagan of the Mongols and Wuzong o ...
—
Helmut Möckel, youth leader and politician (died
1945
1945 marked the end of World War II, the fall of Nazi Germany, and the Empire of Japan. It is also the year concentration camps were liberated and the only year in which atomic weapons have been used in combat.
Events
World War II will be ...
)
*
22 June
Events Pre-1600
*217 BC – Battle of Raphia: Ptolemy IV Philopator of Egypt defeats Antiochus III the Great of the Seleucid kingdom.
* 168 BC – Battle of Pydna: Romans under Lucius Aemilius Paullus defeat Macedonian King Perseus ...
–
Heinrich Graf von Lehndorff-Steinort, German officer (died
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
)
*
4 July
Events Pre-1600
* 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans.
* 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and procl ...
–
Alex Seidel, German weapons manufacturer (died
1989
1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...
)
*
7 July
Events Pre-1600
*1124 – The city of Tyre falls to the Venetian Crusade after a siege of nineteen weeks.
*1456 – A retrial verdict acquits Joan of Arc of heresy 25 years after her execution.
*1520 – Spanish ''conquistadore ...
–
Gottfried von Cramm
Gottfried Alexander Maximilian Walter Kurt Freiherr von Cramm (; 7 July 1909 – 8 November 1976) was a German tennis player who won the French Open, French Championships twice, becoming the first non American, British, Australian or French playe ...
, tennis player (died
1976
Events January
* January 2 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 18 – Full diplomatic ...
)
*
22 July –
Franz-Josef Röder, politician (died
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...
)
*
9 August
Events Pre-1600
*48 BC – Caesar's Civil War: Battle of Pharsalus: Julius Caesar decisively defeats Pompey at Pharsalus and Pompey flees to Egypt.
* 378 – Gothic War: Battle of Adrianople: A large Roman army led by Emperor Valens ...
–
Adam von Trott zu Solz
Friedrich Adam von Trott zu Solz (9 August 1909 – 26 August 1944) was a German lawyer and diplomat who was involved in the conservative resistance to Nazism. A declared opponent of the Nazi regime from the beginning, he actively participated in ...
, German diplomat (died
1944
Events
Below, the events of World War II have the "WWII" prefix.
January
* January 2 – WWII:
** Free France, Free French General Jean de Lattre de Tassigny is appointed to command First Army (France), French Army B, part of the Sixt ...
)
*
13 August
Events Pre-1600
*29 BC – Octavian holds the first of three consecutive triumphs in Rome to celebrate the victory over the Dalmatian tribes.
* 523 – John I becomes the new Pope after the death of Pope Hormisdas.
* 554 – Empe ...
–
Werner Otto, German businessman (died
2011
The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...
)
*
5 September
Events Pre-1600
* 917 – Liu Yan declares himself emperor, establishing the Southern Han state in southern China, at his capital of Panyu.
* 1367 – Swa Saw Ke becomes king of Ava
*1590 – Alexander Farnese's army forces Hen ...
–
Hans Carste, German composer and conductor (died
1971 *
The year 1971 had three partial solar eclipses (Solar eclipse of February 25, 1971, February 25, Solar eclipse of July 22, 1971, July 22 and Solar eclipse of August 20, 1971, August 20) and two total lunar eclipses (February 1971 lunar eclip ...
)
*
7 September –
Kurt A. Körber, German entrepreneur (died
1992
1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General.
* January 6
** The Republ ...
)
*
14 October –
Bernd Rosemeyer
Bernd Rosemeyer (14 October 1909 – 28 January 1938) was a German racing driver and speed record holder. He is often considered one of the greatest racing drivers of his era.
Career
Rosemeyer's father owned an auto and motorcycle garage a ...
, German racing driver (died
1938
Events
January
* January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS).
* January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...
)
*
25 October
Events Pre-1600
* 285 or 286 – Execution of Saints Crispin and Crispinian during the reign of Diocletian, now the patron saints of leather workers, curriers, and shoemakers.
* 473 – Emperor Leo I acclaims his grandson Leo II a ...
–
Dieter Borsche, German actor (died
1982
Events
January
* January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00).
* January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C. ...
)
*
30 October
Events Pre-1600
* 637 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Antioch surrenders to the Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of the Iron Bridge.
* 758 – Guangzhou is sacked by Arab and Persian pirates.
* 1137 – Ranulf of Apulia defeats Rog ...
–
Carl Lange, German actor (died
1999
1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons.
Events January
* January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers.
* January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...
)
*
7 November
Events Pre-1600
* 335 – Athanasius, 20th pope of Alexandria, is banished to Trier on the charge that he prevented a grain fleet from sailing to Constantinople.
* 680 – The Sixth Ecumenical Council commences in Constantinople.
* ...
–
Ezriel Carlebach, German-born
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
i journalist and publicist (died
1956
Events
January
* January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.
* January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian Missionary, missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, E ...
)
*
1 December
Events Pre-1600
* 800 – A council is convened in the Vatican, at which Charlemagne is to judge the accusations against Pope Leo III.
* 1420 – Henry V of England enters Paris alongside his father-in-law King Charles VI of France.
* ...
–
Hans-Heinrich Sievert, German decathlete (died
1963
Events January
* January 1 – Bogle–Chandler case: Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation scientist Dr. Gilbert Bogle and Mrs. Margaret Chandler are found dead (presumed poisoned), in bushland near the Lane Cove ...
)
*
2 December –
Marion Dönhoff
Marion Hedda Ilse Gräfin von Dönhoff (2 December 1909 – 11 March 2002) was a German journalist and publisher who participated in the resistance against Nazism, along with Helmuth James Graf von Moltke, Peter Yorck von Wartenburg, and Claus ...
, German journalist (died
2002
The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...
)
*
3 December
Events Pre-1600
* 915 – Pope John X crowns Berengar I of Italy as Holy Roman Emperor (probable date).
1601–1900
*1775 – American Revolution: becomes the first vessel to fly the Continental Union Flag (precursor to the " Stars a ...
–
Charlotte Kretschmann, German supercentenarian (died
2024
The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
)
*
23 December
Events Pre-1600
* 484 – The Arian Vandal Kingdom ceases its persecution of Nicene Christianity.
* 558 – Chlothar I is crowned King of the Franks.
* 583 – Maya queen Yohl Ik'nal is crowned ruler of Palenque.
* 962 &nda ...
–
Joachim Werner, German archaeologist (died
1994
The year 1994 was designated as the " International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations.
In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 days, omitti ...
)
Deaths
*
22 January
Events Pre-1600
* 613 – Eight-month-old Heraclius Constantine is crowned as co-emperor ('' Caesar'') by his father Heraclius at Constantinople.
* 871 – Battle of Basing: The West Saxons led by King Æthelred I are defeated b ...
–
Emil Erlenmeyer
Richard August Carl Emil Erlenmeyer (28 June 1825 – 22 January 1909), known simply as Emil Erlenmeyer, was a German chemist known for contributing to the early development of the theory of chemical structure and formulating the Erlenmeyer rul ...
, chemist (born
1825
Events
January–March
* January 4 – King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies dies in Naples and is succeeded by his son, Francis.
* February 3 – Vendsyssel-Thy, once part of the Jutland peninsula forming westernmost Denmark, becomes an ...
)
*
2 February –
Adolf Stoecker, German pastor and politician (born
1835
Events
January–March
* January 7 – anchors off the Chonos Archipelago on her second voyage, with Charles Darwin on board as naturalist.
* January 8 – The United States public debt contracts to zero, for the only time in history. ...
)
*
26 February
Events Pre-1600
*747 BC – According to Ptolemy, the epoch (origin) of the Nabonassar Era began at noon on this date. Historians use this to establish the modern BC chronology for dating historic events.
* 320 – Chandragupta I i ...
–
Hermann Ebbinghaus
Hermann Ebbinghaus (24 January 1850 – 26 February 1909) was a German psychologist who pioneered the experimental study of memory. Ebbinghaus discovered the forgetting curve and the spacing effect. He was the first person to describe the learnin ...
, psychologist (born
1850
Events
January–March
* January 29 – Henry Clay introduces the Compromise of 1850 to the United States Congress.
* January 31 – The University of Rochester is founded in Rochester, New York.
* January – Sacramento, Ca ...
)
*
24 March
Events Pre-1600
*1199 – King Richard I of England is wounded by a crossbow bolt while fighting in France, leading to his death on April 6.
*1387 – English victory over a Franco- Castilian- Flemish fleet in the Battle of Margate ...
–
Alfred Messel
Alfred Messel (22 July 1853 – 24 March 1909) was a German architect at the turning point to the 20th century, creating a new style for buildings which bridged the transition from historicism to modernism. Messel was able to combine the structure ...
, German architect (born
1853
Events
January–March
* January 6 –
** Florida Governor Thomas Brown signs legislation that provides public support for the new East Florida Seminary, leading to the establishment of the University of Florida.
**U.S. President-elect ...
)
*
28 March –
Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen
Charles Gonthier, Prince of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen (; 7 August 1830 – 28 March 1909) was the ruler of the principality of Schwarzburg-Sondershausen, a constituent state of the German Empire, and head of the House of Schwarzburg from 17 J ...
, nobleman (born
1830
It is known in European history as a rather tumultuous year with the Revolutions of 1830 in France, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland and Italy.
Events January–March
* January 11 – LaGrange College (later the University of North Alabama) ...
)
*
30 April
Events Pre-1600
* 311 – The Diocletianic Persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire ends.
* 1315 – Enguerrand de Marigny is hanged at the instigation of Charles, Count of Valois.
*1492 – Spain gives Christopher Columbus h ...
–
Albert Langen
Albert Langen (8 July 1869 – 30 April 1909) was a German publisher and founder of the satirical publication ''Simplicissimus''.
Early years
Langen was, after Martha and Martin, the third of four children born to Antwerp industrialist Friedrich ...
, German publisher (born
1869
Events January
* January 3 – Abdur Rahman Khan is defeated at Tinah Khan, and exiled from Afghanistan.
* January 5 – Scotland's second oldest professional football team, Kilmarnock F.C., is founded.
* January 20 – Elizabe ...
)
*
9 May –
Margarete Steiff
Margarete Steiff (24 July 1847 – 9 May 1909) was a German seamstress who in 1880 founded Margarete Steiff GmbH, more widely known as Steiff, a maker of toy stuffed animals.
Born in Giengen, Kingdom of Württemberg, Margarete contracted ...
, German seamstress and company founder (born
1847
Events
January–March
* January 4 – Samuel Colt sells his first revolver pistol to the U.S. government.
* January 13 – The Treaty of Cahuenga ends fighting in the Mexican–American War in California.
* January 16 – John C. Fr� ...
)
*
13 May
Events Pre-1600
*1344 – A Latin Christian fleet defeats a Turkish fleet in the battle of Pallene during the Smyrniote crusades.
*1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, vis ...
–
Heinrich Limpricht
Heinrich Limpricht (21 April 1827 – 13 May 1909) was a German chemist. Limpricht was a pupil of Friedrich Wöhler; he worked on the chemistry of furans and pyrroles, discovering furan in 1870.
In 1852 he became lecturer and in 1855 extraordi ...
, German chemist (born
1827
Events
January–March
* January 5 – The first regatta in Australia is held, taking place in Tasmania (called at the time ''Van Diemen's Land''), on the River Derwent at Hobart.
* January 15 – Furman University, founded in 1826, b ...
)
*
19 May
Events
Pre-1600
* 639 – Ashina Jiesheshuai and his tribesmen assaulted Emperor Taizong at Jiucheng Palace.
* 715 – Pope Gregory II is elected.
* 934 – The Byzantine Empire reconquers Melitene under the leadership of J ...
-
Gustav zu Bentheim-Tecklenburg, German politician (born
1849
Events
January–March
* January 1 – France begins issue of the Ceres series (France), Ceres series, the nation's first postage stamps.
* January 5 – Hungarian Revolution of 1848: The Austrian army, led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisc ...
)
*
24 May
Events Pre-1600
* 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom.
* 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt.
*1276 – Magnus Ladu ...
–
Georg von Neumayer
Georg Balthazar von Neumayer (21 June 1826 – 24 May 1909) was a German polar explorer and scientist who was a proponent of the idea of international cooperation for meteorology and scientific observation. He served as a hydrographer for the ...
, German polar explorer (born
1826
Events January–March
* January 15 – The French newspaper ''Le Figaro'' begins publication in Paris, initially as a satirical weekly.
* January 17 – The Ballantyne printing business in Edinburgh (Scotland) crashes, ruining noveli ...
)
*
3 June
Events Pre-1600
* 350 – The Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman emperor, entering Rome at the head of a group of gladiators.
* 713 – The Byzantine emperor Philippicus is blinded, depos ...
-
Theodor Barth, German politician and publicis (born
1849
Events
January–March
* January 1 – France begins issue of the Ceres series (France), Ceres series, the nation's first postage stamps.
* January 5 – Hungarian Revolution of 1848: The Austrian army, led by Alfred I, Prince of Windisc ...
)
*
8 June –
Fritz Overbeck
August Friedrich Overbeck, known as Fritz (15 September 1869 – 8 June 1909) was a German painter and engraver.
Biography
He was born in Bremen as the son of the Technical Director at Norddeutscher Lloyd. After graduating from the local ...
, German painter (born
1869
Events January
* January 3 – Abdur Rahman Khan is defeated at Tinah Khan, and exiled from Afghanistan.
* January 5 – Scotland's second oldest professional football team, Kilmarnock F.C., is founded.
* January 20 – Elizabe ...
)
*
3 July
Events Pre-1600
* 324 – Battle of Adrianople: Constantine I defeats Licinius, who flees to Byzantium.
* 987 – Hugh Capet is crowned King of France, the first of the Capetian dynasty that would rule France until the French Rev ...
–
Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel
Hermann Johannes Pfannenstiel (28 June 1862 – 3 July 1909) was a German gynecologist born in Berlin.
In 1885 he received his doctorate in Berlin and afterwards worked as a hospital assistant in Posen. He later moved to Breslau, where in 1 ...
, German gynecologist (born
1862
Events
January
* January 1 – The United Kingdom annexes Lagos Island, in modern-day Nigeria.
* January 6 – Second French intervention in Mexico, French intervention in Mexico: Second French Empire, French, Spanish and British ...
)
*
13 October –
Julius Ruthardt, German violinist and composer (born
1841
Events
January–March
* January 20 – Charles Elliot of the United Kingdom and Qishan of the Qing dynasty agree to the Convention of Chuenpi.
* January 26 – Britain occupies Hong Kong. Later in the year, the first census of the ...
)
*
30 October
Events Pre-1600
* 637 – Arab–Byzantine wars: Antioch surrenders to the Rashidun Caliphate after the Battle of the Iron Bridge.
* 758 – Guangzhou is sacked by Arab and Persian pirates.
* 1137 – Ranulf of Apulia defeats Rog ...
–
Leopold Sonnemann, German newspaper publisher (born
1831
Events
January–March
* January 1 – William Lloyd Garrison begins publishing '' The Liberator'', an anti-slavery newspaper, in Boston, Massachusetts.
* January 10 – Japanese department store, Takashimaya in Kyoto estab ...
)
*
16 December
Events Pre-1600
* 714 – Pepin of Herstal, mayor of the Merovingian palace, dies at Jupille (modern Belgium). He is succeeded by his infant grandson Theudoald, while his widow Plectrude holds actual power in the Frankish Kingdom.
* 755 ...
–
Ludwig Friedländer
Ludwig Henrich Friedlaender (16 July 1824 – 16 December 1909) was a German philologist. He was one of the preeminent scholars of Ancient Rome of his time and is known for his research on Roman daily life and customs. He was a professor at Albe ...
, German philologist (born
1824
Events
January–March
* January 1 – John Stuart Mill begins publication of The Westminster Review. The first article is by William Johnson Fox
* January 8 – After much controversy, Michael Faraday is finally elected as a member of th ...
)
References
Years of the 20th century in Germany
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
{{Germany-hist-stub