Events in year of 1903
- 01-02President Roosevelt shuts down post office in Indianola Miss, for refusing to accept its appointed postmistress because she was black
- 01-05SF-Hawaii telegraph cable opens for public use
- 01-06Dutch Press museum opens in Amsterdam
- 01-07Start of Sherlock Holmes "Adventure of Blanched Soldier" (BG)
- 01-092 NYers buy Baltimore baseball franchise for $18,000 and moved it to New York
- 01-09Frank Farrell and Bill Devery purchase AL Baltimore franchise for $18,000 and move it to NYC (Yankees)
- 01-09Wind Cave National Park, SD established
- 01-12Harry Houdini performs at Rembrandt theater, Amsterdam
- 01-12Rhodes Opera House burns in Boyertown Pa, killing 170
- 01-191st regular transatlantic radio broadcast between US and England
- 01-19New bicycle race "Tour de France" announced
- 01-21"Wizard of Oz, " premieres in New York City
- 01-21Harry Houdini escapes police station Halvemaansteeg in Amsterdam
- 01-21International Theater (Majestic, Park) opens at 5 Columbus Circle New York City
- 01-29Dutch railroad workers strike
- 02-03Frederick Lugard occupies Kano West Africa
- 02-04Stanley Cup: Montreal AAA beat Winn Victorias, 2 games to 1 and 1 tie
- 02-14US Department of Commerce & Labor forms
- 02-151st Teddy Bear introduced in America, made by Morris and Rose Michtom
- 02-18Kuyper government launches anti strike laws
- 02-20Nick Young remains as NL President as AG Spalding ends challenge
- 02-21Cornerstone laid for US army war college, Washington, DC
- 02-22Due to drought the US side of Niagara Falls runs short of water
- 02-23Cuban state of Guantanamo leased to USA
- 02-24US signs agreement acquiring a naval station at Guantanamo Bay Cuba
- 02-28Barney Dreyfuss and James Potter buys Philadelphia Phillies for $170,000
- 03-02Martha Washington Hotel, catering to women only, opens in New York City
- 03-03North Carolina becomes 1st state requiring registration of nurses
- 03-05Definitive treaty for construction of Baghdad railway drawn
- 03-10Harry Gammeter, Cleveland, patents multigraph duplicating machine
People born in year of 1903
- 01-02Anton van Duinkerken [Willem JMA Asselbergs]: Literary
- 01-03Charles Foulkes: Canada -- General
- 01-04Joris Diels: Flemish actor / director (Haagsche Comedy)
- 01-05Leighton Lucas: Composer
- 01-06Boris Blacher: Newchwang, China -- German composer (Orchester-Ornament)
- 01-06Francis L Sullivan: London, England -- Actor (Missing Rembrandt)
- 01-06Maurice Abravanel: Saloniki, Greece -- Conductor / composer
- 01-06Stanley Smith: Kansas City, Missouri -- Actor (Honey, King of Jazz, Soup to Nuts)
- 01-07Alan Napier: Birmingham, England -- Actor (Alfred-Batman)
- 01-07Albrecht Haushofer: Writer
- 01-07Shalva Azmayparashvili: Composer
- 01-07Vladimir Alexandrovich Vlasov: Composer
- 01-08Gene Roth [Eugene Stutenroth]: Redfield, South Dakota -- Actor (She Demons, Spider)
- 01-10Barbara Hepworth: English abstract sculptor / actress (Rescued by Rover)
- 01-10Jean Morel: Abbeville, France -- Conductor
- 01-11Alan Paton: South Africa -- Writer (Cry, the Beloved Country)
- 01-12Igor V Kurtshatov: Russian nuclear physicist (1st Rus nuclear bomb)
- 01-13Kay Francis [Katherine E Gibbs]: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma -- Actress (False Madonna)
- 01-14Veronica Turleigh: County Donegal, Ireland -- Actress (Promoter)
- 01-17Warren Hull: Gasport, New York -- Actor (Strike it Rich, Who in the World)
- 01-18Berthold Goldschmidt: German / British (opera)composer (Beatrice Cenci)
- 01-19Alfred Lane Beit: Connoisseur
- 01-20Leon Ames: Portland, Indiana -- Actor (Mr Ed, Father of the Bride)
- 01-20Sybil Marion Rosenfeld: Theatre historian
- 01-22Robin Humphrey Milford: Composer
- 01-24Robert Gwathmey: Artist (Arts & Letters)
- 01-25"Sleepy" John Estes: Rocker
- 01-27John Eccles: British physiologist / neurologist
- 01-28Dame Kathleen Lonsdale: Crystallographer (1st woman in Royal Society)
- 01-29Cornelis H Edelman: Dutch geologist
People died in year of 1903
- 01-04Geo[rge J H] Poggenbeek: Dutch surrealist painter, dies at 49
- 01-21Hermanus J A M Schaepman: Dutch clergyman / politician, dies at 58
- 01-28Augusta Mary Anne Holmes: Composer, dies at 55
- 01-28Jean Robert Planquette: Composer, dies at 54
- 02-01George G Stokes: British physicist / President Royal Society, dies at 83
- 02-03Frederick E Kitziger: Composer, dies at 59
- 02-11Henryk Szulc: Composer, dies at 67
- 02-15Julie Verstraete-Lacquet: Flemish actress, dies at 69
- 02-17Joseph Parry: Composer, dies at 61
- 02-22Frederick William Farrar: Writer / dean (Canterbury 1895-1903)
- 02-22Hugo Filipp Jakob Wolf: Austrian Composer (Corregidor), dies at 42
- 02-23Albert Cahen: Composer, dies at 57
- 02-23Friedrich Grutzmacher: Composer, dies at 70
- 02-26Richard J Gatling: US inventor (Gatling Gun), dies at 84
- 02-28Girolamo / Jeromin de Rada: Albanian poet, dies at 88
- 03-04Joseph H Shorthouse: English writer (John Inglesant), dies at 68
- 03-13Nicolas Beets [Hildebrand]: Dutch writer (Camera Obscura), dies at 88
- 03-14Johannes H Weissenbruch: Dutch landscape painter, dies at 88
- 04-11Gemma Galgani: Italian saint, dies at 25
- 04-13Derk J A Haspels: Dutch actor, dies at 65
- 05-01Luigi Arditi: Violist / composer, dies at 80
- 05-16Eduard Rappoldi: Composer, dies at 72
- 06-10Alexander I: King of Serbia are assassinated
- 06-10Dragia: Queen of Serbia, assassinated
- 06-10Luigi Cremona: Italian Mathematician (grafostatica)
- 06-11Draga Masin: Wife of Serbian King Aleksandar I, murdered at 35
- 06-22George White: Black resident of Delaware, lynched
- 06-29Rentaro Taki: Composer, dies at 23
- 07-07Jose Augusto da Ferreira Veiga: Composer, dies at 64
- 07-13August Reissmann: Composer, dies at 77
Events in year of 1904
- 01-01Netherlands Indies colony begins opium production
- 01-04Stanley Cup: Ottawa Silver 7 beat Winnipeg Rowing Club, 2 games to 1
- 01-04Supreme Court rules Puerto Ricans cannot be denied admission to US
- 01-05England beat Australia at the MCG, Rhodes 7-56 and 8-68
- 01-07Marconi Co establishes "CQD" as 1st International radio distress signal
- 01-08Pope Pius X banned low cut dresses in the presence of churchmen
- 01-11Herero people of South West Africa, now Namibia, begin uprising
- 01-12Southwest-Africa uprising under Samuel Maherero against German garison
- 01-25179 die in coal mine explosion at Cheswick, Pennsylvania
- 01-291st athletic letters given (University of Chicago football team)
- 02-02US blues singer Gertrude Pridgett marries comic William Rainey
- 02-04John Millington Synges "Well of Saints, " premieres in Dublin
- 02-05American occupation of Cuba ends
- 02-06Russian-Japanese war began
- 02-07Baltimore catches fire (1500 buildings destroyed in 80 blocks)
- 02-08Russo-Japanese War begins
- 02-09Japan declares war on Russia
- 02-21National Ski Association forms in Ishpeming, Michigan
- 02-23US acquired control of the Panama Canal Zone for $10 million
- 02-25Stanley Cup: Ottawa Silver 7 sweep Toronto Marlboroughs in 2 games
- 02-29Theodore Roosevelt, appoints 7 man committee to study Panama Canal
- 03-02"Official Playing Rules of Professional Base Ball Clubs" adopted
- 03-11Stanley Cup: Ottawa Silver 7 sweep Brandon Wheat Kings in 2 games
- 03-121st main line electric train in the UK (Liverpool to Southport)
- 03-12Andrew Carnegie establishes Carnegie Hero Fund
- 03-13Bronze statue of Christ on Argentine-Chilian border dedicated
- 04-08Great Britain and France sign Cordial Entente concerning colonial matter
- 04-13Congress authorizes Lewis and Clark Expo $1 gold coin
- 04-198th Boston Marathon won by Michael Spring of New York in 2:38:04.4
- 04-19Much of Toronto destroyed by fire
People born in year of 1904
- 01-02James Melton: Moultrie, Georgia -- Opera tenor (Ford Festival)
- 01-02Sally Rand: Hickory County, Missouri -- Stripper (fan dance)
- 01-03Boris Kochno: Russian ballet dancer (La Chatte)
- 01-08Peter Arno: NYC, New York -- Cartoonist (New Yorker)
- 01-09George Balanchine: Dancer / choreographer / ballet producer
- 01-10Jesus Garcia Leoz: Composer
- 01-10Ray Bolger: Dorchester, Massachusetts -- Actor / dancer (Wizard of Oz)
- 01-11Frederick Boland: Irish diplomat / President (UN General Assembly)
- 01-12Mississippi Fred McDowell: Jazz artist
- 01-13Richard Addinsell: London, England -- Composer (Taming of Shrew)
- 01-14Cecil Beaton: England, United Kingdom -- Royal family photographer
- 01-16Max Vredenburg: Composer
- 01-17Grant Withers: Pueblo, Colorado -- Actor (Oklahoma, Annie)
- 01-17Patsy Ruth Miller: Actress (Quebec, Wide Open, Sap, Twin Beds)
- 01-18Cary Grant: England, United Kingdom -- Actor (Arsenic & Old Lace, North by Northwest)
- 01-18Henri-Georges Adam: French etcher / painter / sculptor (Grand Nude)
- 01-19James Winston Watts: Developer (Frontal Lobotomy)
- 01-20Renato Caccioppoli: Italian mathematician / grandson of Bakunin
- 01-20Theodore Brameld: Author / educator (Use of Explosive Ideas)
- 01-21Richard P Blackmur: Massachusetts, United States -- Critic / poet (Good European)
- 01-23Theodor Schaefer: Composer
- 01-25Frans Goedhart: Dutch journalist / founder (Het Parool)
- 01-26Douglas Evans: Actor (South Pacific Trail)
- 01-31E van Ruller: Dutch journalist / ARP-alderman / co-founder (Trouw)
- 02-01S J Perelman: Brooklyn, New York -- Author / humorist (Around the World in 80 Days)
- 02-02Jose Enrique Pedreira: Composer
- 02-03Charlie "Pretty Boy" Floyd: FBI Most Wanted criminal
- 02-03Luigi Dallapiccola: Pisino Istria, Italy -- Italian composer
- 02-03Roger Makins: Diplomat
- 02-04Herman B Wiardi Beckman: Dutch politician (SDAP) / resistance fighter
People died in year of 1904
- 01-02James Longstreet: Confederate General, dies at 82
- 01-05Karl A von Zittel: German geologist / paleontologist (Libya), dies at 64
- 01-15Eduard Lassen: Composer, dies at 73
- 01-24Franz Coenen: Composer, dies at 77
- 01-26John P R Tak: Dutch liberal politician, dies at 64
- 01-27Adam Minchejmer: Composer, dies at 73
- 02-01Peter PM Alberdingk Thijm: Dutch Historian / writer, dies at 76
- 02-20Gustav Adolf Heinze: Composer, dies at 83
- 03-05Alfred von Waldersee: Prussian Field Marshal / Chief of Staff, dies at 71
- 04-09Isabella II: Queen of Spain (1833-68), dies at 73
- 04-13Vasili Vereshtshagin: Russian Painter (War & Peace)
- 04-24Friedrich Siemens: German industrial, dies at 77
- 05-06Franz von Lenbach: German painter, dies at 67
- 05-07Peter Hille: Writer
- 05-08Eadweard Muybridge: English photographer (horse trot)
- 05-10Henry M Stanley [John Rowlands]: British explorer
- 05-13Jan Boissevain: Ship owner / politician
- 05-14Richard Hol: Dutch Composer / Organist / conductor, dies at 78
- 05-16N I Bobrikov: Russian Governor-General in Finland
- 07-03Theodor Herzl: Austrian journalist / Zionist
- 07-14S J Paul Kruger: General / President South-Africa (1883-1904), dies at 78
- 07-15Anton Pavlovich Chechov: Russian writer (Uncle Vanya), dies at 44
- 07-23John Simon: Public health pioneer
- 07-28Plehve: Russian Foreign Minister (bomb under carriage)
- 08-04Arnold Krug: Composer, dies at 54
- 08-09Friedrich Ratzel: German social-geographer (Lebensraum), dies at 59
- 08-10Pierre M Waldeck-Rousseau: French Foreign Minister (Dreyfus)
- 08-29Murad V: Sultan of Turkey (1876)
- 08-30Kate Fanny Loder: Composer, dies at 79
- 09-18Herbert von Bismarck: German politician / Son of Otto
Events in year of 1905
- 01-019 hour work day for diamond miners
- 01-02Elara, a satellite of Jupiter, discovered by Perrine
- 01-02Japanese troops capture Port Arthur
- 01-05National Association of Audubon Society incorporates
- 01-09Bloody Sunday-demonstrators fired on by tsarist troops (1 / 22 NS)
- 01-15Coen de Koning becomes world champion all-round skater
- 01-16Baseball outfielder Frank Huelsman traded for 6th time in 8 months
- 01-17Punchboards patented by Charles Brewer and C G Scannell, Chicago
- 01-18French government of Combes falls
- 01-22Bloody Sunday: Russian demonstrators fired on by tsarist troops
- 01-25Largest diamond, Cullinan (3106 carets), found in South Africa
- 01-26Han Yong-woon [Bongwan, Manhae] (1879-1944) ordained a Monk in Korea
- 01-27Maurice Rouvier forms government in France
- 01-311st auto to exceed 100 mph (161 km/h), A G MacDonald, Daytona Beach
- 01-31Carroll Wright appointed 1st US Commissioner of Labor
- 02-01Hague soccer team ADO froms
- 02-01Hungarian Premier Tisza resigns
- 02-07Dominican Rep signs treaty turning over customs collection to US
- 02-07Oklahoma admitted to statehood
- 02-08Cyclone hit Tahiti and adjacent islands, killing some 10,000 people
- 02-11Pope Pius X publishes encyclical Vehementer nos
- 02-151st race meet at Oaklawn Park (Hot Springs, Ark)
- 02-161st US Esperanto club organizes in Boston
- 02-17Frances Willard becomes 1st women honored in National Statuary Hall
- 02-23Rotary Club International formed by 4 men in Chicago
- 02-24Simplon tunnel in Switzerland completed
- 02-25Netherlands Workers van Vakverenigingen, (NVV) political party forms
- 03-03US Forest Service forms
- 03-10Japanese Army captures Mukden (Shenyang)
- 03-11Stanley Cup: Ottawa Silver 7 beat Rat Portage Thisles, 2 games to 1
People born in year of 1905
- 01-01Melvin Price: (Rep-D-Illinois, 1945- )
- 01-02Michael Kemp Tippett: English composer / conductor (Child of our Time)
- 01-03Dante Giacosa: Engineer / designer
- 01-03Ray Milland: Neath, Wales -- Actor (Lost Weekend - Academy Award 1945)
- 01-04Sterling Holloway: Cedartown, Georgia -- Actor (Waldo-Life of Riley)
- 01-06Eric Frank Russell: United Kingdom -- Sci-fi author (Hugo, Deep Space, Dark Tides)
- 01-07Francis Taylor: Builder
- 01-08Carl Gustav Hempel: German Logical Positivist philosopher
- 01-08Giacinto Scelsi: Composer
- 01-11John Henry Jacques: Co-operative retailer
- 01-11Pierre Mendes-France: French Premier (1954-55)
- 01-13Percy Humphrey: Musician
- 01-16Ernesto Halffter: Composer
- 01-17Franz Schmid: Germany -- Ascended northside of Matterhorn (1931)
- 01-18Chick Chandler: Kingston, New York -- Actor (Barney-One Happy Family)
- 01-19Anne Schumacher Hummert: Radio pioneer
- 01-19Oveta Culp Hobby: Government official / newspaper publisher / CEO (Houston Post)
- 01-21Christian Dior: Normandy, France -- Fashion designer (long-skirted look)
- 01-23David Newell: Missouri, United States -- Actor (Runaway Bride, White Heat, Dangerous Curves)
- 01-23Konstanty I Galczynski: Polish poet (Zielona Ges)
- 01-26Charles Lane: San Francisco, California -- Actor (Homer-Petticoat Junction, Lucy Show)
- 01-26John Carmel Heenan: Essex, England -- Cardinal archbp of Westminster (1963-75)
- 01-26Maria Augusta von Trapp: Austria -- Singer - inspired "Sound of Music"
- 01-26Marquess of Bath: English large landowner / multi-millionaire
- 01-27Howard McNear: Los Angeles, California -- Actor (Floyd-Andy Griffith Show, Jetsons)
- 01-27Luther Diamond: Radio personality
- 01-29Barnett Newmann: US painter (postpainterly abstraction)
- 01-31Anna Blaman [Johanna P Vrugt]: Dutch writer (Wife & Friend)
- 02-01Emilio Segre
- 02-01Ernst Carl Gerlach Stueckelberg
People died in year of 1905
- 01-14Ernst Abbe: German physicist (Carl Zeiss Optics Company), dies at 64
- 01-20Stanislaw Pilinski: Composer, dies at 65
- 02-01Oswald Aschenbach: German painter, dies at 77
- 02-10Ignacy Krzyzanowski: Composer, dies at 78
- 02-12Marcel Schwob: French writer / journalist (Coeur double)
- 02-15Lewis Wallace: US diplomat / writer (Ben Hur), dies at 77
- 02-17Serge Alexandrovich: Governor-General Moscow, murdered
- 02-18Jules de Geyter: Belgian Poet (International), dies at 75
- 02-28Joseph C Juglar: French Physician / economist, dies at 85
- 03-12Rudolf von Alt: Austrian painter, dies at 92
- 03-15Arnold Kerdijk: Dutch liberal / founder (Social Weekly), dies at 60
- 03-19Makar Grigori Ekmalyan: Composer, dies at 49
- 03-24Jules Verne: Sci-fi Author (Around the World in 80 Days), dies at 77
- 04-04Constantin Meunier: Belgian Painter / sculptor, dies at 73
- 04-25Jacob Olie: Dutch photographer, dies at about 70
- 04-29Ignacio Cervantes: Composer, dies at 57
- 05-09Ernst Pauer: Composer, dies at 78
- 05-23Martinus W van AA Meerbeke: Head-editor (Time), dies at 75
- 05-26Alphonse de Rothschild: French banker
- 05-29Leon Francis Victor Caron: Composer, dies at 55
- 06-04Carl Albert Loeschhorn: Composer, dies at 85
- 06-13Theodoros Delyannis: Premier Greece, murdered
- 06-13Tippo-Tip [Hamed ben Mohammed]: Zanzibar merchant, dies at about 67
- 06-30John Hay: US politician
- 07-05Carel V Gerritsen: Free thinker
- 07-23Jean-Jacques: Painter
- 08-10Kinjikitile "Bokero" Ngwale: E African prophet / rebel leader, hanged
- 08-21Jules Oppert: German Assyriologist (decodes characters), dies at 80
- 09-02Walter Cecil Macfarren: Composer, dies at 79
- 09-04Pierre de Braza: Founder (French Congo)