Millennium: | 2nd millennium |
Centuries: | |
Decades: | |
Years: | |
Categories: |
The 1900s (pronounced "nineteen-hundreds") was a decade of the Gregorian calendar that began on January 1, 1900, and ended on December 31, 1909. The term "nineteen-hundreds" can also equally be used for the years 1900–1999 (see ). The Edwardian era (1901–1910) covers a similar span of time.
There are several main varieties of how individual years of the decade are pronounced in English. Using 1906 as an example, they are "nineteen-oh-six", "nineteen-six", and "nineteen-ought-six". Which variety is most prominent depends somewhat on global region and generation. In American English, "nineteen-oh-six" is the most common; "nineteen-six" is less common; "nineteen-ought-six" is recognized but not much used. In the post–World War II era through the 1990s, mentions of "nineteen-ought-six" or "ought-six" often distinctly connoted old-fashioned speech; for example, it was once used to add to the geriatric-humor effect in the dialogue of the Grampa Simpson character. The strength of the comedic effect diminished during the aughts of the next century, as the public grew used to questioning how to refer to an "ohs" or "aughts" decade.
The 1900s were marked by several notable assassinations and assassination attempts:
The cost of an American postage stamp was 1 cent. The cost of a Swedish postage stamp was 100SEK.
Original cover of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, 1900
Justus D. Barnes in Edwin Porter's film The Great Train Robbery, 1903
Henri Matisse, Le bonheur de vivre (1905-6), Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia. A painting that was called Fauvist and brought Matisse both public derision and notoriety.