Landmark Events of 1908

WORLD

Earthquake and resulting tsunami killing 100,000 in southern Italy and Sicily.
Petroleum production starts in the Middle East.
Mysterious Siberian explosion levels hundreds of square miles of forest. Explanations include a comet, meteorite, natural atomic explosion or crashed UFO.
Nobel Peace Prize was shared by Swedish journalist Klas Pontus Arnoldson (1844–1916) and Denmark’s Fredrik Bajer, who wrote a book on world peace in 1900 which was widely read.
Nobel Prizes in Science
- Chemistry: Sir Ernest Rutherford (UK), for investigations into disintegration of elements.
- Physics: Gabriel Lippmann (France), for method of reproducing colors by photography.
- Physiology or Medicine: Gabriel Lippmann (France), for method of reproducing colors by photography.

U.S.

Henry Ford develops the first Model T automobile, which sells for $850.
Milk pasteurization, first adopted in Chicago, contributed to the control of milkborne diseases (e.g., gastrointestinal infections).
President Theodore Roosevelt holds White House Conservation Conference, which leads to establishment of the National Conservation Commission.
U.S. Supreme Court in Danbury Hatters’ case, outlaws secondary union boycotts.

ECONOMICS

Federal spending: $0.66 billion
Unemployment: 8.0%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.02

SPORTS

World Series
- Chicago Cubs d. Detroit Tigers (4-1)
Stanley Cup
- Montreal Wanderers
Wimbledon
- Women: Charlotte Sterry d. A. Morton (6-4 6-4)
- Men: Arthur Gore d. R. Barrett (6-3 6-2 4-6 3-6 6-4)
Kentucky Derby Champion
- Stone Street
NCAA Football Champions
- Penn (CFRA, HF) (11-0-1)
- LSU (NCF) (10-0-0)
1908 OLYMPICS - London
- The fourth Olympic Games were certainly the wettest and probably the most contentious in history.
- Held at a new 68,000-seat stadium in the Shepherds Bush section of London, the 1908 Games were played out under continually rainy skies and suffered from endless arguments between British officials and many of the other countries involved–especially the United States.
- “The Battle of Shepherds Bush” began almost immediately, when the U.S. delegation noticed that there was no American flag among the national flags decorating the stadium for the opening ceremonies. U.S. flag bearer and discus champion Martin Sheridan responded by refusing to dip the Stars and Stripes when he passed King Edward VII's box in the parade of athletes. “This flag dips to no earthly king,” Sheridan said. And it hasn't since.
- The Americans, at least, got to march with their flag. Finland, then ruled by Russia, could not. Informed they would have to use a Russian flag, the furious Finns elected to march with no flag at all.
- Once again the marathon proved to be the Games' most memorable event. Laid out over a 26-mile, 365-yard course that stretched from Windsor Castle to the royal box at Shepherds Bush, the race ended in controversy when leader Dorando Pietri of Italy staggered into the packed stadium, took a wrong turn, collapsed, was helped up by doctors, wobbled and fell three more times before being half-carried across the finish line by race officials. Caught up in the drama of Pietri's agony, the cheering crowd hardly noticed that he was declared the winner just as second place runner, Johnny Hayes of the U.S., entered the stadium.
- Pietri was later disqualified in favor of Hayes, but only after British and U.S. officials argued for an hour and fights had broken out in the stands.

ENTERTAINMENT

Austrian composer Arnold Schoenberg’s Book of Hanging Gardens released, bringing new style to classical music. Harmony and tonality are replaced by dissonance, creating what many listeners consider to be noise.
Nobel Prize for Literature: Rudolf Eucken (Germany)