Wikipedia

Frank Shuman thermal solar plant concept drawing

Frank Shuman builds the world’s first solar thermal power plant in Egypt

March 23, 1913 | By Peter Schulte | Good News Links, Past Progress

Frank Shuman was an American inventor, engineer, and solar energy pioneer known for his work on solar engines. Shuman built the world’s first solar thermal power station in Maadi, Egypt in 1913, using used semi circle shaped troughs to power a 60-70 horsepower engine that pumped 6,000 gallons of water per minute from the Nile River to adjacent cotton fields.

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South African Native National Congress 1914

John Langalibalele Dube and other South African leaders form the South African Native National Congress to combat racial injustice

January 8, 1912 | By Peter Schulte | Past Progress

Decades later, the SANNC became the African National Congress (ANC) and was a prominent player in dismantling apartheid under leader Nelson Mandela.

John Langalibalele Dube and other South African leaders form the South African Native National Congress to combat racial injustice Read more

Mongolia, led by Bogd Khan, declares independence from China

December 29, 1911 | By Peter Schulte | Past Progress

The Mongolian Revolution of 1911 (Outer Mongolian Revolution of 1911) occurred when the region of Outer Mongolia declared its independence from the Manchu-led Qing dynasty during the Xinhai Revolution.

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Roald Amundsen at the South Pole, December 1911

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen leads the first expedition to reach the South Pole

December 14, 1911 | By Peter Schulte | Past Progress

He and four other crew members made it to the geographical south pole on 14 December 1911, which would prove to be five weeks ahead of the competitive British party led by Robert Falcon Scott as part of the Terra Nova Expedition. Amundsen and his team returned safely to their base, and about a year later heard that Scott and his four companions had perished on their return journey.

Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen leads the first expedition to reach the South Pole Read more

The Mau movement pushes for Samoa’s independence

September 10, 1910 | By Peter Schulte | Past Progress

The Mau was a non-violent movement for Samoan independence from colonial rule during the first half of the 20th century. The movement had its beginnings on the island of Savai’i with the Mau a Pule resistance in the early 1900s with widespread support throughout the country by the late 1920s.

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Cape Colony, the Natal Colony, the Transvaal, and the Orange River Colony unite to form the Union of South Africa

May 31, 1910 | By Peter Schulte | Past Progress

The Union of South Africa is the historical predecessor to the present-day Republic of South Africa. It included the territories that were formerly a part of the South African Republic and the Orange Free State.

Cape Colony, the Natal Colony, the Transvaal, and the Orange River Colony unite to form the Union of South Africa Read more

Cândido Rondon founds Brazil’s Serviço de Proteção aos Índios (SPI)

May 7, 1910 | By Peter Schulte | Good News Links, Past Progress

SPI – today known as the FUNAI, or Fundação Nacional do Índio, National Foundation for Indians – was the first federal agency in Brazil charged with protecting Indigenous peoples and preserving their culture.

Cândido Rondon founds Brazil’s Serviço de Proteção aos Índios (SPI) Read more

Tango becomes a global sensation

April 26, 1910 | By Peter Schulte | Past Progress

Initially, it was just one of the many dances, but it soon became popular throughout society, as theatres and street barrel organs spread it from the suburbs to the working-class slums.

Tango becomes a global sensation Read more