1903

From top to bottom, left to right: the Wright Flyer makes the first powered, controlled flight at Kitty Hawk, as the Wright brothers launch the era of aviation; the inaugural 1903 World Series sees the Boston Americans defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates, establishing baseball’s championship tradition; the Iroquois Theatre fire in Chicago kills over 600, becoming the deadliest U.S. theater fire and driving new safety reforms; the May Coup results in the assassination of King Alexander I and Queen Draga, reshaping Balkan politics; the Paris Métro train fire claims more than 80 lives, one of France’s worst transit disasters; and The Great Train Robbery premieres, revolutionizing cinema with innovative storytelling.