| 1902 Trivia, History and Fun Facts |
| Top Ten Baby Names of 1902: Mary, Helen, Anna, Margaret, Ruth, John, William, James, George, Charles |
| US Life Expectancy: (1902) Males: 49.8 years, Females: 53.4 years |
Firsts, Inventions and Wonders: The Texas Oil Company (Texaco) formed. (oops!) – The Greek symbol Caduceus (two snakes on a winged pole) was mistakenly used as the emblem for the US Medical Corps instead of the Rod of Asclepius (one snake climbing a pole), the true Greek symbol for medicine. We still use the wrong one. J C Penney opened his first store in Kemmerer, Wyoming. The American Automobile Association (AAA) was founded in Chicago. Alfred Thayer Mahan (1840-1914) first invented the term ‘Middle East’ in the September 1902 issue of London’s monthly National Review. Carnegie Institution for Science (CIS) was founded in Washington, DC witha $10 Million grant from Andrew Carnegie. Denmark became the first country to adopt fingerprinting to identify criminals. The Electric Theatre, the first full-time movie theater in the United States, opened in Los Angeles, California. |
| The Most Popular Singers and Artists of 1902 include: Arthur Collins, Charles D’ Almaine, Joe Belmont, S.H. Dudley, Edward M. Favor, Byron G. Harlon, The Hayden Quartet, Mina Hinkman, Silas Leachman, Jules Levy, Aldrich Libbey, Harry Macdonough, Jere Mahoney, The Metropolitan Orchestra, J.W. Meyers, Dan Quinn, William Redmond, John Philip Sousa’s Band, Len Spencer, Frank Stanley, Cal Stewart, Fred Van Epps, Bert Williams |
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Pop Culture News: The Cecil Rhodes Scholarship fund was established. Brooklyn, NY toymaker Morris Michtom named his Teddy Bear doll after US President Teddy Roosevelt. Paleontologist Barnum Brown discovered remains of a Tyrannosaurus Rex near the town of Jordan, Montana. Michigan beat Stanford 49-0 in the Tournament East-West Football Game, which would later be known as the Rose Bowl Game 1902 was about the time Trains were used more than Horses for transportation. Marie and Pierre Curie isolated the radioactive element radium chloride. Grawlix, or obscenicons (like #@$%&!) as swear words in comics were first seen in The Katzenjammer Kids in 1902. |
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The Horrible: The Yacolt Burn is the collective name for dozens of fires in Washington state and Oregon in September, killing ~70 people. |
| A Mystery: Albert Einstein and his wife Mileva Maric had a daughter in 1902, named Lieserl, a before they were married. Her existence only discovered in 1986. Einstein is believed to have never met her, and what happened to her is a mystery. |
| Nobel Prize Winners: Physics – Hendrik Antoon Lorentz and Pieter Zeeman Chemistry – Hermann Emil Fischer Medicine – Ronald Ross Literature – Christian Matthias Theodor Mommsen Peace – Élie Ducommun and Charles Albert Gobat |
| Popular and Notable Books From 1902: Fiction Bestsellers: 1. The Virginian by Owen Wister 2. Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch by Alice Caldwell Hegan 3. Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall by Charles Major 4. The Mississippi Bubble by Emerson Hough 5. Audrey by Mary Johnston 6. The Right of Way by Gilbert Parker 7. The Hound of the Baskervilles by A. Conan Doyle 8. The Two Vanrevels by Booth Tarkington 9. The Blue Flower by Henry van Dyke 10. Sir Richard Calmady by Lucas Malet |
| Other Books of Note: The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter Democracy and Social Ethics by Jane Addams Varieties of Religious Experience by William James Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Human Nature and Social Order by C. H. Cooley The Virginian by Owen Wister The Immoralist by André Gide What is to be Done? by Vladimir Lenin The Wings of the Dove by Henry James Garden Cities of To-morrow by Ebenezer Howard |
| Sports: American League Baseball Champions: Philadelphia Athletics National League Baseball Champions: Pittsburg Pirates Challenge Cup Champs:: Winnipeg Victorias/Montreal Hockey Club U.S. Open Golf: Laurie Auchterlonie U.S. Tennis (Men/Ladies): William Larned/Marion Jones Wimbledon (Men/Women): Laurence Doherty/Muriel Robb NCAA Football Champions: Michigan Kentucky Derby Winner: Alan-a-Dale Boston Marathon Winner: Sammy Mellor Time: 2:43:12 |
