Modern Style makes Splash

20 APRIL
An exciting new exhibition of ''modern style'' art, or "Art Nouveau" as it is known in France, opened today at the Socice'te' Nationale des Beaux-Arts in Paris. This decorative arts style has been developed by artists all over Europe for the past few years and is charactized by snake-like lines and patterns. It can be seen in many places, from the posters of Alphonse Mucha and the jewellery of Rene' Lalique, to the design of the Me'tro stations in Paris and furnshings for the homes.

Across Atlantic

Piloting a Vickers-Vimy biplane, Captain John Alcock from Britain and US navigator Lieutenant Arthur Brown became the first people to fly non-stop across the Atlantic Ocean. They left Newfoundland on 15 June 1919 flying through fog and sleet storms to crash land in an Irish bog 16 hours 12 minutes later. They covered the 3,040km (1,900 miles) at an average speed of 192 Km/h (120 mph).

Keeping Warm

Early aircraft gave little protection to the pilots, who sat in uncomfortable seats that were open to the elements. Wool-Lined leather jackets, sheepskin-lined gloves and boots, windproof leather helmets, and goggles were all needed to keep out the cold.

Air Shows

Displays of flying skills quickly became popular as bold young aviators demonstrated inredible feats above the heads of adoring crowds. Many became superstars- Louis Paulham earned more than one million francs from his flying exploits.

Bleriot Crosses Channel

In July 1909, French aviator Louis Ble'riot became the first person to fly across the English Channel. He took off from Sangatte, France, and flew northwest to land at Dover Castle in England after a flight lasting 43 minutes. He had designed the Type XI monoplane with control wires to warp the wings and made it with strong, flexible woods. After his flight, Ble'riot became an international celebrity. Move than 100 monoplanes were sold and he became the first large-scale aircraft manufacturer

Twelve Seconds Of Glory

Soon after 10.30 am, on 17December 1903, Orville Wright took to the air above the beach at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, in the United States. His first flight in Flyer lasted 12 seconds and convered 36m (120ft). By the fourth and final flight of the day, his brother Wilbur had convered 260m (853ft) in 59 seconds.

pioneers of aviation

FOR HUNDREDS OF YEARS inventors had been devising ways of flying through the air with the ease of a bird. Although balloons and airships had taken to the skies, it was not until a cold December day in 1903 that the Wright brothers made the first powered, sustained, and heavier-than-air flight. After that, aircraft technology progressed at a rapid rate and aviators crossed first the English Channel and then the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. In 1914 the onset of World War I created a demand for fast, agile fighter planes, and by 1918 the aeroplane had become a relatively sophisticated and reliable machine. The introduction of passenger flights between major cities in the 1920s confirmed that a new age of travel had arrived.

ping pong craze hits

Ping Pong fever is sweeping Europe and the United States this year as families convert their tables into indoor tennis courts. The game, originally known as Gossima, failed to catch on until its manufacturer changed its name to Ping Pong. The first tournament was held in December this year.

US president dies

14 SEPTEMBER
United States president William McKinley died early this morning, eight days after he was shot by Polish anarchist Leon Czolgosz while opening an exhibition in Buffalo, New York. At first the president's wounds were not thought to be serious, but in the last few days his condition has deteriorated rapodly. Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt was tracked down in the Adirondack Mountains and brought hastily to buffalo, but arrived a few hours after McKinley's death. He took the presidential oath of office this afternoon. At 42, he is the youngest United States president.

art world disvovers new genius

24 JUNE
An exhibition by a Spanish artist is receiving much praise in Paris, France. Nineteen-year-old Pablo Picasso from Malaga in Spain set up a studio in Montmartre earlier this year, and has become known as "Le Petit Goya" because of his native Andalusian hat. Picasso's paintings show a remarkable range of subjects. Dancers of the Moulin Rouge, children, courtesans, and race meetings are among the subjects that fill the canvases of this talented painter.

High Performance

31 MARCH
The German motor manufacturer Gottlieb Daimler today delivered a remarkable new car to E'mil Jellinek, consul-general of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Nice, France The high-performance car, especially made for the consul-general and named Mercedes after his daughter (above left), is an improved version of a model designed by Daimler two years ago. The Mercedes is quite unlike the horse-drawn carriages that are still a common sight on our roads. The car has a 4 - cylinder, 5.9-litre engine, giving it a top speed of 80km/h (50mph).

End Of Era

22 JANYARY
After a short illness, Victoria queen of Britain and empress of India, died today ar Osborne, her seaside home on the Isle of Wight, surrouded by close members of her family. She was 81 years old. Victoria's reign lasted nearly 64 years, longer than any monarch before her. It was an age of expansion in which trade and industry flourished and the British Empire stretched to all four corners of the world.

Birth Of Ntion

1 JANUARY
A new country was borm this morning when the six British colonies in Australia joined together as an independent nation. The Commonwealth of Australia, as the new country is formally known, is today holding celebrations in Sydney that are expected to draw 50,000 people. A new government, led by Edmund Barton, has already been formed. One of its first tasks will be to agree on a site for the new capital city.