Dashed left edge = started before January 1901 ·
Dashed right edge = ongoing beyond January 1901
Events in January 1901 8
1813 – 1901Giuseppe VerdiItalian opera masterThe dominant figure of Italian opera, whose works — Rigoletto, La Traviata, Otello, Falstaff — combine dramatic power with unforgettable melody.
1819 – 1901Queen Victoria (1819-1901)Died 22 January 1901, aged 81Victoria died at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight after reigning for 63 years, then the longest of any British monarch. Her death ended the Victorian era and was followed by state mourning across the British Empire. Her son succeeded her as Edward VII.
1819 – 1901Queen VictoriaThe Victorian EraReigned during a period of massive industrial, political, and military change.
1901Commonwealth of Australia EstablishedSix British colonies federate into one nationOn 1 January 1901 the six Australian colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia under a new constitution. Edmund Barton became the country's first Prime Minister. The federation created a single national government while the former colonies became states.
1901Spindletop Oil GusherTexas oil strike launches the modern petroleum industryOn 10 January 1901 a drilling crew near Beaumont, Texas struck oil at Spindletop, producing a gusher that flowed at roughly 100,000 barrels a day. The discovery triggered a Texas oil boom and led to the founding of companies including Texaco and Gulf Oil. It marked the start of the United States as a major oil producer.
1901 – 1971Bebe Daniels (1901-1971)American actress, Harold Lloyd's first leading lady, who later became a radio star in Britain.
1901Bebe Daniels born in DallasBebe Daniels is born in Dallas.
1901Edward VII becomes KingSixty years as heirVictoria dies at Osborne House after sixty-three years on the throne and her eldest son succeeds at fifty-nine, having spent his entire adult life waiting and being kept away from state papers. He proves an unexpectedly effective monarch abroad, and his enthusiasm for France helps make the Entente Cordiale possible. The decade takes his name.