The Year 1905 in Review: Fun Facts, Trivia, and Historic Highlights
This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historic events from the year 1905.
This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historic events from the year 1905. Learn about the year’s top news stories and most influential people, notable inventions and sports facts, entertainment trivia and grocery prices, and much more.
- In 1905, Theodore Roosevelt (R-New York) was the 26th president of the United States, and the vice president’s office was vacant until March 4. On March 4, Charles W. Fairbanks (R-Indiana) became the nation’s 26th vice president.
- The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.3%, and the nation’s inflation rate was -1.12%.
- The life expectancy for men born in 1905 was 47.3 years; for women, it was 50.2 years.
- There were only 8,000 cars and 144 miles of paved roads across the U.S. The speed limit in most cities was 10 miles per hour.
- American companies and brands launched in 1905 included the American National Insurance Company, the Beneficial Finance Group, Demco, Inc., Grumbacher, Hebrew National, Joseph A. Bank, and Lombardi’s Pizza.
- On February 23, Paul Harris and three friends founded Rotary International when they met in an office in downtown Chicago. Today, Rotary International has over 35,000 clubs and nearly 1.5 million members (Rotarians) worldwide.
- On March 17, future U.S. President Franklin Roosevelt married his fifth cousin, Eleanor Roosevelt.
- April 6 to July 19: The violent 1905 Chicago Teamsters Strike unfolded when thousands of drivers joined 6,000 members of the United Garment Workers’ Union in a sympathy strike. The Library of Congress explains that “Tensions among strikers, strikebreakers, and police escalated into bloody conflicts. By the time the strike ended, 21 people had been killed and over 400 people had been injured.”
- On May 15, Las Vegas was founded as a town “when 110 acres of land adjacent to the Union Pacific Railroad tracks were auctioned in what would become the downtown area” of the city.
- June 1 to October 14: The Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition was held in Portland, Oregon, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. (The Lewis and Clark Expedition was “a U.S. government-funded exploration of the newly acquired Louisiana Purchase and the Pacific Northwest.” Between 1804 and 1806, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark took part in an 8,000-mile exploration of the uncharted and sparsely populated American West.)
- On July 11, W. E. B. Du Bois and William Monroe Trotter established the Niagara Movement, a civil rights organization that was a precursor to the NAACP.
- On September 5, Russia and Japan signed a treaty mediated by U.S. President Roosevelt that ended the Russo-Japanese War. (On February 8, 1904, the Russo-Japanese War began, culminating an ongoing conflict between Russia and Japan over the control of Korea and Manchuria.)
- On October 5, the Wright Brothers' third airplane, the Wright Flyer III, stayed in the air for 39 minutes with Wilbur piloting. This was the first Wright Brothers’ airplane flight that lasted over a half hour.
- On October 11, the Institute of Musical Art, later known as the Juilliard School, opened in New York City.
- In 1905, the German chemist Alfred Einhorn invented the widely used dental anesthetic Novocain.
- Heinrich Braun, a German surgeon, was the first to use Novocain in patient care.
- Hebrew National kosher hot dogs first appeared in the marketplace.
- Vicks VapoRub, a mentholated over-the-counter topical ointment, was sold for the first time.
- Royal Crown Cola launched its first carbonated beverage—Royal Crown ginger ale.
- Frank Epperson of San Francisco invented popsicles.
- Famous people born in 1905 included Ayn Rand (novelist), Christian Dior (fashion designer), Clara Bow (movie actress), Dag Hammarskjold (economist and diplomat), and Howard Hughes (entrepreneur).
- Famous people who died in 1905 were Jules Verne (novelist), George Williams (entrepreneur), August Meyer (engineer), Theodore Thomas (violinist), Mary Mapes Dodge (children’s author), and Meyer Guggenheim (entrepreneur).
- America’s favorite songs were Give My Regards to Broadway (Billy Murray), Yankee Doodle (Billy Murray), and In My Merry Oldsmobile (Billy Murray).
- Popular movies for the year included The Black Imp, The Night Before Christmas, The Living Playing Cards, Rescued by Rover, and The Palace of Arabian Knights.
- Here are some sports facts from 1905: Frederick Lorz won the Boston Marathon, Agile was the winning horse in the Kentucky Derby, and the New York Giants won the World Series.
- In 1905 as well, the words "banana split," "farmers market," "fictionalized," "hormone," "key lime," "kiddo," "loan shark," "moondust," "one-size-fits-all," "pink salmon," "player piano," "radiologist," "swim meet," "teddy bear," "track and field," "teeter-totter," "troubleshooter," and "vice squad" all appeared in print for the first time.
- Bacon: 12 cents a pound
- Black pepper: 25 cents a pound
- Butter: 30 cents a pound
- Canned corn: Three cans for 25 cents
- Canned pumpkin: Three cans for 25 cents
- Coffee: 35 cents a pound
- Granulated sugar: 3.5 pounds for 15 cents
- Jell-O: Three packages for 25 cents
- Nabisco Uneeda crackers: Three packages for 10 cents
- Nabisco Zu Zu ginger snaps: Two packages for seven cents
- Raisins: Three pounds for 20 cents
- Roast beef: 10 cents a pound
- Sugar-cured ham: Nine cents a pound
- Walter Baker's unsweetened chocolate for cooking: 14 cents for a half-pound cake
References:
- https://popculturemadness.com/1905-history-trivia-fun-facts/
- https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1905
- https://www.famousbirthdays.com/year/1905.html
- https://www.imdb.com/search/title/?release_date=1905-01-01,1905-12-31
- https://playback.fm/charts/top-100-songs/1905
- https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1905
- https://www.infoplease.com/year/1905
Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.
© 2026 Gregory DeVictor
About the Creator
Gregory DeVictor
Gregory DeVictor is a trivia buff who writes articles about American history and nostalgia. He focuses on historic firsts, pop culture snapshots, and sports milestones and has written over 250 articles that are categorized by calendar year.
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