360The 1900s: Riyadh recovered and the first powered flight
In 1902, the young Abdulaziz Al Saud recovered Riyadh, beginning the journey that created the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. In 1903, the Wright brothers made the first powered aeroplane flight. Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity in 1905, and Henry Ford's Model T brought cars to ordinary families.
In January 1902, Abdulaziz bin Abdulrahman Al Saud, then in his twenties, recovered Riyadh, the capital of his forefathers. It was the first step in three decades of unification that led to the proclamation of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1932.
On 17 December 1903, at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina, Orville Wright flew the brothers' Flyer for 12 seconds. It was the first controlled, sustained flight of a powered aeroplane. By the end of the day, Wilbur had flown 59 seconds.
In 1905, a patent office clerk in Switzerland named Albert Einstein published four landmark papers. They explained the photoelectric effect, gave evidence for atoms, introduced special relativity and showed that mass and energy are related, summed up in the equation E = mc².
In October 1908, the Ford Motor Company introduced the Model T. Simple, tough and affordable, it put millions of people behind the wheel.
The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901. In April 1906, an earthquake and fires destroyed much of San Francisco.
- 1901
- First Nobel Prizes
- 1902
- Abdulaziz recovers Riyadh
- 1903
- Wright brothers' first flight
- 1905
- Einstein's miracle year
- 1908
- Ford Model T launched
Sources: Saudipedia · Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum · Britannica.