The 1910s was known as the 'Turbulent Decade' and for good reason. The world was rocked by a series of cataclysmic events, including the sinking of the Titanic in 1912, the First World War of 1914-1918, the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Influenza Pandemic of 1918-1919. No wonder, then, there was never any huge nostalgia for this chaotic decade over the decades that followed.
Of course, there were good news stories too. These included the rediscovery of Machu Picchu in 1911, the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914 and Einstein's general theory of relativity in 1916. The art world saw the rise of exciting movements such as Futurism, École de Paris, Surrealism and Abstraction. And commerce and industry continued apace, thanks to inventions such as stainless steel and a mass production boom led by Ford.
