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With the ending of the First World War China is divided up among France, Britain and Japan, all German claims in the region having been captured during the War. Objections from the USA to the division are calmed by guarantees of protection of United States commercial interests in China.
The first female contraceptive pill, secretly developed by the Amazon, is introduced worldwide, and after initial resistance gains wide success and acceptance by 1905.
An assassin attempts to shoot US President McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition, but is prevented by the presence of several members of the Guardians of Democracy.
Erich Zerstoiten, oldest offspring of Ivan Zerstoiten, The Ringmaster, is born.
US Forces, aided by the Guardians of Democracy, finally crush the long-running insurrection in the Phillipines. The leader of the revolt, Emilio Aguinaldo, is forced to swear allegiance to the USA and installed as ruler of the islands.
Britain, following the American example, bans the death penalty. The law is also extended to allow Overmen to be tried while masked after incidents in which Overmen have caused widespread damage while resisting unmasking, and also because the innocent dependants of some Overmen have been injured or killed after the identity of the Overman was revealed. However, if the Overman is found guilty then they are unmasked, but their identity is not revealed to the public, only to the authorities.
Later in the year the USA also adopts a law allowing the trying of masked overmen.
A worldwide campaign, secretly initiated and controlled by the Amazon, succeeds in eliminating discrimination against women over most of the world. This is aided by the strong role-models provided by female Overmen such as the Amazon herself and Greymalkin of the British Royal Elite Guard and even more so by the non-superhuman women of L'Armee pour Liberation de la Femme. However, the Chilean Empire remains a totally male-dominated society, becoming the target of worldwide Minervan-led economic sanctions because of its treatment of women.
The Amazon rapidly industrialises Minerva, the factories using minerals either mined from underwater sites located by her, or extracted from sea-water.
In the turbulent political climate in China as it comes under foreign control many Chinese ex-army Commanders and Overmen set themselves up as warlords of their own little domains, many of which exist into the 1920's until they are quashed by the forces of the great powers, especially Japan, as they consolidate their hold on China.
A number of people who speak no known language are found wandering in various parts of the world.
The criminal organisation Unterwelt grows from humble beginnings in Vienna, destroying or taking over most of European organised crime. The European Mafia is the last to be subsumed into Unterwelt in the late 1940's, but the American Mafia remains independent, and very hostile to Unterwelt.
The Overman Thunderbird becomes a martyr to the American Civil Rights movement.
Most countries in the western world ban the death penalty and allow the trying of masked Overmen, following the British and American example.
Queen Victoria dies aged 83, the healing powers of English Rose extending her lifespan over that in the real world, and Edward VII comes to the throne.
The International Woman Suffrage Alliance is organised to gain suffrage for women everywhere. The Amazon provides secret backing and finance for the movement as it grows worldwide.
The first non-stop transatlantic aeroplane flight is made by Orville and Wilbur Wright.
Panama, aided by the USA, secedes from Columbia.
The Overman Tyche becomes Chancellor of Minerva.
The first liquid-fueled rocket is launched in the USA.
Scandal shakes the British Royal Elite Guard when it is discovered that Excalibur has been having an affair with fellow member Angel of Mercy since the middle of WWI. Despite Excalibur offering his resignation to the King, and calls for him to go from across Britain, his resignation is refused by the Cabinet and he is merely ordered to keep a low profile for a while. Angel of Mercy goes into seclusion to recover form the humiliation of this exposure and is not seen for several months. The Royal Elite Guard never really removes this stain on their image.
The Land Act gives Irish renters the right to own land.
The Overman Legione becomes Commander of all Italian military forces.
The Americans move into Panama and begin to rebuild the Panama Canal.
The Pharaoh, at the head of an army, rises up in Egypt. Having complete surprise he overruns the country and rules it for eight months before the British, with the aid of the Royal Elite Guard, remove him. In the fighting, the Pharaoh escapes, but is never seen again.
After negotiations with the British and Japanese Germany begins construction of a Trans-Siberian railway, following the route of the original, abortive attempt.
The first modern Olympic Games are held in Greece. From the first no Overmen are allowed to compete.
The American music hall star Anne Garner retires in a cloud of scandal after an eight-year career when it is discovered that her many lovers include several well-known (married) politicians.
A popular uprising in European Russia demanding independence from the occupying Germans is brutally suppressed by the German Army with the aid of the Kaisers Guard.
The Irish Sinn Fein ('Ourselves Alone') party is founded.
After months in which what can only be described as monsters attack public figures across England, the Overman known as Abyss reappears when he leads an army of the monsters up from the London sewers in an attempt to destroy the capital and take over the country. However, the Royal Elite Guard are on alert after the months of attacks and, although unprepared for this assault, they fight back with great success, eventually confronting Abyss, whose powers seem to have grown immensely over the years, outside the Houses of Parliament. In a prolonged battle all of Abyss's army are killed or driven off and, although horrendously injured in the battle, when it becomes obvious that he has lost, Abyss manages to escape by teleporting away. Despite intensive searches by the Royal Elite Guard he is never found, but over the next few months they do track down and capture the remnants of his army. Telepathic probes by the Overman Greymalkin discover that the monsters, now reduced to near-mindlessness, were once human. Nothing can be done to return them to normal so for their and the public's safety they are permanently incarcerated at a location which remains secret to this day.
On the death of her father, Carmen Velasquez, the Overman known as Blackheart, becomes the Duchess of Cordova.
The first commercial airship flights across the Atlantic begin, operating from the USA and several European nations.
Taking up the claim of what was Argentina, the Chilean Empire takes the Falkland Islands from Britain, but British forces recapture the Islands within two months, using their massive naval superiority to great advantage.
Following the Chilean defeat over the Falklands, several areas of Argentina, centred about the city of Rosario, rise in revolt against El Libertador. Chilean military forces begin to brutally crush the revolt.
The San Francisco earthquake occurs. The Guardians of Democracy help in the rescue operations and save many lives.
Something falls from the sky onto Tunguska in Japanese-held Siberia, devastating a wide area. The nature of the object is never discovered.
The revolt in the Chilean Empire is finally crushed. The city of Rosario, where the revolt was centred, is razed to the ground, and every inhabitant is executed as an example to others within the Empire.
Andrea Zerstoiten is born. She and her brother show superhuman powers from an early age and are groomed by their father to succeed him.
The Chilean Empire invades Ecuador and despite aid to its forces by Columbia and Venezuela it falls by the end of the year.
In the Ottoman Empire the Young Turks take control in a coup, with the aid of the Overman Scimitar. Several foreign powers including Germany, Italy and Greece take advantage of the confusion after the revolution to gain control of several parts of the Ottoman Empire.
Minerva is finally recognised as an independent state by other nations of the world. Once this is done Minerva opens its borders to refugees from oppression everywhere.
The first trans-Atlantic telephone cable comes into operation.
The British airship the Star of London is destroyed with huge loss of life when the hydrogen gas providing its lifting power ignites as it comes in to land at London's Heathrow airport. Despite arriving on the scene within minutes the Royal Elite Guard can do little but assist in the clearing-up operations.
The Ringmasters Pack, acting on his orders, kidnap English Rose from the Royal Elite Guard in London and take her to his Chateau in France so that she can sustain his failing health. His mental powers allow him to coerce her into aiding him, but shortly afterwards the Royal Elite Guard (with the permission of the French government) invade the Chateau, despite the Packs best attempts to stop them. In the confusion the Ringmaster, his wife (the Overman known as Lamprey, another member of the Pack) and their two children Erich and Andrea manage to escape. However, the rest of the Pack are captured and imprisoned under joint French and English guard.
The importation of opium into the USA is banned.
Several airships are destroyed in several parts of the world when their hydrogen lifting gas ignites. For this reason the majority of the airships around the world begin to lose money and within two years most of them have been scrapped.
The Chilean Empire begins to move against Columbia. This event causes the remaining independent nations of South America (Brazil, Uraguay, Venezuela and Columbia) to form a mutual defence pact against the Chileans.
On the death of Edward VII, George V comes to the British throne.
The Liberal Francisco Madero becomes President of Mexico.