Flora (Jones) Wood (1853 - 1945)

Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Flora's lifetime.

In 1853, in the year that Flora (Jones) Wood was born, in October, the Crimean War began. Allies the Ottoman Empire, France, Britain and Sardinia fought the Russian Empire in a war that began as a religious conflict but ended up being an effort to curb the expansion of the Russian Empire. The war ended in 1856.

In 1887, at the age of 34 years old, Flora was alive when on January 28th, the largest recorded snowflakes fell in a snowstorm in Fort Keogh, Montana. They were supposed to have been 15 inches wide and 8 inches thick. A rancher in the area said that they were “larger than milk pans”. A Wild West tall tale? Not according to the Guinness World Records book.

In 1899, when she was 46 years old, on February 14th, the first voting machines were approved by Congress for use in federal elections. Several states were already using voting machines in their elections and the Federal government was finally convinced of their safety and accuracy.

In 1916, Flora was 63 years old when the U.S. National Park Service - part of the Department of the Interior - was created by an act of Congress in August. The Park Service was charged with the dual role of "preserving the ecological and historical integrity of the places entrusted to its management while also making them available and accessible for public use and enjoyment". The resources managed by the National Park Service have often been referred to as the "crown jewels" of the United States.

In 1945, in the year of Flora (Jones) Wood's passing, on August 6th, the United States dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. On August 9th, an atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki. At least 129,000 people were killed in the two bombings and they still remain the only use of atomic bombs in war. An invasion on mainland Japan had been planned but President Truman ordered the bombs dropped instead.