James William Booth (died 1917)

In 1810, on November 17th, the Anglo-Swedish War (1810–12) began. Sweden declared war on the United Kingdom. While no hostilities occurred, France had demanded that Sweden declare the war and for economic reasons, Sweden complied. Two years later, France occupied Swedish Territory and Sweden sought peace with Great Britain.

In 1831, on November 7th, slave trading was forbidden in Brazil. Purchasing slaves had begun under Portuguese rule in the mid-16th century - slaves were used on sugarcane plantations. It wasn't until 1888, however, that slavery was totally abolished.

In 1892, on October 5th, the Dalton Gang was shot. The Gang was attempting to rob two banks - simultaneously - in Coffeyville Kansas but word spread of the robberies and townspeople with guns greeted them when they left the banks. Four members of the gang were killed - only Emmett Dalton survived his wounds and spent 14 years in prison.

In 1907, radiometric dating, a recently discovered technology that could date rocks, found that the earth was 2.2 billion years old which was dramatically older than previously thought. Later refinements and advancements in science would date the age of the earth at over 4.5 billion years.

In 1917, in the year of James William Booth's passing, it is believed that a worldwide influenza pandemic began in Asia. By 1920, it is estimated that 50 - 100 million died throughout the world (3 - 5% of the population). In the U.S. alone, 500,000 perished from what came to be called the Spanish Flu or the 1918 flu.