Martha Billings 1906 - 2006
Martha Billings' Biography
Introduction
Name & aliases
Last residence
Share Story or Memory
Share Photo
Birth details
Ethnicity & Family History
Nationality & Locations
Education
Religion
Baptism date & location
Professions
Personal Life
Military Service
Death details
Gravesite & burial
Obituary
Average Age & Life Expectancy
Memories: Stories & Photos
Through sharing we discover more together.
Share Story or Memory
Share Photo
Story
Photo
Family Tree & Friends
Martha's Family Tree
Martha Billings
Partner
Child
Partner
Child
|
Sibling
|
Friends
Friends can be as close as family. Add Martha's family friends, and her friends from childhood through adulthood.
1906 - 2006 World Events
Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Martha's lifetime.
In 1906, in the year that Martha Billings was born, Finland became the first European country to give women the vote and to allow them to run for political office. (Women in Australia and New Zealand already had that right but couldn't run for office.) Although Finland belonged to the Russian Empire, there was great unrest and the Tsar wanted to broker a quick peace. As a part of the brokered peace, women got the vote.
In 1918, Martha was just 12 years old when federal spending was $12.68 billion, unemployment was 1.4% and the cost of a first-class stamp was 3 cents.
In 1935, when she was 29 years old, on September 8th, Louisiana Senator Huey Long was shot by Dr. Carl Weiss. Weiss was shot and killed immediately by Long's bodyguards - Long died two days later from his injuries. Long had received many death threats previously, as well as threats against his family. He was a powerful and controversial figure in Louisiana politics (and probably gained power through multiple criminal acts). His opponents became frustrated with their attempts to oust him and Dr. Weiss was the son-in-law of one of those opponents. His funeral was attended by 200,000 mourners.
In 1965, at the age of 59 years old, Martha was alive when the television show "I Spy" premiered in the fall season on NBC. The stars were Bill Cosby and Robert Culp, making Cosby the first African American to headline a television show. Four stations - in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama - refused to air the show.
In 1983, Martha was 77 years old when on August 30th, the Soviet Union claimed that a South Korean Boeing 747 jetliner (Flight 007), bound for Seoul from New York City, had strayed into Soviet airspace. Saying that they believed it to be a U.S. spy plane, the passenger jet was shot down by a Soviet SU-15 fighter - after it had tracked the airliner for two hours. All 269 passengers (including a U.S. Representative from Georgia) and crew were killed.
Other Biographies
Other Martha Billings Biographies
Other Billings Family Biographies
