Mary Moloney (1873 - 1955)

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

In 1873, in the year that Mary Moloney was born, on May 27th, German archaeologist and businessman Heinrich Schliemann found what he said was "Priam's Treasure" - confirming the existence of ancient Troy. The find in Hissarlik Turkey is still disputed as being a part of Troy.

In 1905, Mary was 32 years old when the first movie theater opened in the United States in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was the first theater to show nothing but movies - silent films. Two men, John P. Harris and his brother-in-law Harry Davis, opened the Nickelodeon on Smithfield Street - charging 5 cents for admission. The first day, 450 people watched movies at the new theater - on the second day, more than 1500 people stood in line to get in.

In 1933, at the age of 60 years old, Mary was alive when on December 5th, the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. The 21st Amendment said "The eighteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is hereby repealed." Alcohol was legal again! It was the only amendment to the Constitution approved for the explicit purpose of repealing a previously existing amendment. South Carolina was the only state to reject the Amendment.

In 1946, Mary was 73 years old when pediatrician Dr. Benjamin Spock's book "The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care" was published. It sold half a million copies in the first six months. Aside from the Bible, it became the best selling book of the 20th century. A generation of Baby Boomers were raised by the advice of Dr. Spock.

In 1955, in the year of Mary Moloney's passing, in January, President Eisenhower sent direct aid to South Vietnam. In February, U.S. advisors were sent to train troops.