Olive Best (1877 - 1970)

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

In 1877, in the year that Olive Best was born, on July 14th, strikes and resulting riots began at the Baltimore and Ohio (B&O) Railroad. A sympathy strike and rioting began in Pittsburgh and a worker's rebellion began in St. Louis, then spread to other cities. 100 people were killed before the strikes ended when President Rutherford B. Hayes sent federal troops to each of the cities involved.

In 1885, when she was just 8 years old, Germany's Karl Benz built the Benz Patent-Motorwagen, which had an internal combustion engine. It is considered to be the world's first automobile. The Benz cost $150 - just under $4,000 in today's money.

In 1921, she was 44 years old when on November 11th, the first burial was held at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery. The body of an unknown soldier - selected by Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger who was highly decorated for valor and received the Distinguished Service Cross in "The Great War" - was brought back from France (World War 1) and placed in the newly completed tomb. President Warren G. Harding officiated at the interment ceremonies.

In 1938, Olive was 61 years old when on June 25th (a Saturday) the Fair Labor Standards Act was signed into law by President Roosevelt (along with 120 other bills). The Act banned oppressive child labor, set the minimum hourly wage at 25 cents, and established the maximum workweek at 44 hours. It faced a lot of opposition and in fighting for it, Roosevelt said "Do not let any calamity-howling executive with an income of $1,000 a day, ...tell you...that a wage of $11 a week is going to have a disastrous effect on all American industry."

In 1970, in the year of Olive Best's passing, on May 1st, US troops invaded Cambodia, expanding the Vietnam War. The invasion of Cambodia was a Nixon policy, although it was argued against by both his Secretary of State and his Secretary of Defense.