Silas Aurther Ballinger (1858 - 1922)

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

In 1858, in the year that Silas Aurther Ballinger was born, on January 14th, Felice Orsini and others tried - but failed - to assassinate Napoleon III of France. The bombs they set off did kill 8 people - and wounded 142 others. Some of the conspirators were French émigrés who lived in Britain, setting off a short anti-British feeling in France. But the emperor refused to support the sentiment and it died out. Orsini was executed by guillotine on March 13th.

In 1886, he was 28 years old when on October 28th, President Grover Cleveland officially dedicated the Statue of Liberty. A gift from France, the base for the statue had been built using donations from the American public. The unplanned but enthusiastic celebration after the dedication led to the first ticker tape parade.

In 1898, Silas was 40 years old when on March 24th, Robert Allison of Pennsylvania became the first person to buy an American-built car. He bought a Winton, which he had seen in an advertisement in Scientific American. The Winton, built in Ohio, was made by hand and came with a leather roof, padded seats, gas lamps, and tires made by B.F. Goodrich.

In 1908, he was 50 years old when Henry Ford developed the first Model T automobile, often called the Tin Lizzy or flivver. Produced from 1908 through 1927, it first sold for $850 - which made it affordable for every middle class family. Previously, cars were the province of the upper class and the introduction of the Model T and its availability changed U.S. culture. Within days of its release, over 15,000 cars had been ordered.

In 1922, in the year of Silas Aurther Ballinger's passing, on November 4th, British Egyptologists George Carnarvon and Howard Carter unearthed the first step leading to King Tutankhamen's tomb in the Valley of the Kings. By the end of the month they had unearthed the steps and broken through the door into the intact tomb. This was the only tomb that had remained unlooted that had been found (and is, to date). Filled with gold, jewels, and ancient everyday items, the find was priceless - in terms of money and history.