William Swaney (1866 - 1956)

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

In 1866, in the year that William Swaney was born, on May 10th, the "banker's bank" - London bank Overend, Gurney and Company - collapsed, beginning the Panic of 1866. Unemployment went up to 8% and wages went down. Only about 16% of joint-stock companies - a company whose stock is owned jointly by the shareholders - weathered the Panic.

In 1877, he was just 11 years old when on January 8th, the Battle of Wolf Mountain occurred in southern Montana Territory. Crazy Horse, Two Moon, and their warriors fought the United States Cavalry. The battle was a tactical draw and by May, Crazy Horse and his followers had surrendered at Camp Robinson.

In 1884, William was 18 years old when on May 1st, the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions - a US association - first resolved that "eight hours shall constitute a legal day's labour from and after May 1, 1886, and that we recommend to labour organisations throughout this jurisdiction that they so direct their laws as to conform to this resolution by the time named." Previously, workdays would consist of 10 to 16 hours a day - 6 days a week. It would take years before the 8 hour workday became common practice - and longer before it became a law.

In 1920, by the time he was 54 years old, on November 2, radio station KDKA began broadcasting in Pittsburgh, PA. This was the first commercial radio broadcast in the United States. Westinghouse, a leading manufacturer of radios and the backer of the station, chose the date because of the Presidential election. People liked it because they could hear about the results of the election between Harding and Cox before the morning papers arrived. Four years later, there were 600 commercial stations broadcasting in the U.S.

In 1956, in the year of William Swaney's passing, this was the year that the King of Rock and Roll, Elvis Presley, became an international sensation. He began the year as a regional favorite and ended the year with 17 recordings having been on the Billboard’s Top 100 singles chart, 11 TV appearances, and a movie. Elvis scandalized adults and thrilled teens.