1916

What Was Happening in 1916

The Somme and Verdun — industrial slaughter on an unimaginable scale as the war reaches its darkest hour.

Born in

By the Numbers in 1916

World Population

UK Life Expectancy

49.5 years

US Life Expectancy

50.5 years

Gold Price (per oz)

$20.67

Dow Jones Index

79

US National Debt

Sovereign Nations

53

How Much Did Things Cost in 1916?

ItemUKUS
Average house price£275$3,350
Average salary£80$620
Pint of milk2½d
Loaf of bread3½d
Dozen eggs1s 6d38¢
Pint of beer3d

Technology and Inventions in 1916

The tank made its battlefield debut at the Somme. Aircraft technology advanced rapidly with dedicated fighter and bomber designs. Sonar was being developed to counter the U-boat threat. Blood banks and improved surgical techniques saved lives at casualty clearing stations.

  • Tanks used in battle for the first time at the Battle of Flers-Courcelette during the Somme
  • Radio direction finding developed for naval use
  • The Boeing Company founded by William Boeing in Seattle
  • Blood was first stored and preserved for later transfusion during the war

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More About 1916

What Was Happening — A journey through the years