Year 1903 in Review: Fun Facts, Trivia, and Historic Highlights

This quick read is a collection of fun facts, trivia, and historical events from the year 1903. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, historic firsts, entertainment trivia, and much more.

Take a journey through history in just minutes.

1. In 1903, Theodore Roosevelt (R-New York) was the 26th president of the United States, and the vice president’s office was vacant.
2. The U.S. unemployment rate was 3.9%, up from 3.7% in 1902. The nation’s inflation rate was 2.33%, up from 1.18% one year earlier.
3. American companies and brands launched in 1903 included the Buick car brand, the Ford Motor Company, Harley-Davidson, Kraft Foods, the Lisle Corporation, Newell Brands, and Rexall drug stores.
4. On February 14, President Roosevelt created the U.S. Department of Commerce and Labor.
5. On February 14, the U.S. Census Office moved to the newly formed Department of Commerce and Labor.
6. On February 14, the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, the first scientific agency of the U.S. government, also moved to the Department of Commerce and Labor.
7. On February 15, Morris and Rose Michtom, Russian immigrants and owners of a candy and toy store in Brooklyn, New York, introduced the “Teddy” bear to America. In 1902, Morris saw a cartoon in the Washington Post of President Roosevelt refusing to shoot a bear cub while on a hunting expedition. Inspired by the cartoon, Morris and Rose created a stuffed “Teddy” bear to honor the U.S. president and put it into the window of their Brooklyn shop.
8. On February 23, the United States assumed territorial control of the southern portion of Guantanamo Bay in a lease agreement with Cuba.
9. On March 2, the 12-story, 416-room Martha Washington Hotel opened at 29 East 29th Street in New York City. It was the first hotel in NYC exclusively for women.
10. On July 1, the U.S. Bureau of Fisheries moved to the recently created Department of Commerce and Labor.
11. On July 23, Henry Ford sold his first Model A Ford to Dr. Ernest Pfennig, a Chicago dentist, thus establishing the Ford Motor Company. Moneyweek.com tells us that the Model A came in two flavors: a four-seater “Tonneau” priced at $850 and a sporty two-seater “Runabout” priced at $750. These were not rock-bottom prices in 1903, considering that the average annual household income in the U.S. was $300-$400.
12. For several nights during late September, residents of Van Meter, Iowa, “reported seeing a bat-like creature that emitted a bright, blinding light from a horn on its head.”
13. On October 13, the American League Boston Americans won the first World Series by defeating the National League Pittsburgh Pirates, 5 games to 3.
14. December 17: In Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville Wright “completed the first powered flight of a heavier-than-air aircraft. The flight lasted just 12 seconds, traveled 120 feet, and reached a top speed of 6.8 miles per hour.”
15. On December 31, a devastating fire broke out in Chicago’s Iroquois Theatre during a matinee performance attended by 1,700 people. Over 600 people died, and about 250 others sustained non-fatal injuries. The fire still ranks as the worst theater fire in U.S. history.
16. In 1903, Satori Kato, a Japanese chemist who lived in Chicago, received a U.S. patent for instant coffee.
17. Toots Shor was born. His iconic restaurant in New York City was a gathering place for celebrities during the 1940s and 1950s.
18. Ruth Graves Wakefield was also born. She invented the Toll House cookie, the world’s first chocolate chip cookie.
19. Luther Crowell passed away. He invented a machine to make square-bottomed grocery bags.
20. Other famous people who died in 1903 were Calamity Jane (explorer), Margaret Ann Neve (super-centenarian), Richard Gatling (inventor), Paul Gauguin (painter), and Thomas Bramwell Welch (minister and entrepreneur).
21. Popular music artists and groups in 1903: George Alexander, Henry Burr, Arthur Collins, The Columbia Orchestra, The Haydn Quartet, Mina Hickman, Harry Macdonough, Billy Murray, Dan Quinn, John Philip Sousa’s Band, and Cal Stewart
22. America’s favorite songs were In the Good Old Summertime (The Haydn Quartet), Come Down, Ma Ev’ning Star (Mina Hickman), and That’s How the Little Girl Got On (Marie Lloyd).
23. Popular movies for the year included The Great Train Robbery, Alice in Wonderland, The Magic Lantern, The Kingdom of the Fairies, and The Inferno Cauldron.
24. Here are some sports facts from 1903: Princeton and Michigan were the NCAA football champions, John Lorden won the Boston Marathon, and Judge Himes was the winning horse in the Kentucky Derby.
25. In 1903 as well, the words "academia," "antifreeze," "attention span," "bingo," "candid camera," "carrot cake," "cocktail party," "corn syrup," "dopehead," "fandom," "flashback," "motorbike," "optometrist," "penny arcade," "sportswear," "tonic water," and "vacuum cleaner" all appeared in print for the first time.

References:

1. https://www.the-numbers.com/market/1903/top-grossing-movies
2. https://playback.fm/charts/top-100-songs/1903
3. https://popculturemadness.com/1903-history-trivia-fun-facts/
4. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1903
5. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/yearonlytimeline1900-1950.html
6. https://www.onthisday.com/date/1903
7. https://www.mclib.info/Research/Local-History-Genealogy/Historic-Prices/Historic-Prices-1900s/Historic-Prices-1903
8. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1903
9. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1903_in_the_United_States
10. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1903

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor