The 1900sThe Roller Coaster as the Turn of the Century It is in the unsettled and unsettled first decade of the twentieth century that we see how the United States of America battled enormous adversity and transformed the world for the better. According to the Time article The 1900 Galveston Hurricane, “That storm killed about 8,000 Americans and leveled what had been the largest city in Texas” (Ripley 1). This quote refers to the deadliest hurricane to ever hit the United States. As a relatively new nation, this was an absolutely tragic and terrifying turn of the century. Despite taking precious lives and weakening the spirit of the American people, the patriotic incentive for exploration and innovation has only strengthened. Just three years later, two proud brothers created what is probably one of the most important and revolutionary inventions. “On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright piloted the first powered airplane 20 feet above a windswept beach in North Carolina” (“Eywitness to History” 1). This historic day in the city of Kitty Hawk marked the beginning of a new era. Thanks to this wonderful invention and great technological advancements, people can travel internationally at an exponentially faster rate. This really put America back where it belonged, becoming the true world leader in innovation. While this marked enormous progress for the country this decade, it has not yet been achieved. “On September 7, 1909, New York Times readers awoke to a stunning front-page headline: 'Peary Discovers North Pole After Eight Attempts in 23 Years'” (Henderson 1). American scholar Robert Peary took his spirit of exploration and combined it with hard work to create a miracle. A...... middle of the paper ......orth-pole-116633746/?no-ist>."News coverage of the first flight." Norfolk Virginian-Pilot December 18, 1903. Web. April 5, 2014. .Ousley, Clarence. Galveston in 1900. San Diego: np, nd N. pag. Network. April 14, 2014. .Ripley, Amanda. “The Galveston Hurricane of 1900.” TIME. NP, September 15, 2008. Web. April 5, 2014. “Robert Peary: On Top of the World.” PBS Home. American Experience and Web. April 5, 2014. "The Galveston Hurricane of 1900" EyeWitness to History, (2005). "The Wright Brothers - First Flight, 1903", EyeWitness to History, (2005)., (2003).