Today -100: May 17, 1920: Of oil, crossbows, and saints

The director of the Bureau of Mines says at the present rate, the US will run out of oil in 20 years.

Switzerland votes to join the League of Nations. The referendum was fairly close, with the French-speaking cantons voting to join and the German-speaking ones voting against. The NYT correspondent in Altdorf reports that the voting was guarded by soldiers with swords and crossbows, because Switzerland.

Joan of Arc is canonized.

Don't see comments? Click on the post title to view or post comments.