Music recorded in 1904
In 1904, while inter-imperial competition morphed into military conflict, urban infrastructure and international events expanded, further strengthening the modern circuits of life—"mass movement, sharing the same places, and consuming the same experiences." The Russo-Japanese War broke out in East Asia in February 1904, and with the naval battle around Port Arthur (February 8–9), war emerged as a focal point in world politics. The Battle of Liaoyang (August 25–September 3) then occurred in Manchuria, bringing into focus a land battle in which large armies clashed, backed by modern logistics and firepower. Furthermore, the Dogger Bank incident (October 21–22) occurred in the North Sea, revealing the danger that a misperception of wartime could lead to the involvement of third countries. In the diplomatic sphere, the Entente Cordiale (April 8th) was concluded, and relations between Britain and France were transformed through the settlement of colonial issues, setting in motion the formations that would shape the international order of the first half of the 20th century.
On the frontier of megatechnology, construction of the Panama Canal, led by the United States, began in earnest, with American construction efforts officially commencing on May 4, 1904. This project would change the geography of maritime, military, and trade in the long term, and became a prime example of a "national project" whose success depended not only on engineering but also on sanitary and medical management. A transportation revolution also took place within cities, with New York's IRT subway opening on October 27, 1904, reorganizing commuter zones and the city's sense of time. Disasters also highlighted the vulnerability of modern cities, and the Great Baltimore Fire (February 7–8) destroyed large parts of the city center, highlighting the challenges of reconstruction and disaster prevention.
In the field of popular culture, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was held in St. Louis from April 30 to December 1. By combining technology, products, exhibits, and spectacles in a vast space, a vision of the future of cities and industry was circulated as an experience for the audience. The St. Louis Olympics (July 1–November 23) held in the same city demonstrated that international sports could be organized as long-term urban events, furthering the international entertainment consumption circuit. The institutionalization of international sports also progressed, with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) founded in Paris on May 21, 1904. In the performing arts, Giacomo Puccini's (1858–1924) opera Madama Butterfly premiered at La Scala in Milan on February 17, symbolizing the sensitivity of the era in which intercultural representations circulated through the metropolitan entertainment market. In the world of music, Antonín Dvořák (1841–1904) passed away on May 1st, marking a turning point in the world of composition in the second half of the 19th century, marking a generational change.
In the academic world, the Nobel Prize (1904) was awarded to Lord Rayleigh (1842–1919), William Ramsay (1852–1916), and Ivan Pavlov (1849–1936), the Literature Prize was shared between Frédéric Mistral (1830–1914) and José Echegaray y Eizaguirre (1832–1916), and the Peace Prize was awarded to the Institute of International Law (Institut de droit international). 1904 is seen as a year in which the world experienced new heights in both speed and scale, with military and diplomatic tensions rising while urban transportation, international events, and the rise of academic authority progressed simultaneously.
