1910: On May 31, the Republic of South Africa is formed after the region gains independence from Great Britain.

1997: On July 1, Hong Kong is ceded back to China, ending over a hundred years' rule by Great Britain. In the handover, Great Britain relinquishes control of its last important colony. A rude jibe holds that Britain's influence has been reduced from an empire upon which the sun never set to a small island upon which the sun seldom shines.

1910s: With the advancement of modern medicine, people come to realize the link between exercise, diet, and good health. John Harvey Kellogg's Battle Creek Sanitarium in Michigan is a fashionable resort where wealthy patrons partake of the latest fitness and diet fads.

1990s: People are increasingly conscious about fitness and nutrition. Low-fat foods and exercise devices are a billion dollar industry. Still, over 25 percent of the U.S...