Death rates in the 20th century fever, polio, measles, hepatitis among others. However, war, genocide and Holocausts have led to many millions of deaths throughout the century, and late in the century AIDS had already killed millions, particularly in Africa and south-east Asia. Cancer also killed millions via lifestyle and pollution generated by increased work in factories. During the 20th century, an enormous improvement in public health led to an overall decrease in death rates. Infant mortality rates and maternal mortality rates have dramatically decreased. In the early 1900s, 6-9 women died in pregnancy-related complications for every 1,000 births, while 100 infants died before they were
20th-century events and sign the Kyoto treaty, which set mandatory limits on carbon dioxide emissions. The celebration of the ending of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century was at New Year's Day, 2000. 20th-century events The 20th-century events include many notable events which occurred throughout the 20th century, which began on January 1, 1901, and ended on December 31, 2000, according to the Gregorian calendar. In Europe, the British Empire achieved the height of its power. Germany and Italy, which came into existence as unified nations in the second half of the 19th century, grew in power, challenging