1920s Timeline

Sacco and Vanzetti arrested for armed robbery and murder

Apr 15, 1920

Sacco and Vanzetti's crimes incited Americans to fear anarchists and those who wanted to destroy the government

KDKA goes on the air from Pittsburg

Nov 2, 1920

First commercial radio broadcast, to present the Harding-Cox presidential election

1st Miss American Pageant

Sep 7, 1921

Designed to encourage visitors to Atlantic City, eight finalists from seven cities

Teapot Dome Scandal

Apr 7, 1922

Cabinet member bribed into transferring ownership of oil fields under Teapot Dome during Warren G. Harding's presidency

First Winter Olympics

Jan 25, 1924

Originally called "The International Winter Sports Week” and went on for 11 days in Chamonix, France

The Great Gatsby published by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Apr 10, 1925

The Great Gatsby represented the shift of the American mindset and defined the American dream that is so often referenced

Scopes Monkey Trial

Jul 21, 1925

Biology teacher accused of illegally teaching evolution to middle school students, Scopes guilty

Charles Lindberg completes solo flight across the Atlantic

May 21, 1927

Flew Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris in 33 hours

The Jazz Singer debuts (1st movie with sound)

Oct 6, 1927

First movie with sound, still mostly silent with prerecorded sound, changed future of film making

St. Valentines Day Massacre

Feb 14, 1929

Six mobsters murdered in rivalry between Al Capone and Bugs Moran

Black Tuesday (Stock Market Crash)

Oct 29, 1929

Stock market and Wall street crashed, lost US billions of dollars, led to Great Depression