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The Development of Jazz Music
The 1920’s through 1930’s were known as the Jazz Age. During this time jazz music gained not only popularity in the states but in the world too. Popular jazz artists during the time include Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll Morton, and more. The jazz sound originated from New Orleans and people fell in love making jazz a very popular type of music all through the world. -
Usage of Radios
Even though radios were invented in 1896, they became incredibly popular in the 1920’s. Radios were the main source of entertainment during the 20’s. They were fairly cheap, easy to use, and easy to find. It allowed the US to get news, listen to music, and gain entertainment. It also provided companies to advertise their own products. Overall it was an incredibly useful invention and was a huge thing during the 20’s. -
Invention of Band-Aid
Earle Dickson was the first man to come up with the Band-AID. In 1920, Earle was tired of his wife cutting herself in the kitchen and wanted to make something that would cover her wounds. He created a sticky adhesive outer part with a small piece of gauze in the middle. It would allow his wife to quickly and effectively cover her wounds without needing assistance. Now, over 42 million Band-Aids are sold a year. -
Palmer Raids
The Palmer Raids were a series of raids in November 1919 and later into January of 1920. These occurred during the first Red Scare. Americans were scared of immigrants during this time which is what led to these raids. These raids mostly targeted Italian immigrants and Jewish immigrants who were believed to have leftist ties. The purpose for them were to deport radical leftists and get them out of America. However, most of these people who were arrested or deported were innocent. -
Passing of the 19th Amendment
In August of 1920, women were granted the right to vote with the 19th amendment. This amendment said, “ The right of citizens of the US to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the US or by any State on account of sex.” This amendment was passed by President Woodrow Wilson. -
1920 Election
The 1920 United States President Election was held on November 2nd, of 1920. It was a run between Republican Warren Harding of Ohio and Democratic James Cox of Ohio. With a landslide victory, Warren Harding took the victory taking every single state outside of the South dominating the popular vote. James Cox stood no chance in winning the election. Hardings slogan was “Return to Normalcy,” referring to the US returning to how it was before World War 1 and the Spanish Flu. -
The First Winter Olympics
The first Winter Olympics were held on January 25th, 1924. They were first held in Chamonix, France with only five sports occurring. These five sports were bobsleigh, curling, ice hockey, skiing, and skating. 16 nations were there with over 258 athletes competing in the games. The United States placed fourth overall with a score of 29 points. Winning with 134.5 points however, was Norway. -
Great Gatsby Published
On April 10th, 1925, the Great Gatsby was published by Scott Fitzgerald which led him to almost instant success. He struggled before the release of this book with his novels not going big and even being accused of plagiarism. However, the Great Gatsby was a hit among Americans selling over 30 million copies to this day. The novel is more of a romance book about a self made millionaire who fell in love with a wealthy young women. -
Founding of NBC
With radios booming during the 1920’s, NBC was immediately successful. NBC also known as the National Broadcasting Company, was an American commercial radio network/station created in 1926. NBC has become the first permanent radio station unlike most other radio stations during the time. It allows people to get their entertainment for the day, get local and nationwide news, and listen to music. -
Creation of Route 66
U.S Route 6 or Highway 66 was finished with construction on November 11th, 1926. The new Route 66 opened up so many opportunities for American people. The highway allowed you to go from Chicago all the way to the West Coast. Things like roadside motels, gas stations, and fast food were being brought up everywhere on the new Route 66. Without it, we wouldn’t have as many hotels, motels, and gas stations as we do today. -
Model T Cars
Fords Model T Car was one of the greatest creations ever. Cars had already been invented but the were expensive and only the richest of the rich had them. However, with the new cheap Model T Cars, middle class people could now drive their own cars. It was created with a moving assembly line which helped lower the price and created a mass production of the cars. The cars usually costed around $850 which was over $1200 less than most other cars. -
Babe Ruth hits 60th Home Run
Babe Ruth, one of the most famous baseball players known to man, set a world record in 1927. On September 30th, 1927, Ruth hit his 60th home run of the year setting a record that wouldn’t be broken for over 30 years. His famous 60th home run was during a game against the Washington Senators at the Yankee Stadium. This was a huge thing for not only America but American baseball as well. -
The Jazz Singer is Produced
The Jazz Singer was an important screenplay of the 1920’s because it was the first to include sound. It was written and produced by Alfred Cohn and Jack Jarmuth. It was the first American musical film that featured synchronized dialogue, ending the silent film era. The movie is about a young man who loves jazz music and wants to be a performer but his father won’t let him. His father wants him to carry on their family owned business. However he is found and kicked out but in the end succeeds. -
Amelia Earhart becomes First Women to Fly Across Atlantic Ocean
On June 18th, 1928, Amelia Earhart, after all of her hard work and training, becomes the first woman to ever fly across the Atlantic Ocean. The pilots of the ship were Wilmer Stultz and Louis Gordon with Amelia as the passenger. The plane left Harbor Grace, Newfoundland, Canada and landed 15 hours later in Londonderry, Northern Ireland. This was a huge step in women’s rights and women working jobs. Amelia was not only an inspiration to young girls across the nation but to America too. -
Kellogg Briand Pact
The Kellogg-Briand Pact was an international agreement signed on August 27th, 1928. In the pact it promised to not use war to resolve “disputes or conflicts of whatever nature or of whatever origin they may be, which may arise among them.” Signed by then President Coolidge with 15 other nations committed to the pact of outlawing war and aggression towards each other. -
Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie
On November 18th, 1928, Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie was released. After the release of the cartoon, America fell in love with the character “Mickey Mouse.” Mickey Mouse was loved by all ages all over the country. After the success, Mickey Mouse became kind of the mascot for Walt Disney and his company. -
Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre
The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre was the murder of seven members and associates of Chicago’s North Side Gang. The men were lined up inside a garage on North Clark Street and shot in the head one by one. Most people believe the murder was a hit set by Al Capone, but no one was ever prosecuted. -
The Great Crash
On October 24th, 1929, the stock market had its worst economic event in world history. People were scared the economy was going to worsen and traded over 12.9 million shares, completely crashing the entire stock market. Billions of dollars were lost and it wiped out thousands of investors. Ultimately led to the Great Depression and the end of the Roaring 20’s.
