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Harlem Renaissance
The Harlem Renaissance was the magnificent flowering of literary and artistic creativity by the African Americans based in Harlem, New York. -
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A Decade Compacted
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Prohibiton
The enactment of the Prohibition Act or the 18th Amendment made the sale, transportation, or distribution of alcohol illegal in the United States. -
19th Amendment Ratified
The ratification of the 19th Amendment guaranteed that the right of an American citizen to vote would not be denied or abridged on the account of sex. -
Invention of the Lie Detector
The Lie Detector or Polygraph was used in the first police interrogation and investigation in 1924. Although it continues to be a controversial tool, it has been continually utilized since its invention in the 1920s. -
Invention of Insulin
The Invention of Insulin in 1922 made infinately easier the lives of those living with Diabetes prolonging their lives and ability to function. -
Talking Movies Emerge
The first commercially feasible Talking Pictures emerged in New York City in April of 1923. These movies became insanely popular and continued to grow until the first full length motion picture, The Jazz Singer, screened in October, 1927. -
Charleston Dance Craze Begins
Popularized by the 1923 Broadway show, "Runnin' Wild" the Charleston became a dance sensation peaking around 1926. The dance featured quick, careless motions in accordance with the Flappers and Jazz Music of the era. -
First Olympic Winter Games
Held in a multi-sport arena in Chamonix France, the first Winter Olympic Games featured representatives from 16 nations saw participants compete in 9 winter events. -
New Age in Fashion: The Flapper
The 192O's saw a rise in a new direction of dress. Flappers were women who moved from the concealed, proper look of decades past and moved the nation forward into an era where comfortable, casual, and sexy clothes became the norm. -
The Scopes' Trial
The Scopes' Trial of 1925 was a legal case of the State of Tennessee v. John Scopes. The trial began with the State's suit that Scopes had violated the Butler Act of Tennessee which made it illegal to teach evolution in public schools. Debated heavily nationally, the trial was reminiscent of the changing ideals and values of the Twenties. -
Woman Swims the English Channel
Gertrude Ederle, on the morning of August 6, 1926, became the first woman to successfully cross the English Channel located between England and France. This landmark event is symbolic to many women of the changing role of the fairer sex. This feat, a challenge few men had accomplished, is remembered as a day of triumph for women across the world. -
The Jazz Singer
On October 6, 1927, "The Jazz Singer" became the first full length 'talkie' to emerge at box offices across America. This classic, originally shown at a Warner Bros. theater in New York ushered America into the golden age of cinema and set a precedent for what would become an American past-time: going to the movies. (see inventions and ingenuity) -
Trans-Atlantic
On May 20, 1927, a young American aviator named Charles Lindbergh embarked on an attempted flight from New York to Paris. He succeeded, landing in Paris nearly 34 hours later exhausted but proud. The moment is remembered as a tremendous achievement in American history, strengthening the spotlight on the technology of the United States. -
Sacco & Vanzetti Executed
Ferdinando Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti were executed on August 23, 1927 for their alleged role in an armed robbery and double homicide. The evidence presented in the trial was contradictory at best and in no way proved the two men's guilt. This atrocity is evidence of the isolationist and nativist tendencies of the era. -
First Electric TV Completed
In his San Francisco laboratory on September 7, 1927, American inventor Philo Farnsworth transmitted the first image by an entirely electronic television. Farnsworth's 'Image Dissector' transmitted a simple black line. This technology along with the contributions of countless others directly attributed to cultural revolution that would proceed in the next decades. -
Babe Ruth Hits 60th Homerun of Season
On September 30, 1927 Babe Ruth broke the MLB record of 59 homeruns in one season (the mark he had set in 1921). This total would remain atop the record books until broken in 1961 by Roger Maris. Ruth brought credibility and excitement to the game of baseball transforming it into the American pastime it is today. -
Kellogg Briand Pact Signed
The Kellogg Briand Pact, also known as the General Treaty for the Renunciation of War, was a pact signed by over 60 nations denouncing the use of war as an instrument of diplomacy. While the treaty did not allow for an offensive war, it did allow signatories to use defensive measures if need be. This is one of the greatest attempts at disarmament in the history of American Politics and world history. -
Penicillin Discovered
Accidentally discovered at dawn in a petri dish, Alexander Fleming discovered the worlds first antibiotic, Penicillium notatum, a mold formed in one of his past bacterial studies. This substance went on to become the worlds most widely used antibiotic used extensively in WWII. Fleming proceded to win the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine in 1945 for his work with Penicillin. -
The Great Crash
In the months leading uo to the great crash a trend of selling led stock holders into a panic that would result in the single greatest day of selling in the New York Stock Exchange's history. The volume of shares traded on Black Tuesday, October 29th caused the Dow-Jones to drop 30 points, or 12% of its previous day total. This market crash was set in place by the rampant speculation and margin buying of the 'Roaring Twenties' and sent America and the world spiraling into economic depression.
