Arts & Culture
The Summer Olympics open in Belgium, where the symbol of the five interlocking rings are first displayed. The National Football League is formed in September of 1920, first called the American Professional Football Association. The first domestic radio starts selling in the United States for ten dollars. In April of 1921, the United
States Figure Skating Association is formed. The first Miss America Pageant is held in New Jersey in September of 1921. In October of 1921, the first broadcast of a baseball game on the radio station happened in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Jazz music also started is reign in America in the early 1920s, influencing much of what was written during this time.
Science, Technology, and Ideas
The sale of contraceptives is prohibited in France. The first radio station starts in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Communist parties of many nations are starting to form. Frederick Banting of the University of Toronto discover the hormone insulin, which helped people with diabetes. In November of 1921, Albert Einstein earns the Nobel Prize in Physics for the photoelectric effect.
Social Change
Babe Ruth is traded to the Red Sox for the most amount of money ever paid for a player. Negro National League Baseball is started and first played in Indiana. The 19th amendment is passed, which guarantees women’s suffrage. This is the first step towards equal rights for women. The United States passes the Emergency Quota Act, which established national quotas on immigration.
War, Politics, and Nature
Prohibition begins because of the 18th amendment. The League of Nations is formed, and the United States chooses not to join in January of 1920. Many Mexican Revolutions were happening in 1920. The Polish-Soviet war was happening, with Germany declaring its neutrality. In November of 1920, Warren G. Harding is elected president in the first election where women were able to vote. The Irish War of Independence begins in November 1920. In July of 1921, Adolf Hitler become the Fuhrer of the Nazi Party in Germany. In August 1921, the United States formally ends World War I.
I totally forgot to mention Hitler and the end of the World War I. I think this was a really awesome period of time cause there were so many things that occurred during this time. The insulin, for example, saved so many lives so it sure was a great thing it was finally discovered. Another cool thing during this time was F.Scott Fitzgerald, one of my all time favorite authors, who at this time published the Great Gatsby. Which brought upon the Flappers craze. And lastly another great thing that occurred was the 19th amendment which finally gave women the rights to vote and do things men can do like have a job other than being a household women.
Imagine living back then and getting to witness such change in the western world, the world we inhabit. I feel it would be exciting to witness the shaping of our society and the emergence of drastically new technology. We witness change in modern times in the developing world but the early 20th century with the World Wars, the end of imperialism etc, is really what has shaped the west as it is today. There isn’t a lot of drastic political or territorial changes occurring in America or Europe in the 21rst century for example.
I also find the fact that France banned contraceptives in the 20s is very interesting although not surprising as most of the population of France, at least at the time, is Catholic. And let us not forget that while prohibition occurred in the United States many modernist writers made their homes in Paris after World War I. Gertrude Stein, Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Ezra Pound all were in Paris at some point in the 20’s along with many other writers and famous artists. The early 20th century is one of my favorite times to think about both historically and artistically.
Turning fun in to money, or combining pleasure with business/lifestyle seems to be a growing trend by world wide citizens of the early 1920’s. The growth of industry and quick transportation (example the commercial airline 1914) seems like it would have made the world more accessible for the average person. It was as if life no longer had to remain inside this box of one single reality. The growth of culture and music caused people to experience different aspects of life instead of just living to survive and provide. Extended communication and broadcasting (household radio use) opened the eyes of families to the wider aspects of society. The growing popularity for the cities sports teams pushed toward more united individual communities within the U.S.