1920's Timeline

  • Babe Ruth

    Babe Ruth
    George Herman Ruth, Jr., otherwise known as Babe Ruth, or the great Bambino, started of as the Red Sox pitcher, but in 1919 was traded to the New York Yankees. He was known as a right fielder who won world series, and is honored in the Bseball Hll of Fame. He was considered a sports hero, but to the Red Sox, considered a curse, until they won the series in 2004.
  • Ford Model T

    Ford Model T
    In the 1920's, Henry Ford's Ford Motor Company, made some new innovations, including the assembly line, which allowed mass production to occur. The cost on automobiles went down significantly, allowing families to purchase these vehicles. Credit also helped when buying automobile purchases; 75% of all Americans used this method to purchase.
  • Flappers

    Flappers
    The term "flapper" refered to the "new breed" of woman of this decade. They wore short skirts, bobbed hair, listened to jazz music, wore exessive amounts of make-up, and smoked. They expressed being liberal, as they flaunted about what was viewed as unacceptable behavior. They drank, went to speakeasies, and even drove automobiles.
  • Penicillin

    Penicillin
    After studying bacteria, scientist Alexander Fleming created the antibiotic penicillin. This was an important medication because it helped cure harmful diseases such as siphilis and Staphylococcus.People started using it in WW1, when it became a life-saving drug.
  • Coco Chanel

    Coco Chanel
    Coco Chanel was top 20 most influential people in the 20th century occording to TIME magazing. She was a french designer who revolutionized fashion in the United States during the 1920's era of liberal living. She started the "little black dress' and Chanel No.5 which is still being sold in stores today. She put fashion on hold as she served as a nurse in WW1, which seemed risky at the time. She made her styles "boyish" to appear liberating to women.
  • Charlie Chaplin

    Charlie Chaplin
    Charlie Chaplin is known for being one of the greatest male actors of all time. He was known for his silent films, intertaining viewers all over America. Gold Rush and The Circus were two films that he conducted in the 1920s.
  • Prohibition

    Prohibition
    The 18th Amedment, prohibition,abolished alcohol in the United States. The Volstead Act gave allowed congress the right to enforce this law. There could be no transportation, sale and manufacturing of alcohol in the United States. People tried going around this law by creating bath tub Gin and going to speakeasies.
  • Ku Klux Klan

    Ku Klux Klan
    In the 20's the KKK reaches their peak. This organization of people was, in their mind, bringing tradition, Patriotism, basic morality, white supremacy and 100% Americanism to the United States. This hate group was expressed through violence and intimidation. It origionated in the southern states.
  • The 19th Amendment

    The 19th Amendment
    Women's voting was finally ratified in the United States August 18, 1920. The United States Constitution and Federal government now can't deny anyone the right to vote because of sex. President Woodrow Wilson was the president of this time and supported this decision. After 130 years of fighting for this cause, women finally feel the satisfation of having the same rights as men. Notable activists include: Susan B. Anthony, Carrie Nation, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton.
  • The radio

    The radio
    8MK was the first recorded radio broadcast in the Untied States in Detroit, Michigan. From then on, radio became a big part of entertainment in the United States. Families would work around their scheduals to make sure they were updated with the latest radio broadcasts.
  • Jeanette Rankin

    Jeanette Rankin
    She was the first female elected in congress. She was referred to as the "Lady of the House". This pacifist was elected from Montana. She pushed for the 19th Amendment, which allowed women to vote.
  • Warren G. Harding

    Warren G. Harding
    Harding became our 29th president of the United States right after WW1, when our Nation needed a strong government. Although he was a respected president, he was mainly known for his notorious scandals, such as the Teapot Dome Schandal. He was never held on trial for this, however, because he suffered of a fatal, misdiagnosed heart attack.
  • Frozen Foods

    Frozen Foods
    Clarence Birdseye was the founder and inventer of what is now the frozen food industry. He experimented with the freezing of food and started his own company entitled Birdseye Seafood Inc., which later became bankrupt due to lack of consumer interest. He later sold his patent to what is now known as the General Foods Corporation.
  • Teapot Dome

    Teapot Dome
    Under president Warren G. Harding, the Teapot Dome Scandal was considered politial corruption in the United States. Located in Wyoming, Teapot Dome was an oil field on the U.S, reserved for the US Navy. Albert B. Fall, in charge of the land, was a huge part of this particular scandal.
  • Scopes Monkey Trial

    Scopes Monkey Trial
    John T. Scopes was accused of teaching Darwin's evolution theory in school; a fundamentalist interpritation of the Bible. This trial was a turning point of the controversy of the American creation-evolution. It was held in the city of Dayton. William Jennings Bryan was also the defender of faith in this trial. It was definatley a battle between modernism vs. traditionalism.
  • Kool Aid

    Kool Aid
    Edwin Perkins of Nebraska came up with the drink Kool Aid, then known as "Fruit Smack". It was first sold in 4-ounce bottles, and later came from a packet. It started off with seven origional flavors, which were lemon, rootbeer, grape, strawberry, raspberry, orange and cherry. It was later bought by the General Foods corporation.
  • Sacco and Vanzetti

    Sacco and Vanzetti
    Ferdinando Nicola Sacco and Bartalomeo Vanzetti were Italian immigrants accused of robbery and murder in MA. The two were known anarchists and considered a threat. The two were executed for being "guilty" of these crimes, even though there was no evidence.