There was a decade in the twentieth century that became known as the Roaring Twenties; this decade was, as you may deduce from the name, the 1920s. It was recently brought to my attention that since we are currently in the 2020s, the 1920s were exactly 100 years ago. The Roaring Twenties were not that long ago in the scope of the United States’ existence, yet they are increasingly distant with each day.
Here are several events that give you a glimpse into the Roaring Twenties:
- The newest state in the Union was Arizona, which was only 8 years old at the beginning of the decade; currently, the newest state is Hawaii, which will be 64 years old this August.
- The Great War, or the War to End All War, had only ended slightly more than a year before the beginning of the 1920s; it is now evident that the latter name of the war is inaccurate as a second World War would begin a couple decades later. This makes the 1920s the earlier half of the Interwar Period, which is the time between World War I and World War II.
- Jazz became one of the most popular genres of music in the United States during the 1920s.
- In the year 1920, Prohibition began in the United States with the ratification of the 18th Amendment that prohibited the manufacture, sale, and transportation of intoxicating liquors.
- The Hollywood sign was erected in the year 1923, which is exactly 100 years before this year. The sign was only supposed to last a year and a half; it originally said Hollywoodland, until it underwent its first restoration and the last four letters were removed in 1949.
- The Great Depression started at the end of the decade with the stock market crash of 1929.
Here are a handful of major events that have occurred after the 1920s to show some of the developments that have been made in the last 100 years:
- The United States adopted the Star Spangled Banner as its first official national anthem in 1931.
- The 20th Amendment was ratified in 1933, and consequently the Presidential Inauguration was moved from March 4 to January 20; March 4 was the Presidential Inauguration since the second President, John Adams.
- The 21st Amendment was ratified in 1933, which officially repealed the 18th Amendment, effectively ending Prohibition at the Federal level.
- The Second World War ended in 1945 with a US-Allied victory; the United States and Allies had seen the victory of two wold wars separated by a mere 27 years.
- The United States launches its first satellite, Explorer I, in 1958.
- Alaska and Hawaii were admitted in 1959 as the 49th and 50th states respectively, which are still the two newest states in the Union.
- The United States became the first nation to complete a manned lunar landing in 1969; Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon.
- With the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States is left as the world’s sole Superpower.
We are yet in the early stages of the 2020s, and we still have 7 more years to make an impact with our current decade before it becomes history and the present infinitely drifts away from these years.
What is your favorite decade in all of history?
Onward American 