1920s

The 1920s (pronounced "nineteen-twenties") was a of the  that began on January 1, 1920, and ended on December 31, 1929. In, it is frequently referred to as the "" or the "", while in the period is sometimes referred to as the "" because of the economic boom following. French speakers refer to the period as the "" ("Crazy Years"), emphasizing the era's social, artistic, and cultural dynamism.

The economic prosperity experienced by many countries during the 1920s (especially the United States) was similar in nature to that experienced in the 1950s and 1990s. Each period of prosperity was the result of a in global affairs. These shifts in the 1920s, 1950s, and 1990s, occurred in part as the result of the conclusion of and, , and the , respectively.

The 1920s saw foreign oil companies begin operations throughout. became the world's second largest oil producing nation.

In some countries the 1920s saw the rise of radical political movements, especially in regions that were once part of empires. spread as a consequence of the and the s' victory in the. Fear of the spread of Communism led to the emergence of political movements and  in Europe. Economic problems contributed to the emergence of dictators in and the, to include  in the , and  and  in the.

The devastating in October 1929 is generally viewed as a harbinger of the end of 1920s prosperity in  and.

Social history
The Roaring Twenties brought about several novel and highly visible social and cultural trends. These trends, made possible by sustained economic prosperity, were most visible in major cities like New York, Chicago, Paris, Berlin and London. to politics in the wake of hyper-emotional patriotism during World War I, blossomed, and  peaked. For women, knee-length skirts and dresses became socially acceptable, as did bobbed hair with a. The women who pioneered these trends were frequently referred to as.

The era saw the large-scale adoption of automobiles, telephones, motion pictures, radio and household electricity, as well as unprecedented industrial growth, accelerated consumer demand and aspirations, and significant changes in lifestyle and culture. The media began to focus on celebrities, especially sports heroes and movie stars. Large were built in major U.S. cities, in addition to palatial.

Most independent countries passed after 1918, especially as a reward for women's support of the war effort and endurance of its deaths and hardships.

Wars

 * (May 1919 – October 1922)
 * (September – December 1920)
 * (December 1918 – October 1921)
 * (1919 – 1923)
 * (1903 – 1921)
 * (1919 – 1920)
 * (1919 – 1925)
 * (1922 – 1924)
 * (February 1919 – March 1922)
 * (January 1919 – July 1921)
 * (1920)
 * (1920 – 1927)
 * (1923 – 1932)
 * (1912 – 1933)
 * (1915 – 1934)
 * (1916 – 1924)
 * (1915 – 1934)
 * (1916 – 1924)

Internal conflicts

 * (November 1917 – October 1922)
 * (August 1920 – June 1921)
 * (1918 – 1925)
 * (1920 – 1922)
 * (1920 – 1922)
 * (June 28, 1922 – May 24, 1923)
 * (first phase 1927–1936)
 * (1927 – 1930)
 * (1928 – 1931)
 * (1929 – September 10, 1931)
 * (November 14, 1928 – October 13, 1929)

Major political changes

 * Rise of radical political movements such as and, amid the economic and political turmoil after World War I and after the stock market crash

Decolonization and independence

 * gains independence from the United Kingdom in 1922.
 * officially becomes an independent country through the, though it still remains under the military and political influence of the.

Prominent political events

 * to end war
 * movement continues to make gains as women obtain full voting rights in (1893), the  (1906), Denmark (1915), the United Kingdom in 1918 (women over 30) and in 1928 (full enfranchisement), and in the United States in 1920
 * Women begin to enter the workplace in larger numbers

North America

 * Prohibition of alcohol occurs in the United States. began January 16, 1919, with the ratification of the  to the, effective as of January 17, 1920, and it continued throughout the 1920s. Prohibition was finally repealed in 1933.  turns to  and  of , led by figures such as , boss of the.
 * The places restrictions on immigration. National quotas curbed most Eastern and Southern European nationalities, further enforced the ban on immigration of East Asians,  and Africans, and put mild regulations on nationalities from the Western Hemisphere (Latin Americans).
 * The major sport was and the most famous player was.
 * The ' (which characterized disillusionment), was the name gave to American writers, poets, and artists living in Europe during the 1920s. Famous members of the ' include, , , , , , , , , and.
 * A peak in the early 1920s in the membership of the of four to five million members (after its reemergence in 1915), followed by a rapid decline down to an estimated 30,000 members by 1930.
 * The (1925), which declared that  had violated the law by teaching  in schools, creating tension between the competing theories of  and evolutionism.

Europe

 * (1920–21).
 * Major armed conflict in Ireland including (1919–1921) resulting in Ireland becoming an independent country in 1922 followed by the  (1922–23).
 * claimed up to five million victims.
 * The (Soviet Union) is created in 1922.
 * leader of the became, shortly thereafter creating the world's first  government. The Fascist regime establishes a  state led by Mussolini as a dictator. The Fascist regime restores good relations between the  and Italy with the , which creates . The Fascist regime pursues an aggressive expansionist agenda in Europe such as by raiding the  of  in 1923, pressuring  to submit to becoming a  Italian  in the mid-1920s, and holding territorial aims on the region of  in.
 * In Germany, the suffers from economic crisis in the early 1920s and  of currency in 1923. From 1923 to 1925 the  takes place. The  was an industrial region of Germany taken over by the military forces of the  and Belgium, in response to the failure of the Weimar Republic under Chancellor  to keep paying the . The recently formed fringe  (a.k.a. Nazi Party) led by  attempts a coup against the Bavarian and German governments in the 1923, which fails, resulting in Hitler being briefly imprisoned for one year in prison where he writes .
 * (1919–23).
 * (1926).

Asia

 * The ended under  as  founds the, which later became the last monarchy of.
 * The begins (1927–37).
 * In the, 's reforms cause conflict with conservative factions, resulting in the.

Africa

 * supporters of 's (UNIA-ACL) are repressed by colonial powers in Africa. Garvey's UNIA-ACL supported the creation of a state led by black people in Africa including s.

Economics

 * Economic boom ended by "" (October 29, 1929); the es, leading to the . The market actually began to drop on Thursday October 24, 1929, and the fall continued until the huge crash on Tuesday October 29, 1929.
 * The is created by the Bolsheviks in the, to be replaced by the  in 1928.
 * The, which lasted from 1924 to 1928.
 * Average annual inflation for the decade was virtually zero but individual years ranged from a high of 3.47% in 1925 to a deflationary -11% in 1921.

Natural

 * The struck the main Japanese island of  on the 1st of September, 1923. The earthquake had a magnitude of 7.9 on the.

Assassinations and attempts
Prominent assassinations, targeted killings, and assassination attempts include:


 * , is assassinated by, Erwin Kern, and , all members of  on June 24, 1922.
 * , a ary general is assassinated by a group of seven assassins on July 20, 1923.

Technology

 * invents the first working system (1925). In 1928, he invents and demonstrates the first.
 * produces the first movie with a soundtrack ' in 1926, followed by the first Part-Talkie ' in 1927, the first All-Talking movie ' in 1928 and the first All-Color All-Talking movie ', 1929. s start giving way to s. By 1936, the transition phase arguably ends, with  being the last notable silent film.
 * invents the modern electronic in 1897. The CRT became a commercial product in 1922.
 * (such as, and ) introduce an electrical recording process on their phonograph records in 1925 (that had been developed by ), resulting in a more lifelike sound.
 * The first is patented in 1928 by the American manufacturer Col..
 * The first selective es being introduced in 1927 by the Automated Musical Instrument Company.
 * revolutionizes the field of applied electronics by inventing the in 1927.
 * invents a process for in 1925.
 * makes the first flight of a in 1926.

Science

 * becomes the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean (May 20–21, 1927), nonstop from to.
 * Howard Carter opens the innermost shrine of King 's tomb near Luxor, Egypt, 1922
 * In 1928, Alexander Fleming discovers the

Film

 * Oscar winners: ' (1927–1928), ' (1928–1929),  (1929–1930)
 * First feature-length with a  (') is released in 1926. First part-talkie (') released in 1927, first all-talking feature (') released in 1928 and first all-color all-talking feature (') released in 1929.
 * The first animated short film by is released  in 1928, featuring . Steamboat Willie was the first sound cartoon to attract widespread notice and popularity.

Fashion
The 1920s is the decade in which fashion entered the modern era. It was the decade in which of past years and began to wear more comfortable clothes (such as short skirts or trousers). Men also abandoned highly formal daily attire and even began to wear athletic clothing for the first time. The suits men wear today are still based, for the most part, on those worn in the late 1920s. The 1920s are characterized by two distinct periods of fashion. In the early part of the decade, change was slow, as many were reluctant to adopt new styles. From 1925, the public passionately embraced the styles associated with the Roaring Twenties. These styles continue to characterize fashion until the worldwide depression worsened in 1931.

Music

 * "The Jazz Age"— and jazz-influenced dance music became widely popular throughout the decade.
 * wrote  and.
 * and were the first musicians to incorporate the  and  into jazz.

Radio

 * First commercial radio stations in the U.S., 8MK (WWJ) in and  in, , go on the air on August 27, 1920.
 * Both stations broadcast the election results between Harding and Cox in early November. The first station to receive a commercial license is, then in Springfield MA, in mid-September 1921. While there are only a few radio stations in 1920–21, by 1922 the radio craze is sweeping the country.
 * 1922: The begins radio broadcasting in the  as the British BroadcastingCompany, a consortium between radio manufacturers and newspapers. It became a public broadcaster in 1926.
 * On August 27, 1920, regular wireless broadcasts for entertainment began in for the first time, by a Buenos Aires group including . The station is soon called . (See .)

Arts

 * Beginning of movement.
 * becomes fashionable.
 * The.
 * paints  in 1921.
 * paints .
 * paints , 1920
 * completes  (The Large Glass).
 * The opens in Manhattan, November 7, 1929, nine days after the.
 * The first, , begins January 7, 1929.  The first  comic strip begins on the same date.

Literature

 * publishes some of the most enduring novels characterizing the Jazz Age. ', ', and , as well as three short story collections, were all published in these years.
 * publishes 
 * publishes 
 * publishes ' and '
 * publishes 
 * publishes 
 * publishes 
 * publishes 
 * awarded for ' in 1920, ' in 1922, and  in 1928.
 * publishes ', ', ', ', and 
 * publishes the
 * publishes ', and '
 * publishes ', ', ', ' and 
 * publishes his inaugural novel 
 * begins to write and draw the comic strip (August 5, 1924) and continues to do so until his death in 1968.
 * publishes  in 1926
 * publishes 
 * publishes 
 * publishes 
 * publishes ' 1923 and ' in 1928
 * publishes his first book of poetry, 
 * publishes 
 * publishes 
 * publishes ' and '
 * publishes  in 1928

Architecture

 * builds the in
 * published the book serving as the  for a generation of architects.

1920

 * January 24: switches its name to
 * February 13: created (baseball)
 * April: began playing for the
 * April – September: held in.
 * August 17: from the  is killed by ' pitch (baseball)
 * August 20: founded
 * is named the first.

1921

 * March 26: Schooner launched

1923

 * May 26: the conducts their first sports car race
 * October: The New York Yankees win the, the first title for the team.

1924

 * January – February: takes place in  France.
 * May – July: held in Paris France.
 * July 10–13: wins five gold medals in Summer Olympics

1925

 * May 28: invites non-French  athletes for the first time
 * Germany and Belgium in first international tournament.

1926

 * August 6: swims  and is first woman to do so.
 * September 23: wins 's world heavyweight  title.

1927

 * May 23: end 's 71-match unbeaten sequence in the  – the longest unbeaten sequence in that competition.
 * June 3: First golf tournaments are held in

1928

 * February: held in St. Moritz Switzerland.
 * May – August: Women's Olympics takes place for first time, in held in Amsterdam.
 * wins the Football League, scores 60 goals in 39 matches for

1929

 * The English team led by defeats Australia in  series

Miscellaneous trends

 * Youth culture of ; s, the, and the.
 * Fads such as, , s and are popular.
 * The height of the.
 * The centered in a thriving  community of, New York City.
 * Since the 1920s scholars have methodically dug into the layers of history that lie buried at thousands of sites across China.
 * The tomb of is discovered intact by  (1922). This begins a second revival of.
 * Twiglets are invented in December 1929 by Frenchman, and sold by.

World leaders

 * Prime Minister (Australia)
 * Prime Minister (Australia)
 * Prime Minister (Australia)
 * Prime Minister (Canada)
 * Prime Minister (Canada)
 * President
 * President (Republic of China)
 * President (Czechoslovakia)
 * President (France)
 * President (France)
 * President (France)
 * President (France)
 * President (Germany)
 * President (Germany)
 * Regent (Hungary)
 * of the
 * of the
 * President (Ireland)
 * President
 * King (Italy)
 * Prime Minister (Italy)
 * Emperor (Japan)
 * President (Mexico)
 * President (Mexico)
 * President (Mexico)
 * (Poland)
 * King (Spain)


 * Premier  later
 * General Secretary of the Communist Party
 * King (United Kingdom)
 * Prime Minister (United Kingdom)
 * Prime Minister (United Kingdom)
 * Prime Minister (United Kingdom)
 * Prime Minister (United Kingdom)
 * President (United States)
 * President (United States)
 * President (United States)
 * President (United States)
 * King of
 * Prime Minister
 * President (Brazil)
 * President (Argentina)
 * (Vatican)

Entertainers






Musicians




Film makers




Artists






Sports figures

 * (American player)
 * , (American player)
 * , (American player)
 * (American player)
 * (American player)
 * (American player)
 * , (American player)
 * (American player)
 * (American Commissioner)
 * (American boxer)
 * (American boxer)
 * (Filipino boxer)
 * (Australian captain)
 * (Yorkshire and England cricketer)
 * (Surrey and England cricketer)
 * (Yorkshire and England cricketer)
 * (Sussex and England cricketer)
 * , Australian cricketer
 * , Australian cricketer


 * , South African cricketer
 * (American bowler)
 * ( player)
 * (American football player and coach)
 * (Arsenal and Scotland player)
 * ( player)
 * (American er)
 * (American golfer)
 * (Finnish runner)
 * (Canadian athlete)
 * (jockey)
 * (swimming)
 * (swimming)
 * (French player)
 * (American tennis player)
 * (American tennis player)