These World-Changing Events Happened 100 Years Ago
As we wrap up 2019, it is important to consider just how different the world was only 100 years ago. Things we now take for granted were considered achievements and shaped the future we are now living. Let’s take a look at what our predecessors did for us and how it affects our lives today.
The League of Nations Was Inaugurated
The League of Nations was born of absolute necessity. After World War I, the world was in desperate need of a sort of global counselor or mediator to make sure world war was not inevitable. President Woodrow Wilson first introduced the idea and it did see some success, but the League did not include some major players on the world stage (such as Russia) and it never did reach its full potential. However, this was the ideological foundation for NATO.
The Shortest Flight from London to South Africa….1 ½ months….
Oh aviation. It is a fickle beast. We have to get to the airport 90 minutes early for a domestic flight (180min for an international flight), check our luggage, and sit in what can only be described as a seat for ants. However, we are way better off than they were in 1920. The flight’s in-air time was 109 hours and 30 minutes. It could be described as bumpy…it crashed twice.
The U.S. Postal Service Bans Mailing…Babies
The U.S. Postal Service began delivering parcels in 1913. It didn’t take long for parents to start scheming. Technically, parents were allowed to mail their babies if they were under 50lbs. A famous story mentions that a baby was mailed with stamps stuck to the back of her jacket. It should be noted that the parents insured the little rascal for $50!
Prohibition
Prohibition is an interesting event. Most people do not know that it was not illegal to drink alcohol during prohibition if you owned the alcohol before the law was enacted. Also, drug stores sold alcohol as “medicine”. Bootleg alcohol killed thousands of people because there was no regulation. Another consideration is that alcohol was extremely limited when people needed it the most…during the Great Depression. The Depression is actually credited with motivating people to call for the repeal of Prohibition.
Terrorist Attack
Until the Oklahoma City Bombing in 1995, the worst terrorist attack in American history took place in 1920. An improvised explosive device was transported via horse-drawn carriage to Wall Street. It was triggered and killed 38 people. While it is not explicitly known who was responsible, people believe it was Italian anarchists that are responsible.
The Nineteenth Amendment is Ratified
Perhaps the most momentous occasion of the 1920’s is the ratification of the 19th Amendment which gave women the right to vote nationwide. While this may seem like a no-brainer amendment, keep in mind that it only passed through the Senate with a 50-49 vote. This was a hotly contested issue. So hotly contested that it took almost 300 years for it to happen. The first recorded instance of a woman demanding the right to vote is from 1638.
