10 Most Shocking Events of the 1920s

Women Get the Right to Vote in the United States (1920)

In 1920, the ratification of the 19th Amendment provided women across the United States with the legal right to vote. After decades of struggle, marches, petitions, and protest, this historic victory transformed politics overnight. Suddenly, women had the power to influence elections, policy, and social reforms nationwide. The amendment wasn’t just a political milestone, though - it symbolized decades of activism, courage and the fight for equality that reverberated worldwide. The inclusion of women in the democratic process reshaped American society, accelerated gender equality movements, and marked one of the most pivotal moments in 20th-century civil rights history, continuing to inspire and influence our world to this day.

The Start of the Great Depression (1929)

While the Roaring Twenties had dazzled the world with economic optimism, the seeds of disaster were already planted. The 1920s ended with a massive global economic meltdown, triggered by over-speculation, unstable banking, and a cascading stock market collapse. The Great Depression didn’t just devastate the United States - it sent shockwaves throughout the world. Banks failed, unemployment skyrocketed, and millions faced poverty and hunger. Governments scrambled to respond, creating programs and policies that would define modern economic intervention. This decade-ending calamity reshaped economies, politics and societies across the globe, leaving an indelible mark throughout history and a stark reminder that our world economy can come crashing down in any given moment - even at the height of our own hubris.

The First Human Insulin Injection (1922)

Before 1922, Type-1 diabetes was a death sentence - but that all changed when Canadian researchers Frederick Banting and Charles Best successfully administered insulin to 14-year-old Leonard Thompson. The boy, previously near death, stabilized rapidly after treatment. Newspapers around the world celebrated the “miracle cure” and insulin was being mass-produced by Eli Lilly in the United States at the start of 1923. Even more shocking? Banting and his team sold the patent for just $1each to ensure accessibility, having famously stated “insulin does not belong to me; it belongs to the world”. This medical breakthrough didn’t just save lives - it revolutionized medicine, offered hope to millions and proved that science had the power to transform the path of humanity itself.

Black Tuesday (1929)

On October 29, 1929 the United States stock market collapsed in what would become known throughout history as “Black Tuesday.” The event, following the earlier Black Thursday, caused millions of investors to panic, selling off shares as prices plummeted, ultimately erasing billions of dollars in wealth seemingly overnight. The crash sparked a global financial crisis, wiping out fortunes, shuttering banks, and leaving millions of citizens unemployed. It was a shocking reminder of the fragility of speculative markets and the interconnectedness of our world’s economies. On top of being one of the world’s greatest financial disasters in all of history, Black Tuesday marked the catastrophic end of the Roaring Twenties and set the stage for the Great Depression.

First Solo Non-Stop Transatlantic Flight (1927)

In 1927 Charles Lindbergh, a former air mail pilot, captured the world’s imagination by completing the first-ever solo non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. Flying his custom-built plane he lovingly named “The Spirit of St. Louis,” Lindbergh traveled from New York to Paris in a never-before-seen 33.5-hour journey, flying more than 3,600 miles on his own. This was both a triumph of human courage and a milestone in aviation technology, proving once and for all that long-distance air travel was possible. He was celebrated as an international hero, leaving audiences marveled by the accomplishment. Lindbergh’s flight didn’t just make history - it inspired a generation of pilots, accelerated commercial aviation and symbolized the courageous optimism we now associate with the decade.

First Commercial Radio Station Licensed (1920)

1920 marked a revolutionary moment in communication history when KDKA in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania became the very first licensed commercial radio station. KDKA started with a broadcast of the presidential election returns. Soon, music and entertainment followed. KDKA transformed the way people experienced the world. For the first time, information traveled almost instantaneously, connecting listeners across cities and creating a never-before-shared cultural experience. Radio wasn’t just a technological marvel - it reshaped society, influencing politics, entertainment and daily life. Families gathered around their sets to hear live broadcasts, sporting events and presidential speeches in real time for the first time. This breakthrough set the stage for the modern media landscape, proving that sound waves could unite, inform, and entertain in ways we could have never previously imagined.

Prohibition Begins in the United States (1920)

In 1920, the United States embarked upon one of its most ambitious social experiments to date: Prohibition. The 18th Amendment and the Volstead Act outlawed the production, sales, and transport of alcohol, aiming to curb crime and improve public morals. Instead, it unleashed a wave of unintended and unforeseen consequences. Speakeasies flourished, bootlegging operations grew into organized crime empires (including the Mafia) and everyday Americans found clever ways to skirt this new law. The policy transformed nightlife, politics and culture, while law enforcement struggled to maintain control. Prohibition didn’t just fail to eliminate alcohol - it reshaped society, created an entirely new underground economy, and left an indelible mark on 1920’s America before it ended in 1933.

The Great Japan Earthquake (1923)

On September 1, 1923 a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck Yokohama and Tokyo in Japan, leveling entire districts, igniting firestorms, and leaving a death toll of over 100,000. A 40-foot-high tsunami followed, along with fires that blazed through houses and even the capital. Over 40,000 people fled to take refuge near Tokyo’s Sumida River at the start of the event, only to be overtaken by a deadly fire phenomena called a “dragon twist,” or fire tornado. Those who did survive faced disease, famine and chaos. The sheer scale and aftermath made this earthquake one of the deadliest and most transformative natural disasters of the 20th century, leaving generational scars.

The Scopes “Monkey Trial” (1925)

In 1925, John Scopes, a substitute schoolteacher and football coach in Tennessee, was put on trial for teaching evolution in his classroom, defying a state law that had banned the subject from being taught in schools. What began as a small-town case quickly turned into a national spectacle, pitting modern science against religious fundamentalism. The courtroom drama played out between legendary lawyers Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan across the airwaves via radio broadcast, captivating millions across the United States. The trial exposed deep cultural divides and sparked heated debates about education, religion and the role of science itself within society. While Scopes was convicted, the case became a lasting symbol of intellectual freedom and the clash between tradition and progress in 1920s America.

The Birth of the USSR (1922)

After years of revolution and civil war, the Union of the Soviet Socialist Republic was officially founded on December 30, 1922. This political shift united Russia and the surrounding republics into a federal communist state that would go on to be at the forefront of 20th century geopolitics. The USSR accelerated industrialization, centralization, and ideological campaigns while setting the stage for the rise of leaders like Joseph Stalin. Its formation reshaped global alliances, inspired socialist movements worldwide, and fundamentally altered the international balance of power. In this way, the birth of the Soviet Union was one of the most world-changing events to take place in the 1920’s.

What do you think? Are there any events we left out that you feel deserved a spot on our list? Drop your thoughts in the comments, and tell us which decade you want to explore next!