Swinging Into the Roaring Twenties: Top 14 Fun Facts About the 1920s You Never Knew

1. Feathered Fashion Frenzy

In the Roaring Twenties, flappers flocked to fashionable feathered finery that made them feel like the bee's knees – but hold onto your (feathered) hat, bird enthusiasts: Feathers were a popular accessory in the 1920s fashion scene, with faux feathers taking center stage in skirts, headbands, fans, shawls, and hats, ensuring our winged friends remained unharmed.
Source => vintage-retro.com

2. Brave Bobs & Barbers

1920s gals turning heads and barbers' chairs: These flapper daredevils dared to make their locks drop, taking scissors to long tresses in favor of the short, sleek bobs inspired by silver screen sirens like Louise Brooks and Colleen Moore. Serving up some sass and style, women even ventured into barber shops, where their follicles found refuge with short hair specialists, etching a new chapter in the annals of hair fashion as skirts rose and hair trimmed low.
Source => fashiongonerogue.com

Did you know the first Black Representative from the North, Oscar De Priest, fought for civil rights, introduced an antilynching bill, and even tried to desegregate the House restaurant? Discover more about this trailblazer!

=> Fun Facts about The-Harlem-Renaissance

3. Charleston Craze

In an era filled with flappers, speakeasies, and jazz hands, the 1920s was literally kickin' it foxtrot style: The Charleston, a lively dance originated from Charleston, South Carolina, hit the mainstream stage with James P. Johnson's popular tune of the same name, featuring high-kicking forward and backward steps. While its heyday waned by the 1930s due to changing fashion trends and musical preferences, this exuberant dance rebirthed in a modified form alongside Lindy Hop in later years, proving its swanky charm never truly faded.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Speakeasy Swiping & Dating

Who needs Tinder when you can just bust a move at a speakeasy? The roaring 1920s saw folks swiping right in real life – in scandalous ways, of course: Jazz music and the demand for live entertainment gave birth to speakeasies and clubs where men and women partied together, overthrowing old social norms and paving the way for "dating." Little did they know, their flapper-filled fun also allowed gangsters like Al Capone to make millions through the illegal alcohol trade.
Source => prohibition.themobmuseum.org

5. Sassy Betty Boop

Before sassy Siri and cheeky Cortana, there was Betty Boop, giving sass a whole new meaning in a world without smart devices: Making her debut in 1930's "Dizzy Dishes," the provocative animated star went on to delight audiences with her high-pitched scat-singing style, itty-bitty black dress, and unapologetic garter, becoming a beloved series by 1932 — although contrary to popular belief, she wasn't based on any specific performer and never crossed paths with Esther Jones, known for her unique vocals but not Betty's style.
Source => pbs.org

6. Gatsby's 1920s Instagram

If Jay Gatsby and Daisy Buchanan added each other on Instagram, they'd have a major FOMO-inducing feed: In F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," the pair exemplify the Jazzy excess and materialism of the 1920s society, highlighting the societal divide between old money and new money, as well as the lack of moral code among the upper classes during that time.
Source => gradesfixer.com

7. Candy Bar Bonanza

In a time obsessed with sugar-coated flappers and sweet-talking gangsters, America's love for candy bars went hand in hand with the Charleston dance: the roaring 20s heralded the invention of tantalizing treats such as Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, Oh Henry!, Heath Toffee Bar, Clark Bar, Mounds, Baby Ruth, Milky Way, Charleston Chew, Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Snickers, 3 Musketeers, and PayDay. These scrumptious titans unleashed a wave of flavor innovations and marketing strategies that rocked the candy world harder than a Great Gatsby party.
Source => foodandwine.com

8. Flagpole-Sitting Fad

Perch yourself on this rib-tickling tidbit from the Roaring Twenties: attendees of this era's sky-high soirees didn't just need party hats, but hard hats too! Turns out, flagpole-sitting was all the rage, with daredevil doyen Alvin "Shipwreck" Kelly setting the bar high at 13 hours and 13 minutes, only for the fad to spiral into a record-making frenzy that saw him later reclaim his throne with a vertigo-inducing 49-day stint.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

9. Jazz Lips in Hollywood

Before the jazz hands became a staple of musical theatre, the jazz lips crooned melodiously into Hollywood stardom: "The Jazz Singer" was the first feature-length motion picture with synchronized recorded music score and lip-synchronous singing and speech, using the Vitaphone sound-on-disc system and marking the end of the silent film era.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

10. Dance Marathon Mayhem

Before Tinder and speed dating, there was the ultimate test of love's endurance: the Dance Marathon of the Roaring Twenties! : Couples would grace the dance floor for grueling hours on end – sometimes for a month or two – proving their devotion and earning the title of relationship Olympians in these exhausting, never-ending boogies, even though finding love was not the primary goal of these stamina-driven contests.
Source => historylink.org

11. Radio Jazz Explosion

Imagine if Siri and Alexa got together and time-traveled to the 1920s – they'd be harmonizing with the cool cats in Harlem instead of reading you the weather forecast: Radio broadcasts from The Cotton Club and Savoy ballrooms brought big band jazz music into American homes, igniting the popularity of this genre born from African and European musical traditions.
Source => jazzinamerica.org

12. Affordable Automobiles & Aviation

In the roaring 1920s, when even grandma's parlor became a speakeasy and Gatsby was building his empire, the Age of Innovation also transformed suburban driveways into scenes from Cars: This era heralded advances in mass production and advertising, making previously luxurious items like automobiles affordable to the masses, with Henry Ford's Model T revolutionizing car ownership with a starting price of just $300. The decade also saw trailblazers like Charles Lindbergh soaring into the skies, crossing the Atlantic in solo flight and solidifying that the 1920s were truly a remarkable time for both leisure and transportation.
Source => khanacademy.org

13. Gangster & Bootlegger Party Crashers

If the Roaring Twenties were a party, gangsters and bootleggers were its rebellious, black sheep siblings sneaking in mischievous spirits through the back door: Notable criminals like Al Capone and Lucky Luciano rose to infamy during this time, profiting from illegal activities such as smuggling alcohol and racketeering, ultimately leading to events like the notorious Saint Valentine's Day massacre in 1929.
Source => 1920s-fashion-and-music.com

14. Houdini's Hidden Talents

Before the world had the great Houdini, a man who could give "escape room" a whole new meaning, there was just Harry with a few tricks up his sleeve: As an international sensation in the 1920s, Harry Houdini not only amazed spectators with his handcuff and escape acts, but he also dabbled in writing—a talent that led him to publishing the controversial "The Unmasking of Robert-Houdin" in 1908 and penning "The Man from Beyond" in 1922.
Source => pbs.org