Discover the Roaring Twenties: Top 6 Fun Facts about 1926 You Never Knew!

1. Houdini's Untimely Demise

Abracadabra, appendix be gone: In 1926, the great escape artist Harry Houdini couldn't conjure his way out of a burst appendix, which sealed his fate, not a fateful punch to the stomach from an overzealous student – Houdini's insistence on performing despite feeling under the weather had truly pulled the final curtain down on his own grand act.
Source => yalebooks.yale.edu

2. Explosion-Prone Gas Mantles

In 1926, British streets were lit-up like slapstick comedies with fragile, explosion-prone gas mantles just waiting to be blown off by the first gust of wind: But fear not, these delicate yet surprisingly efficient gas mantles, discovered by Carl Auer von Welsbach, were revolutionizing outdoor lighting while their American counterparts were already shifting to electricity for a much-anticipated bright future.
Source => williamsugghistory.co.uk

Did you know that Babe Ruth became the highest-paid player of his time in 1922? Discover how this changed his life and led to the Yankees' first-ever championship in 1923!

=> Fun Facts about The-Year-1922

3. Origin of Winnie-the-Pooh

Before the days of the Hundred Acre Wood rebellion and the willy-nilly, silly ol' bear we know today: In 1926, A.A. Milne's children's book Winnie-the-Pooh was published, creating the iconic, honey-loving character but certainly not in competition with the teddy bear, which had captured hearts and playrooms for over twenty years prior.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Route 66 Lemonade Stands

When life handed them lemons, they built lemonade stands along Route 66: In 1926, the era of the Great Depression, this iconic highway became a lifeline for small, low-capital businesses that sprouted up to cater to the influx of desperate folks seeking refuge from their impoverished hometowns.
Source => nps.gov

5. Goddard's Backyard Rocket Launch

Before we set our sights on Mars or even dreamed of reaching the stars, old-school rocketeer and space enthusiast Robert H. Goddard was busy with his backyard experiments, trying not to blow things to kingdom come: In 1926, Goddard successfully launched the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, reaching a humble altitude of 41 feet and traveling 184 feet away at a blazing 60 mph for 2.5 seconds. This amateur rocket wrangler from Massachusetts laid the foundation for modern rocketry and space exploration, all thanks to his fascination with H.G. Wells' War of the Worlds.
Source => history.com

6. Birdseye's Frozen Food Revolution

Ice to meet you, Clarence Birdseye: In 1926, this frosty-food pioneer patented his speedy freezing method that laid the foundation for the modern frozen food industry, forever changing how we enjoy our TV dinners and ice cream sundaes.
Source => en.wikipedia.org