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1926 Fun Facts, Trivia and History |
Quick Facts from 1926Table of Contents |
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Top Ten Baby Names of 1926Mary, Dorothy, Betty, Helen, Margaret, Robert, John, William, James, Charles |
US Life Expectancy(1926) Males: 55.5 years, Females: 58.0 years |
The StarsJosephine Baker, Dolores Costello, Marion Davies, Greta Garbo, Myrna Loy, Mary Pickford, Anna May Wong |
Miss AmericaNorma Smallwood (Tulsa, OK) |
Firsts, Inventions, and WondersThe first SATs took place on June 23, 1926. They were called the Scholastic Aptitude Test. The SATs changed names in 1990, becoming the Scholastic Assessment Test. The first ‘college board’ exams were in 1901. The Oyster Watch, created by Timex, was the first waterproof watch. The Brannock Device was patented (#US1725334A). It was the first foot-size measuring mechanism. Chock Full o’Nuts was founded. They added coffee a few years later. All Hass avocados are descended from a single tree, grafted by Rudolph Gustav Hass in 1926. Winnie-the-Pooh, written by A.A. Milne and illustrated by E.H. Shepard, was published on October 14. Stella Artois was launched as a seasonal beer for Christmas in 1926. US Route 66 was established on November 11, 1926 Maidenform’s uplifting brassiere was patented in 1926. The adjusted strap fastener came out in 1942. Phencyclidine (aka PCP, angel dust) was first synthesized. Scottish filmmaker John Grierson coined the word documentary in his review of Robert Flaherty’s film Moana. |
The Biggest Pop Artists of 1926 includeGene Austin, Franklyn Baur, Ben Bernie & His Orchestra, Henry Burr, Vernon Dalhart, Ruth Etting, Johnny Hamp, and His Orchestra, Al Jolson, Isham Jones & His Orchestra, Roger Wolfe Kahn and His Orchestra, Benny Krueger & His Orchestra, Ted Lewis & His Band, Vincent Lopez & His Orchestra, Nick Lucas, Johnny Marvin, John McCormack, George Olson, and His Orchestra, The Revelers, Harry Richman, Bessie Smith, Whispering Jack Smith, Fred waring’s Pennsylvanians, Ethel Waters, Paul Whiteman, and His Orchestra |
What?In 1926, the US Federal government poisoned alcohol to end alcohol consumption during Prohibition. By the end of Prohibition, 10,000 Americans died due to alcohol poisoning. |
The Quote“We shall be able to communicate with one another instantly, irrespective of distance. Not only this but… we shall see and hear one another as perfectly as though we were face to face… a man will be able to carry one in his pocket.” |
The First Radio JingleThe first first-ever commercial jingle was a radio ad for Wheaties in 1926. It was initially broadcast on Christmas Eve 1926 on WCCO in Minneapolis. |
Pop Culture Facts & HistoryHarry Houdini died of peritonitis from a ruptured appendix on October 31 (Halloween) at 52. He was unprepared for several punches to his gut on a dare, on Oct. 22nd. Dr. Robert Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket on March 16th… it traveled about 184 feet. Ann Turner Cook was the first Gerber Baby, introduced in 1926. On May 1, 1926, Ford Motor Company became the first large American company to adopt a five-day, 40-hour week for workers in its automotive factories. The pay rate was $5 per day, considered very high then. Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio became the Walt Disney Studio. The musical standard pitch (A = 440Hz) has only been standard since 1926, The Great Stork Derby was a contest held in Toronto from 1926-1936, in which women competed to produce the most babies to win $750K, as stipulated in Charles Vance Millar’s will. The prize ended up being split among four women with nine babies each. 1914-1926 Ford Model T came in “any color you want, so long as it’s black.” Mercedes-Benz was founded on June 28. Agatha Christie disappeared from December 3, 1936, through December 14, 1926. Later, she was found in a hotel room, but she never explained why. Rin Tin made $6,000 a week as a dog actor in 1926. Q-Tips Baby Gays (invented as ‘Baby Gays’ in 1923) was rebranded. The “Q” stands for quality. The “Tips” are the cotton thingys on both ends. Sinclair Lewis refused to accept the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1926 because he felt the winning book, Arrowsmith, was chosen for its popularity more than its literary merit. He remains the only person to decline the award. On November 15, The NBC radio network opened with 24 stations. New York City passed several laws banning dancing without a special license in public spaces. (The laws are still enforced today.) Poland sent the US a (150th) birthday card with over 5 million signatures. Polish citizen Leopold Kotnowski visited the White House to present the card for America’s birthday. It has 30,000 pages full of art, photos, poems, and pressed flowers. Leslie Kelley published the first Blue Book in 1926, now a standard guide in automotive sales in determining car value. |
The SurvivalistArctic explorer Peter Freuchen was trapped under an avalanche while on an expedition. He escaped from death by fashioning a shiv out of his own frozen feces and amputating his foot. |
Nobel Prize Winners:Physics -Jean Baptiste Perrin |
Popular and Best-selling Books From 1926After Noon by Susan Ertz |
SportsWorld Series Champions: St. Louis Cardinals Only 5 NFL Games have ended with a 2-0 score:
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More 1926 Facts & History Resources:Most Popular Baby Names (BabyCenter.com) |
