1919

What Was Happening in 1919

A broken peace — Versailles redraws the map as the world struggles to recover from war and plague.

Born in

Number 1 Songs in 1919 — UK and US Charts

UK #1

"After the War is Over"

Florrie Forde

Australian-born music hall star Florrie Forde captured the post-war mood with songs about homecoming and the hope for a better future. Her performances drew huge crowds in 1919.

US #1

"A Pretty Girl Is Like a Melody"

John Steel

Irving Berlin wrote it for the Ziegfeld Follies of 1919. It became the unofficial theme song of the Follies and one of Berlin's most enduring standards.

Biggest Films of 1919 — Box Office Hits

Broken Blossoms

Box Office: $700,000 (estimated)

D.W. Griffith's intimate melodrama starring Lillian Gish was a critical and commercial success. Its sensitive treatment of interracial romance was daring for the era, though the film relied on racial stereotypes.

Fashion and Style of 1919

Fashion, clothing and visual culture from the era

Architecture and Buildings of 1919

Buildings completed and structures opened in 1919

More About 1919

What Was Happening — A journey through the years