1921

What Was Happening in 1921

Post-war depression hit hard, but Charlie Chaplin and jazz kept spirits alive

Born in

By the Numbers in 1921

World Population

UK Life Expectancy

50.2 years

US Life Expectancy

51.4 years

Gold Price (per oz)

$20.68

Dow Jones Index

68

US National Debt

Sovereign Nations

55

How Much Did Things Cost in 1921?

ItemUKUS
Average house price£310$4,100
Average salary£105$1,230
Pint of milk2d$0.07
Loaf of bread4d$0.10
Dozen eggs1s 4d$0.52
Pint of beer4dProhibited

Technology and Inventions in 1921

Radio ownership was growing rapidly. The first in-flight movie was shown on a test flight. Insulin was discovered by Banting and Best in Toronto, transforming diabetes from a death sentence. Automobiles were becoming a common sight on city streets, though horses still shared the roads.

  • Frederick Banting and Charles Best discover insulin
  • First radio sports broadcast — boxing match on KDKA
  • Chanel No. 5 perfume launched
  • Albert Einstein awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics

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