1930

What Was Happening in 1930

The party's over — Wall Street's crash ripples into a global depression as the world braces for hard times.

Born in

Number 1 Songs in 1930 — UK and US Charts

UK #1

"Tip-Toe Thru the Tulips with Me"

Nick Lucas

Originally from the 1929 film Gold Diggers of Broadway, this novelty hit carried over as one of the most popular songs in Britain during early 1930, helped by the growing popularity of gramophone records.

US #1

"Stein Song (University of Maine)"

Rudy Vallee

Rudy Vallee's energetic recording of the University of Maine fight song became one of the biggest hits of 1930, selling over a million copies and reflecting the public's desire for upbeat escapism during the early Depression.

Biggest Films of 1930 — Box Office Hits

All Quiet on the Western Front

Box Office: $3 million

Lewis Milestone's harrowing adaptation of Erich Maria Remarque's anti-war novel won the Academy Award for Best Picture. Its unflinching depiction of trench warfare resonated deeply with audiences still haunted by the Great War and was banned in Nazi Germany.

Fashion and Style of 1930

Fashion, clothing and visual culture from the era

Architecture and Buildings of 1930

Buildings completed and structures opened in 1930

More About 1930

What Was Happening — A journey through the years