1926 Fun Facts: History, Inventions, And Culture Explained For Kids

Life is incomplete without knowledge of the ancestry.

The 1920s served as a special landmark in the history of time, especially for its unparalleled contributions in the fields of art, science, culture, and politics. Pop culture history through the passage of time marks the evolution of human society.

A chain of events that transpired in the past comprises the history of that timeline. While some events are of the utmost significance, others are pretty trivial and superficial.

The latter might be eliminated due to its insignificance, but a knowledge of the former is essential to develop a deeper understanding of societies and how the world functions.

This helps in adding value to life and making it more purposeful. However, you must have acquired a brief knowledge of ancient history back in school, so now it's time to explore the historical events that influence pop culture history today.

If you're inclined to know more about the history of yesteryears, then these remarkable 1925 facts and 1922 facts are going to be extremely rewarding.

Fun Facts About 1926

Pieces of historical information are not always filled with monotony, and these fun filled facts are the proof! These quirky facts point to some of the defining features of 1926.

Did you know that the SAT wasn't originally called the Scholastic Assessment Test? On June 23, 1926, students from high schools appeared for the world's first SAT, prepared by Carl Brigham. Back then, this test was known as the Scholastic Aptitude Test.

On August 6, Gertrude Ederle, at the age of just 19, qualified to be the first woman who covered 35 mi (56 km) to reach Dover, England, by swimming.

Also known as 'Queen of the Waves', Gertrude was greeted by an immigration officer from Britain after she successfully crossed the English Channel. She even beat the world record held by the men by an hour and 59 minutes, to be precise.

With her record-breaking achievement of crossing the English Channel in just 14 hours and 31 minutes, she became an inspiration for many women across the world.

Did you know that America received a unique gift on its 150th birth anniversary? To extend friendly relationships with the US, the citizens of Poland showcased their artistic caliber by crafting a greeting card consisting of 30,000 pages.

The card came with more than five million signatures of the Polish residents, accompanied by pressed flowers, photos, and poems.

An esteemed Polish citizen, Leopold Kotnowski, arrived at the White House with this brightly illustrated greeting card and gave it to Calvin Coolidge, the President of the US. Thoughtful and sweet, isn't it?

The heartthrob of millions, Marilyn Monroe, was born on June 1. Her movies were superhit blockbusters with an earning potential of over $200 million. She was the most popular American actress, singer, and model of the 1950s.

Some of her most famous movies are 'Some Like It Hot', 'Gentlemen Prefer Blondes', and 'The Seven Year Itch'. She was perhaps the most successful Hollywood actress of her time.

Another iconic figure who was born in 1926 is Fidel Castro. He served as the Cuban Prime Minister as well as its President, later from December 2, 1976, to February 24, 2008. Some other noteworthy personalities are Sir David Attenborough, Tony Bennett, Mel Brooks, and several others.

Historical Facts About 1926

The present scenario of any country is largely determined by its history. Here are some of the historical events that have contributed to deciding man's fate today.

On August 23, the famous 'Latin Lover' or Rudolf Valentino, breathed his last when he was just 31 years old. He was one of the most revered actors of the 1920s, and his sudden demise created mass hysteria as more than 100,000 fans flooded the New York City streets.

He received enormous acclamation for his roles in silent films such as 'Blood and Sand', 'The Sheik', 'The Son of the Sheik', 'The Eagle', and 'The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse'.

In 1926, the world witnessed a volcano eruption followed by several earthquakes. It was on April 10 that the active volcano of Mauna Loa erupted and was responsible for the destruction of surrounding villages.

Interestingly, the largest city in Hawaii County, Hilo, is partially situated on the solidified lava flows of Mauna Loa, making it pretty dangerous for habitation. After the 1926 eruption, the second massive emission was recorded in 1950.

Did you know that the post-Industrial Revolution scenario proved to be very gruesome for the laborers as they had to put in almost 100 hours of work per week? Today, the normal working hours have been reduced to eight hours per day, but this change was actually brought about more than a century ago.

On September 25, the founder of Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford, introduced a significant change in the work model of his company.

He made it mandatory to work for five days, for a total of just 40 hours per week, with no reductions in wages.

Ford believed that workers required a private life and some leisure to purchase goods and aid the growth of the consumer market. Although this idea stemmed primarily from enhancing sales, the workers were immensely benefitted.

On April 24, the Soviet Union and Germany signed an agreement famously called the Treaty of Berlin, or the Non-Aggression Pact.

With this agreement, an improvement was initiated between the two nations, although it was short-lived with the commencement of Hitler's reign in Germany. The terms of the contract required the Soviet Union and Germany to maintain neutrality towards each other for the next five years, even during an outbreak of war.

In 1931, this agreement was extended, and it prevented the participating nations from exhibiting hostilities towards one another for quite some time.

One of the most significant events was the Pact of Locarno. The Belgian Parliament signed the Pact of Locarno in 1925 to ensure peaceful relations with Great Britain, Italy, France, and Germany.

It was due to this treaty that Germany was granted admission as a member of the League of Nations on September 8, 1926. After Germany, several other countries followed suit and joined the League.

Hirohito of Japan, also called Emperor Shōwa posthumously, was a prominent historical figure. Right from his coronation on December 25, 1926, to January 7, 1989, he grappled his way through the period of the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II.

He was at the helm of power throughout his reign, even though his empire lost stability after the war.

Many historians equate his dictatorship with that of Mussolini and Hitler, but he was exempted from charges of war crimes in Japan. In the later stages of his life, Hirohito's powers diminished to a great extent, but he still managed to rule until his demise.

On the other hand, an Anglo-Irish woman named Violet Gibson made the first attempt to assassinate the Fascist dictator and Prime Minister of Italy, Benito Mussolini, on April 7.

Gibson attempted two shots at Mussolini but could only manage to injure his nose. In his entire lifetime, Mussolini survived four assassination attempts.

Some of the famous wars of 1926 included the Nicaraguan Civil War and the Cristero War. While the Nicaraguan Civil War or Constitutionalist War continued for an entire year, the Cristero War continued till 1929.

Facts About Inventions In 1926

The year 1926 earned a lot of significance owing to some of the groundbreaking inventions and discoveries. Some of the major inventions that helped in opening up new avenues have been listed below.

In modern times, you must have witnessed rockets shooting up in the sky to traverse space, but do you know who the major contributor towards these ventures is? On March 16, Robert H. Goddard attained success in launching the first rocket that was fueled with liquid.

Previously, rockets were fueled with gunpowder, which made them extremely inefficient. Goddard strove to develop a liquid fuel that would offer greater acceleration and tried out the fusion of gasoline and liquid oxygen.

The first trial was held on the snow-covered grounds of Auburn, Massachusetts.

The rocket managed to ascend to an altitude of just 41 ft (2.5 m) in 2.5 seconds but reached a speed of around 60 mph (96.6 kph) that no other rocket could accomplish. The first liquid-fueled rocket marked a revolutionary breakthrough in the history of science.

On January 27, Erwin Schrödinger, the popular physicist, published his wave mechanics theory. This theory is an essential part of quantum mechanics and has later been coined as the Schrödinger equation. 

Raymond Pearl, an American biogerontologist, propounded a theory that explored the effects of drinking alcohol on the life span of human beings. This theory was published in his book called 'Alcohol and Longevity' where Pearl highlighted that moderate drinking habits boost longevity when compared with excessive indulgence in drinking or even complete abstinence.

John Logie Baird, an electrical engineer and inventor, also made a significant contribution by demonstrating the functioning of the mechanical television. Later, he also invented the color television that is common in modern-day houses.

The paleontologist Gerhard Heilmann published his theory on the evolution of birds in his book 'The Origin of Birds'. The chain saw was also developed at this time. It was patented by Andreas Stihl, a German engineer. Several other inventions were made in the fields of science and technology.

Facts About The Culture In 1926

The rich pop-culture history of 1926 offers a deeper insight into some of the prominent life-changing events of the time. So, let's set aside the inventions and delve into the cultural aspects of 1926!

Vernon Dalhart's 'The Prisoner's Song', Gene Austin's 'Bye Bye Black Bird', and Victoria Spivey's 'Black Snake Swing' were a few of the influential songs that topped the charts.

Are you a fan of hard rock bands like 'Guns N' Roses'? The distortions implemented by the guitarist Slash have their roots in rock music that was originally popular as rock 'n' roll music in the 1950s.

Chuck Berry, an eminent American songwriter, singer, as well as guitarist, born on October 18, 1926, pioneered this genre. His famous compositions include 'Thirty Days', 'Maybellene', and 'Roll Over Beethoven'.

Are you aware that Sinclair Lewis denied accepting the prestigious Pulitzer Prize? In fact, he's the sole exception who turned down the Pulitzer Prize. He was honored for one of his best novels, named 'Arrowsmith'. However, he declined the award because he believed that it was bestowed upon him not for its literary merit but for its widespread popularity.

Do you love to read stories before going to bed? Then you should definitely read 'Winnie-the-Pooh'. The author, A.

A. Milne, published this fabulous compilation of short stories in 1926. The stories deal with Winnie and his friends: Piglet, Christopher Robin, Roo, Owl, Kanga, Eeyore, and Rabbit.

The essence of true friendship is upheld through the characters of Winnie and his friends. The book became so popular that 'The House of Pooh Corner' soon followed. Other famous books that were published include 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' by Agatha Christie, Helen Gardner's 'Art Through the Ages', and 'Clouds of Witness' by Dorothy L. Sayers.

On the other hand, on August 6, 'Don Juan' premiered in New York City's Warner Theatre. The Vitaphone system was implemented in this movie. The musical show titled 'The Girl Friend' by Lorenz Hart and Richard Rogers premiered on March 17. The show took place at the Vanderbilt Theatre in New York City.

Although the first movie stuntman was Frank Hanaway, an ex-cavalryman from the US, known for his stunt in the movie 'The Great Train Robbery', comedians like Buster Keaton and Charlie Chaplin were the actual stuntmen of the time.

Comedians and clowns were not professional stuntmen, but their roles required them to pull off high jumps, car crashes, and other impromptu actions—some of Chaplin's movies, like 'Modern Times' portrayed breathtaking stunts. Among the two lost films by Charlie Chaplin, one was produced in 1926.

It goes by the name 'A Woman of the Sea' or 'Sea Gulls'.

A bizarre contest called the Great Stork Derby was held between 1926 and 1936 based on the will of Charles Vance Millar. The participants of this contest were only females residing in Ontario, Toronto, and Canada.

In this competition, women competed against each other to birth the maximum number of babies. 11 families took part in the contest, and eventually, four women were declared winners for producing nine children. The prize money of $110,000 was offered to each of the mothers.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 1926 Fun Facts: History, Inventions, And Culture Explained For Kids then why not take a look at 1928 facts or 1930 facts.