My father's only surviving first cousin, Jaqueline "Jackie" Tapley Snell, turned 94 years old yesterday. She was born February 14, 1928. Let's see what was happening in America at that time.
1928 was a leap year. February 14, 1928 was a Tuesday. It was Valentine's Day.
In the United States, the most popular baby name for girls is Mary. This name was given to 66,869 baby girls. For the boys, it is Robert. This name was recorded 60,696 times in the year 1928.
The generation born between 1928 and 1945 is called the Silent Generation. This generation was comparatively small because the Great Depression and World War II caused people to have fewer children. The generation was so named because it was mostly silent; it did not issue manifestoes, make speeches or carry posters. They tended to be thrifty and even miserly. They were about "working within the system." They kept their heads down and worked hard. They preferred to play it safe.
The President of the United States was Calvin Coolidge. The Vice President was Charles Gates Dawes.
The decade of the 1920s, also known as the Jazz Age and "The Roaring Twenties," featured economic prosperity and carefree living for many. The decade began with a roar and ended with a crash. It was a decade of change, when many Americans owned cars, radios, and telephones for the first time. The cars brought the need for good roads. The radio brought the world closer to home. The telephone connected families and friends. Prosperity was on the rise in cities and towns. Women shortened, or "bobbed," their hair, flappers danced and wore short fancy dresses, and men shaved off their beards.
The 1920s also represented an era of change and growth. America had become a world power and was no longer considered just another former British colony. American culture, such as books, movies, and Broadway theater, was now being exported to the rest of the world. World War I had left Europe on the decline and America on the rise. This decade helped to establish America's position in respect to the rest of the world through its industry, inventions, and creativity.
1928 Prices
Bread: $0.09/loaf
Milk: $0.57/gal
Eggs: $0.47/dozen
Car: $475
House: $7,333
Stamp: $0.02/each
Average Income: $1,515/year
Songs from 1928:
Golden Gate by Al Jolson
How About Me? by Irving Berlin
One Kiss by Oscar Hammerstein
1894 - Jack Benny, American actor, singer, and producer
1921 - Hugh Downs, American journalist, game show host, and producer
Historical Events on February 14, 1928
The Interborough Rapid Transit Company clashed with city and state authorities in New York over the proposed raising of the subway fair from 5 cents to 7 cents.
The silent drama film, Four Sons, (mentioned above) premiered at the Gaiety Theatre in New York City.
The II Olympic Winter Games were in full swing in St. Moritz, Switzerland.
And... the hot new toy in 1928 was Chinese Checkers.
Sources: dmarie Time Capsule TAKEMEBACK.TO, 1920s: A Decade of Change, onthisday.com, and Wikipedia, February 1928. Video courtesty of YouTube.com.
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