Look Back To 1920: What Happened That Year

The first Remembrance at the Cenotaph and a country still counting its losses.

Here's 1920 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

Popular music in 1920

• Dance bands and ragtime filled the ballrooms; jazz was arriving from America.
• Sheet music, not records, was how most households got new songs.
• There was no chart and no BBC yet - live music was heard in halls, pubs and front rooms.

In the news in 1920

• The Unknown Warrior was buried in Westminster Abbey on 11 November and the permanent Cenotaph was unveiled the same day.
• The Government of Ireland Act was passed in December.
• The League of Nations held its first meeting in January.

On screen in 1920

• Cinema was silent, with live piano or organ accompaniment.
• Charlie Chaplin was already the most famous performer in the world.
• Picture houses were being built in every town.

In sport in 1920

• The Antwerp Olympics were held in August; Britain won fifteen golds.
• Aston Villa won the FA Cup.
• West Bromwich Albion won the league.

Everyday life in 1920

• Housing schemes promised homes fit for heroes after the war.
• Unemployment among returning servicemen rose through the year.
• Most households cooked on a range and lit rooms with gas.

If you were born in 1920

• Anyone born in 1920 was nineteen when the Second World War began.
• They were born the year the Cenotaph was unveiled.
• Anyone born in 1920 turns 30 in 1950, 40 in 1960, 50 in 1970, 60 in 1980 and 70 in 1990.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

Shop birthday cards

How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1923
• Look back to 1922
• Look back to 1921
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Victorian and vintage parlour games
• Village fete and church hall games
• Card games your nan taught you
• Traditional British party games
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
• Retro party supplies
• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
• Nostalgia hamper and gift ideas
• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
• Reminiscence gifts for grandparents
• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

When was the Cenotaph unveiled?

11 November 1920, the same day the Unknown Warrior was buried in Westminster Abbey.

Was there a record chart in 1920?

No. The UK singles chart did not begin until November 1952.

How old is someone born in 1920?

Subtract 1920 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1960, 50 in 1970, 60 in 1980 and 70 in 1990.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.