Look Back To 1926: What Happened That Year

The General Strike, the birth of Elizabeth II and Baird's public television demonstration.

Here's 1926 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 1926

• Dance bands and jazz were the sound of the ballrooms.
• The BBC broadcast news bulletins constantly during the General Strike, when newspapers were not printing.
• Gramophone sales grew steadily as electrical recording improved sound.

In the news in 1926

• The General Strike ran from 4 to 12 May, in support of the miners, who stayed out for months afterwards.
• Princess Elizabeth, later Elizabeth II, was born on 21 April.
• The Central Electricity Board was set up to create the national grid.
• The Imperial Conference set out the framework that became the Commonwealth.

On screen in 1926

• John Logie Baird gave the first public demonstration of television in January.
• Metropolis was being made in Germany.
• Cinema attendance kept rising.

In sport in 1926

• Bolton Wanderers won the FA Cup.
• Huddersfield Town completed three league titles in a row.
• Suzanne Lenglen dominated Wimbledon until her dispute with the club that year.

Everyday life in 1926

• Volunteers drove buses and trains during the strike, and the country was sharply divided.
• The wireless proved itself as a news medium for the first time.
• Coal shortages ran through the second half of the year.

If you were born in 1926

• Anyone born in 1926 shares a birth year with Queen Elizabeth II.
• They were thirteen when the Second World War began.
• Anyone born in 1926 turns 30 in 1956, 40 in 1966, 50 in 1976, 60 in 1986 and 70 in 1996.
• 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 1929
• Look back to 1928
• Look back to 1927
• Look back to 1925
• Look back to 1924
• Look back to 1923
• 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 General Strike?

4 to 12 May 1926. The miners' dispute that caused it continued for months after.

When was Queen Elizabeth II born?

21 April 1926, in Mayfair, London.

How old is someone born in 1926?

Subtract 1926 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1966, 50 in 1976, 60 in 1986 and 70 in 1996.

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.