Look Back To The 1920s: The Whole Decade

Jazz, the wireless, votes for all women and a decade that ran from the aftermath of one war to the crash that led towards another.

Below is the decade in sections, and a link to every single year from 1920 to 1929.

The music

• There was no record chart; sheet music sales, dance halls and the gramophone decided what was popular.
• Jazz and dance bands arrived from America and filled ballrooms and hotel tea dances.
• The Charleston became the dance craze of 1925 and 1926.
• The BBC began broadcasting in November 1922, and by the end of the decade music came into the home through the wireless.
• Gramophone records were still played on wind-up machines in most houses.

The news

• The British Broadcasting Company made its first broadcast on 14 November 1922 and became the BBC Corporation in 1927.
• The General Strike lasted nine days in May 1926.
• The Representation of the People Act 1928 gave women the vote on the same terms as men, at twenty-one.
• Tutankhamun's tomb was opened in 1922 and 1923 and started a wave of Egyptian style.
• The Wall Street Crash in October 1929 ended the decade and began the Depression.

On screen

• Cinema was silent for most of the decade, with a pianist or organist in the auditorium.
• The Jazz Singer in 1927 brought sound, and British cinemas converted quickly from 1929.
• Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd were the biggest names in the world.
• Alfred Hitchcock directed The Lodger in 1927 and Blackmail, Britain's first talkie, in 1929.
• John Logie Baird demonstrated television in 1926, years before any public service.

Everyday life

• Homes fit for heroes council housing went up after the First World War.
• Cars were still rare, though the Austin Seven from 1922 began to change that.
• Most homes had gas lighting or electricity in some rooms only, and a coal fire for heat.
• The seaside excursion, the charabanc trip and the day at the races were the standard outings.
• Flapper dresses, shorter hair and cigarettes marked a visible break with the pre-war years.

Year by year

• 1920 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1921 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1922 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1923 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1924 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1925 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1926 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1927 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1928 - see the full page for that year, linked below.
• 1929 - see the full page for that year, linked below.

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How to write it so it lands

• Each year has its own page with the charts, the news and the everyday detail.
• For a party, pull three facts from one year and run it as a guess-the-year round.
• For a card, use the year they were born rather than the decade.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1929
• Look back to 1928
• Look back to 1927
• Look back to 1926
• Look back to 1925
• Look back to 1924
• Look back to 1923
• Look back to 1922
• Look back to 1921
• Look back to 1920
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• The 1920s: 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
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• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
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• All guides

Frequently asked questions

Was there a music chart in the 1920s?

No. The first UK singles chart was published in November 1952. In the 1920s popularity was judged by sheet music sales and what the dance bands played.

When did the BBC start?

The British Broadcasting Company made its first daily broadcast on 14 November 1922 and became the British Broadcasting Corporation on 1 January 1927.

When did all women get the vote in Britain?

1928. The Representation of the People Act that year lowered the voting age for women to twenty-one, matching men.

What was the General Strike?

A nine-day national strike from 4 to 12 May 1926, called in support of coal miners facing pay cuts and longer hours.

Do you sell anything to do with this decade?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. The pages themselves are free to read and free to copy.