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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 15:32:55 GMT -5
January 15, 1919: Great Molasses FloodA 50 ft tall tank containing more than 2 million gallons of molasses failed, sending a forty foot wave of molasses through a section of Boston, Massachusetts. 21 people were killed and 150 injured in one of the strangest disasters in history. The flood entered local folklore, and some say that even today, on hot days there are some areas where you can still smell the molasses.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 16:55:05 GMT -5
January 16, 1920: Prohibition BeginsThe result of the temperance movement, Prohibition banned the sale, manufacture and transportation of alcohol in the United States. On the surface it seemed like a good idea... but it ultimately paved the way for organized crime and secret bars. The amendment was ultimately a failure, and repealed in 1933.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 17:01:35 GMT -5
September 13, 1921: White Castle opens
Sure, it hasn't gone on to achieve the same level of success of, say, McDonald's, but context is key. It was the first fast food restaurant chain, and the methods it pioneered laid the groundwork for the many franchises that were to follow in the coming decades. "Fast food" as we know it wasn't truly a thing until White Castle, and it is because of them that the medium became a part of American Culture.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 17:10:38 GMT -5
October 31, 1922: Mussolini comes to powerMussolini officially came to power on this day when he was elected Prime Minister of Italy. Over the coming years, he would transform Italy into a dictatorship, and eventually ally with Nazi Germany. But it was this moment, where he assumed power, that was the beginning of a chain of events for his country that would ultimately lead to World War II
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 17:17:54 GMT -5
November 8-9, 1923: Beer Hall PutschThe Nazi party ultimately failed to seize Munich, and many members were arrested and thrown in jail... including a World War I soldier named Adolf Hitler. It was during this time that Hitler would go on to write Mein Kampf, and began the process that would ultimately lead to the rise in power of arguably the most evil man in history.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 17:38:30 GMT -5
April 17, 1924: establishment of Metro-Goldwyn-MayerMovies were in their infancy in the 1920s; and although several companies sprung up, nobody could have anticipated the success MGM would have in the decades to come. They would go on to produce some of the most iconic films ever made, and leave their impact on American Culture with movies like The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind, Singing in the Rain, and Ben-Hur
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 17:49:14 GMT -5
April 10, 1925: Publication of The Great GatsbyThough it had little success in its initial run, in the coming years The Great Gatsby would become a classic and even regarded as one of the contenders for the title of The Great American Novel. It's repeated adaptions and standard part of high school curriculum have cemented its legacy in American culture, even as the book nears 100 years old.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 17:56:43 GMT -5
March 16, 1926: Robert Goddard's first rocketThe first liquid-fueled rocket was launched on this day in Massachusetts. Goddard's work was considered instrumental in ushering the space age and important milestones towards eventually achieving space flight. It was this two and a half second experiment on a cold day in March though, that started it all.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 18:04:14 GMT -5
May 20-21, 1927: Charles Lindbergh's nonstop flightLindbergh made history as the first to fly across the Atlantic solo in The Spirit of St. Louis. In a flight that lasted over 33 hours, although he wasn't the first to do fly across the Atlantic, he was the first to do so solo, and became a celebrated hero across the world. It should be noted that years later he would become famous once again... due to the unfortunate kidnapping of his son, which remains one of the most infamous unsolved mysteries.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 18:10:13 GMT -5
November 18, 1928: Debut of Steamboat WillieAlthough a test screening of another Mickey Mouse Cartoon, Plane Crazy, had taken place earlier that year, this is often considered the official debut of Mickey and Minnie Mouse. As the first cartoon to have synchronized sound and be generally released as such, it went on to receive great acclaim and was just the beginning for a mouse that would go on to become a cultural icon.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 18:15:05 GMT -5
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 18:23:31 GMT -5
March 13, 1930: The Hawley-Smoot tariff takes affectAlthough passed with good intentions, President Hoover ultimately made things worse with this tariff. Intended to ease the Great Depression by making tariffs higher, it only resorted in other countries making tariffs in retaliation and an overall drop in imports and exports. The full extent of its effects is debated, but it is agreed that the tariffs made already troubling times worse
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 19:53:24 GMT -5
February 14, 1931- Dracula is released
[Loosely] based on Bram Stoker's classic novel of the same name, Tod Browning gave us the iconic image of Dracula that persists even today: the Bela Lugosi incarnation remains the quintessential incarnation of the iconic vampire, spawning numerous parodies and adaptions over the decades, and cementing its place in history. Though the movie is not as scary by today's standards, to be honest not even Freddy, Jason or Michael Myers have reached the level of iconic status as Dracula.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 21:17:46 GMT -5
Summer 1932: March of the Bonus ArmyAfter their service in World War I, many soldiers were given certificates that could be redeemed for money... in 1945. But the depression had taken its toll, and many soldiers demanded their pay "now." 17,000 soldiers and their families marched on Washington; nearly 43,000 total. But President Hoover ordered the army in and they kicked the veterans out. Hoover's poor handling of the situation is believed to have been a contributing factor to why he lost to Roosevelt in the election of 1932, setting the course of history for the next decade in the United States.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 21:24:07 GMT -5
January 30, 1933: Hitler is elected Chancellor of Germany
That isn't a typo. Adolf Hitler, the most despised man in history, was elected to his position of power. And from here, things only got worse, as this lead to a series of laws and acts that ultimately would ultimately lead to warfare later in the decade. Though some argue that he committed some good acts during his early years, whatever legacy he had from that view is overshadowed by what happened post-1939
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 21:32:24 GMT -5
April 21, 1934: Surgeon's Photograph becomes famousThe iconic image of the Loch ness Monster is this fuzzy black and white photograph by gynecologist Robert Wilson. Supposedly depicting the head and neck of the monster, it was not revealed to be a hoax until 6 decades later. One of the most iconic monsters in history is the beast which supposedly lives in Loch Ness; and even though the photgraph is a known hoax, the story and the myth of the beast are still cause for fascination and even today there are those that try to prove the beast is real.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 21:46:51 GMT -5
February 6, 1935: Release of MonopolyOne of the most iconic board games created, it eventually found its way to 103 countries and has been translated into 37 languages. Despite some arguing it is one of the worst games ever designed, it is still one of the most significant board games to have entered American Culture, and even international culture. There have been hundreds of different editions, and chances are hundreds more to come.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 12, 2018 22:06:23 GMT -5
June 30, 1936- Gone with the Wind is PublishedMargaret Mitchell's novel, which would go on to become one of the most iconic movies three years later, was published on this day. Despite being the Great Depression and priced at 3 dollars, it would be a best seller for over two years and received great acclaim; Mitchell even won the Pulitzer prize for her work. Despite its controversial themes, it remains a classic and is read and analyzed even today
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 13, 2018 13:29:54 GMT -5
December 21, 1937- Premiere of Snow White and the Seven DwarfsUntil now, most animation was shorts only a few minutes long. But Walt Disney made history with the first fully animated feature length film. Adjusted for inflation, it is the tenth most successful film in the United States, and has gone on to have tremendous cultural impact, and paved the way for all Disney animated films to come.
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Post by frankthetriviaman on Aug 17, 2018 12:23:27 GMT -5
March 12, 1938- AnschlussAs part of his greater initiative to unite all ethnic Germans under one power, Hitler had Germany annex Austria on this day. It was one of many acts which would inevitably lead to World War II; following the annexing of Austria, Germany would take Czechoslovakia later that year, among a series of acts that would ultimately culminate in one of the worst conflicts in human history.
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