Here's What Was Trending In 1925

The 1920s was a decade defined by stark polarization. It was the jazz age when Beatniks and flapper girls ruled the nightlife. At the same time, however, the KKK and violent gangsters like Al Capone roamed free, fascism was rapidly on the rise in Europe, and colonialism, with its little regard for human rights, was getting out of hand. The world was still reeling from the largest global conflict it had ever encountered, unaware that they were walking headlong toward another cliff. Think 2025 is full of crazy headlines? Just wait until you see what people were up against a century ago. Here are the top 20 stories from 1925. 

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1. Calvin Coolidge Sworn In As President

Calvin Coolidge's presidential inauguration took place on March 4, 1925. A staunch supporter of racial equality and women's suffrage, he won a landslide victory against his Democratic opponent John W. Davis in the 1924 election.

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2. The Scopes "Monkey" Trial

The Scopes "Monkey" Trial saw teacher John Scopes go on trial for teaching his class evolution which was banned in the state of Tennessee. The highly publicized trial was the first to be broadcast live on the radio and signified the deep divide between science and religion in the country. He was found guilty and fined $100 (about $1,700 today), but the Supreme Court later overturned the verdict. 

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3. Benito Mussolini Establishes A Dictatorship

Following the assassination of his political opponent Giacomo Matteotti, fascist dictator Benito Mussolini took power in Italy in 1925. He was already Prime Minister since 1922, but in 1925, he established a full fascist dictatorship.

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4. Nellie Tayloe Ross Becomes The First Female US Governor

Nellie Tayloe Ross became the first woman governor in US history, taking office in January 1925, after the sudden death of her husband who was the previous governor. A pioneer for women in politics, she served five terms as governor and later became the first female director of the US Mint. 

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5. The KKK Marches Through Washington, D.C.

The Ku Klux Klan was unfortunately pretty mainstream back in 1925. Around 30,000 Klan members marched through Washington, D.C. donning their ghostly white robes. It was one of the largest demonstrations the capital had ever seen. 

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6.  Balto Becomes A National Hero

Balto was a Siberian Husky who became a national hero after racing through subzero Alaska to deliver life-saving medicine during a deadly diphtheria outbreak. The bacterial infection hit the remote town of Nome, depleting its antitoxin supply, and a snowstorm rendered planes and ships from nearby towns useless, so dog sleds were the only hope. Balto led his team through treacherous conditions to deliver the serum, completing the 25-day journey in just five and a half. 

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7. Al Capone Gains Power In Chicago

After building a network of illegal speakeasies and bootlegging routes in prohibition-era Chicago, notorious gangster Al Capone was given control of the Chicago Outfit after an assassination attempt on his boss, Johnny Torrio. His period of power was characterized by horrible violence, bribery, and corruption.

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8. The US's Deadliest Tornado Touches Down In Missouri

The deadliest tornado ever to touch down in the US struck on March 18, 1925. Known as the Tri-State Tornado, it tore through Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana with unusual force and duration, killing 695 people and injuring over 2,000. 

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9. The Nazi SS Is Founded

The SS was founded in April 1925 as Adolf Hitler's personal bodyguard unit. In the coming years, the organization grew into a powerful machine of terror responsible for the worst atrocities of WWII. 

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10. The First Successful TV Broadcast Occurs

Scottish inventor John Logie Baird demonstrated the first successful TV broadcast in his London laboratory on October 2, 1925. It was the first time a moving image was transmitted successfully and, although crude, it laid the groundwork for future TV technology. 

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11. Pickwick Club Collapse

1925 was the height of the roaring 20s, when flapper girls, jazz, and Charleston dancing were all the rage. On one particularly lively night in Boston, young people gathered at Pickwick Club to dance to live jazz music when the unthinkable happened: the whole building collapsed and several people perished. Conservative Americans were quick to blame the "devil's music" and promiscuous dance moves, but investigations revealed nearby construction and poor building codes were more likely to blame. 

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12. Locarno Treaties Were Created

The Locarno Treaties were a series of agreements signed by Germany, France, Belgium, Britain, and Italy in October 1925 in an attempt to keep peace and stability in post-WWI Europe. The treaties were meant to ease tensions between Germany and Western Europe and avoid another major conflict.

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13. Percy Fawcett Disappears

Percy Fawcett was a British explorer who mysteriously went missing in the Amazon in 1925. He was obsessed with finding an ancient lost city he called "Z," and his disappearance became the stuff of legends, inspiring many books and stories including Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel The Lost World.

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14. Madge Oberholtzer Is Murdered

Madge Oberholtzer was an educated and well-liked 28-year-old Indiana woman who was abducted, raped, and murdered by David Curtiss Stephenson, the leader of the Ku Klux Klan, and other Klan members. She survived long enough to give a detailed testimony that exposed the brutality of the Klan and sent Stephenson to prison for life.

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15. Norway's Capital Is Renamed Oslo

The capital of Norway was founded in 1049 and originally called Oslo but had been named Kristiania since 1624 after King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway. In 1925, to reclaim the country's medieval Viking heritage, it was renamed Oslo. 

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16. Afrikaans Becomes The Official Language Of South Africa

In 1925, as a representation of growing Afrikaner nationalism, Afrikaans replaced Dutch as South Africa's official language. Unfortunately, the language became a symbol of oppression for many non-white South Africans who were forced to learn it. 

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17. Babe Ruth Is Rushed To The Hospital

Babe Ruth, one of the most famous baseball players of all time, made headlines all over the country after being rushed to hospital in April 1925 because of a mysterious illness. The incident put him out of commission for the first two months of the baseball season and when he returned he was noticeably weaker and batted well below his regular standards. The press blamed everything from food poisoning to a sexually transmitted infection for his hospitalization, but the real cause was never revealed.

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18. Cyprus Is Colonized By The British

Cyprus became a British colony in 1925, but it was merely a formalization of power. Britain had already had control over the island starting in 1878 after the Ottoman Empire leased it to them in exchange for protection against Russia. However, once the Ottomans joined the Central Powers, Britain was free to annex Cyprus. 

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19. Protests Begin In China

On May 30th, 1925, a major anti-foreign, anti-colonial uprising took place in Shanghai by Chinese who were sick of being exploited by Western and Japanese businesses. The incident saw British police open fire on a crowd of unarmed protestors, killing at least nine students and triggering nationwide outrage, strikes, and demonstrations. 

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20. The Rif Republic Is Declared In Morocco

Morrocco's Rif War was one of the first major anti-colonial uprisings of the 20th century. In the face of a weakened Spanish government, Berbers asserted independence from colonial powers, declaring the Rif Republic in northern Morocco. However, Spain asked for help from France and their combined military force would eventually squash the uprising two years later. 

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