This is one of the best known questions in the history of art: How was the 1920s called the Roaring Twenties?
According to the earliest known writings, which dates to the 1870s, it was called the Roaring Twenties because of the economic boom that the 1920s brought. The boom meant big pay increases, new businesses, and a great number of millionaires. It was also the name for the period in which the boom actually began to end and the Depression began. It was a good year to be rich.
The Roaring Twenties, according to the writers, was one of the happiest of all time. It produced new wealth, new jobs, and a good lifestyle.
One major factor, as indicated by the writers, was that the boom coincided with the rise of modern techniques for producing and distributing entertainment and goods.
Some of the most famous people of the time, from Teddy Roosevelt to Al Capone and Ernest Hemingway, were all wealthy and famous, including:
Bette Midler and her musical success:
Cinderella:
Frank Lloyd Wright:
Elaine May Alcott:
Moby Dick:
Charles R. De Gaulle:
William Randolph Hearst:
Barry Manilow:
Louis B. Mayer:
The Depression of 1923 was an economic calamity, and it was blamed most for the slump, although it affected everyone, most importantly the poor.
Roaring Twenties movies. (Photo: Warner Bros.)
Who were the millionaires and billionaires that made the Roaring Twenties happen?
According to the writers, the biggest names in American history were in the 1920s, including:
George Herbert Walker Bush, known for being extremely wealthy and having a very successful private, business, and political career (the Bushes were also famous for being very, very rich).
Frank Lloyd Wright, the famous American architect and designer.
Moe Tingler, famous for both his great music and acting prowess and for playing the main character in the popular “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” children’s movie.
Arthur S. Dufresne, who ran his own successful automobile company, Alfa Romeo, in the 1920s (also known today as General Motors).
John D. Rockefeller , arguably a billionaire, who owned Standard Oil.
John D. Rockefeller, the owner