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As we reflect on the decades, the Roaring Twenties, Great Depression and World War II are pretty recognizable events. But here is a list of ten historical events you never learned in History 150.
1. As the presidential election is a mere 17 days away, women can credit their right to vote to the Nineteenth Amendment passed in 1920.
2. F. Scott Fitzgerald published The Great Gatsby in 1925. Known today as the movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio’s, The Great Gatsby is a timeless tale of a lavish 1920’s lifestyle.
3. In 1929, the average cost of college was just $250 a year. Only twenty percent of Americans would enroll.
4. Air conditioning was brought into the first homes in 1930. For those not living in LaFollette, can all thank Willis Carrier for the cool air to battle the hot Indiana summers.
5. College students can thank the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933 for ending the prohibition of alcohol.
6. In 1937, Frog Baby came to Ball State. It was originally placed in the David Owsley Museum of Art before being moved to the fountain, where it resides today.
7. The minimum wage in 1940 was thirty cents. That could buy you almost three gallons of gas, or one movie ticket.
8. The first M&Ms were created in 1941. It all started with the original chocolate M&Ms in five colors: red, yellow, brown, green, and violet.
9. The first game of the National Basketball Association League (NBA) was played in 1946 between the Toronto Huskies and the New York Knickerbockers between.
10. In 1947, Polaroid cameras were invented. The pictures were only black and white, but it was the first instant camera. Priced originally at $89.75, models today are still sold at that price.
