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The average life expectancy in the U.S. was 47 years.
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Only 14 Percent of the homes in the U.S. had a bathtub.
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Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone. A three-minute call from Denver
to New York City cost eleven dollars.
-
There were only 8,000 cars in the U.S., and only 144 miles of paved roads.
-
The maximum speed limit in most cities was 10 mph.
-
Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa, and Tennessee were each more heavily populated
than California. With a mere 1.4 million residents, California was only
the 21st-most populous state in the Union.
-
The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.
-
The average wage in the U.S. was 22 cents an hour.
-
The average U.S. worker made between $200 and $400 per year.
-
A competent accountant could expect to earn $2000 per year, a dentist $2,500
per year, a veterinarian between $1,500 and $4,000 per year, and a mechanical
engineer about $5,000 per year.
-
More than 95 percent of all births in the U.S. took place at home.
-
Ninety percent of all U.S. physicians had no college education. Instead,
they attended medical schools, many of which were condemned in the press
and by the government as "substandard."
-
Sugar cost four cents a pound. Eggs were fourteen cents a dozen. Coffee
cost fifteen cents a pound.
-
Most women only washed their hair once a month, and used borax or egg yolks
for shampoo.
-
Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people from entering the country for
any reason.
-
The five leading causes of death in the U.S. were:
1. Pneumonia and influenza
2. Tuberculosis
3. Diarrhea
4. Heart disease
5. Stroke
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The American flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico, Hawaii,and
Alaska hadn't been admitted to the Union yet.
-
The population of Las Vegas, Nevada, was 30.
-
Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea hadn't been invented.
-
There was no Mother's Day or Father's Day.
-
One in ten U.S. adults couldn't read or write. Only 6 percent of all Americans
had graduated from high school.
-
18 percent of households in the U.S. had at least one full-time servant
or domestic.
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There were only about 230 reported murders in the entire U.S.
In Nineteen Hundred
In 1900, fathers prayed their children would learn English.
Today, fathers pray their children will speak English.
In 1900, if a father put a roof over his family's head, he was a success.
Today, it takes a roof, deck, pool, and 4-car garage. And that's just
the vacation home.
In 1900, a father waited for the doctor to tell him when the baby arrived.
Today, a father must wear a smock, know how to breathe, and make sure
film is in the video camera.
In 1900, fathers passed on clothing to their sons.
Today, kids wouldn't touch Dad's clothes if they were sliding naked
down an icicle.
In 1900, fathers could count on children to join the family business.
Today, fathers pray their kids will soon come home from college long
enough to teach them how to work the computer and set the VCR.
In 1900, fathers pined for old country Romania, Italy, or Russia.
Today, fathers pine for old country Hank Williams.
In 1900, fathers shook their children gently and whispered, "Wake up,
it's time for school."
Today, kids shake their fathers violently at 4 a.m., shouting: "Wake
up, it's time for hockey practice."
In 1900, a father came home from work to find his wife and children
at the supper table.
Today, a father comes home to a note: "Jimmy's at baseball, Cindy's
at gymnastics, I'm at gym, Pizza in fridge."
In 1900, fathers and sons would have heart-to-heart conversations while
fishing in a stream.
Today, fathers pluck the headphones off their sons' ears and shout,
"WHEN YOU HAVE A MINUTE.."
In 1900, a father gave a pencil box for Christmas, and the kid was all
smiles.
Today, a father spends $800 at Toys 'R' Us, and the kid screams: "I
wanted Sega!"
