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What were the lives like for my greatgrandmother and greatgrandfather, and how did their experiences shape their generation?
In the early 20th century, life expectancy was around 58 years, which means many people died in their 50s, making your great-grandparents' longevity remarkable.
If your great-grandmother was born in the 1890s, she would have lived through the Spanish flu pandemic, which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide.
The average household income in the 1920s was around $1,300 per year, which is equivalent to approximately $20,000 today.
During the Great Depression, which lasted from 1929 to the late 1930s, many people, including your great-grandparents, struggled to make ends meet, with unemployment rates soaring to 25%.
In the 1920s, only about 30% of women worked outside the home, and your great-grandmother was likely an exception, as she might have worked on the family farm or in a domestic capacity.
If your great-grandfather was a veteran of World War I, he would have faced mustard gas attacks, which caused severe burns and respiratory damage.
The 1918 influenza pandemic disproportionately affected young adults, which would have made your great-grandparents' survival even more remarkable.
In the early 20th century, only about 10% of Americans attended college, making your great-grandparents' educational achievements remarkable if they had any formal education.
Your great-grandmother's generation was the first to have access to commercial air travel, which began in the 1920s with flights between Europe and North America.
Your great-grandparents likely grew up without electric lighting, as widespread electrification didn't occur until the 1920s and 1930s.
The 1920s were marked by significant social change, including the women's suffrage movement, which granted women the right to vote in the United States.
Your great-grandparents would have experienced the Dust Bowl, a period of severe dust storms and drought that devastated the American heartland in the 1930s.
In the 1930s, many people, including your great-grandparents, relied on radio broadcasts for entertainment, news, and information.
The average life expectancy of your great-grandparents' generation was lower due to high infant mortality rates, which decreased significantly in the mid-20th century.
Your great-grandparents might have lived through the 1936 heat wave, which was one of the hottest summers on record in the United States.
In the early 20th century, many people, including your great-grandparents, engaged in subsistence farming, growing their own food and preserving it through canning, smoking, or curing.
Your great-grandparents would have used outhouses, as indoor plumbing was not widespread until the mid-20th century.
In the 1920s, about 40% of Americans lived on farms, and your great-grandparents might have been part of this demographic.
Your great-grandparents would have experienced the fear and uncertainty of the Great Depression, which lasted over a decade.
In the early 20th century, many people, including your great-grandparents, used iceboxes instead of refrigerators, which were not widely available until the 1940s.
Colorize and Breathe Life into Old Black-and-White Photos (Get started for free)