In a few days, we will ring in 2016. Many of us can’t imagine our lives without the technology and machinery we need on a daily basis, like a washing machine/dryer for laundry and a refrigerator–not having these things is quite unimaginable. As we welcome a new year, we look back at what life looked like 100 years ago, in 1915. Here are some surprising facts about 1915:
Money
Average income was $687 a year
Average home price was $3,200
Typical car’s sticker price was $2,005 ($46,879 today)
Gas costed around 15 cents a gallon
A mid-range pair of women’s shoes cost from $7 to $10 (equivalent to about $163-$233 today)
Typical food prices for 1915:
- a loaf of bread: 7 cents
- a dozen eggs: 34 cents
- a quart of milk: 9 cents
- a pound of steak: 26 cents
Pop Culture
Notable births:
Jazz singer Billie Holiday
Actor and director Orson Welles
Guitarist, songwriter, and inventor Les Paul
Actress Ingrid Bergman
Playwright and essayist Arthur Miller
Singer and actor Frank Sinatra
Master illusionist known for his sensational escape acts, Harry Houdini nearly died while trying to perform his buried alive stunt in which he was buried, without a casket, in a pit of earth six feet deep.
Babe Ruth hit his first home run as player for the Boston Red Sox.
Life expectancy for males was 52.5 years, 56.8 for females
The most popular baby names in the US were John and Mary
Inventions
Kraft processed cheese was developed
The first commercially successful electric refrigerator, the “Guardian,” debuted
The first-ever stop sign appeared in Detroit
The first coast-to-coast telephone call was placed by Alexander Graham Bell in New York City to his former assistant Thomas Watson in San Francisco.
Education
Harvard’s annual tuition was $160
Math was an elective subject in many high schools
Of the general population aged 25 or older, 13.5% had at least a high school diploma
Information for this story comes from money.usnews.com and maa.org.
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