- For other topics using this term, see Roaring Twenties (disambiguation)
The
Roaring Twenties is a term for the
1920s in the Western world. It was a period of sustained economic prosperity with a distinctive cultural edge in the
United States,
Canada, and
Western Europe, particularly in major cities such as New York, Montreal, Chicago, Detroit, Paris, Berlin, London, and Los Angeles. In France it was known as the "
années folles" ("Crazy Years"), emphasizing the era's social, artistic and cultural dynamism.
Normalcy returned to politics in the wake of hyper-emotional patriotism after World War I,
jazz music blossomed, the
flapper redefined modern womanhood and
Art Deco peaked. The era saw the large-scale use of automobiles, telephones, motion pictures, radio, electricity, refrigeration, air conditioning; commercial, passenger, and freight aviation; unprecedented industrial growth, accelerated consumer demand and aspirations, plus significant changes in lifestyle and culture. The media focused on celebrities, especially sports heroes and movie stars, as cities rooted for their home teams and filled the new palatial cinemas and gigantic sports stadiums. In most major countries
women won the right to vote.
