Famous People in the 1920s

The Stars of The Jazz Age: Famous People in the 1920s

Famous People in the 1920s - Celebrity Louise Brooks

You CAN Be Somebody!!!

Fame was a new concept in the 1920s. Famous people in the 1920s became the stars of a rapidly changing world. With the rise of the mass media, the attraction of the silver screen, books, sports, and Broadway shows, for some fame was byproduct of living life in the 1920s.

Here's a cool page about 1920's celebrities (opens in a new window).

With the rapid social change and the rise of popular culture, the fabric of the United States became more diverse and interesting. Beautiful stars like Louise Brooks and Gloria Swanson graced the silver screens and the golden stages of Broadway Shows like the queens of a “New Age”.

With the spread of notoriety and fame, women like:

Louise Brooks--Broadway Dancer and Movie Star

Gloria Swanson--Movie Star

Coco Chanel--Fashion Designer

Zelda Sayre--Famous Flapper (wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald)

Josephine Baker--Entertainer

Famous People in the 1920s - Josephine Baker

All became the legends of Hollywood, style, and modern fashion, as much for their intellegence and vibrancy as their beauty.

These women have had a profound influence on western culture.

From Chanel’s notorious androgynous flapper fashions and Brooks’ “Black Helmet”, to Sayre’s infamous flapper lifestyle, these women helped shape the landscape of popular fashion, morals, and lifestyles of the rich and famous.

They also gave women new role models: the strong independent woman who is capable of taking care of herself, asserting her sexuality, and making a living at the same time - these were the “IT” girls of famous people in the 1920s.

At the same time, many men were becoming famous for their exploits around the globe.

From the baseball diamond to the science lab, men were being lauded for their own respective accomplishments.

Some of the famous men of the 1920s:

Charles Lindbergh--Famous Aviator and adventurer

Al Capone--Famous Gangster

F. Scott Fitzgerald--Author of “The Great Gatsby”

Jack Dempsey--Boxer

Babe Ruth--Baseball Player and unofficial King of New York

Albert Einstein--Famous Scientist

Al Jolson--Entertainer and Movie Star

Charlie Chaplin--“The most famous person who ever lived” (at least in the 1920’s)

Duke Ellington--Musician and Band leader at “The Cotton Club”

From Lindbergh’s “Spirit of Saint Louis”, Ruth’s 60 homeruns in 1927, to Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the jazz age was a proverbial superstar's playground and a new and exciting world for the exploits of famous people in the 1920s.

The diversity of why these men and women became famous is staggering. Capone became famous for being the most visible, powerful, and flashy gangster of all time ; Brooks for her flapper look, beauty, wit, and brashness ; Einstein for his intelligence and ability to overcome obstacles, and Ellington for his immense talent and his ability to capsulate the sound of the 1920‘s.

Yet these famous people all have something in common: The drive and vision it takes to become famous.

The 1920’s are important because they really focused the concept and possibility of becoming a “self made man” (or woman) -the twenties distill the “American Dream” that anything is possible if you have the passion and drive to fulfill your vision for the future.

Yet there are many lessons to be learned by watching the famous people of the 1920’s.

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