What 1926 teaches America as 2026 approaches

OPINION:

“What’s past is prologue,” William Shakespeare wrote in “The Tempest.” It was a thought profound enough to be engraved on the National Archives building in Washington.

As America prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary, a blip on history’s ledger compared with many other nations, we would do well to revisit even the recent past as a guide to what can provide us with a better future. That’s because even though technology changes, other things do not.

At the end of each year, I enjoy exploring the events of a century ago, a period in which my parents and grandparents lived.

When it comes to political unrest, 2026 has nothing on 1926. There were protests, coups, invasions and changes in governments all over Europe. In Britain, a general strike paralyzed the nation and was front-page news for months. Poland, Portugal and Lithuania had their governments overthrown. In Italy, future dictator Benito Mussolini increased his power and influence despite, or perhaps because of, numerous assassination attempts.

The future Queen Elizabeth II and Fidel Castro were born. So was Norma Jeane Mortenson, who would change her name to Marilyn Monroe.

Calvin Coolidge, a tax cutter and deficit hawk, was president. Unemployment was just 1.8%, tax rates were falling, and the national debt was $19.6 billion. The booming economy helped pay down the debt, something President Trump has said will happen again. (Will the spendthrifts in Congress get the message?)

Land on Broadway and Wall Street in New York City was selling at a record $7 per square inch, depending on location. Robert H. Goddard, who would later become a central figure in America’s space program, launched the first liquid fuel rocket in Auburn, Massachusetts. It achieved a height of 41 feet in its 2½-second flight.

John Logie Baird demonstrated the first television. Given the low quality of much of today’s TV shows, I wonder whether he would regret it? United Airlines, founded as Varney Air Lines, became the first scheduled commercial airline in the country. There was likely more leg room then.

Henry Ford inaugurated the 40-hour workweek.

Explorer Richard E. Byrd and Navy Chief Aviation Pilot Floyd Bennett became the first verified explorers to traverse the North Pole. They reported no sightings of Santa Claus.

America celebrated its 150th birthday with the World’s Fair in Philadelphia. Not enough people came, and the fair organization went into receivership. Its assets were sold at auction the following year. That’s unlikely to happen in 2026.

The U.S. and Panama signed a treaty. (During the Carter administration, that would again become controversial, as ownership of the Panama Canal was turned over to the country. Mr. Trump says he wants it returned to American control and ownership.)

American Olympic gold medalist Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim across the English Channel from France to England. Rudolph Valentino, among the greatest stars of the silent film era, died from sepsis caused by a ruptured stomach ulcer. The next day, 60,000 mourners caused a riot in New York as they tried to reach his body. A fixation on celebrities continues.

A Category 4 hurricane hit Miami. Hundreds died, and damage was estimated at $100 million. Later, the Havana-Bermuda hurricane killed more than 600 people. No one blamed “climate change.”

Thomas Edison, inventor of the light bulb and so many other things in use today, declared the radio a commercial failure.

Babe Ruth became the first player to hit three home runs in a single game against the St. Louis Cardinals.

This and much more occurred in 1926. Politics, celebrity, sports, technological innovations such as artificial intelligence, and media continue to capture our attention. Bad things will continue to happen for the next 100 years (if we survive that long as a nation). That’s because while many things change, human nature remains the same.

As for the good, that too is up to us and those yet to be born. May they learn from history.

• Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book, “A Watchman in the Night: What I’ve Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America” (Humanix Books).