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On the date

Saturday, August 31, 1929

From the day

Perspective: The Teenager · Sound

The roar of those new plane engines over the airfield is absolute berries, drowning out the scratchy jazz coming from the car radio. Ma’s already squawking about how eleven cents for a loaf of bread is a total hold-up, but I’m too busy watching some real Sheba in mass-produced shades board a flight to notice. The street is a riot of honking buses and sweltering crowds, all of us desperate for a Labor Day escape before the city chokes. Pop’s real jittery about his stocks lately, whispering that if Wall Street lays an egg, we’re all sunk, but I just keep my eyes on the sky.

Memories from that day

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The Headlines

LABOR DAY CROWDS JAM THE AIRLINES; Plane Transport Puts on Extra Flying Sections to Handle Record Traffic. BUSES ADDED BY SCORES Railroad and Ship Facilities Taxed--Exodus 20% Larger Than for July 4.

Read in The New York Times →

Best-selling Sheet Music

Singin' in the Rain

Nacio Herb Brown

The must-have

Duncan Yo-Yo

Slang

Slang of the decade

General

applesaucebaloneycheaterscrush

Flapper

bee's kneescat's pajamasgiggle watershebahotsy-totsy

Gangster

big cheesebump offstool pigeongatfall guy

Catchphrases of 1929

  • Wall Street Lays an Egg

Tech Check

Car Radio, Sunglasses (Mass Produced) & Coaxial Cable.

Cost of Living (1920)

Loaf of Bread

$0.11

Gallon of Gas

$0.30

Average Home

$6,296

New Car

$575

Meanwhile

  • The Great DepressionGDP fell 30%; triggered by Black Tuesday (1929-10-29).

Time Elapsed

35,342 days ago

(96 years, 302 days)