What were some important inventions of the 1920-1940s and how did they affect the people of the era? Maddy Hilkemeier English III H 9 Oct. 2015 Period 2 “Hundreds of items were invented in the 20th century, changing the way the world operated. Many of these inventions seem benign now, while others served as precursors to advanced models” (Richard). The book To Kill a Mockingbird was written in the mid-1930s and it was during this era that many useful items were invented. During this time there was a rapid increase of innovations that ranged anywhere from the game of monopoly to a wooden bathing suit, or something more efficient such as LDS medicine. What were some important inventions of the 1920-1940s and how did they …show more content…
The Iron Lung would be one of the most important inventions of the era. John Haven "Jack" Emerson, an inventor of medical devices created a device in the 1920s called the Iron Lung. This machine helped humans breathe when diagnosed with polio. During this time, the poliomyelitis virus was a very common virus that affected many children and few adults. The Iron Lung was a machine that allowed humans to lay inside it while aiding them with breathing. Anna Dhody has a Masters in Forensic Science, Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology, and Forensic Anthropology, Intensive Short Course. “When a person contracts the poliomyelitis virus, the resulting infection can cause motor paralysis and disrupt the normally involuntary act of breathing. Machines such as Emerson’s create a microenvironment that mimics the pressurization (and de-pressurization) that normally occurs in a healthy body” (Dhody). The virus affected many people and the machine was a very helpful tool to help with breathing. The …show more content…
Thousands of people drive and walk on the bridge over the bay in San Francisco every day. On May 27th 1937 the bridge opened for pedestrian traffic and the next day opened for vehicular traffic. Many people helped with the creating of the bridge and not all of them were engineers. Ben Loeterman is an award winning film maker, director and producer. “Former farmers, clerks, and taxicab drivers became high steel men” (Loeterman). The people who worked on the bridge building needed all the help they could get, after all this was a 1 mile wide, 3 mile long bridge that needed to be built on top of water. Building the bridge was extremely dangerous, unfortunately, eleven people lost their lives in the process. According to the Golden Gate Bridge official website, “Eleven men. Until February 17, 1937, there had been only one fatality, setting a new all-time record in a field where one man killed for every million dollars spent had been the norm. On February 17, ten more men lost their lives when a section of scaffold carrying twelve men fell through the safety net” (GGB). It was a terrifying job to have because the workers would be up high, and above water. Joseph Strauss was the main inventor/designer of the Golden Gate Bridge. He created 400 some bridges across the US and was well known. Ben Loeterman won national Emmy awards for achievement in directing and investigative