World Events · 1920
Dawn of the Roaring Twenties and New Borders
The world attempted to rebuild after the devastation of World War I while embracing bold social shifts and geopolitical realignments. From the launch of the League of Nations to women's suffrage and the onset of American Prohibition, 1920 defined a fragile new global order.
- Jan 10, 1920 | Geneva, Switzerland
Establishment of the League of Nations
Headquartered in Switzerland, the intergovernmental organization held its founding meeting to promote international peace and prevent future global conflicts.
- Jan 16, 1920 | United States
Start of American Prohibition
The Volstead Act went into full effect, legally banning the production, sale, and transport of intoxicating liquors across the nation.
- Jun 4, 1920 | Versailles, France
Signing of the Treaty of Trianon
The Allied powers and Hungary signed a treaty that drastically partitioned the Kingdom of Hungary, stripping away over two-thirds of its former territory.
- Aug 12–25, 1920 | Poland
The Battle of Warsaw
Polish forces led by Jozef Pilsudski decisively defeated the advancing Red Army, halting the eastward spread of Soviet communism into Europe.
- Aug 18, 1920 | United States
Ratification of the 19th Amendment
American women secured the constitutional right to vote after Tennessee became the crucial final state needed to ratify the landmark amendment.
- Aug 10, 1920 | Sèvres, France
Treaty of Sèvres Partitions Ottoman Empire
Allied victors drew up plans to dismantle the Ottoman Empire, triggering the Turkish War of Independence under Mustafa Kemal Atatürk.
- Nov 21, 1920 | Dublin, Ireland
Bloody Sunday in Dublin
A day of devastating violence during the Irish War of Independence left 31 people dead following IRA assassinations and British police retaliatory fire.
- Dec 16, 1920 | Ningxia, China
The Haiyuan Earthquake
A massive magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Gansu province, causing total destruction and triggering landslides that killed over 200,000 people.
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