Journeys: You've Come a Long Way Since 1908

One of the first Virginia Slims ads targeting women with the slogan "You've come a long way baby!"

“Anything, everything, is possible.” Thomas Edison, 1908

In 1908, the last time the Cubs won the World Series, the 46^th star for Oklahoma was added to our flag, the Times Square ball was dropped in New York City for the first time and New York City passed an ordinance making it illegal for women to smoke in public. Women couldn’t vote either.

Now, 108 years later the Cubs finally won the World Series again, women can vote and a woman is running for the President of the United States. If Hillary Clinton becomes President, she will become the first woman to lead our country – and it’s about time. I've lived to see many changes over my lifetime of 72 years. One change that I've wished for before it's time for me to go is to see a woman in the White House. If this happens, Hillary's name will be added to a growing list of other females who are or have been heads of state in our world.

"The following is a list of female presidents, prime ministers, and other heads of state who are presently in power as of January 22, 2015. For several years now, the stable status quo has been around 20 female world leaders at any given time."

Source: http://www.jjmccullough.com/charts_rest_female-leaders.php

When we elected our first black President, I celebrated with much of our country over that milestone. Next week, I will be following the election coverage closely and am looking forward to celebrating again. Stronger Together is absolutely true!

More about 1908:

“Take Me Out to the Gall Game” was registered for copyright.
Henry Ford produced the first Model T which sold for $850.
Only 14% of homes had bathtubs and 8% telephones.
Mother’s Day was observed for the first time.
Earthquake and resulting tsunami killed 70,000 to 100,000 in southern Italy and Sicily.
Petroleum production started in the Middle East
Federal spending was $0.66 billion
Unemployment was 8%
A first-class stamp cost $0.02.
Gabriel Lippman of France received a Nobel Prize in Science for his method of reproducing colors by photography.
Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority was established—the first Greek organization by and for black college women.
Average life expectancy was around 47 years.
There were only 144 miles of paved roads.
The average wage was 22 cents per hour.
More than 95 percent of all births were at home.
Most women washed their hair once a month using Borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
Leading causes of death: peneumonia, influenza, tuberculosis, diarrhea, heart disease, stroke.
The population of Las Vegas was 30.
Crossword puzzles, canned beer and ice tea did not exist yet.
Marijuana, heroin and morphine were over-the-counter drugs available at drugstores.
In the Us that year, there were around 230 murders (reported).
The 612-foot tall Singer Building in NYC was the highest inhaited building in the world; it was followed a few months later by the 700-foot tall Metropolitan Life Building.
Orville Wright set a new endurance flight record with a passenger—nine minutes at an altitude record of 250 feet. Then brother Wilbur flew for 91 minutes and 31 seconds for a new record of 61 miles.
In 26 of the 46 states, marriage between blacks and whites was illegal.
Kids worked in coal mines and steel mills.
A “Gentlemen’s Agreement” between Japan and the US agreed to restrict Japanese emigration to the US.
The first tunnel under the Hudson River opened.
Frederick Cook claimed to have reached the North Pole. (He didn’t.)
Wireless Radio Broadcasting was patented by Nathan Stubblefield.
The first horror movie, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, premiered in Chicago.
The first federal workmen’s compensation law was approved.
The Lusitania crossed the Atlantic in a record four days and fifteen hours.
The first Gideon Bible was put in a hotel room.
The Democratic National Convention, Denver 1908: Women Participate in Convention for the First Time (Though the Nineteenth Amendment to the Constitution giving women the right to vote was not ratified until 1920, women in Colorado – along with several other states in the West – had earned the right to vote before this time. Colorado gave women voting privileges in 1893; it was one of the earliest states to do so.)