12 Things You Won't Believe Were Normal 100 Years Ago

A century ago, societal norms and practices were vastly different from today. Looking back, some of these may seem unbelievable or even shocking now. This list highlights 10 things that were acceptable a hundred years ago but have since fallen out of favor or become taboo. It's a fascinating glimpse into how much our world and its values have evolved.

Table of Contents

1. Toilet Tragedies
2. A Potion of Fatality
3. Anthropometric Abhorrence
4. A Hysterical Hoax
5. Corporal Punishment Perils
6. Racial Segregation Sorrows
7. Graduation Gratifications
8. Atropine Atrocities
9. A Small Universe
10. Dynamite Debacles
11. An Uninvited Guest
12. Giraffe Sighting
10 Things Old People Wish We Still Had Today
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12 Cheap Poverty Meals That Taste Like a Million Bucks
12 Things to Never, Ever Say in an Elevator

1. Toilet Tragedies

old toilet — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

As absurd as it is, you'd be mistaken if you think indoor toilets have always been the norm. Up until 100 years ago, indoor plumbing was a rare occurrence as a user shares their father remembering indoor plumbing getting installed in their house in New Mexico in the 1950s.

2. A Potion of Fatality

In 2023, it's hard to fathom a time when radium wasn't considered harmful. However, a user narrates the case of Eben Byers, who famously drank radium water in the early 20th century. He was advised to take Radithor, a radium solution, to cure his polo injury. The radium initially left him energized but caused his teeth to fall out soon after, leading to his eventual demise.

3. Anthropometric Abhorrence

Woman winking eye and asking why — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Eugenics peaked with anthropometry, where physical traits were often correlated with racial differences in intellect. It involved taking measurements of physical features like cranial size to indicate the size of one's intelligence. Such pseudoscience was frequently employed to argue the intellect of other races fell short; later studies showed no significant correlation.

4. A Hysterical Hoax

Angry young woman showing fists — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Enter the world of Sylvia Plath's writing or Charlotte Perkins's The Yellow Wallpaper. You'd be struck by how socially acceptable it was to institutionalize women or bar them from any activity because of perceived hysteria. In fact, parents or husbands sometimes would label a woman hysterical if she was being too difficult for them, despite no clinical evidence.

5. Corporal Punishment Perils

old-teacher — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Corporal punishment was legal until recently, and some states still allow this unfortunate practice. A commenter shares how they attended a school in Abu Dhabi where they got smacked for doing the homework assignment a week early. The next time it happened, the user came prepared with their own ruler and dueled with the teacher in class.

6. Racial Segregation Sorrows

It is important to remember that racial segregation ended as recently as the 1960s with the enactment of the Civil Rights Law of 1964. Hence, fewer than a hundred years ago, property laws that prohibited sales to a non-white family were prevalent along with other forms of segregation. While many problems persist today, there is hope for a more equal society.

7. Graduation Gratifications

It wasn't too odd for an average person not to graduate high school a few decades ago. One observes that it was "much more 'normal' for 'good people' to drop out of high school a hundred years ago, to help out on the farm or family small business."

8. Atropine Atrocities

Man shrugging angrily — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Did you know that in ancient Roman times, women would put the Atropa belladonna in their eyes to achieve dilated pupils? As large pupils were considered a sign of beauty, belladonna would grant a doe-eyed effect often deemed attractive and even seductive. While ophthalmologists still use atropine to dilate pupils, cosmetic usage is no longer standard.

9. A Small Universe

Earth Universe — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

We live in times where it's common knowledge that the universe is ever-expanding and much more vast than human imagination. However, our understanding is recent, as American astronomer Edwin Hubble didn't verify the existence of other galaxies outside the Milky Way until 1924, with Andromeda being the first. So, people at the time still thought that the Milky Way was the entirety of the universe!

10. Dynamite Debacles

Man shocked saying oh — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

We've established that folks from the past had a horrible sense of safety. As if radium wasn't enough, it appears that buying dynamite at the local hardware store was a regular errand. Even in the '90s, a member recalls their uncle blowing up tree stumps to make way for crop fields. "Had to run for it after he lit the fuse. Not sure where he bought the stuff. He was a farmer."

11. An Uninvited Guest

Puzzled shocked young woman — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Imagine that stopping by someone's place without asking was a regular occurrence a few decades back. Most users find it unimaginable to visit one's friend, family, or neighbor's house unannounced without asking ahead of time if they feel like having company. To this claim, one person comments, "Please tell my dad this information."

12. Giraffe Sighting

woman giving thumbs down — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Tying your giraffe to a lamp post or telephone pole is understandably illegal. Brushing aside why someone would have a giraffe in the first place, it's clear that some of these crazy laws exist "because someone did it one time and they couldn't charge him with a crime."

Source: Reddit.