J. Albert C. Young (1867 - 1920)

Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during J.'s lifetime.

In 1867, in the year that J. Albert C. Young was born, on March 30th, Alaska was bought by the US from Russia for $7.2 million dollars, which worked out to about 2 cents per acre. The newspapers called it "Seward's Folly" because United States Secretary of State William H. Seward negotiated the purchase and Alaska was seen as frozen, useless land.

In 1870, at the age of only 3 years old, J. was alive when on June 26th, Christmas was declared an official federal holiday in the United States. By 1860, 14 states had declared Christmas a legal holiday but the practice of celebrating Christmas was a local - and religious - choice previously.

In 1887, when this person was 20 years old, on May 9th, Buffalo Bill's Wild West show opened in London. Founded in 1883, the show was attended - twice - by Queen Victoria and adored by audiences who thrilled to his fanciful acts portraying life in the "Wild West."

In 1891, at the age of 24 years old, J. was alive when from March 9th through the 12th, a blizzard hit the south and west of England. Called the Great Blizzard of 1891, it led to snow drifts of up to 15 feet and killed 200 people and 6,000 animals. Fourteen ships sank.

In 1920, in the year of J. Albert C. Young's passing, speakeasies replaced saloons as the center of social activity. After the 18th Amendment was ratified and selling alcohol became illegal, saloons closed and speakeasies took their place. Speakeasies, also called a blind pig or blind tiger, were "so called because of the practice of speaking quietly about such a place in public, or when inside it, so as not to alert the police or neighbors". There were a lot of them and they were very popular. And where saloons often prohibited women, they were encouraged at speakeasies because of the added profits.