Rena Wagstaff 1913 - 1978
Rena Wagstaff's Biography
Introduction
Name & aliases
Last residence
Share Story or Memory
Share Photo
Birth details
Ethnicity & Family History
Nationality & Locations
Education
Religion
Baptism date & location
Professions
Personal Life
Military Service
Death details
Gravesite & burial
Obituary
Average Age & Life Expectancy
Memories: Stories & Photos
Through sharing we discover more together.
Share Story or Memory
Share Photo
Story
Photo
Family Tree & Friends
Rena's Family Tree
Rena Wagstaff
Partner
Child
Partner
Child
|
Sibling
|
Friends
Friends can be as close as family. Add Rena's family friends, and her friends from childhood through adulthood.
1913 - 1978 World Events
Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Rena's lifetime.
In 1913, in the year that Rena Wagstaff was born, ratified in February the 16th Amendment, establishing a Federal income tax, became law. Previously, customs duties (tariffs) and excise taxes were the primary sources of federal revenue. With the passage of the 16th Amendment, incomes of couples exceeding $4,000, as well as those of single persons earning $3,000 or more, were subject to a 1% Federal tax (that would be about $98,000 and $74,000 now). Rates rose to 7% for incomes over half a million dollars. Less than 1% of the population was subject to income tax.
In 1928, at the age of only 15 years old, Rena was alive when Mickie Mouse was born! He first appeared in Disney's Steamboat Willie, along with Minnie. Although they were in two previous shorts, this was the first to be distributed. Steamboat Willie took advantage of the new technology and was a "talkie" - music was coordinated with the animation. It became the most popular cartoon of its day.
In 1934, at the age of 21 years old, Rena was alive when on November 11th 1933, an extremely strong dust storm hit South Dakota, stripping topsoil. Other strong dust storms had occurred during 1933. Severe droughts continued to hit the Great Plains and the dust storms devastated agricultural production as well as people's' lives for several years. The Roosevelt administration and scientists eventually determined that farming practices had caused the conditions that led to the dust storms and the changes they implemented in farming stopped the Dust Bowl.
In 1954, by the time she was 41 years old, from April 22 through June 17th, the Army v. McCarthy hearings were held. The U.S. Army accused Roy Cohn (chief counsel to Senator McCarthy and later trusted mentor of Donald Trump) of blackmail. McCarthy and Cohn accused the U.S. Army of harboring communists. The Army allegations were found to be true. The U.S. Senate later censured McCarthy.
In 1978, in the year of Rena Wagstaff's passing, on November 18th, Jim Jones's Peoples Temple followers committed mass suicide in Jonestown, Guyana - where they had moved, from San Francisco, as a group. Jones was the leader of the cult and ordered his followers to drink cyanide-laced punch, which they did. Whole families (women and children included) died - more than 900 people in all.
Other Biographies
Other Wagstaff Family Biographies
