Mental Floss

Misconceptions About the Great Depression

Forget everything you thought you knew about the Great Depression.

Good ol' Depression-era fun. / Hulton Deutsch via Getty
Good ol' Depression-era fun. / Hulton Deutsch via Getty

The Great Depression was caused by the 1929 stock market crash and plunged the entire country into poverty … right? Maybe not.

The Depression era is known for having questionable cuisine, but many food products we still love today actually hit shelves during the Depression, from Ritz crackers to Kraft mac and cheese.

And though we may assume that life in the Great Depression was, well, depressing, people still managed to have plenty of fun by going to the movies and participating in dance marathons.

In the latest episode of Misconceptions, host Justin Dodd busts some Depression-era myths, including the truth about what role the 1929 market crash played in the economy and whatever the heck Milkorno is.

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