1916 Called and It Thinks 2016 Rocks: What a Difference 100 Years Made

October 06, 2016

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What was the life expectancy for the average man 100 years ago? If you had a car, where could you buy gas? How much did the average worker make annually?

"One hundred years ago, if you had a car, the only place you could buy gasoline was at the drugstore. Only 14 percent of all homes in the United States had a bathtub. Only eight percent had a telephone," Glenn read Thursday on his radio program.

In addition, only six percent of Americans graduated from high school. The average worker made between $200 and $400 a year, and substances like marijuana, heroin and morphine were available over-the-counter at local drugstores.

"Back then, your local pharmacist would say, Heroin will clean your complexion, and it gives you buoyancy of the mind," Glenn said.

"Fact," Jeffy chimed in without fact-checking.

Read below or listen to the full segment for answers to these ancient questions:

• What did 90 percent of all doctors not have?

• How often did women wash their hair?

• How many stars did the American flag have?

• What law did Canada pass about poor people?

• How many people lived in Las Vegas?

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

GLENN: This is how much times have changed in 100 years.

One hundred years ago, the life expectancy for the average man was 47 years. A hundred years ago, in the United States, the average man lived to 47.

PAT: Okay.

GLENN: That's incredible.

PAT: Is it longer than that now?

GLENN: I want to hit you.

(chuckling)

One hundred years ago, if you had a car, the only place you could buy gasoline was at the drugstore. Only 14 percent of all homes in the United States -- one hundred years ago -- had a bathtub. Only eight percent had a telephone. The maximum speed limit in most cities was ten.

The tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: The average wage for a citizen in the US was 22 cents an hour. The average worker made between 200 and $400 a year. A competent accountant could expect to earn $2,000 a year. A dentist could make $2,500 a year. A vet could make between $1,500 and $4,000 a year. A mechanical engineer was making five grand a year.

More than 95 percent of births took place at home, where they never charged you to hold your baby.

Ninety percent of all doctors --

PAT: Uh-huh.

GLENN: -- didn't have this.

What do you think it was?

PAT: Leprosy.

GLENN: Good point. Probably.

STU: Probably in excess of 90. Yeah.

PAT: I would think so. Syphilis?

GLENN: Nope.

JEFFY: A degree.

GLENN: Degree.

JEFFY: Yeah.

PAT: Ninety percent of doctors!

GLENN: Ninety percent of doctors had no college degree.

STU: Wow.

JEFFY: Those were good times.

PAT: How'd they become doctors?

JEFFY: Because you got to say it.

PAT: No.

GLENN: You would go to a so-called --

PAT: A doctor trade school or something?

GLENN: Yeah, you would go to a doctor trade school. You would go to a so-called medical school, but those ended because the medical schools were pretty much a scam.

Sugar at the time cost 4 cents a pound. Eggs were 14 cents a dozen. Coffee, 15 cents a pound. Most women washed their hair how many times a month?

PAT: Once.

GLENN: Once.

JEFFY: Yeah.

GLENN: Most women washed their hair once a month 100 years ago.

JEFFY: They would go down to the stream once a month.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: And what did they use to wash it?

PAT: Soap.

GLENN: Uh-uh.

JEFFY: Lard.

PAT: Brylcreem.

GLENN: Egg yolks or borax.

PAT: Borax?

GLENN: Yep.

JEFFY: Lard would have been better.

GLENN: Canada passed a law that prohibited poor people from entering into their country for any reason.

The five leading causes of death were pneumonia and the flue, tuberculosis, diarrhea, heart disease, and the stroke.

PAT: You died from diarrhea?

GLENN: Oh, yeah. That's -- what's that called?

PAT: Is that consumption?

GLENN: No, the consumption is tuberculosis.

PAT: Is it?

GLENN: Yeah.

PAT: Okay.

GLENN: Diarrhea was --

PAT: Well, diarrhea, because they called it something else.

GLENN: Yeah, it's -- oh, crap. I mean, excuse the pun. Yeah, what is it? Say it out loud.

(laughter)

JEFFY: Dysentery.

GLENN: Yeah, dysentery. Dysentery. Yep. Dysentery.

The American flag only has 45 stars. The population of Las Vegas was 30 people, one hundred years ago.

PAT: Thirty?

GLENN: Thirty.

Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea had not been invented yet. There was neither a Mother's Day nor a Father's Day.

Only 6 percent of all Americans graduated from high school. Marijuana, heroin, morphine, all available over-the-counter at local drugstores.

PAT: Good times. Good times. Good times.

(sighing)

GLENN: Back then, your local pharmacist would say, "Heroin will clean your complexion, and it gives you buoyance of the mind."

JEFFY: Fact.

GLENN: "It regulates the stomach. It regulates the bowels. In fact, heroin is the perfect guardian of health."

JEFFY: Fact.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: Can you imagine? I would have never left my drugstore.

PAT: I know.

(laughter)

GLENN: Eighteen percent of households had at least one full-time servant or domestic help. And there were how many murders in the entire United States a hundred ago in America? For the entire year, one hundred years ago, 1916, how many murders?

JEFFY: Reported.

GLENN: Yeah, were reported.

STU: Murders usually are a crime that's reported accurately because there's dead people or missing people. That's why the crime stat people like --

PAT: Well, you're leading us to believe that it's really low.

GLENN: Why am I leading you to believe that? Oh, because I'm for Hillary?

PAT: Yes.

GLENN: Does that also lead you to believe I'm for Hillary?

PAT: Yes, yes.

STU: You are?

GLENN: Yeah.

PAT: And gun control.

GLENN: And gun control.

PAT: Fifty.

GLENN: Shut up, Pat.

(chuckling)

PAT: That's too low? Is that too low?

STU: I bet it's right around, what, the area of just what Chicago gets in a year now. Probably the entire country.

GLENN: Entire country of the United States.

PAT: 700.

GLENN: 700. What do you think, Stu?

STU: Yeah, I mean --

GLENN: Chicago --

JEFFY: There were 30 people in Vegas. So 9,225.

GLENN: Thank you, Jeffy. Thank you for playing along. Thank you.

JEFFY: You're welcome. You're welcome.

GLENN: 230.

STU: Wow.

PAT: 230?

GLENN: In the entire country, a hundred years ago.

PAT: That's pretty good.

GLENN: Well, there were no guns. Oh, wait.

PAT: Hold it.

GLENN: Hold it just a second.

JEFFY: What?

PAT: They were probably more prevalent.

GLENN: No, they couldn't have been.

PAT: Per capita.

GLENN: No, I think you're wrong. Don't even look at it. Don't even look at that stat. Because then you're probably wrong. And let's just assume that you are. Okay?

STU: On this front too -- this is kind of interesting in that, you know, capitalism does its work a lot of times in spite of Washington. And a lot of times, we sit here thinking about how bad everything is, but capitalism churns away, while Washington tries to screw it up.

And it's our job to push for Washington to screw it up as little as possible. But as it's churned away over the past 90 years -- in the mid-30s -- last past 80 years, mid-30s, you spent about 62 percent of your disposable income on home, cars, clothing, household furnishings, household and utilities, and gasoline. So, I mean, you look at that, it's pretty much nothing you're like enjoying. It's just stuff you need. Basic necessities of life. Food. How do you get around? It was 62 percent in the mid-30s. It's now 32 percent.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

STU: So you cut that in half, giving us all the rest of that income to do things that we might enjoy or that aren't base necessities of --

GLENN: Why doesn't it feel that way?

JEFFY: It doesn't.

STU: Well, because I think --

PAT: Debt for one thing.

STU: The messaging of the media is that everyone is getting behind. And I think debt is part of it. But, you know, credit card debt is probably part of it.

GLENN: And we're probably spending a lot of money on the things that we don't need. And so that puts us behind. And then we look at -- if it wasn't for our house being so expensive -- because we wouldn't think about cutting --

STU: But the central function of that, I don't think is any of those things. I think it's capitalism improving things.

GLENN: Yes.

STU: It's cutting costs on items that we used to have. It's improving items that we used to have. It's making those things more efficiently produced. And now we're able to afford things -- I mean, you told the story about the 10,000-dollar television recently on the air about how one of your big purchases --

JEFFY: Yeah.

GLENN: My 40th birthday, my wife got me a -- the first Sony flat screen -- I still have it. First Sony flat screen television. It was I don't even know, 32 inches. Pat, do you think, maybe?

PAT: Yeah, maybe a little bigger than that.

GLENN: And it was $10,000.

STU: And that was?

GLENN: Twelve years ago.

STU: Twelve years ago. So mid-Bush administration -- this is not ancient history, right?

I was in Walmart two weeks ago and took a picture of a television display. And it was a brand I hadn't heard of, so it wasn't Sony. But it was a 40-inch -- it was LCD. It was a smart TV. So it had features that your TV couldn't even dream of, right?

GLENN: I know.

STU: $198.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh!

JEFFY: Oh, yeah.

STU: $198.

PAT: Wow.

GLENN: Oh, my gosh.

STU: And there were just stacks of them. And it's like, how do you account for, to people, that change? Because people will say, well, look, if you look at the incomes, you know, after tax and after health care expenses, we haven't improved things at all for the middle class.

What about that change? The thing that only Mr. Rich Television Personality could even dream of affording -- and if I remember correctly, you opposed the purchase because it was too crazy.

GLENN: Yeah, no. I wouldn't have gotten it -- if it wasn't for my birthday --

STU: It was only a birthday present.

GLENN: She surprised me with it. And I thought it was insane. And it was so insane that I would bring you guys over. You guys came over to my house. And you said, "Can I come over and see it?"

STU: It was a museum piece. Okay?

GLENN: It was. And it was in my bedroom. I said, "Okay." And we would all sit on the bed and go, "Wow."

PAT: We traveled 2,000 miles to see it.

STU: Yeah. It was that amazing.

PAT: I was in Houston at the time.

GLENN: That's right. That's right.

PAT: Yeah.

STU: So this is actually -- I think back before even when you were on TV. But it was a time -- that changed.

GLENN: Yeah.

STU: So now a person who makes, you know, $30,000 a year and has a nice job and --

GLENN: Has a flat screen --

STU: Has a flat screen TV of better quality --

GLENN: For 198 -- yes.

STU: Even from some no-name brand, better quality with features that didn't even exist when you bought yours, in about a decade.

GLENN: For $198.

STU: Yeah, for 99 percent off. Or 98 percent off.

GLENN: Unbelievable.

STU: And that stuff happens all the time with products all the time.

GLENN: All the time.

STU: And it's lost because the media focuses on things that make capitalism look evil. Those things are happening to us all the time. And it's the -- it is the miracle of America.

Featured Image: Photograph of three women spinning wool to knit socks for soldiers during World War I, circa 1915. (Wiki Commons)

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

PHILL MAGAKOE / Contributor | Getty Images

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

I’ve only felt this weight once before. It was 2001, just as my radio show was about to begin. The World Trade Center fell, and I was called to speak immediately. I spent the day and night by my bedside, praying for words that could meet the moment.

Yesterday, I found myself in the same position. September 11, 2025. The assassination of Charlie Kirk. A friend. A warrior for truth.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Moments like this make words feel inadequate. Yet sometimes, words from another time speak directly to our own. In 1947, Dylan Thomas, watching his father slip toward death, penned lines that now resonate far beyond his own grief:

Do not go gentle into that good night. / Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Thomas was pleading for his father to resist the impending darkness of death. But those words have become a mandate for all of us: Do not surrender. Do not bow to shadows. Even when the battle feels unwinnable.

Charlie Kirk lived that mandate. He knew the cost of speaking unpopular truths. He knew the fury of those who sought to silence him. And yet he pressed on. In his life, he embodied a defiance rooted not in anger, but in principle.

Picking up his torch

Washington, Jefferson, Adams — our history was started by men who raged against an empire, knowing the gallows might await. Lincoln raged against slavery. Martin Luther King Jr. raged against segregation. Every generation faces a call to resist surrender.

It is our turn. Charlie’s violent death feels like a knockout punch. Yet if his life meant anything, it means this: Silence in the face of darkness is not an option.

He did not go gently. He spoke. He challenged. He stood. And now, the mantle falls to us. To me. To you. To every American.

We cannot drift into the shadows. We cannot sit quietly while freedom fades. This is our moment to rage — not with hatred, not with vengeance, but with courage. Rage against lies, against apathy, against the despair that tells us to do nothing. Because there is always something you can do.

Even small acts — defiance, faith, kindness — are light in the darkness. Reaching out to those who mourn. Speaking truth in a world drowning in deceit. These are the flames that hold back the night. Charlie carried that torch. He laid it down yesterday. It is ours to pick up.

The light may dim, but it always does before dawn. Commit today: I will not sleep as freedom fades. I will not retreat as darkness encroaches. I will not be silent as evil forces claim dominion. I have no king but Christ. And I know whom I serve, as did Charlie.

Two turning points, decades apart

On Wednesday, the world changed again. Two tragedies, separated by decades, bound by the same question: Who are we? Is this worth saving? What kind of people will we choose to be?

Imagine a world where more of us choose to be peacemakers. Not passive, not silent, but builders of bridges where others erect walls. Respect and listening transform even the bitterest of foes. Charlie Kirk embodied this principle.

He did not strike the weak; he challenged the powerful. He reached across divides of politics, culture, and faith. He changed hearts. He sparked healing. And healing is what our nation needs.

At the center of all this is one truth: Every person is a child of God, deserving of dignity. Change will not happen in Washington or on social media. It begins at home, where loneliness and isolation threaten our souls. Family is the antidote. Imperfect, yes — but still the strongest source of stability and meaning.

Mark Wilson / Staff | Getty Images

Forgiveness, fidelity, faithfulness, and honor are not dusty words. They are the foundation of civilization. Strong families produce strong citizens. And today, Charlie’s family mourns. They must become our family too. We must stand as guardians of his legacy, shining examples of the courage he lived by.

A time for courage

I knew Charlie. I know how he would want us to respond: Multiply his courage. Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins. Out of darkness, great and glorious things will sprout — but we must be worthy of them.

Charlie Kirk lived defiantly. He stood in truth. He changed the world. And now, his torch is in our hands. Rage, not in violence, but in unwavering pursuit of truth and goodness. Rage against the dying of the light.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

Glenn Beck is once again calling on his loyal listeners and viewers to come together and channel the same unity and purpose that defined the historic 9-12 Project. That movement, born in the wake of national challenges, brought millions together to revive core values of faith, hope, and charity.

Glenn created the original 9-12 Project in early 2009 to bring Americans back to where they were in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. In those moments, we weren't Democrats and Republicans, conservative or liberal, Red States or Blue States, we were united as one, as America. The original 9-12 Project aimed to root America back in the founding principles of this country that united us during those darkest of days.

This new initiative draws directly from that legacy, focusing on supporting the family of Charlie Kirk in these dark days following his tragic murder.

The revival of the 9-12 Project aims to secure the long-term well-being of Charlie Kirk's wife and children. All donations will go straight to meeting their immediate and future needs. If the family deems the funds surplus to their requirements, Charlie's wife has the option to redirect them toward the vital work of Turning Point USA.

This campaign is more than just financial support—it's a profound gesture of appreciation for Kirk's tireless dedication to the cause of liberty. It embodies the unbreakable bond of our community, proving that when we stand united, we can make a real difference.
Glenn Beck invites you to join this effort. Show your solidarity by donating today and honoring Charlie Kirk and his family in this meaningful way.

You can learn more about the 9-12 Project and donate HERE

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) recently delivered a lecture that should alarm every American. During a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing, he argued that believing rights come from a Creator rather than government is the same belief held by Iran’s theocratic regime.

Kaine claimed that the principles underpinning Iran’s dictatorship — the same regime that persecutes Sunnis, Jews, Christians, and other minorities — are also the principles enshrined in our Declaration of Independence.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

That claim exposes either a profound misunderstanding or a reckless indifference to America’s founding. Rights do not come from government. They never did. They come from the Creator, as the Declaration of Independence proclaims without qualification. Jefferson didn’t hedge. Rights are unalienable — built into every human being.

This foundation stands worlds apart from Iran. Its leaders invoke God but grant rights only through clerical interpretation. Freedom of speech, property, religion, and even life itself depend on obedience to the ruling clerics. Step outside their dictates, and those so-called rights vanish.

This is not a trivial difference. It is the essence of liberty versus tyranny. In America, rights belong to the individual. The government’s role is to secure them, not define them. In Iran, rights serve the state. They empower rulers, not the people.

From Muhammad to Marx

The same confusion applies to Marxist regimes. The Soviet Union’s constitutions promised citizens rights — work, health care, education, freedom of speech — but always with fine print. If you spoke out against the party, those rights evaporated. If you practiced religion openly, you were charged with treason. Property and voting were allowed as long as they were filtered and controlled by the state — and could be revoked at any moment. Rights were conditional, granted through obedience.

Kaine seems to be advocating a similar approach — whether consciously or not. By claiming that natural rights are somehow comparable to sharia law, he ignores the critical distinction between inherent rights and conditional privileges. He dismisses the very principle that made America a beacon of freedom.

Jefferson and the founders understood this clearly. “We are endowed by our Creator with certain unalienable rights,” they wrote. No government, no cleric, no king can revoke them. They exist by virtue of humanity itself. The government exists to protect them, not ration them.

This is not a theological quibble. It is the entire basis of our government. Confuse the source of rights, and tyranny hides behind piety or ideology. The people are disempowered. Clerics, bureaucrats, or politicians become arbiters of what rights citizens may enjoy.

John Greim / Contributor | Getty Images

Gifts from God, not the state

Kaine’s statement reflects either a profound ignorance of this principle or an ideological bias that favors state power over individual liberty. Either way, Americans must recognize the danger. Understanding the origin of rights is not academic — it is the difference between freedom and submission, between the American experiment and theocratic or totalitarian rule.

Rights are not gifts from the state. They are gifts from God, secured by reason, protected by law, and defended by the people. Every American must understand this. Because when rights come from government instead of the Creator, freedom disappears.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

NurPhoto / Contributor | Getty Images

A recent poll conducted by Justin Haskins, a long-time friend of the show, has uncovered alarming trends among young Americans aged 18-39, revealing a generation grappling with deep frustrations over economic hardships, housing affordability, and a perceived rigged system that favors the wealthy, corporations, and older generations. While nearly half of these likely voters approve of President Trump, seeing him as an anti-establishment figure, over 70% support nationalizing major industries, such as healthcare, energy, and big tech, to promote "equity." Shockingly, 53% want a democratic socialist to win the 2028 presidential election, including a third of Trump voters and conservatives in this age group. Many cite skyrocketing housing costs, unfair taxation on the middle class, and a sense of being "stuck" or in crisis as driving forces, with 62% believing the economy is tilted against them and 55% backing laws to confiscate "excess wealth" like second homes or luxury items to help first-time buyers.

This blend of Trump support and socialist leanings suggests a volatile mix: admiration for disruptors who challenge the status quo, coupled with a desire for radical redistribution to address personal struggles. Yet, it raises profound questions about the roots of this discontent—Is it a failure of education on history's lessons about socialism's failures? Media indoctrination? Or genuine systemic barriers? And what does it portend for the nation’s trajectory—greater division, a shift toward authoritarian policies, or an opportunity for renewal through timeless values like hard work and individual responsibility?

Glenn wants to know what YOU think: Where do Gen Z's socialist sympathies come from? What does it mean for the future of America? Make your voice heard in the poll below:

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

Glenn's Show Prep

1916 Called and It Thinks 2016 Rocks: What a Difference 100 Years Made

'Rage against the dying of the light': Charlie Kirk lived that mandate

Kirk’s tragic death challenges us to rise above fear and anger, to rebuild bridges where others build walls, and to fight for the America he believed in.

Out of this tragedy, the tyrant dies, but the martyr’s influence begins.

Picking up his torch

Two turning points, decades apart

A time for courage

Glenn Beck resurrects the 9-12 Project to support Charlie Kirk's family

The critical difference: Rights from the Creator, not the state

When politicians claim that rights flow from the state, they pave the way for tyranny.

In America, rights belong to the individual. In Iran, rights serve the state.

From Muhammad to Marx

Gifts from God, not the state

POLL: Is America’s next generation trading freedom for equity?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism comes from perceived economic frustrations like unaffordable housing and a rigged system favoring the wealthy and corporations?

Do you believe the Gen Z support for socialism, including many Trump supporters, is due to a lack of education about the historical failures of socialist systems?

Do you think that these poll results indicate a growing generational divide that could lead to more political instability and authoritarian tendencies in America's future?

Do you think that this poll implies that America's long-term stability relies on older generations teaching Gen Z and younger to prioritize self-reliance, free-market ideals, and personal accountability?

Do you think the Gen Z support for Trump is an opportunity for conservatives to win them over with anti-establishment reforms that preserve liberty?