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Wallis Simpson

Blue Ridge Summit, 19 Jun 1896 – Villa Windsor, 24 Apr 1986

9 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 19 Jun 1896

    Born in Blue Ridge Summit

  2. 24 Apr 1986

    Dies in Villa Windsor, aged 89

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

During her lifetime

She lived through 10 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Blue Ridge Summit.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1890s · Wallis is born in Blue Ridge Summit

Who governed

What people wore

Standardization of the Men's Sack Suit

By the 1880s, the sack suit became the standard business attire for middle-class American men, featuring an unadorned jacket that fell just below the hips and replaced formal frock coats for daily work.

Getting around

Coast to coast in 83 hours

By 1876, a traveler could cross the entire United States from New York City to San Francisco in just 83 hours via express train.

At the table

Five-cent beer and free lunch perk

In cities, a workingman could purchase a five-cent beer at a local saloon that included a free lunch of sausage, cheese, beans, bread, and sauerkraut.

The first modern Olympics. Athens hosted the first modern Olympic Games, with 241 athletes from 14 nations.Around the world · 1896

The first modern Olympics. Athens hosted the first modern Olympic Games, with 241 athletes from 14 nations.

Émile Gilliéron · public domain

In the news1895

Industrial workers equaled agricultural workers

By the mid-1890s, the number of industrial workers in the German Empire grew to match those in agriculture, marking a major demographic shift toward urbanization and factory labor.

Music

Popularity of Parlor Organs

Following the Civil War, parlor organs, also known as reed or cabinet organs, became highly popular in American homes. Manufacturers marketed them as elegant pieces of furniture suitable for even the most sumptuously furnished rooms.

Daily life

Schooling and limited classroom supplies

Public school enrollment tripled between 1870 and 1920, though many children in rural areas had shorter school years to accommodate farm work. Students often relied on slates and chalk rather than paper, and learning was frequently by rote memorization.