For the first time ever, human beings were in control of their environment. Airplanes, trains, and the first diesel engines let people go faster and farther than ever before. The birth of modern art and sound recording promised new cultural heights, while the invention of jazz music and the popularization of low-cost photography managed to bring societies closer together. This decade, from its arts and fashion to its politics and technological advancements, would help shape a culture and set the stage for the century ahead.