Have you ever heard the phrase “it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it?” This could apply to any of the dangerous, death-defying jobs of the 20th century that we catalog here. Regardless of where they lived, people always wanted to support their families. In some cases, this meant that they had to enter a profession that put them at risk on a day-to-day basis.
Throughout time, men and women have always faced the challenge of accomplishing something big. Whether they were working on the Eiffel Tower or inventing products that change the way we live today, they overcame intense situations and came out the other side a better person. How would you fare with these dangerous 20th century jobs? Up and forward.
It was dangerous work, but someone had to carve the presidents into Mt. rushmore
In the 1920s, South Dakota State Historian Doane Robinson had an idea to boost tourism in the Black Hills: Carve historical figures into the “Needles,” several large granite pillars. Eventually, Mount Rushmore was chosen as the location for Gutzon Borglum to begin the project depicting four of America’s leading figures. Calvin Coolidge gave the dedication speech in 1927 and about 400 workers began to excavate the rock. Or, to be more exact, hammer, drill, dynamite and chisel their way up the mountain, removing 450,000 tons of rock as they carved the faces. While debris from the mountain was left where it fell, no lives were lost in the process.
Whether that means driving all night or hitting the gas as Sunday drivers clog the highway, truckers will get where they need to be on time. This dedication to punctuality can be dangerous, and many drivers who try to beat the clock can fall prey to their own need to succeed.