Petula Dvorak

@petulad

Columnist for The Washington Post, off-balance mother of two, forever searching for comfortable heels and really good tomato soup.

Washington, DC

Joined May 2008

2KFollowing

7KFollowers

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jul 21

In 1965, the government tried replacing migrant workers with high-schoolers. It was a disaster. wapo.st/3ICnXfQ

petulad's tweet card. When the migrant-worker bracero program expired in 1965, the government recruited groups of high school male athletes to step into the fields. It was a disaster.

402

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jul 19

July 19, 1925 — Don’t worry, folks! A USC study done #100yearsagotoday showed that a college education didn’t steer women away from marriage! #retropolis

petulad's tweet image. July 19, 1925 — Don’t worry, folks! A USC study done #100yearsagotoday showed that a college education didn’t steer women away from marriage! #retropolis

126

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jul 18

July 18, 1925 - A new trend in bootlegging was discovered beneath a Maryland cabin’s trap door #100yearsagotoday — underground stills. The culprit? A former Baltimore cop. #retropolis

petulad's tweet image. July 18, 1925 - A new trend in bootlegging was discovered beneath a Maryland cabin’s trap door #100yearsagotoday — underground stills. The culprit? A former Baltimore cop. #retropolis

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jul 17

July 17, 1925 — That name, though! A hero story #100yearsagotoday honored a girl who saved a dozen head of cattle when the Virginia barn caught fire, common during these hot summers when tightly packed wheat spontaneously combusted. #retropolis

petulad's tweet image. July 17, 1925 — That name, though! A hero story #100yearsagotoday honored a girl who saved a dozen head of cattle when the Virginia barn caught fire, common during these hot summers when tightly packed wheat spontaneously combusted. #retropolis

103

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jul 16

July 16, 1925 - Those of us who had to square dance in school may blame Henry Ford’s anti-Semitic campaign against what he called “Jewish Jazz — Moron Music” #100yearsagotoday . Ford built stages, held lessons in traditional dances as the rest of America did the Charleston.

petulad's tweet image. July 16, 1925 - Those of us who had to square dance in school may blame Henry Ford’s anti-Semitic campaign against what he called “Jewish Jazz — Moron Music” #100yearsagotoday . Ford built stages, held lessons in traditional dances as the rest of America did the Charleston.

216

Petula Dvorak Retweeted

DC Fire and EMS Department@dcfireems · Jul 10

Truck Co. 10 at our L’Enfant firehouse staffed today by an all female crew of #DCsBravest

118

270

2.0K

107

144.0K

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jul 10

July 10, 1925 - Texas’s first female governor fascinated America #100yearsagotoday. After her husband was impeached, Miriam Ferguson was elected in his place, serving two terms. She pardoned 1,000s of prohibition violators and unmasked the KKK (Courts overturned the no-mask law)

petulad's tweet image. July 10, 1925 - Texas’s first female governor fascinated America #100yearsagotoday. After her husband was impeached, Miriam Ferguson was elected in his place, serving two terms. She pardoned 1,000s of prohibition violators and unmasked the KKK (Courts overturned the no-mask law)

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jul 7

July 7, 1925 — Masked bandits who held up the D.C. taxicab office #100yearsagotoday proved that the nation’s capital was no longer immune to this nationwide crime wave familiar in other cities. Residents asked police to guard against bandits instead of chasing bootleggers.

petulad's tweet image. July 7, 1925 — Masked bandits who held up the D.C. taxicab office #100yearsagotoday proved that the nation’s capital was no longer immune to this nationwide crime wave familiar in other cities. Residents asked police to guard against bandits instead of chasing bootleggers.

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 26

June 26, 1925 - Pet monkeys were fashionable #100YearsAgoToday. Still, it was random to see a matter-of -fact, monkey attack in Georgetown questioning the boy’s behavior over the monkey’s running a monk. Also, the monkey hideout is now a new, boutique ice cream shop. #retropolis

petulad's tweet image. June 26, 1925 - Pet monkeys were fashionable #100YearsAgoToday. Still, it was random to see a matter-of -fact, monkey attack in Georgetown questioning the boy’s behavior over the monkey’s running a monk. Also, the monkey hideout is now a new, boutique ice cream shop. #retropolis

106

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 24

Did y’all see a big celebration of the real first General of the American military? Nope. Neither did I..

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 24

June 24, 1925 - Spit-shining your merch was not okay #100yearsagotoday. (His fine is equal to about $1,700 dollars today. )#retropolis

petulad's tweet image. June 24, 1925 - Spit-shining your merch was not okay #100yearsagotoday. (His fine is equal to about $1,700 dollars today. )#retropolis

169

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 23

June 23, 1925 — An investigative story found conditions in Arlington County jail were deplorable #100yearsagotoday ; overcrowding, 50 people in a space meant for 27, vermin, stench and a single wash basin. It was routine for someone held on a traffic violation to spend the night.

petulad's tweet image. June 23, 1925 — An investigative story found conditions in Arlington County jail were deplorable #100yearsagotoday ; overcrowding, 50 people in a space meant for 27, vermin, stench and a single wash basin. It was routine for someone held on a traffic violation to spend the night.

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 20

Historians believe Ben Franklin knew this decorated and gifted military tactician was gay when he recruited him to help change the course of the Revolutionary War… and he didn’t care. washingtonpost.com/history/2025/0…

petulad's tweet card. Congress voted to make one of the grand monuments in Lafayette Square across from the White House an ode to Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben. Memorial wreaths at the base of this statue sometimes...

4.0K

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 18

June 18, 1925 - News of the first national spelling bee #100yearsagotoday had America spelling “gladiolus” and celebrating Frank Neuhauser, the Kentucky “son of a laborer” who won with that word. #retropolis

petulad's tweet image. June 18, 1925 - News of the first national spelling bee #100yearsagotoday had America spelling “gladiolus” and celebrating Frank Neuhauser, the Kentucky “son of a laborer” who won with that word. #retropolis

123

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 17

June 17, 1925 — All DC public schools graduated at once #100yearsagotoday. The paper listed every student. High school enrollment was booming. Some schools had such huge classes, ceremonies had to be held in corridors. #Retropolis

petulad's tweet image. June 17, 1925 — All DC public schools graduated at once #100yearsagotoday. The paper listed every student. High school enrollment was booming. Some schools had such huge classes, ceremonies had to be held in corridors. #Retropolis

126

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 13

June 13, 1925 - Two Navy nurses faced court martial #100yearsago for smuggling booze on a ship from Cuba. Equal treatment, the Navy said, no special treatment because of their gender. #retropolis

petulad's tweet image. June 13, 1925 - Two Navy nurses faced court martial #100yearsago for smuggling booze on a ship from Cuba. Equal treatment, the Navy said, no special treatment because of their gender. #retropolis

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 12

June 12, 1925 — D.C. was scorching #100yearsagotoday and officials tried to find ways to help the people who couldn’t afford to summer in cooler places survive. Kids always played in fountains, but it was finally declared legal in 1925. #retropolis

petulad's tweet image. June 12, 1925 — D.C. was scorching #100yearsagotoday and officials tried to find ways to help the people who couldn’t afford to summer in cooler places survive. Kids always played in fountains, but it was finally declared legal in 1925. #retropolis

102

Petula Dvorak@petulad · Jun 11

Veterans have had to fight for their benefits since the Revoutionary War. Parades have never paid pensions… washingtonpost.com/history/2025/0…

petulad's tweet card. The lack of pensions for Revolutionary War veterans was a national shame so profound that President James Monroe included it in his first State of the Union to Congress in December 1817.