The Baby Boom of the 1950s is thought to be the result of a number of things – first off, young couples were looking for normality following the end of two devastating world wars. Older couples that had put off having children for those exact reasons also began to have children of their own. In addition, the postwar era, lent its hand to increased feelings of prosperity, with people feeling they could provide their children with all the things they had gone without. The Baby Boom went hand-in-hand with the Suburban Boom, particularly in the United States.

2. Elvis Presley Shoots to Stardom

As rock ‘n’roll swept the airwaves, major changes were afoot in terms of how people were dressing. The poodle skirt was a colorful, full, swingy skirt that was typically cut just below the knee. Usually made of felt fabric, many poodle skirts were adorned with an image of a poodle, hence its name. The skirt was a direct result of the desire to move more freely when dancing to rock ‘n’roll. The conical bra rose to prominence courtesy of 1950's screen sirens Marilyn Monroe, Jayne Mansfield and Jane Russell, specifically the latter. Her film, “The Outlaw”, was banned by censors for lewdness, but that was the catalyst for sparking interest in it, not to mention interest in the conical bra she was wearing.

4. Queen Elizabeth II is Crowned

Although it didn’t catch on until approximately a decade later, the year 1954 marked the first consumer all-electronic color television set coming to market. The Westinghouse H840CK15 beat its nearest competitor to the honor by just a few weeks. The first coast-to-coast color broadcast also occurred in 1954 – specifically on the first day of the new year. The Tournament of Roses Parade was broadcast by NBC, heralding the future standard for television broadcasting.

6. The American Civil Rights Movement Begins



Go to The NEXT Page for More Pictures >>>