The Baby Boom and the start of the Cold War are some of the things which make the decade starting from 1950 so special.It is interesting to note that just after World War II came to an end, instead of looking for peace, humans began to ignite the flames of several other wars in the ’50s.It was in this decade that saw the birth of rock and roll along with the emergence of Elvis Presley and Paul Anka. The ’50s are fondly remembered by the people of the USA. The rebellion of the youth really took off in this decade who were opposed to the concepts of a quiet American life. Many popular comic strips began circulating in the newspapers in the ’50s among which the most famous is unarguably the duo of Charlie Brown and Snoopy.The Civil Rights Movement rose to national prominence in the middle years of the decade which was to bear fruits in the hands of Martin Luther King Jr. in the ’60s. The Soviet Union and the United States competed with each other in the wake of the Cold War to see who would reach space first. The United States spent a huge amount of money on newspapers in 1950 which was just the beginning of the boom in advertising.The NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) was created in 1950 by the joint effort of twelve countries in the world. This year also some major changes in the British government when Winston Churchill was defeated by Clement Attlee. The advent of the age of television as a source of popular entertainment also began in the ’50s.If you think this article on facts about 1950 is interesting, you can also check out fun fact articles on 1940 facts and 1910 facts.The Postwar BoomsAfter World War II came to an end in 1945, the economic growth of the United States was phenomenal. USA solidified its position as the richest nation in the world with a huge GDP increase. The period of the fifties is known as the ‘Golden Age’ of the USA.The United States was the leading industrial power in the world. The government of the USA was generously supporting the education of the students along with providing home loans to the people. This led to a booming economy for the Americans during the postwar age. The income had never been better.‘Baby boomers’ is a term that cropped up in the ’50s due to the high number of babies that were born when the world wars came to an end. These babies became teenagers and then young adults. The generation was a huge influence on popular culture at the time as they were the largest single generation that had ever existed in American history up to that point in time. The sheer numbers of them were staggering, to say the least.The peak of the baby boom came in 1957 when Americans gave birth to almost four million babies. The marketing departments of all companies identified this boomer generation as the target demographic for selling their products. Entertainment was also developed to cater to the needs of this generation. The baby boomers were also more conscious of their generation than the previous generations.They set out to define and redefine the image of their generation in several ways. Their desire to set up rebellion against adult authority gave way to the birth of rock and roll. Many other forms of popular culture including television shows and movies were developed for the purpose of entertainment while also for reinforcing values of patriotism and religious faith. The Cold WarThe Cold War was a decades-long struggle between the Soviet Union and the United States for supremacy that began after World War II.There was no actual battle that was fought by the soldiers of the countries. Rather the two superpowers of the world fought through espionage, military coalitions, building up of arms and political maneuvering. The creation of NATO a few months before 1950 was the final spur that began the Cold War. Seeing the United States join NATO, the Soviet Union also created an alliance with the Eastern European communist governments that came into effect in 1955 with the Warsaw Pact.The Korean War of 1950 was a result of the Cold War. It started when South Korea was invaded by North Korea. It was supposed to be a civil war between the two Korean nations but it dramatically turned into an international conflict’ when the United States and Soviet Union joined in. It was a brutal war between the Korean war troops.The United States sent its soldiers to Vietnam to help the French forces when the Vietnam War began in 1959. The main objective was to see that communism does not gain ground on Vietnamese soil. More than 3.5 million people got killed in the Vietnam War.British author George Orwell first used the term ‘Cold War’ in the essay ‘You and the Atomic Bomb’ that was published in 1945. Fidel Castro of Cuba led the Cuban resistance movement to depose the pro-American military dictatorship in 1959. Cuba soon became dependent both economically and militarily on the Soviet Union. The Cold War has now reached the United States of America. The Civil Rights MovementThe Civil Rights Movement in the USA was a mass protest movement by the African Americans against racism in the mid ’50s. The non-violent protests were met with some opposition by the white supremacists while it did result in a number of important victories.The entire decade of the ’50s was a significant one for civil rights in the USA. The people fought hard to ensure that all sections of the society regardless of their skin color had to follow the same rules. Equal protection by law was the demand of the hour.On May 17, 1954, in a famous ruling by the United States Supreme Court, it was stated that separate schools for white and black students were unconstitutional and unequal in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. This ruling apparently contradicted the Plessy v. Ferguson doctrine that said ‘separate but equal’.The date of December 1, 1955, is remembered as it is then that Rosa Parks refused to let go of her bus seat when a white passenger approached her. Martin Luther King Jr. led a boycott movement that continued till the ’60s. He became the founding president of the SCLC (Southern Civil Leadership Conference) in 1957.It was a group that encouraged all the people belonging to the African American community to fulfil their civil rights. The Civil Rights Act came into effect in 1957 itself that ensured that all the people of America had the right to vote. The Civil Rights Movement is a long battle that is going on even today.’50s Pop CultureThe Pop Art Movement began in the middle of the ’50s. It was a movement in which artists and performers took inspiration from movies, television and advertising and produced popular works.The development of rock and roll in the ’50s is a major event in pop culture history. It was a celebration of young love and a need to break free from middle-class society. The teenagers of the USA took to this genre of music very quickly that is largely attributed to the work of Alan Freed, a disc jockey.He was the one who popularized the music of rock and roll by playing it on the Cleveland radio station. He even organized Cleveland’s first rock and roll concert which was also the first on the planet. Alan also organized a concert sometime later in New York City.Teenagers took to rock and roll due to its theme of rebellion against parental authority. The song ‘Rock Around the World’ by the group Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954 gave the young generation an anthem that would become synonymous with their rebellion. This song was later used in 1955 in a movie named ‘Blackboard Jungle’ that told the story of a white teacher in a high school.The song was one of the most influential songs in history. Bill Haley showed how the music of African Americans was borrowed by white artists who achieved mainstream success with it. African American artists like Little Richard and Chuck Berry rose to popularity thanks to the success of rock and roll.Elvis Presley, the teen heartthrob, rose to stardom during this time as well. His dance moves and suggestive lyrics made him hugely popular among teenagers while scandalizing the adults. Radio listeners were introduced to the star on July 8, 1953, by disc jockey Dewey Phillips.Paul Anka was a Canadian rock and roll singer who debuted in 1955. He was Canada’s answer to Elvis born in Ottawa, Ontario. Two of his biggest hits that came out in the ’50s are ‘Lonely Boy’ and ‘Diane’. As much as the youth loved rock and roll, their parents and guardians were not so supportive of it. While the young people found that their grievances now had an outlet, the parents were opposed to the idea and they even regarded rock and roll as a threat to the American way of life.Apart from music, another important part of the pop culture history of the USA includes television shows. One of the greatest of these shows was made in the ’50s – ‘I Love Lucy’. CBS received a license in 1950 to broadcast color shows. The first color television show in the world was broadcast on June 25, 1951, by RCA.The most popular film of 1950 was ‘All About Eve’ while Texaco Star Theatre occupied its place as the most popular show on television. ‘The Lone Ranger’ was another popular television show of the ’50s. Treasure Island by Disney was the company’s first live-action movie. In other pop culture news, Disney’s ‘Cinderella’ movie premiered on February 15, 1950, and it became one of the biggest movies of the year in terms of the box office.Charles Schulz created the Peanuts comic strip in 1950. The characters are popular even in 2021 although the last known panel came out in 2000. The list of famous celebrities who became fashion icons in 1950 include names such as Marilyn Monroe, Rita Hayworth and Elizabeth Taylor.The Space RaceAt the height of the Cold War, the Soviet Union and the United States started the space race to outrun one another in the bid to develop artificial satellites, human spaceflight and unmanned space probes.The Soviets faced early success that impacted the American society to change their defense strategies. Sputnik I was the first artificial satellite in the world. It was launched in October 1957 by the Soviets. This was like an alarm bell for the Eisenhower administration, creating intense anxiety and fear among the people of the United States. They believed that the technological achievements of their country were far inferior to that of the Soviets.In November 1957, Sputnik II was launched by the Soviets. It carried the first living member into space, a dog named Laika who became worldwide famous. Once more the Soviets created Sputnik III in May 1958 that was very heavy. A space probe named Lunik III was sent by the Soviets in 1959 to photograph the darker side of the moon for the first time.NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was created on July 29, 1958, which gave an impetus to the space race. The federal agency was tasked with the main objective to develop research on civilian aerospace. But this race was won by the Soviets who sent Yuri Gagarin into space in 1961.Did You Know…The famous battle of the Korean War started in 1950 in which Private Kenneth Shadrick was the first American casualty.Some popular music artists of 1950 include Llyod Glenn, Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Sammy Kaye and Guy Lombardo. The hugely popular playwright George Bernard Shaw passed away in 1950. He wrote plays such as ‘Arms and the Man’ and ‘Pygmalion’.The first ‘Ten Most Wanted’ list of the FBI debuted in 1950 to inform the public about the dangerous fugitives. The credit card company Diner’s Club was launched in 1950 by Ralph Schneider and Frank McNamara. It became huge within one year with over 10,000 cardholders belonging to the elite business class of New York. Diner’s Clun paved the way for the credit card industry to prosper through the introduction of Club Rewards.The Great Appalachian Storm of 1950 had devastated the eastern coast of the United States. It took place on Thanksgiving weekend. About 57 in (144.7 cm) of snow covered the central Appalachians. It was one of the most damaging and widespread wind events that were ever recorded in northeastern America.One of the largest earthquakes of the twentieth century occurred on August 15, 1950. It hit several regions of Tibet and Assam. About 1500 people lost their lives and five million became homeless. The Nobel Prize for Literature went to William Faulkner in 1950. There was no Miss America in the year 1950. It is the only year to not have one.Coming to the history of sports in 1950, the New York Yankees won their thirteenth world championship when they defeated the Philadelphia Phillies. They were World Series champions for the thirteenth time. The National Football League champion for the year was the Cleveland Browns who conceded a defeat over Los Angeles Rams. Football games were shown on television for the first time this year. Uruguay won the FIFA World Cup that was held in Brazil.About 64% of people in the USA resided in urban areas in 1950. Records show that a number of families were shifting to suburbs, especially near the manufacturing belt areas of the Mid-Atlantic and New England. About eight million houses in the USA had their own television sets. The office space increased to accommodate more employees.The first shop of the soon-to-be-famous Dunkin Donuts opened in Quincy, Massachusetts in 1950. The annual ‘bake-off’ competition was launched by Pillsbury who wanted to promote their flour. While Corn Pops was launched in 1950, its name changed into Sugar Corn Pops and it later became Sugar Pops. The popular cooking teacher Julia Child got enrolled in a cooking school named Le Cordon Bleu.The first photocopy machine was developed by Haloid Corporation in 1950. The company would later change into Xerox. Self-service elevators were installed in Dallas by Otis. The green plastic garbage bags were invented by Harry Wasylyk.The bags were made out of polyethylene. Disposable diapers were developed by Marion Donovan. Western Electric and Bell Laboratories produced the telephone answering machine. The first leakproof ballpoint pen was developed by PaperMate.The polio vaccine was discovered in 1952 and launched in 1955. More than seven million US citizens took the vaccine and it is being used even today. The largest laboratory in the world was established by CERN (European Council for Nuclear Research) in Geneva in 1954. Research on particle physics got a boost from it.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 1950 facts then why not take a look at 1978 facts, or 1988 facts.
The Baby Boom and the start of the Cold War are some of the things which make the decade starting from 1950 so special.
