The 1950s are commonly associated with the popularity of diners, ice cream counters, drive-in movies- domesticity, houses with white picket fences, and the beginning of some music movements like rock and roll.
And while these common images were certainly part of the zeitgeist, the 1950s were also a time of huge cultural changes, economic expansion, and recovery from war.
Post World War II, the economy was starting to boom. Another thing that was booming was the birth rate. So much so, that this generation has come to be known as the “baby boomers.”
The 1950s were also a time of the Second Red Scare, the beginning of the Cold War, and the Space Race. It was the decade that birthed the Civil Rights Movement.
Television became a more popular form of entertainment. The polio vaccine was discovered. Music and art movements were gaining more traction, especially with the help of tv and radio.
With all of this going on and all these huge changes, people still led normal lives. Let’s take a look at some snapshots of daily life in the 1950s.
