1950's Facts
We Love The Fifties!

1950s facts You Want To Know

Life was very different in the fifties. There was an innocents that is long gone, and some of us, even if you were born much too late to have lived in those innocent times, feel like we missed out!

This page is dedicated to 1950s facts. If you have some to share, it would be great to hear from you!

If you don't know much about the fifties, some of these numbers will shock you. So I hope you are sitting down!

In 1952, the average income was $3,900.00 a year. A new 1950s car cost $1,650.00 and a new home cost about $9,000.00, for a nice home too!

Popular jobs consisted of office workers, construction, farmers, bankers, firemen, policemen, milkmen, Barbers, restaurant owners, fishermen and bartenders . There were no high tech jobs and actually high tech didn't exist!

Here are some quick 1950s facts...

• "Norman Rockwell" was America's artist who pictured life in the 1950´s
• Children played outside, with each other
• A gallon of milk cost 97 cents
• Most families had only one car if any at all
• Dirt roads were still common
• cheesy b rated movies
• Saturday night was date night
• Teenagers liked to dress in blue jeans, white T-shirts and black leather jackets
• Boys hair do varied between Elvis type and Flat Top
• Most people believed in God and respected religion
• A loaf of bread cost 16 cents
• A geek of the times wouldn't be caught without a Pencil, paper and a slide rule
• A barber would cut hair for fifty cents to a dollar

It's tough to think about those times and remember that there were no microwave ovens, color T.V's, personal computers, calculators, or electronic hand-held games and video games! Yes, these are real 1950s facts!I know, I know...it is scary!

Life was different in the fifties all right. Here are a few more things to appreciate about life in the 1950's...

• All of the holidays Were celebrated in school
• Most people had record player and records
• Almost all mothers stayed at home as homemakers and took care of the house and kids
• There wasn't much crime
• No riots and people trampling over each other at stores and concerts
• ATM's did not exist
• No automatic washing machines or dryers
• No smog
• You would see two movies at the theater with a cartoon in between for 25 cents
• No DVR's
• All the children played on the street until dark and we all felt safe
• No one locked there front door at night or when you went away
• Most people had one TV and it was black and white. There were only three channels, ABC, NBC and CBS.
• 1950s fashion was hot.

Did you know?

1950 - "Peanuts", the comic strip begins; some of the movies in theaters were Farther of the Bride, Cinderella, and Asphalt Jungle.

1952 - The sweater girl becomes popular by Marilyn Monroe; some of the movies were Singing in the Rain, The Quiet Man, and High Noon.

1955 - Disneyland opens for business in California; James Dean is killed in his new sports car.

1957 - Tomorrow-land in Disneyland opens; Elvis appears in his first motion picture, Love Me Tender; Stake dress becomes popular; tropical fish are most popular pets.

In the 1950s the most popular baby names were:

Girls...

• Mary
• Deborah
• Linda
• Patricia
• Susan
• Maria
• Barbara
• Karen
• Nancy

Boys...

• Michael
• James
• David
• Robert
• John
• William
• Richard
• Mark
• Thomas
• Charles
• Steven

Although there were only a few channels to watch, television in the 1950s was groovy!

One of the popular shows for teenagers was American Bandstand. Dick Clark, the star of the show, got more than fifty thousand fan letters a week.

Teens thought watching this show was more important than doing their homework. Teenagers loved American Bandstand and wanted to be on the show!

Here are a few more of the favorite shows to watch...

• I Love Lucy
• The Twilight Zone
• Lassie
• The Families of the Fifties
• Dragnet
• Howdy Doody Time
• The Honeymooners
• Superman
• Walt Disney
• Mickey Mouse Club

So, you think that's the 1950s era is old school? Well, some of those shows are still on today and not even time can change how great they still are!

If you love all the memorabilia from the fifties like I do visit Movie, Celebrity & TV Memorabilia & Merchandise, 3000+ items! They have the best stuff!

Weird 1950s facts:

In the 1950's, it was believed that tonsils were not real important and that all they did was make you sick. So, in the 50s having them removed was practically a rite of passage for kids. And who in their right mind wouldn't want to have all the ice cream you could eat?

1950's teen trends

• Going steady
• Rock & roll music
• Getting pinned
• Cruising the boulevard
• Hanging out at the malt shop
• Wearing your boyfriend's class ring
• 1950s fashion
• Having a crush on the latest teen idol like James Dean...he's so dreamy!
• Sock-hops
• Good Humor man
• 1950s Candy

Popular toys in the 1950's:

• Electric train sets
• Pogo sticks
• Red Ryder
• Hula-hoops
• Silly Putty

The number one Teen Idol

ELVIS

1950s music that was popular was rock and roll, and it became known to parents as bad and basically not right. Elvis became the teen idol that made girls swoon and even faint!

Boyfriends threatened to break up with their girl if she went to see Elvis perform. And the girls who went to the performances came home and broke with their guys!

Ed Sullivan, a host of a weekly television show said Elvis's music was unfit for a family audience. But the Teenagers didn't agree. They thought the music was new and hip and so very cool and they played it loud and danced like crazy.

I sure hope these 1950s facts helped you out!

So, you see, the fifties was a very cool time!

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