Hi,
This question reminded me of one of the most interesting books I've
read in recent years, "Fifties" by David Halberstam (ISBN 0517156075).
Unfortunately, the 1996 book is out of print, and I don't have the
copy I read. But if you can get the book, I'd encourage you to read
it. I'm sure you'll be fascinated.
The thesis of Halberstam's book is that although the 1950s were often
viewed as a quiet, peaceful time, they were in fact a time of immense
change going on beneath the surface. It was those changes, Halberstam
believes, that led to much of the upheaval of the 1960s, such as the
Vietnam War protests.
The following list is shaped in part by my recollection of the book.
Other sources I've used are listed below.
Major developments of the 1950s:
-- The incredible growing popularity of television. At the beginning
of the decade, very few homes had TV. By the end, however, there were
TVs in nearly every home and various TV characters such as Lucille
Ball were widely known.
-- The 1950s weren't particularly a time of changing sexual mores. But
it was during this time that The Pill was being developed, Kinsey was
studying people's sex lives, and some aspects of popular culture
appeared to be pushing the younger generation toward a less rigid
perspective on sex. These and other factors led to the sexual
revolution of the next decade.
-- The trend toward residential development in the suburbs, where
population increases by 44%.
-- The Korean War.
-- Continued development of nuclear weapons by the United States,
Soviet Union and other countries.
-- Tensions with communism, including the Cold War and fear of nuclear
attack.
-- The beginning of space exploration, particularly the launching of
Sputnik, which pushed the United States to place a stronger emphasis
on education.
-- McCarthyism.
-- Rosenberg execution.
-- The birth of rock'n'roll and the popularity of Elvis Presley, among
others.
-- The beginnings of the computer era; one landmark was the
development of UNIVAC.
-- The first nuclear power plant was built in 1951.
-- The Eisenhower presidency (and Nixon vice presidency).
-- Major strides made in fighting diseases such as polio.
-- The beginning of the American fast-food industry.
-- Air travel becomes much more common. The first trans-Atlantic
passenger service was inaugurated in 1958.
-- Growing awareness of the evils of racial segregation and
discrimination. One landmark event was Rosa Parks' civil disobedience
and the resulting boycott of buses in Montgomery, Alabama. Another
was a U.S. Supreme Court decisions in 1956 and 1958 requiring racial
integration in schools.
-- Alaska and Hawaii become states.
-- The first integrated circuit was developed in 1959 as transistors
became used in consumer products such as radios. These two items
revolutionized electronics for years to come.
-- AFL and CIO combine as unions become a more powerful, established
force.
-- The rise of evangelical Christianity, symbolized by the popularity
of Billy Graham.
The following sources (which I was aware of due to research on a
previous question) were used to develop this list:
Infoplease.com: Year by Year 1900-2001
http://www.infoplease.com/millennium1.html
1950-59 World History
http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0005250.html
History of the World Timeline: 1950-59
http://www.historychannel.com/cgi-bin/frameit.cgi?p=http%3A//www.historychannel.com/perl/timeline.pl%3Fyear%3D1950
All three of the above resources are rich in links to more background
information on the '50s, and they also provide specific dates. I hope
you find them useful.
Sincerely,
mvguy |
