The 1950s were a prosperous decade for the United States.
What was daily life like for the average American during this time?
How did Americans spend their leisure time?
In 1950s America, the average family consisted of a father, mother, and several children.
The average age for marriage amongst men was approximately 23, while the average age for
women was about 20.
Married couples usually stayed together, with only about 20-25% of marriages ending in divorce.
The husband of the family typically went to work each day, while the wife of the family
stayed at home.
The family unit was important to Americans.
They ate meals together, went on outings together, and did other things together as a family.
Parents played an active role in their children’s lives, nurturing them and taking care of them
as they matured, and disciplining them when necessary.
Dr. Benjamin Spock became a household name throughout the decade.
His book The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care became one of the best-selling
books of all time.
He advised parents to trust their own instincts about parenting and to treat their children
as individuals.
The post-World War II economy boomed in the United States.
This meant many people were going back to work, making money, and spending it too!
The average yearly salary was $3,210 at the beginning of the decade.
This had risen to $5,010 by 1959.
A minimum wage job paid $0.75 an hour, while a job in a factory might have had an hourly
wage of about $1.50.
Of course, each individual’s actual pay would have varied greatly depending on their
job or profession.
The price of a new home in the 1950s cost from $8,000 to $12,000.
Again, the prices would have varied depending on how extravagant the home was and what
neighborhood, city, or state it was in.
A new car averaged between $1,500 to $2,000.
A gallon of gas for that car would have cost someone about 30 cents.
A dozen eggs or a pound of coffee could both each be purchased for about 79 cents.
A gallon of milk cost about 90 cents, while tomato soup was 10 cents a can.
A woman’s dress cost a little over $3.00, and a good pair of shoes about $6.00.
A men’s suit might cost about $30, while a new sewing machine could be bought for $20.
Television was increasingly becoming a part of day-to-day life throughout the 1950s.
At the beginning of the decade, only 9% of American homes owned a television.
However, by 1959, this number had dramatically risen to 90%.
Watching television programs in the evening became a staple family activity.
The most popular program of the decade was I Love Lucy, starring Lucille Ball and her
real-life husband, Desi Arnaz.
Leave it to Beaver, The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best, and The Honeymooners
were all popular programs as well.
Adults were also entertained by programming such as Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Perry Mason,
The Ed Sullivan Show, The Lawrence Welk Show, The Milton Berle Show (also known as The Texaco
Star Theatre), and The Jack Benny Program.
Meanwhile, children found interest in Captain Kangaroo, Howdy Doody, The Mickey Mouse Club,
and The Adventures of Superman.
Most television programming in the 1950s was intended for middle-aged men.
As a result, westerns were quite popular.
Gunsmoke, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, Maverick, The Lone Ranger, and Have Gun—Will Travel
were all popular at some point in the decade.
Americans also loved going to the movies in the 1950s.
Two fads caught Americans interest during the decade.
In the early part of the decade, watching movies in 3-D became all the rage.
Movie viewers were required to wear special glasses made of cardboard and plastic, which
allowed the film to be seen in three-dimensions.
This was a short-lived craze though, with the peak years of 3-D movies being 1952-1954.
In the latter half of the decade, the drive-in theater became popular.
Viewers would sit in their cars in a giant parking lot as the movie played on a large
screen.
Sound could be heard via a small speaker next to the car.
Charlton Heston enthralled moviegoers with his performance as Moses in The Ten Commandments.
This big-budget Biblical epic became the highest grossing film of the decade and was nominated
for seven Academy Awards.
Heston also starred in the very popular Ben-Hur.
John Wayne continued to be a dominant force at the box office, starring in such classics
as The Flying Leathernecks, The Quiet Man, Hondo, The Searchers, and Rio Bravo.
Additionally, Alfred Hitchcock was thrilling moviegoers with films like Vertigo and Rear
Window.
Marilyn Monroe became a household name with films such as The Seven Year Itch and Some
Like it Hot, while James Dean became one of the iconic heartthrobs of the decade with
roles in Giant, East of Eden, and Rebel Without a Cause.
Marlon Brando also became a sensation with A Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront.
Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor also captivated American audiences.
Singin’ in the Rain, From Here to Eternity, The African Queen, Twelve Angry Men, and Bridge
on the River Kwai were all amongst the best films made during the 1950s.
Meanwhile, animated films such as Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and
Peter Pan are all amongst the highest grossing movies of the decade.
Americans have always loved sports, and the decade of the 1950s is no exception.
Over 15 million tickets were purchased to Major League Baseball games nearly every year
of the decade.
Those who attended were able to witness some of the greatest players to ever play the game.
Yogi Berra, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, Mickey Mantle, Ernie Banks were all amongst the league’s
and also proved to be one of the best of the decade.
The National Football League produced several notable players as well, including Raymond
Berry, Otto Graham, Bobby Layne, Frank Gifford, Lou Groza, Dick “Night Train” Lane, and
Jim Brown.
In college football, Coach Bud Wilkenson and the University of Oklahoma impressed the nation
with a 47 game winning streak and three national championships.
Boxing was one of the most popular sports in America.
Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta were both popular boxers, and Rocky Marciano was the
heavyweight champion from September of 1952 to April of 1956.
The fledgling National Basketball Association (NBA) produced memorable players as well,
with Neil Johnston, Dolph Schayes, Bob Pettit, and George Mikan being some of the more well-known
players.
In music, by far the most popular trend of the decade was the introduction of Rock n’
Roll.
The new musical style, preferred by teenagers, created some of the most legendary performers
of the 1950s, including Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and Jerry Lee Lewis.
Elvis became known as “The King of Rock n’ Roll,” producing twelve #1 songs in
the decade.
American Bandstand was a successful television program which introduced Americans to many
new Rock n’ Roll performers for the first time.
Singers such as Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, Dean Martin, and Eddie Fisher were popular
outside of the Rock n’ Roll genre.
In country music, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Gene Autry, and Chet Atkins were very popular.
There were many other popular trends in the 1950s.
Young boys wore coonskin caps to emulate Davy Crockett (which was another popular television
program).
Girls wore knee-length skirts known as poodle skirts and short white socks known as bobby
socks.
Additionally, the Hula Hoop made its debut in 1958, and 25 million were sold in the first
four months!
It should be noted that not every family experienced the 1950s in the same way.
These were just a few of the broad trends that were predominant throughout the decade.
Each family and individual had a unique situation, with their own stories, tastes, and preferences.