THE BABY BOOM

THE 1940’S BABY BOOM

THE 1940’S WAS DOMINATED BY WORLD WAR 2. THE EUROPEAN ARTIST AND INTELLECTUALS FLED HITLER AND THE HOLOCAUST. NO LONGER WAS THE FAMILY FARM IDEAL, NO LONGER WOULD BLACKS BE ACCEPTED TO LESSER STATUS.

FACTS ABOUT THIS DECADE:

POPULATION 132,122,000

UNEMPLOYED IN 1940 8,120,000

NATIONAL DEBT $43 BILLION

AVERAGE SALARY $1,200. TEACHERS SALARY $1441

MINIMUM WAGE $.43 PER HOUR

55% OF U.S. HOMES HAVE INDOOR PLUMMING

ANTARCTICA IS DISCOVERED TO BE A CONTINENT

LIFE EXPECTANCY 68.2 FEMALE AND FOR MEN 60.8

AUTO DEATHS 34,500

SUPREME COURT DECIDED BLACKS DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE

WORLD WAR 2 CHANGED THE ORDER OF WORLD POWER; THE US AND THE USSR BECAME SUPER POWERS

COLD WAR BEGINS

THE FORTIES WERE PRETTY WELL DEFINED BY THE WW2. US ISOLATIONISM WAS SHATTERED BY THE JAPANESE BOMBING OF PEARL HARBOR. THE SUCCESSFUL USE OF PENICILIN BY 1941 REVOLUTIONIZED MEDICINE. TELEVISION MADE IT’S DEBUT IN 1939 AT THE WORLD FAIR, BUT THE WAR INTERRUPTED FUTHER DEVLOPMENT. IN 1947, COMMERCIAL TELEVISION WITH 13 CHANNELS BECAME AVALIBLE TO THE PUBLIC.

MUSIC IN THE FORTIES:

GLENN MILLER

TOMMY DORSEY

DUKE ELLINGTON

BENNY GOODMAN

BING CROSBY

FRANK SINATRA

DINAH SHORE

KATE SMIT

PERRY COMO

CHARLIE PARKER

DIZZIE GILLESPIE

THELONIUS MONK

BILLY HOLIDAY

ELA GITZGERALD

WOOD HERMAN

FADS:

JITTERBUG- GI’S TOOK THE DANCE OVER SEAS WHEN THEY WENT TO THE WAR DANCING WITH ALL THE GIRLS OR BARMAIDS.

ROSIE THE RIVITER- THIS WAS THE SYMBOL OF WORKING WOMEN. WOMEN WOULD GO TO WORK IN FACTORIES WHILE MEN WERE OFF AT WAR.

RITA HAYWORTH AND BETTY GRABLE- TWO PIN UP WOMEN OF THE FORTIES.

REFRIDERATORS

FROZEN DINNERS

TUPPERWEAR

ALUMNIUM FOIL

DINERS

SLINKY’S

SEVENTEEN MAGAZINES.

FASHION OF THE FORTIES:

ZOOT SUIT WAS THE HEIGHT OF FASHION AMONG DARING YOUNG MEN UNTIL THE WAR PRODUCTION DEPARTMENT RESTRICTED THE AMOUNT OF FABRIC THAT COULD BE USED IN MEN’S GARMENTS. THE SAME RESTRICTIONS LED TO POPULARITY OF WOMEN’S CONVERTIBLE SUIT.

CHRISTIAN DIOR CREATED THE “NEW LOOK” IN NEW YORK. FEMININE DRESSES WITH LONG, FULL SKIRTS, AND TIGHT WAIST. COMFORTABLE, LOW HEELED SHOES WERE FORSAKEN FOR HIGH HEELS. HAIR WAS CURLED HIGH ON THE HEAD IN FRONT, AND WORN TO THE SHOULDERS IN THE BACK AND MAKE UP WAS SOCIALLY ACCEPTABLE.

MOVIES IN THE FORTIES:

SKIN OF OUR TEETH

GLASS MENAGERIE

STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE

MUSICAL THEATER

OKLAHOMA

CAROUSEL

ANNIE GET YOUR GUN

INVENTIONS:

THE FRISBEE

PLASTIC

THE FIRST COMPUTER

COLOR TELEVISION

THE JEEP

SLINKY

SILLY PUTTY

ATOMIC BOMB

MICROWAVE

VELCRO

HTTP://WWW.WWWK.CO.UK

HTTP://WWW.KYRENE.ORG

HTTP://KCLIBRARY.LONESTAR.EDU

HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED MY BLOG!!!!! LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!!

XOXO,

LINDSEY