1950's Introduction

The 1950's or simply, the Fifties, was a decade that bore a deep-rooted impact not only on America, but on the entire world. People who lived through the decade, have multitude of memories, good and bad. Those who were born afterwards, heard a lot of stories about "the era". 
All in all, the decade was an eventful one. A lot of new ventures began, giving way to a lot of new ideas and inventions. 



People were enjoying their family lives to the fullest and the economy was booming. Marilyn Monroe was rocking and Elvis Presley was making the audiences roll. 

But, at the same time, it was also a decade when a number conflicts, internal and external, cropped up which were to have long-lasting effects on the future. 

Following are some of the interesting facts about the Fifties:

Science and Technology

✫ The United States successfully carried out its first ever hydrogen bomb explosion test. Code named Ivy Mike, this test was conducted on November 1, 1952 on the coral island of Enewetak in the Pacific Ocean.

✫ The polio vaccine was invented and first tested in 1952. Subsequently, it was launched in 1955 and over seven million American students were injected with the same. The world has been using it since then.

✫ In the year 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) was established in the northwestern suburbs of Geneva. It was aimed at being the world's largest laboratory of particle physics. 

✫ In 1957, the Soviet Union launched the first ever artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik 1. This was an important advancement because valuable information about the ionosphere could be gained through radio signals generated by the satellite.

✫ The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was established and became operational in 1958. Since then, most of the space explorations conducted by the United States have been led by this organization.

Popular Culture

✫ The decade also saw the rise of cultures such as Beatniks, wherein a group of teenagers rebelled against social norms. The Beatniks are considered to be the predecessors of the Hippie culture.

✫ Hollywood movies such as Ben-Hur and Sunset Boulevard were released. Also, the 'thriller' genre grabbed many eyeballs, with directors such as Alfred Hitchcock making their mark with movies such as Rear Window and North by Northwest.

✫ Walt Disney's Cinderella and Alice in Wonderland were released in 1950 and 1951 respectively, and were smashing hits.

✫ Amongst the various genres of music, bebop and variations of jazz became hugely popular in the 1950s. The teen icon was Elvis Presley, known for his classic rock 'n' roll style.

✫ Pop art as an art movement emerged in the mid 1950s. Artists took inspiration from television, advertising, movies, etc. and created art works that became very popular.

Here is the link for your worksheet ..

Check out the slang terms that were common in the 1950s. 

Comment on the blog: 
Write a few sentences as though you are talking to a friend using 1950's slang terms.