1950
Post-war boom era
1950 designates the year, used attributively to mark something from or characteristic of that time: a 1950 Chevrolet, the 1950 census.
Like other year numbers, it functions as a noun or adjective without modification.
The 1950s (or fifties) refers to the entire decade.
Prolonged East-West standoff
- Marshall PlanPostwar American economic assistance
- TrumanCold War-era president
- McCarthyismPolitically-motivated accusation without evidence
- Korean War1950s peninsula conflict
Iron Curtain · NATO · suburbia · Levittown · consumerism · television · desegregation · Sputnik
Rear automotive styling wings
- chromeReflective metal coating
- Bel AirAffluent California enclave
- ThunderbirdFord's iconic sports coupe
- CorvetteChevrolet sports car
Cadillac · convertible · hardtop · hot rod · whitewall tires · Chevrolet · Ford · Plymouth
Informal school dance
- dinerCasual American eatery
- jukeboxCoin-operated music player
- poodle skirtAppliquéd circular garment, mid-century
- drive-inVenue serving seated motorists
soda fountain · greaser · doo-wop · bobby soxer · letterman jacket · pin-up · malt shop · saddle shoes
Period of high births
- suburbsResidential areas outside cities
- nuclear familyParents plus their offspring
- station wagonCar with extended cargo
- tract housingStandardized residential development
birth rate · prosperity · middle class · homeownership · split-level · backyard · family values · optimism
Rhythm-heavy fifties pop
- doo-wopFifties vocal harmony genre
- rockabillyHillbilly-influenced early rock
- Chuck BerryRock and roll pioneer
- Little RichardFifties rock originator
Elvis Presley · Fats Domino · Buddy Holly · vinyl records · phonograph · hi-fi · crooners · Nat King Cole
Evoking recent past
- collectibleObject worth amassing
- AirstreamLuxury aluminum travel trailer
- rotary phoneCircular-dial telephone
- antiqueOld valued collectible
kitsch · memorabilia · Americana · period piece · ephemera · kitschy · curio · time capsule
Cold War
Prolonged East-West standoff
- Marshall PlanPostwar American economic assistance
- TrumanCold War-era president
- McCarthyismPolitically-motivated accusation without evidence
Korean War · Iron Curtain · NATO · suburbia · Levittown · consumerism · television · desegregation · Sputnik · hydrogen bomb
tailfins
Rear automotive styling wings
- chromeReflective metal coating
- Bel AirAffluent California enclave
- ThunderbirdFord's iconic sports coupe
Corvette · Cadillac · convertible · hardtop · hot rod · whitewall tires · Chevrolet · Ford · Plymouth · Studebaker
sock hop
Informal school dance
- dinerCasual American eatery
- jukeboxCoin-operated music player
- poodle skirtAppliquéd circular garment, mid-century
drive-in · soda fountain · greaser · doo-wop · bobby soxer · letterman jacket · pin-up · malt shop · saddle shoes · carhop
baby boom
Period of high births
- suburbsResidential areas outside cities
- nuclear familyParents plus their offspring
- station wagonCar with extended cargo
tract housing · birth rate · prosperity · middle class · homeownership · split-level · backyard · family values · optimism
rock and roll
Rhythm-heavy fifties pop
- doo-wopFifties vocal harmony genre
- rockabillyHillbilly-influenced early rock
- Chuck BerryRock and roll pioneer
Elvis Presley · Fats Domino · Little Richard · Buddy Holly · vinyl records · phonograph · hi-fi · crooners · Nat King Cole · jukeboxes
retro
Evoking recent past
- collectibleObject worth amassing
- AirstreamLuxury aluminum travel trailer
- rotary phoneCircular-dial telephone
antique · kitsch · memorabilia · Americana · period piece · ephemera · kitschy · curio · time capsule · throwback