What You Wanted to Know About Baby Boomers but Were Afraid to Ask

In the United States, between the end of World War II and 1964, 78 million Baby Boomers were born and are now part of what we call the "Baby Boomers" generation. Millions of people born during this period are now entering middle age and thus changing the demographic of the total population. They contribute to our economy on a grand scale and because they are now able to enjoy themselves without obligation to their kids, they often buy luxury goods like cars, vocations and expensive jewelry. The reason we had such explosion in births is a simple one. As men came home from the war, and families reunited, people wanted to start over and move on with their life. Four out of ten households are between ages 35 to 54 and the numbers of household’s ages 45 to 54 will increase twenty percent in the next couple of years. 

Born after the war, Baby Boomers experienced one of the most prosperous times in our history. While Europe was slowly recovering from the tremendous damages from the war, this same war brought United States out of the Great Depression and into a whole new era of huge productions of consumer goods. As men returned from the war and went back to factories, women were sent back to their kitchens to become the perfect moms. Production at this time soared as it shifted from war equipment and machinery to consumer and household goods. How did all of this affect the growing generation of the 1950’s? The kids growing up during this era, usually lived with both parents, in perfect little houses with a white fence, were properly behaved, and were neat, polite and patriotic. At least this is what the television of the time had us believe. But then came the 60’s. A time for great change, protests, experimentation, and rebellion. This was the time to cut class to protest the Vietnam War, and the time to push for equality for both ethnic minorities and women.