What were the 1950s known for?
The 1950s are remembered for moments like these: 1951, I Love Lucy premieres on CBS; 1953, The Chevrolet Corvette arrives; 1954, Bill Haley records “Rock Around the Clock”; 1955, Disneyland opens in Anaheim; 1957, Sputnik 1 becomes the first artificial satellite; and 1958, The hula hoop craze takes off. Scroll the timeline below for more, year by year.
The ’50s, one year at a time.
Swipe through 15 moments we still talk about. Think you know your ’50s? Hide the years and guess.
- Sci-fiOctober 21950
Peanuts debuts in newspapers.
Good grief, what a start.
Born in 1950? See your year → - TVOctober 151951
I Love Lucy premieres on CBS.
Lucy, you got some ’splainin’ to do!
Play the ’50s quiz → - Toys1952
Mr. Potato Head goes on sale.
Ears go where? Anywhere you like.
Read: Timeless toys → - Cars1953
The Chevrolet Corvette arrives for the 1953 model year.
Chrome, curves and a whole lot of dreaming.
Take the classic car quiz → - Music1954
Bill Haley & His Comets record “Rock Around the Clock.”
Turn it up. Then turn it up again.
Play the ’50s quiz → - FunJuly 171955
Disneyland opens in Anaheim, California.
Who else begged to go?
Born in 1955? See your year → - Music1955
Little Richard breaks through with “Tutti Frutti.”
Try sitting still for this one.
Shop the 45 RPM tee → - FunApril 151955
Ray Kroc opens his first McDonald’s in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Fries with that?
Born in 1955? See your year → - Music1956
“Heartbreak Hotel” becomes Elvis Presley’s first million-seller.
The King has entered the building.
Read: Lisa Marie Presley → - TVAugust 51957
American Bandstand goes national, hosted by Dick Clark.
Grab a partner and dance.
Read: Phonographs to playlists → - SpaceOctober 41957
Sputnik 1 becomes the first artificial satellite.
Everyone looked up that week.
Born in 1957? See your year → - Toys1958
Wham-O starts selling the plastic hula hoop.
How long could you keep it going?
Read: Timeless toys → - ToysJanuary 281958
The LEGO brick is patented.
Watch your step in bare feet.
Read: Timeless toys → - ToysMarch 91959
Barbie makes her debut.
The start of a very big closet.
Born in 1959? See your year → - TVOctober 21959
The Twilight Zone premieres on CBS.
Submitted for your approval.
Play the ’50s quiz → - Every year, 1950 to 1959 →
- Keep the time machine runningNext stop: the ’60sFlip through the ’60s →Or test yourself on the ’50s →
Swipe for more →
Sources: each moment is checked against its Wikipedia article. Costs: US first-class postage history and the US Department of Labor minimum wage chart.
Pick a lane.
Most influential people
Elvis Presley
“Heartbreak Hotel” became his first million-seller in 1956.
Lucille Ball
Starred as Lucy Ricardo in I Love Lucy, from 1951.
Marilyn Monroe
Starred in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes (1953) and Some Like It Hot (1959).
James Dean
Starred in Rebel Without a Cause (1955).
Chuck Berry
Released “Johnny B. Goode” in 1958.
TV and game shows
I Love Lucy
Premiered October 15, 1951 on CBS.
The Honeymooners
The classic 39 episodes aired in 1955 and 1956.
The Price Is Right
The original version premiered in 1956.
American Bandstand
Went national on August 5, 1957, hosted by Dick Clark.
Leave It to Beaver
Premiered October 4, 1957.
Music and top hits
Billboard year-end No. 1 single for each year.
“Goodnight, Irene”
Gordon Jenkins and The Weavers
“Too Young”
Nat King Cole
“Blue Tango”
Leroy Anderson
“Song from Moulin Rouge”
Percy Faith
“Little Things Mean a Lot”
Kitty Kallen
“Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White”
Perez Prado
“Heartbreak Hotel”
Elvis Presley
“All Shook Up”
Elvis Presley
“Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu (Volare)”
Domenico Modugno
“The Battle of New Orleans”
Johnny Horton
Movies
Rank 1 in each year’s box office list.
Samson and Delilah
No. 1 at the box office
Quo Vadis
No. 1 at the box office
The Greatest Show on Earth
No. 1 at the box office
The Robe
No. 1 at the box office
White Christmas
No. 1 at the box office
Cinerama Holiday
No. 1 at the box office
The Ten Commandments
No. 1 at the box office
The Bridge on the River Kwai
No. 1 at the box office
South Pacific
No. 1 at the box office
Ben-Hur
No. 1 at the box office
Cars
Chevrolet Corvette
America’s sports car arrives for the 1953 model year.
Ford Thunderbird
Ford’s two-seater debuts for the 1955 model year.
Chevrolet Bel Air
The 1957 Bel Air is still a car-show favorite.
Cadillac Eldorado
The 1959 Cadillacs wore the tallest tail fins of the era.
Toys and games
Silly Putty
Sold as a toy starting in 1950.
Mr. Potato Head
Went on sale in 1952.
Play-Doh
Sold as a toy starting in 1956.
Hula hoop
Wham-O started selling the plastic hoop in 1958.
Barbie
Made her debut on March 9, 1959.
Fashion
Poodle skirts
Full felt skirts, perfect for the sock hop.
Saddle shoes
Two-tone oxfords on every schoolyard.
Leather jackets
Paired with cuffed jeans and a little attitude.
Cat-eye glasses
Upswept frames with a wink.
Food and diner
TV dinners
Swanson’s TV dinner arrived in 1953.
McDonald’s
Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald’s on April 15, 1955.
Soda fountains
Malts, floats and a stool that spins.
Sports
A perfect World Series game
Don Larsen pitched it on October 8, 1956.
Rocky Marciano retires
He left boxing undefeated in 1956.
The Dodgers move west
Baseball’s Dodgers moved to Los Angeles in 1958.
“The Greatest Game Ever Played”
The 1958 NFL Championship Game went to overtime.
Tech and gadgets
Transistor radio
The Regency TR-1 went on sale in 1954.
TV remote
Zenith’s Space Command remote arrived in 1956.
Sputnik 1
The first artificial satellite launched October 4, 1957.
What it cost back then
Stamp and wage on January 1 of each year.
| Year | Stamp | Minimum wage |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 3¢ | $0.40 |
| 1951 | 3¢ | $0.75 |
| 1952 | 3¢ | $0.75 |
| 1953 | 3¢ | $0.75 |
| 1954 | 3¢ | $0.75 |
| 1955 | 3¢ | $0.75 |
| 1956 | 3¢ | $0.75 |
| 1957 | 3¢ | $1.00 |
| 1958 | 3¢ | $1.00 |
| 1959 | 4¢ | $1.00 |
Then vs now: a stamp is 82¢ today (since July 12, 2026) and the federal minimum wage is $7.25.
See what everything cost the year you were born →Sources: Wikipedia, Billboard year-end charts, USPS postage history, US Department of Labor and US EIA.
’50s stories
Drive-In Movies: The Hollywood Hits That Packed the Lot
Picture a warm summer night, a car full of friends, and a giant screen glowing against the dark. For millions of Americans, drive-in movies were the...
Opens the live post →
The ’57 Chevy Bel Air: The Car That Taught America to Dream in Chrome
Somewhere in a dusty garage, under a canvas cover and a layer of memories, there’s probably a ’57 Chevy Bel Air still waiting for one more Sunday...
Opens the live post →
Timeless Toys: The Games and Playthings That Made Childhood Magical
Childhood is a time of wonder and joy, and for many of us, the toys and games we played with hold a special place in our hearts. Before the days of...
Opens the live post →Latest from the blog
Retro Arcade T-Shirt: Insert Coin to Play One More Time
Remember the weight of a pocket full of quarters? You’d walk into the arcade, the carpet glowing under black lights, and a wall of cabinets would be...
Opens the live post →
Quarters on the Glass: Remembering the 80s Arcade
If you grew up in the late 70s or early 80s, you can probably still hear it. The electronic thump of Space Invaders marching down the screen. The...
Opens the live post →
When Did Disco Die? The Night the Music “Stopped” (and Why It Didn’t)
When did disco die? Most people point to one night: July 12, 1979, when Disco Demolition Night at Comiskey Park in Chicago ended with a crate of...
Take a little of it home.
Shop nowCrosley Diner Jukebox Radio
A tabletop jukebox radio straight out of the corner diner.
Shop nowLibbey Fountain Shoppe milkshake glasses, set of 6
Soda fountain glasses for malts, floats and sundaes at home.
Shop nowMalt Shop Memories 10‑CD box set
Doo-wop and early rock and roll, ten discs deep.
Sample listingRestored diner jukebox
Sample listingVintage tin toy collection
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
The ’50s quiz.
Ten questions on the music, movies, TV and toys of the ’50s, drawn fresh every time you play.
Take the ’50s quiz →One email. All the oldies.
Free every week: new stories, this week in oldies history, a quiz and fresh reels to watch.
Ruby says: See you in your inbox!
- New stories
- On This Day
- Weekly quiz
- Fresh reels