1955 was an extraordinary year. It wasn't historic like 1492 or 1776 or
haunting like 1941 or 2001, but it was momentous and eventful. It was a year of booms and boomers and showcased
a culture of consumerism. Economist Victor Lebow expressed the vibe of the times when he said,
"Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption
our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals,
that we seek our spiritual satisfaction and our ego satisfaction in consumption.
We need things consumed, burned up, worn out, replaced and discarded
at an ever-increasing rate."
True to his point, a record 8.3
million cars were produced in 1955, more than any other year in the decade. Americans were on a buying spree that included
everything from toasters to televisions. A record 7.4 million "sets" were sold in 1955. Amazingly,
homes with televisions increased from 9% in 1950 to over 65% in 1955. The societal effects were enormous.
America was awakening and 1955 was a formative year for the civil
rights movement. It was the
year that desegregation of schools began as ordered by the supreme court in the
landmark case Brown v. Board of Education. It's also the year Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to move to the
back of the bus. Her arrest led to the
Montgomery Bus boycott which lasted over a year and gave national attention, as well as momentum to the fledgling movement.
As for me, the year marked my beginning. I was born a boomer in 1955.
1955 also saw the birth of Rock and Roll. Some will argue that the birth was in an earlier year, but '55 was the year rock and roll music hit the mainstream with the first #1 chart topper, "Rock Around the Clock," by Bill Haley and the Comets. The new music genre with its often suggestive lyrics and unconventional performers gave identity to a new generation of youth.
As for me, the year marked my beginning. I was born a boomer in 1955.
