"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 — a date which will live in infamy — the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan." This is the first sentence of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s (FDR) speech, the Pearl Harbor Address; he spoke the day after hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The next day, FRD declared war on Japan. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States (History.com Staff). America had entered a world war that not only changed lives when it began, but a war that still changes lives more
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Having a sense of home was very important to the servicemen in WWII. With movies, music, and the beautiful looks of pin-up girls' pictures, the entertainment served as a way of reminding the troops what they were fighting for: home, safety, and freedom (“Wartime Entertainment in WWII”). Movies were very popular during and after WWII. Ninety million Americans went to the movies every week. The film industry changed radically after World War II with the style and content of the films made in Hollywood. By 1948, box office receipts plummeted 45% from wartime highs, and the culprit was television. From 1941 to 1951 the number of TV sets in American homes skyrocketed from 10,000 to more than 12 million (“The Postwar Years”). No one went to the movies anymore. Filmmakers and distributors responded in a way to get people back to going to the theater. They developed wider screens, 3-D, Technicolor, stereo sound, even free dishes. With characteristic resilience, Hollywood soon managed a successful transition to the small screen (“The Postwar Years”). TV companies soon headed out west and bought old studios and lots. By 1950, more sound stages were producing television than movies. Today, television and movies are still very popular. According to David Hinckley, The average American over the age of 2 spends more than 34 hours a week watching live …show more content…
The baby boom lasted from 1946 to 1964. More babies were born in 1946 than ever before: 3.4 million, 20 percent more than in 1945. This was the beginning of the so-called “baby boom.” In 1947, another 3.8 million babies were born; 3.9 million were born in 1952; and more than 4 million were born every year from 1954 until 1964, when the boom finally tapered off. By then, there were 76.4 million “baby boomers” in the United States. They made up almost 40 percent of the nation’s population (History.com Staff). After the war, many people wanted to have children because they were confident that the future would be successful. They looked forward to comfort and prosperity. In many ways, they were right. Corporations grew larger and more profitable, labor unions promised generous wages and benefits to their members, and consumer goods were more plentiful and affordable than ever before. As a result, many Americans felt certain that they could give their families all the material things that they themselves had done without (History.com Staff). These “baby boomers” have built what America is today. The oldest baby boomers are already in their 60s and are still affecting America in many
Having a sense of home was very important to the servicemen in WWII. With movies, music, and the beautiful looks of pin-up girls' pictures, the entertainment served as a way of reminding the troops what they were fighting for: home, safety, and freedom (“Wartime Entertainment in WWII”). Movies were very popular during and after WWII. Ninety million Americans went to the movies every week. The film industry changed radically after World War II with the style and content of the films made in Hollywood. By 1948, box office receipts plummeted 45% from wartime highs, and the culprit was television. From 1941 to 1951 the number of TV sets in American homes skyrocketed from 10,000 to more than 12 million (“The Postwar Years”). No one went to the movies anymore. Filmmakers and distributors responded in a way to get people back to going to the theater. They developed wider screens, 3-D, Technicolor, stereo sound, even free dishes. With characteristic resilience, Hollywood soon managed a successful transition to the small screen (“The Postwar Years”). TV companies soon headed out west and bought old studios and lots. By 1950, more sound stages were producing television than movies. Today, television and movies are still very popular. According to David Hinckley, The average American over the age of 2 spends more than 34 hours a week watching live …show more content…
The baby boom lasted from 1946 to 1964. More babies were born in 1946 than ever before: 3.4 million, 20 percent more than in 1945. This was the beginning of the so-called “baby boom.” In 1947, another 3.8 million babies were born; 3.9 million were born in 1952; and more than 4 million were born every year from 1954 until 1964, when the boom finally tapered off. By then, there were 76.4 million “baby boomers” in the United States. They made up almost 40 percent of the nation’s population (History.com Staff). After the war, many people wanted to have children because they were confident that the future would be successful. They looked forward to comfort and prosperity. In many ways, they were right. Corporations grew larger and more profitable, labor unions promised generous wages and benefits to their members, and consumer goods were more plentiful and affordable than ever before. As a result, many Americans felt certain that they could give their families all the material things that they themselves had done without (History.com Staff). These “baby boomers” have built what America is today. The oldest baby boomers are already in their 60s and are still affecting America in many