1. SOURCES August 15, 1945 WWII ends: focus turns to production of consumer goods. Spending spree is brought on along with the babyboom 1957: First phone call made Home appliances are focus of buyers Mr. Potato head and Barbie are invented Matchbox cars and legos become a hit toy 1957: USSR launched Sputnik Technology gets healthy By: Karlee Kocon

2. August 15 th, 1945 the Japanese surrender. With the troops returning home, the government passed the GI Bill of Rights which gave loans to soldiers to go to college, start businesses, or buy homes. Due to jobs available and more consumer goods being produced, 60% of Americans were earning a middle-class wage in the 1950’s.

3. Due to people being comfortable with their incomes, everyone was investing in consumer goods. Americans bought between five and seven million new cars and household appliances each year. With men returning home from war, families earning a higher income than they have been, and new technology available, the baby boom happened.

4.  AT&T is the first telephone company to make a trans-continental phone call on November 10, 1951.  Mayor M. Leslie Downing was the first one to make a phone call.

5. With television becoming more popular in homes, it was advertising women being homemakers. Stoves, fridges, and toasters changed the kitchen. Vacuums and washing machines saved time cleaning which let women enjoy more leisure time. The more appliances people had, it symbolized more success. VIDEO

6. Mr. Potato head was the first toy advertised on television. At first, you actually used fruit and potatoes. Barbie was also made in the 1950’s, to this day, it sells more than two dolls per second in the world. Play-doh was invented for a wallpaper cleaner first then was made into a child’s toy. It has sold over 900 million pounds worldwide.

7. Matchbox cars started off making their wheels out of metal, then changed to plastic later on. Lego is actually Danish for “play well.” Silly putty was an accident in WWII science research on synthetic rubbers.

8.  Russia launched the first artificial satellite to orbit Earth. This starts the space race and the exploration of the solar system.

9.  Francis Crick and James Watson discover the spiral structure of DNA.  A vaccine is produced for polio.  The first ultrasound test of heart activity was conducted.

10.  " YouTube - 1950's TV Ad." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 26 Feb. 2010..  "AT&T Labs - Innovation - Technology Timeline - First Direct Transcontinental Telephone Call | AT&T Labs| AT&T." AT&T | Cell Phones, U-verse, Digital TV, DSL Internet, and Phone Service. Web. 26 Feb. 2010. http://www.corp.att.com/attlabs/reputation/timeline/51 trans.html  "What Toys Were Popular In The 1950s?" Toy Reviews and News | Vintage, Learning, Gaming and More! Web. 26 Feb. 2010..