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Questions tagged [1950s]

Referring to the time period between 1950 A.D. and 1959 A.D. by the Gregorian calendar.

23 votes
3 answers
10k views

Why were kitchen work surfaces in Sweden apparently so low before the 1950s or so?

Watching old "newsreel"-like films from the 1950s and 1960s, and seeing this in old comics and from other Swedish sources, I have formed the perception that many/most/all kitchens in Sweden, ...
Avanti D.'s user avatar
  • 231
0 votes
0 answers
189 views

Looking to Identify a pin/ badge

I am looking to identify this badge that my grandfather was wearing in this picture I know it’s blurry but never seen it before and don’t know where to start looking for a way to identify it. He would ...
Tash's user avatar
  • 1
6 votes
1 answer
525 views

What percentage of people were acquitted in "Stalin's trials"

What proportion of those accused under Article 58 and other political articles were acquitted in 1930-1953 in the USSR?
user31264's user avatar
  • 185
30 votes
2 answers
5k views

Was there a tax in the fifties for British citizens traveling abroad?

I have found a dialog in Roberto Rossellini's 1954 film Journey to Italy where the character played by George Sanders says it's expensive to stay abroad too much. That would seem natural, only the ...
cipricus's user avatar
  • 2,294
2 votes
1 answer
196 views

What is my grandfather's shoulder patch?

This is a photograph of my grandfather... his DD214 shows his last unit as Co C 52d AIB APO 221
Daniel Willson's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
333 views

Did "errand boys" really have to wear handcuffs attached to the briefcase?

In a Donald Duck comic published in 1994 (possibly conceived up to a few years prior, and possibly "set" in the 1950s), Donald Duck is forced to become an errand boy. The boss gives him a ...
B. Kule's user avatar
  • 31
-2 votes
1 answer
246 views

Why did the USA ever test nukes on their own soil? [closed]

I've recently read about these atom bomb tests that frequently occurred semi-near Las Vegas, which people flocked to. Even if they didn't understand the risks at the time, isn't it a serious problem ...
Maycol's user avatar
  • 17
25 votes
5 answers
5k views

Did they actually have "mushroom cloud tourist attraction" to Nevada Test Site in the 1950s?

During the 1950s, the mushroom clouds, from the 100 atmospheric tests, could be seen from almost 100 mi (160 km) away. The city of Las Vegas experienced noticeable seismic effects, and the mushroom ...
Arhtur's user avatar
  • 251
5 votes
3 answers
3k views

Did teenagers in the USA in the 1960s and 1950s really engage in dangerous, reckless driving to this extent?

My general perception of the 1960s in the USA, and possibly also the late 1950s, other than "drugs and hippies", is that the youth constantly was driving around in their cars, racing, daring and ...
Alivn's user avatar
  • 67
-1 votes
1 answer
1k views

What does a black cloth on your upper left arm mean in the context of 1950s USA? [closed]

As I was watching yet another episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" from around 1957, I noticed a scene where this man has a black cloth on his arm: What does this mean? He doesn't wear it ...
Dawin Leggins's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
899 views

How can there be a "final edition" of a morning paper, in the morning?

A US television episode from 1957 has the following scene, set in a hotel restaurant in what is clearly the morning, as he is eating breakfast and it looks brightly lit: Person: "The morning paper, ...
Quante Mickelson's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
228 views

Is this "Westinghouse All Electric House" video, called a "promo from the mid 1950s", a hoax?

This video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyrTgtPTz3M It barely has any description, the comments are turned off, and the Wikipedia article on "Westinghouse Electric Company" does not help to clear ...
Colin's user avatar
  • 29
32 votes
4 answers
15k views

Why, in old movies and TV series, do they always use such extremely exaggerated wheel turns when driving a car?

In old movies and TV episodes from the 1950s (for instance), they would frequently have a car in a studio with a background consisting of a screen showing a pre-recorded sequence of somebody driving a ...
Avalon Hughes's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
694 views

How could someone avoid US military service in the early 1950's?

I have been trying to find information on what could be legitimate deferments for military service during the 50's in the US that don't involve draft dodging. I am a writer and working on a project ...
Scott.Bell's user avatar
5 votes
0 answers
117 views

In 1940s/50s how did refugees earn US citizenship?

I'm writing a piece about a polish refugee at the start of WW2 and I am trying to figure out the process for an unaccompanied minor, whose parents are supposed to be dead if that makes a difference, ...
Tom's user avatar
  • 601

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