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What was teenage life like? Teenagers were allowed more freedom than previous years. They loved listening to rock and roll music and males were expected to have a job or join the army for money to provide for their families. During class time girls would make dresses and hats and learn how to do laundry correctly. Boys were trained in physical education to keep them in shape for war. There were “sock hops” which were dances. The dancing style was called “Jitter Bug.”

What music did they listen to? Rock and roll Russ Morgan Freddy Martin

What was the median family income? $19000

What was the median family income of wealthy families? $25000

Fashion during the late 40’s After the war when all of the fabric restrictions were taken off, the female full skirt with a tight waist was popular, and although many of these dresses were rather uncomfortable to wear they were considered highly fashionable. Also women gave up low-heeled shoes for high heels, curled their hair typically, and wore make-up when socially acceptable. During this time the majority of men were factory or office workers and had typical business suits and factory clothing, however when socially required the zoot suit was rather popular.

**Entertainment**: First Emmy Awards are handed out on January 25
<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Cable television debuts, bringing better reception to rural areas where the original signal was weak <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Milton Berle hosts the first telethon, which went to benefit cancer research

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Music: <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· "Some Enchanted Evening" <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· "Ghost Riders in the Sky" <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· "Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer" <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· Kiss Me Kate soundtrack

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Books: <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|Paul Bowles], The Sheltering Sky <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|John Dos Passos], The Grand Design <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|Shirley Jackson], The Lottery <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|Yukio Mishima], Confessions of a Mask <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|Reinhold Niebuhr], Faith and History <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|George Orwell], 1984 <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|Norman Vincent Peale], A Guide to Confident Living <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|Eleanor Roosevelt], This I Remember <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">· [|Eudora Welty], Golden Apples <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Science-aviation-Capt. James Gallagher and USAF crew make first round-the-world nonstop flight from Ft. Worth, Texas, and returning to same point: 23,452 miles in 94 hours, 1 minute (Feb. 27–March 2).

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Sports: <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Yankees win the World Series against Brooklyn Dodgers 4-1 <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Minneapolis Lakers beat the Washington Capitols 4-2 for the NBA Championship <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Toronto defeats Detroit for the Stanley Cup 4-0 <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">NCAA Football Champions Notre Dame 10-0-0 <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Kentucky Derby Champion: Ponder <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">NCAA Basketball Championship Kentucky verses Oklahoma A&M 46-36

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">1949 Economy <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">US GDP (1998 dollars) 267.8billion <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Fed Spending 38.84billion <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Fed Debt: 252.6billion <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Dow Jones high/low 200/161 <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Consumer Price Index 23.8 <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">Unemployment 3.8% <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">First class stamp cost: 0.03

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif;">FUN FACTS:
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Population 132,122,000
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Unemployed in 1940 - 8,120,000
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">National Debt $43 Billion
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Average Salary $1,299. Teacher's salary $1,441
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Minimum Wage $.43 per hour
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">55% of U.S. homes have indoor plumbing
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Antarctica is discovered to be a continent
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Life expectancy 68.2 female, 60.8 male
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Auto deaths 34,500
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Supreme Court decides blacks do have a right to vote
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">World War II changed the order of world power; the United States and the USSR become super powers
 * <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Cold War begins.
 * Many people think of the late 40's as being a fast paced city life, and although rural areas were common, the spotlight was in city environments such as New York.
 * Truman was our president

1949 Cadillac

The full skirt with high-heels Zoot suits and also plays were popular means of entertainment

First aired Emmy Awards