FAMOUS BIRTHS & LIFE EVENTS
The Baby Boomer generation
What generation was born in 1956?
The Cold War
What global tension between the United States and the Soviet Union defined the 1950s?
Elvis Presley
Who became the breakout music superstar of 1956?
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Who was the U.S. President in 1956?
22 cents
What was the average price of a gallon of gas in 1956?
Tom Hanks
Which future Academy Award–winning actor was born in 1956?
Nuclear weapons
What type of weapon made many people fear World War III in the 1950s?
Rock and roll
What music genre exploded among American teenagers in 1956?
The Interstate Highway System
What massive infrastructure project began reshaping America in 1956?
50 cents
What was the average cost of a movie ticket in 1956?
Carrie Fisher
Which future Star Wars actress was born in 1956?
The Soviet Union (USSR)
What major world power was America’s main rival in 1956?
I Love Lucy
What sitcom starring Lucille Ball dominated television in the mid-1950s?
Television
What device became the centerpiece of American living rooms?
18 cents
What was the average price of a loaf of bread in 1956?
Mel Gibson
Which future Braveheart star was born in 1956?
The United Nations
What international organization worked to prevent global wars after World War II?
Marilyn Monroe
What Hollywood actress married playwright Arthur Miller in 1956?
Fear of nuclear war
What national anxiety led to “duck and cover” drills in schools?
About $2,000
What was the average price of a new car in 1956?
Grace Kelly’s royal wedding
What major celebrity wedding captured global attention in 1956?
The Suez Crisis
What international conflict erupted after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal?
Television replacing radio
What medium began overtaking radio as America’s primary entertainment source?
Suburbanization
What post-war housing trend reshaped American cities?
About $11,700
What was the average price of a new home in 1956?