Welcome to FiftiesWeb.com, your #1 online resource for factual and engaging content about the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Established in 1996, this decades-old website is dedicated to sharing quality information about mid-20th century history.
Meet Mimi Anderson, Editor-in-Chief
I’m a true child of the 70s, and my fascination with the 50s, 60s, and early 70s began in my formative years. Listening to the stories my parents and grandparents shared about the music, 50s fashion, and historical events of these decades ignited a lifelong passion within me.
For several decades, I’ve been on a relentless quest for knowledge, meticulously researching, writing, and curating content about these transformative decades. My pursuit has taken me through the pages of books, magazines, interviews, and the collection of tangible relics from the era, such as photographs, videos, and other invaluable historical artifacts.
My goal is to provide you, our valued visitors, with engaging, entertaining, and factually accurate content that explores the music, fashion, cars , television, movies, and the ever-changing pop culture of these extraordinary decades. Oh, there were so many inventions and discoveries made!
At FiftiesWeb.com, you can trust that the information you receive is reliable and meticulously vetted. I am unwavering in my commitment to uphold the integrity and legacy of this decades-old website, maintaining standards of expertise, relevance, and accuracy in all the content I curate and create.
Whether you lived through these remarkable eras or simply yearn to experience them vicariously, I am excited to share my extensive knowledge and resources with you. As you browse the website, if you have any questions or feedback, you can always send me a message.
Why FiftiesWeb.com?
I operate this website to debunk the myth that “nothing cool happened” in the 50s, 60s and 70s. These decades represent an era of profound innovation and progress across music, fashion, technology, and culture.
From the advent of Elvis and the Beatles to the interstellar adventures of Star Trek, the dawn of video games, man’s first steps on the moon, the birth of the computer era, and the electrifying rise of rock ‘n’ roll.
In addition to my passion for the 50s to 70s, I bring to the table a wealth of experience as a writer and publisher. On this website, I combine my passion for this era with my publishing skills to create content that is well-researched, engaging, and enjoyable. My goal is to offer visitors a unique blend of historical facts, nostalgic reminiscence, and delightful entertainment.
Whether you have fond memories of these times or simply yearn to discover the magic of the past, I invite you to explore FiftiesWeb.com, where this journey is just beginning!
A Tribute to the Creators
FiftiesWeb.com owes its inception to the visionary Candace Rich, whose boundless love for the 50s inspired the creation of this platform. Following her, her brother Michael Rich carried on the torch after her passing. She has moved on to new challenges and opportunities, a place which no doubt has both a soda fountain and a jukebox.
Candace dedicated years to meticulous research, and her legacy lives on through this website. This website serves as a heartfelt tribute to Candace’s passion for learning, teaching, and preserving the spirit of the 1950s.
Notable Mentions
They say I need to add personal kudos to this, well instead of listening to me bragging, how about listening to a few others who think enough of FiftiesWeb, to link to, or reuse our content:
- Mentioned on Wikipedia.org 218 times
- Mentioned on ehow.com 484 times
- Mentioned on 4teachers.org 222 times
- Mentioned on ancestry.com 94 times
- Mentioned on Washington Post 30 times
- Mentioned on N.Y. Times 12 times
- Mentioned on BBC.com 28 times
- Mentioned on CNN.com 10 times
- Mentioned on theverge.com 24 times
- Mentioned on wikihow.com 36 times
- Mentioned on britannica.com 5 times
- Mentioned on fandom.com 25 times
- Mentioned on nbcnews.com 2 times
- Mentioned on vox 2 times
- Mentioned on aol 91 times
- Mentioned on buzzfeed 1 time
- Mentioned on thetimes.co.uk 1 time
- Mentioned on washington.edu 6 times
- Mentioned on NPR.org 2 times
- Mentioned on ABC.net 10 times
- Mentioned on Examiner.com 27 times
- Mentioned on teacherweb.com 44 times
References
In addition to hundreds of articles and websites mentioned throughout the site, when I started my quest, many books were used in the creation of this site.
Some are listed here. Quite a few are now out of print. But not to worry I have included links to Amazon.com where you can find most of them.
General Fifties & History
Great overview of the decade. This book was made into a 6 part documentary Chock full of interesting details. A nice look at recent American history done in narrative style. Really wonderful pictures! As always, Time-Life does a bang-up job of recreating a decade. Using both text and pictures, this books gives the reader a good feel for those days. A nice addition to the library. Trends, Events, and Trivia from the Postwar Era to the End of the Century by Paul Dickson. A good sketch of many years, not just Fifties. In classic New Yorker style, a tongue in cheek look at the 1950s.
The Fifties by David Halberstam
The Glory and the Dream: A Narrative History of America, 1932-1972 by William Manchester
The Tumultuous Fifties: A View from the New York Times Photo Archives by Douglas Dreishpoon, Alan Trachtenberg, Luc Sante – Contributor, Nancy Weinstock – Contributor
The American Dream: The 50’s – Our American Century. From Time-Life Books Editors
When the Going Was Good! American Life in the Fifties by Jeffrey Hart
From Elvis to E-mail1950s Housewife: Marriage and Homemaking in the 1950s by Sheila Hardy. A fact filled look into typical 50s family.
Another insightful look into a tumultuous decade
The 60s: The Story of a Decade by by The New Yorker Magazine and Henry FinderCulture & Style
A good general overview A good general overview A good general overview One of a series. Many color pics. An amazing chronology of fashion A very complete list of the designers of this century. Short, sweet and fun, full of cute illustrations. Movies, tunes, fads, celebs…pretty much everything. I like this book. The narrative style takes you through an American history of food. More than 100 recipes and pics from the Library of Congress. Trivia nuts will have a feast. It’s a bit disjointed but jam packed with information. Furniture, architecture, tableware…you name it. A great book. Designs and styles that made the decade such a fashion standout Lots and lots of interesting tid-bits about the relationship between fashion and advertising It all started in those little boutiques in London, this tells the how’s and why’s. Maybe it wasn’t seen on the runway but Sears fashion is what most women wore.
The 1960’s Fashion Sourcebooks by John Peacock
Another great general overview by John Peacock
Fashions of a Decade: The 1950s by Patricia Baker
Fifty Years of Fashion: New Look to Now by Valerie Steele
New York Fashion by Caroline Rennolds Milbank
The Long and Short of It: The Madcap History of the Skirt by Ali Basye
The 50’s 20th Century Pop Culture by Dan Epstein
Celebrating American Food: A Food Lover’s Compendium of Events and Anecdotes, from Prehistory to the Present by James Trager
Fifties Style: Then and Now by Richard Horn
60s Fashion: Vintage Fashion and Beauty Ads by Jim Heiman and Laura Schooling
Swinging Britain: Fashion in the 1960s by Mark Armstrong
Fashionable Clothing from the Sears Catalogs: Late 1950s by Joy ShihTelevision
by Alex McNeil)My favorite reference. I rely on this everyday. All the shows, even the rare or short-lived. Another excellent reference. 1363 pages. Not many shows, but great pictures! A good addition to a library. Forward by Steve Allen. A narrative history. Fascinating. Ever wonder why your favorite characters disappeared! this tells the story. A delightful book which will take you back. His story.
Total Television : The Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th Ed
The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows – Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, Ed 7 by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh
The Best of 50s TV by Michael McCall
Television’s Greatest Year: 1954 by Richard D. Heldenfels
Written Out of Television: A TV Lover’s Guide to Cast Changes:1945-1994 by Steven Lance
The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book by Lorraine Santoli
Dick Clark’s American Bandstand by Dick Clark, Fred BronsonMusic
My favorite reference. I rely on this everyday. Good information and song lists to 1994. Specialty lists as well. Another excellent reference. I have an older version but you might as well get the current edition. Great, huge book. 912 pages. Another very handy little book.
Billboard’s Hottest Hot 100 Hits by Fred Bronson
The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits by Joel Whitburn
The Billboard Book of Number One Hits by Fred Bronson
Billboard Top 1000 Singles 1955-1996 : The 1000 Biggest Hits of the Rock Era by Joel Whitburn
Rock Archives: A Photographic Journey Through the First Two Decades of Rock and Roll by Michael Ochs
The Story of Rock-N-Roll: The Year-By-Year Illustrated Chronicle by Paul Du Noyer
This Day in Rock: Day by Day Record of Rock’s Biggest News Stories by John Tobler
Rock & Roll…And the Beat Goes On by Cousin “Brucie” Morrow
Then, Now and Rare British Beat 1960-1969 by Terry Rawlings
Making Your Memories with Rock & Roll and Doo-Wop The Music and Artists of the 1950s and Early 1960s by J.C. De Ladurantey
No.1 Love Songs of the 1950sCars
An interesting take on the Auto Industry Great resource, facts and photos The cars are somewhat cherry-picked but another good resource. Your favorites with history and lots of good pics. Take a peek inside the Auto Industry’s secrets to selling. These series of books are the gold standard for researchers. A Fabulous resource, lots of research and great pictures. Another great resource, some of the same editors, really in depth.
Fifties Flashback: The American Car by Dennis Adler
Fifties Flashback: The American Car by Auto Editors of Consumer Guide
American Cars of the 1950s by Robert Genat and David Newhardt
60s Cars Icons by Jim Heimann and Tony Thacker
Selling the American Muscle Car: Marketing Detroit Iron in the 60s and 70s by Diego Rosenberg
Cars of the 60s by Auto Editors of Consumer Guide
Cars of the 1960s
Cars of the Fabulous ’50sDisclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through the links on this page, at no extra cost to you. This helps pay the bills and keep this website online.