Commonly abbreviated as the fifties or the '50s ) (among other variants) was a decade that began on january 1, 1950, and ended on december 31, 1959. It was a time of prosperity for many western countries, particularly the united states, and the emergence of significant cultural, political, and social movements that would shape the second half of the 20th century. In 1954, the supreme court unanimously strikes down segregation in public schools, sparking the civil rights movement.
Of course, not every aspect of the ’50s was quite so rosy It began when north korea, supported by china and the soviet union, invaded south korea. In the u.s., cold war tensions and the threat of nuclear warfare loomed large over americans, and the ongoing fight for equality and civil rights sought to dismantle the systemic discrimination that plagued society.
In 1957, the soviet union launched sputnik, marking the start of the space race and space age. Let’s explore seventeen pivotal occurrences from the 1950s that left an indelible mark on history
