How to Tell if You Are a Baby Boomer

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The Baby Boomer generation is one of the 6 main generations still alive today as of 2024. The generation is named after the post-World War II baby boom. [1] Around 21 percent of the United States' population is comprised of people who are Baby Boomers. [2] From the burgeoning space race, political activism and upheaval, post-war prosperity, and cultural milestones, Baby Boomers grew up in a time of constant revolution and innovation. Nowadays, members of this generation are nearing or at the age of retirement. Here are some ways to identify if you are part of this generation.

Part 1
Part 1 of 3:

Checking Through Facts

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  1. People born in the Baby Boomer generation were born between the years 1946 and 1964. If you were born between these years, you are a Baby Boomer. [3]
  2. The average retirement age is between the late 50s and late 60s, with the US averaging 65 years of age. [4] So, if you retired between 2004 and now, you would likely be a member of the Baby Boomer generation.
    • Using the U.S. average of 65, you would retire between 2011 and 2029.
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Part 2
Part 2 of 3:

Checking Through Historical Events

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  1. If you heard names such as Nikita Khrushchev, Dwight D. Eisenhower, and Joseph McCarthy (1950s) or John F. Kennedy, Fidel Castro, and Mao Zedong (1960s), being mentioned in the news, then you are probably a Baby Boomer.
    • If you are on the Baby Boomer-Gen X cusp (known as Generation Jones), you may remember figures of the 1970s, such as Richard Nixon.
  2. The Vietnam War lasted from 1955 to 1975 between the communist North Vietnam and the anti-communist South Vietnam. North Vietnam was supported by the Soviet Union and China, whereas the South was supported by the United States. [5] You may have heard about this event in the news. Additionally, if you had an older sibling or a parent who served in the war, you may be a Baby Boomer. If you are an older Baby Boomer, you may have served in the war yourself.
    • Public opinion on this war divided America. While many World War II veterans believed it was crucial to stopping the spread of Communism, many pacifists, youths, and members of the Civil Rights Movement saw the conflict as costly and unjust. As the first televised war, horrific images, and reports that America was defending a corrupt and anti-democratic government, led people to question how the American government could justify standing for such a regime. [6]
    • You may have lived in Vietnam or another country affected by the war at the time. In this case, you likely witnessed numerous tragic events caused by the fighting. [7]
  3. A hippie was a person involved in the counterculture of the 1960s. They wanted to live more freely than people of past generations. Additionally, they wished for peaceful lifestyles and advocated for a nonviolent world, which made them detest the various wars going on in the 1960s. If you were involved in this movement, you likely wore flower-patterned clothing, fringe vests, and bellbottoms. [8] Even if you weren't a hippie in the 60s, you likely heard about them or encountered their influence.
    • They listened to various forms of music, most commonly folk and rock. Thousands of people, including many hippies, attended the 1969 Woodstock festival in Bethel, New York.
    • Some hippies took drugs such as marijuana or LSD. [9]
    • Many hippies actively protested against the Vietnam War.
    • The Volkswagen Type 2 is a famous type of van many hippies owned. [10]
    • The famous hippie slogan “Make love, not war,” promoted openness and acceptance, in stark contrast to the regimented rules of middle-class society. In fact, many hippies were societal dropouts who'd forsaken regular careers, feeling shunned by the materialistic ideals of society. [11]
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Part 3
Part 3 of 3:

Checking Through Shared Experiences

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  1. In the US, most people grew up in middle-class families. Marriage was very important back then, so most women married young and had children with a man. It was typical for the patriarch (usually the father) to go to work every day, and for female family members to stay at home. At the time, women were only expected to take responsibility for housekeeping. Pursuing other avenues, such as work, was often considered selfish or as putting themselves before the needs of their family. [12]
    • Because of the baby boom, most baby boomers aren't only children. Economic prosperity, advances in healthcare, a desire for stability, and government policy lead to a significant increase in birth rates, particularly in post-World War II USA. [13]
    • If these experiences of class ideals and family life seem familiar to you, you are probably a member of the Baby Boomer generation.
  2. People commonly used the radio in the 1950s. After the 1950s, television grew in popularity as the dominant form of entertainment. [14] If you are an older Baby Boomer, you likely remember using the radio in your daily life.
  3. The 1950s had a few iconic TV shows, but the 1960s was the birth of a new era. In the 1960s, television usage in the U.S. skyrocketed. [15] TV producers produced a variety of different shows tailored to different age groups. Some of the most iconic shows debuted in the 60s, such as:
    • General Hospital, a famous medical soap opera, debuted in 1963, and still airs to this day. [16]
    • Sesame Street, which debuted in 1969, is a very famous kid's cartoon that airs to this day. [17]
  4. From innovations in healthcare, political activism and upheaval, post-war prosperity, and cultural milestones, Baby Boomers will have heard about and been personally touched by the significant changes that shaped a transforming society. Some events that Baby Boomers have lived through include:
    • The delivery of Winston Churchill's famous "Iron Curtain" speech in 1946, which talked about the Soviet Union's rising influence on other European countries [18]
    • The Cold War, which lasted from 1947 to 1991, ending with the dissolution of the Soviet Union [19]
    • Mahatma Gandhi's assassination in 1948
    • Princess Elizabeth was crowned queen (she became Queen Elizabeth II) in 1953 [20]
    • Jonas Salk's invention of the polio vaccine in 1955 [21]
    • The launch of Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957
    • The Great Chinese Famine (caused by Chairman Mao Zedong's "Great Leap Forward") from 1958 to 1961
    • Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 [22]
    • American president John F. Kennedy's assassination in 1963
  5. If you saw movie posters for these iconic movies, or if you saw these movies in theaters at the time, you might be a Baby Boomer. There were many notable movies of the 1940s-1960s, with popular actors and actresses starring in them. These included:
    • Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) [23]
    • The Greatest Show on Earth (1952) [24]
    • The Seven Year Itch (1955) [25]
    • The Lady and the Tramp (1955) [26]
    • Vertigo (1958) [27]
    • West Side Story (1961) [28]
    • My Fair Lady (1964) [29]
    • Marry Poppins (1964)
  6. If you listened to music during the 1940s-1960s, you probably know many famous musicians and songs. In the 1940s, patriotic tunes helped rally American support for troops throughout World War II. The songs were a tangible and comforting expression of the turmoil that people had endured. [30] Jazz was also a dominant genre in the 1940s. By the 1950s, the rock-and-roll genre had taken over, giving popular music an edgier feel. [31] In the 1960s, the "British Invasion", a musical movement driven by fresh sounds in music, media influence and openness of youth culture, caused elements of British culture, including rock and pop music acts, to arrive in America. English bands such as The Beatles gained fans all across the world. Some songs you may have heard as a Baby Boomer include:
    • Buttons and Bows (1948), Dinah Shore
    • Goodnight, Irene (1950), The Weavers (cover)
    • Because of You (1951), Tony Bennett (cover)
    • That's Amore (1953), Dean Martin
    • (We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock (1955), Bill Haley and His Comets [32]
    • Jailhouse Rock (1957), Elvis Presley
    • Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot Bikini (1960), Brian Hyland
    • The Loco-Motion (1962), Little Eva [33]
    • (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction (1965), The Rolling Stones [34]
    • (Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay (1968), Otis Redding [35]
    • Stairway to Heaven (1971), Led Zeppelin [36]
  7. You may have heard about these people in the news, by watching their movies, or listening to their songs. Even though people faced hardships and difficult times, they still managed to enjoy their lives by listening to the radio and playing games. If you were young in the 1940s-1960s, you may have heard of most of these people. This includes:
    • Actors: Lucille Ball, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor [37] , Audrey Hepburn, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Sidney Poitier, etc. [38]
    • Musicians: Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley [39] , The Beatles, Ray Charles, The Kinks, The Monkees, The Ronettes, etc. [40]
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Experience-the-Baby-Boomer-Generation-2226600
      2. ↑ https://www.statista.com/statistics/296974/us-population-share-by-generation/
      3. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Silent-Generation
      4. ↑ https://www.madisontrust.com/information-center/visualizations/average-retirement-age/
      5. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/event/Vietnam-War/
      6. ↑ https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zv7bkqt/revision/5
      7. ↑ https://www.highpointnc.gov/2113/Vietnam-War
      8. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/hippie
      9. ↑ https://www.museumofyouthculture.com/hippies/
      1. ↑ https://www.carparts.com/blog/the-rise-and-revival-of-hippie-vans/
      2. ↑ https://www.britannica.com/topic/hippie
      3. ↑ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pill-mrs-america-womens-roles-1950s/
      4. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3304890/
      5. ↑ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/rescue-development-radio/
      6. ↑ https://www.explorepopculture.com/unit-4-1960s/1960s-television/
      7. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056758/
      8. ↑ https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/sesame-street-debuts
      9. ↑ https://www.thoughtco.com/1940s-timeline-1779951
      10. ↑ https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/cold-war-history
      11. ↑ https://www.sechistorical.org/museum/timeline/1950-timeline.php
      12. ↑ https://www.thoughtco.com/1950s-timeline-1779952
      13. ↑ https://www.sechistorical.org/museum/timeline/1960-timeline.php
      14. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041841/
      15. ↑ https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/greatest_show_on_earth
      16. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048605/?ref_=sr_t_12
      17. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0048280/
      18. ↑ https://www.ranker.com/list/best-movies-of-1958/ranker-film
      19. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0055614/
      20. ↑ https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/year/1964
      21. ↑ https://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1079&context=musicalofferings
      22. ↑ https://www.explorepopculture.com/unit-3-1950s/1950s-music
      23. ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/pop-hits-1955/pl.dfed4ac1947b4b85b5aebf4dfc31f23b
      24. ↑ https://playback.fm/charts/top-100-songs/1962
      25. ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/pop-hits-1965/pl.3cbeae823a10466c9d5ac92a54db7791
      26. ↑ https://playback.fm/charts/top-100-songs/1968
      27. ↑ https://playback.fm/charts/top-100-songs/1971
      28. ↑ https://www.ranker.com/list/1950s-movie-stars/ranker-film
      29. ↑ https://www.imdb.com/list/ls003068761/
      30. ↑ https://top40weekly.com/top-100-artists-of-the-50s/
      31. ↑ https://top40weekly.com/top-100-artists-of-the-60s/

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