Broke through: historical pictures of the baby boom in the USA

After the end of World War II, the birth rate in the United States and other Western countries sharply increased. In the period from 1945 to 1955, the number of children born per year increased to 4104 thousand people compared to 2259 thousand in previous years. No one was surprised if there were four or five children in the family — this became the norm. The demographic leap went down in history and was called baby boom.

This situation was due to the fact that most marriages or pregnancies during the war were postponed for a more comfortable period. Due to the end of hostilities and the comparative improvement of the economic situation, young people were not afraid to start families and have children.

In the United States, about 79 million babies were born during the baby boom. Now the oldest generation of "baby boomers" is about 70 years old. They all grew up during Woodstock, the Vietnam War and caught President Kennedy.

(13 photos in total)

January 1, 1946. The first children of the new year in the maternity hospital.

1950. Participants of the children's show.

May 16, 1946. An overcrowded Washington children's shelter.

March 15, 1946. Moms change diapers for children in New York.

January 1, 1946. Nurses with newborns.

March 1955. The Finslater triplets.

January 31, 1953. 27-year—old Brighton Bourne is a mother of triplets and twins. In turn, Brighton's mom had a total of 22 children, including one triplets and four twins.

1952. Crowded school yard. The consequences of the baby boom are becoming obvious.

1952. Crowded school cafeteria.

1948. Orphans in the orphanage.

December 1, 1947.

January 25, 1945. A nurse at the maternity hospital.

March 1947. Mothers-prisoners bathe their children in Holloway Prison. The babies stayed with their parents until the age of 9 months.