TV Sign-Offs
Before the days of 24/7 channels, TV stations would sign off for the night. They played the national anthem and that was that.
Pay Phones
If you needed to call home in the 50s and 60s, you’d use a pay phone. Mobile phones wouldn’t be invented for a while!
Black-And-White TV
Baby boomers still remember the days before TV was in color. Bonus nostalgia points if the picture went fuzzy and you had to adjust the antenna.
Recording Songs
Remember waiting by the radio for your favorite song so you could hit “record” on a cassette tape at just the right time? It was actually illegal, but everyone still did it!
Saturday Morning Cartoons
Saturday morning cartoons were once the only time to watch animated shows – there was no streaming and no on-demand.
Riding Bikes
Once upon a time you could ride bikes without helmets until it was dark. No phones, just hanging out with your closest friends and having adventures.
Rotary Phones
Cell phones were a distant dream in the 50s and 60s. Instead, the whole family would share one rotary phone.
Milk Delivery
You could get milk delivered in glass bottles right to the doorstep, with the empty ones left out for pickup the next morning.
Passing Notes
Kids in the olden days would pass notes in class and hope they weren’t caught by the teacher. These days, they’d probably just text.
Baseball Cards
Nothing can explain the excitement of getting a new pack of baseball cards, and the stale stick of gum that came inside.
The Moon Landings
All baby boomers remember where they were the day mankind landed on the moon. The world changed forever that day.
Playing Records
Baby boomers played records on a turntable, carefully placing the needle so it wouldn’t scratch the records and ruin them.
Drinking Water Straight From the Garden Hose
Drinking water from the garden hose was terrible for your stomach, of course, but most kids did it anyway.
Less TV
But there wasn’t that much to watch on TV anyway! There were only three channels back in the day.
Film Cameras
You might remember the days before digital cameras. You didn’t even see your pictures until they came back from the developer!
No Seatbelts
Believe it or not, seatbelts weren’t mandatory in the US until 1968. Kids rode without them sometimes –and yes, they died in accidents.
Candy Stores
Kids in the 50s and 60s would wait all day for a trip to the candy store. And when they got there, the candy was staggeringly cheap by Gen Z standards.
Vinyl Records
These are actually making kind of a comeback, but Gen Z will never fully appreciate the sound of a needle dropping.
Typewriters
Before computers, work was done on typewriters. They made such satisfying noises as they clack-clack-clacked away.
Roller-Skating Rinks
It’s so sad that the era of roller-skating is over now – roller-skating rinks were amazing places to hang out.
Ice Cream Trucks
It was a total joy whenever an ice cream truck came rolling into the neighborhood. But parents today warn their kids away from unhealthy foods.
Encyclopedias
What did you do if you needed to look something up in the decades before Google? You used an encyclopedia, of course.
Drive-In Movie Theaters
They still exist, but Gen Z will never understand the power of drive-in movie theaters where families loaded into cars with blankets.
Manned Gas Stations
Back in the olden days attendants pumped your gas, cleaned your windshield, and checked your oil.
Simple Toys
Kids in the 50s and 60s didn’t need the newest gadgets. They played with things like jump ropes, dolls and toy cars.
Cursive Handwriting
There was no getting out of school without learning cursive. It’s somewhat of a lost art now.
Old-Style Shoe Shopping
Back in the day, shoe shop staff would measure your feet with a clunky device. They just don’t do that anymore.
Globes
Nowadays, you can use Google Maps to find a destination. But not so long ago, you’d spin a globe.
TV Dinners
Was Mom too tired to cook? Never mind, she’d just stick a TV dinner in the oven. They were unhealthy, but oh so good.
