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The 1950s was a time period where the stereotypical American Dream was highly advertised. It was shown throughout the many television shows that debuted during this era. The 50s became known as the Golden Age of TV because of the growth of television. Despite there only being 108 stations at the time, over 70 million TV sets were sold throughout the decade. Most of the shows on TV were recorded live and featured nuclear, white, suburban families living the 'American Dream'. However, other events, like the 1956 Winter Olympics were also broadcasted live!

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A look back: 1956 – The first televised Winter Olympics

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After having to cancel the 1944 Winter Olympics because of World War II, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy was finally able to host the Winter Games in 1956 - Jan. 26

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I Love Lucy was a popular show that first aired in 1951. The show followed a multiethnic couple, Ricky and Lucy Ricardo, as they lived their lives in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Lucy was a housewife who dreamed of a life outside of her kitchen and the show followed her adventures as she attempted to achieve said dream. I Love Lucy was one of the only shows, during this time period, to feature a diverse couple, which made the show more relatable for the diverse American population. It also featured themes that were prominent in Americans' every day lives - like the struggle of being a housewife but wanting more, and how men handled this struggle with the women in their lives.

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I Love Lucy: A Colorized Celebration - "Job Switching" clip

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Leave it to Beaver was centered around one of the sons of a white, nuclear American family. The son - beaver - lived with his mom, dad, and brother, and often found himself in unfortunate situations. The show resonated with a lot of American families, because Beaver's family had your typical dynamics - arguments and all. Despite the lack of diversity within the show, it was a model of the 'American Dream' - big house, white picket fence, two parents, two kids, etc - which is what a lot of people strived for.

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June Cleaver on womens changing roles in the 1960s

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The 1960s was a decade filled with political events, like the Vietnam War and the assassination of President Kennedy, all of which were covered on television. As technology enhanced TV's ability to go live, more and more people started tuning into the nightly newscasts to see what was going on across the country and the globe.

Around this time is when colored television started getting more popular, and therefore, more profitable.

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How the JFK assassination changed TV news and the journalists who covered it 60 years ago

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Coverage of the Kennedy assassination 60 years ago changed the course of TV news and shaped the careers of some of America’s best known journalists.

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The Andy Griffith Show followed the tales of Andy, the widowed sheriff of a small North Carolina town, his son Opie, his aunt Bee, his deputy Barney, and a few other townsfolk. The show was one of the firsts to shoot without a studio audience and with only one camera. This allowed the show to be filmed outside of just a set. This show aired during a tumultuous time in the world - when the Vietnam War was being fought. The entertainment and innocence of the show attracted so many Americans who felt fear, anger, and anxiety about what was going on in the world, and provided them an opportunity to relax and laugh.

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Father's Day Lessons from The Andy Griffith Show promo

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Seven people, four men and three women, set sail on 3-hour tour, but end up caught in a storm and inevitably stuck on an island, in the 1960s show Gilligan's Island. The chaos, humor, and non-linear plotline that the show featured pulled in viewers of all ages. The show covered contemporary topics, like the Space Race, which kept it modern. Many Americans resonated with at least one of the seven main characters, but the show did fall short with it's portrayal of different cultures, like when the Native Americans featured in one episode were only there for comedic purposes. Not to actually honor and recognize that culture.

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The 1970s saw a shift in television, in which more shows featured more diversity and complex topics. Americans saw different family structures and more main characters that were people of color. As mentioned before, more complex topics were covered - like the topics discussed on Sesame Street! Near the end of the decade, cable television networks began being produced. News events were still being broadcasted across the country as well. For example, Richard Nixon's resignation.

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August 8, 2024, marks the 50th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s resignation as President of the United States. Today’s post is an update of Emma Rothberg’s 2014 article. Early the morning of June 17,…

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The Jeffersons followed a wealthy Black couple, George and Louise Jefferson, through their misfortunes and adventures. Some of the other main characters in this show were Lionel, their son, Florence, their maid, and two of their friends, Tom and Helen Willis. This show was one of the firsts to feature a great amount of diversity. For starters, most of the main cast was black. The show also featured an interracial couple, Tom and Helen, which was pretty uncommon up to that point. Also, the show not only had a black couple as the main characters, it had a wealthy black couple as the main characters. This reached Black Americans across the country who had previously felt misrepresented in television. The show was also one of the most successful spin-off series to the show All in the Family.

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George and Willis Wear The Same Tux | The Jeffersons

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Truthfully, Sesame Street actually aired at the very end of 1969, but the show had its greatest impact starting in the 70s. Sesame Street was a different format of television, seeing as it wasn't a family sitcom or a comedy sketch show. It was a show designed to teach and entertain younger kids. This comforted parents who started to worry about the amount and kind of television their kids were watching. The show featured special guests - celebrities - and taught lessons about a range of topics, from how to handle conflict to the fundamentals of reading and writing. The show had a very lasting impact, and is still referencing in classrooms today.

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Cable television and family sitcoms saw unprecedented growth in the 80s. Americans had previously stuck to broadcast TV, where they watched whatever show was on whatever station their TV's signal picked up. However, cable television brought a much wider array of shows to the homes of American families. Family sitcoms also explored more complex family dynamics and themes, like those shown in Full House. Americans were also watching other pieces of media on their TVs... like the music videos launched on MTV!

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The Cosby Show followed the life of a wealthy, upper-class Black American family. The show covered controversial topics like race and social inequality. The show was shot in front of a live studio audience and aired for 8 seasons. Many black Americans found inspiration within the show, and one of the lead actors of the show, Bill Cosby, quickly became beloved by Americans across the country. However, following a serious sexual assault lawsuit, Bill was ousted by Hollywood, and the show was removed from almost all networks.

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Full House was a show that launched in the late 80s, that was centered around an unusually full house - hence the name. After his wife's death, Danny invites his best friend and brother in law to live with him and his three daughters. Throughout the 8 seasons, the most people to live in the house reached 9 - 5 kids and 4 adults. The show didn't feature a great amount of diversity, but it did explore previously untouched themes. For example, the episode that covers peer pressure and drunk driving and the episode that talks about eating disorders. The unusual family dynamic and chaos of the characters caused a lot of Americans to find relatability and humor in the show.

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Full House - Jesse and Joey changing Michelle's diaper

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The 1990s served as a bridge between the early decades and the current decades. TV sets got smaller, but television shows continued to feature more diversity within their cast as well as within the topics the shows covered. However, it still had it's limits. During the 90s is when the internet really started to take off, which allowed people to research and tell their own stories about their favorite television stars. The 90s also saw in increase in non-fictional shows, like reality TV, sketch comedy shows, and real life events - like the OJ Simpson trial!

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O.J. Simpson trial | Summary, Lawyers, Judge, Dates, Verdict, & Facts

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O.J. Simpson trial, criminal trial of former college and professional gridiron football star O.J. Simpson, who was acquitted in 1995 of the murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. It was one of the most notorious criminal trials in American history. On the night of…

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In Living Color was a sketch comedy show that debuted at the beginning of the 90s. It featured a main cast who participated in skits that oftentimes covered current world events. The main cast was very diverse, seeing as most of them were black, which was inspiring to many Black Americans. The show also gave many current celebrities their start - Jennifer Lopez, Jamie Foxx, and Jim Carrey were all featured on the show at one point!

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In Living Color The Dating Game With Wanda

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Friends was a sitcom centered around a group of (you guessed it!) friends living in New York. The show included both humorous and emotional plotlines. Many Americans found relatability with one of the six main characters. Although all of the main cast was white, the show did feature a good amount of diversity. The show continued to grow in popularity over its 10 seasons, and remains a pillar in pop culture even today.

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The 2000s saw a big shift in what was on TV and how you could watch it. This decade featured a lot more reality TV shows, like Keeping Up with the Kardashians, and Americans could now watch their favorite shows at any time, using streaming services like Netflix. TVs continued to get smaller, but all the possibilities of the TVs continued to get bigger. Television coverage of big events was still a prominent source of news for many Americans, like the coverage of 9/11.

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On Tuesday 11 September 2001 suicide attackers seized US passenger jets and crashed them into two New York skyscrapers, killing thousands of people.

The attack remains one of the most traumatic events of the century, not only for Americans but also for the world.

What were the targets?

Four planes flying over the eastern US were seized simultaneously by small teams of hijackers.

They were then used as giant, guided missiles to crash into landmark buildings in New York and Washington.

Two planes struck the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York.

The first hit the North Tower at 08:46 Eastern Time (12:46 GMT). The second crashed into the South Tower at 09:03.

The buildings were set on fire, trapping people on the upper floors, and wreathing the city in smoke. In less than two hours, both 110-storey towers collapsed in massive clouds of dust.

At 09:37 the third plane destroyed the western face of the Pentagon - the giant headquarters of the US military just outside the nation's capital, Washington DC.

The fourth plane crashed in a field in Pennsylvania at 10:03 after passengers fought back. It is thought the hijackers had meant to attack the Capitol Building in Washington DC.

How many people died?

In all, 2,977 people (not counting the 19 hijackers) lost their lives, most of them in New York.

All 246 passengers and crew aboard the four planes were killed

At the Twin Towers, 2,606 people died - then or later of injuries

At the Pentagon, 125 people were killed

The youngest victim was two-year-old Christine Lee Hanson, who died on one of the planes with her parents Peter and Sue.

The oldest was 82-year-old Robert Norton, who was on another plane with his wife Jacqueline, en route to a wedding.

When the first plane struck, an estimated 17,400 people were in the towers. Nobody survived above the impact zone in the North Tower, but 18 managed to escape from the floors above the impact zone in the South Tower.

Citizens of 77 different countries were among the casualties. New York City lost 441 first responders.

Thousands of people were injured or later developed illnesses connected to the attacks, including firefighters who had worked in toxic debris.

Who were the attackers?

An Islamist extremist network called al-Qaeda planned the attacks from Afghanistan.

Led by Osama Bin Laden, al-Qaeda blamed the US and its allies for conflicts in the Muslim world.

Nineteen people carried out the hijackings, working in three teams of five and one of four (on the plane which crashed in Pennsylvania).

Each group included someone who had received pilot training. This was carried out at flying schools in the US itself.

Fifteen hijackers were Saudis like Bin Laden himself. Two were from the United Arab Emirates, one was from Egypt and one was from Lebanon.

How did the US respond?

Less than a month after the attacks, President George W Bush led an invasion of Afghanistan - supported by an international coalition - to eradicate al-Qaeda and hunt down Bin Laden.

However, it was not until 2011 that US troops finally located and killed Bin Laden in neighbouring Pakistan.

The alleged planner of the 9/11 attacks, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, was arrested in Pakistan in 2003. He has been held in US custody at Guantanamo Bay since then, and is still awaiting trial.

Al-Qaeda still exists. It is strongest in Sub-Saharan Africa but even now has members inside Afghanistan.

US troops left Afghanistan this year after nearly 20 years, stoking fears from many that the Islamist network could make a comeback.

The legacy of 9/11

Flight safety was tightened around the world in the years following 9/11.

In the US, the Transportation Security Administration was created to beef up security at airports and on planes.

It took more than eight months to clean up "Ground Zero" - the site of the fallen Twin Towers.

A memorial and a museum now stands on the site, and buildings have risen up again, to a different design.

The completed centrepiece - One World Trade Center, or "Freedom Tower" - stands even higher (1,776ft (541m) than the original North Tower, which was 1,368ft.

Reconstruction at the Pentagon took just under a year, with staff back in their offices by August 2002.

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September 11 attacks: What happened on 9/11?

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How the devastating 2001 plane attacks on America unfolded and how they shaped our age.

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Gilmore Girls was a show that followed the lives of mother-and-daughter duo, Lorelei and Rory. Their dry humor, relationships, and everyday adventures attracted so many Americans who tuned into all of the show's seven seasons. The show featured a great amount of diversity and covered a great deal of topics. A lot of people found relatability in some of the dynamics shown in the show, like the strained relationship between Lorelei and her parents. The show had humorous, serious, exciting, and emotional moments, and continues to be a popular show even 20 years after its release.

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The Gilmores Hash Everything Out | Gilmore Girls

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Keeping up with the Kardashians was a reality TV show that followed the Kardashian family. The show followed Kris and her daughters, Kourtney, Kim, Khloe, Kendall, and Kylie. The family was rich, and their eccentric lives, personalities, and the drama that followed them pulled viewers in. The show gained massive popularity and it lasted 20 seasons. The show was not without controversy, however, seeing as during the show, the family was accused of everything from blackface to cheating to stealing work. People often criticized the family's lack of awareness of their privilege, but continued to watch the show.

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TEARFUL Kim Kardashian RUNS AWAY During Family Vacation | KUWTK | E!

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The 2010s saw a growth in streaming services and how most of America watched TV. Streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and HBO continued to grow, and even started producing their own series. By the end of the decade, streaming services was the most common way people watched TV, with cable television being utilized less and less. The 2010s also saw the physical progression of TVs, as the got smaller, flatter, and wider. People also started to watch shows on more than just a TV. Phones, laptops, and iPads became a common way to watch TV and to stay updated on worldly news, like the impeachment trial of Donald Trump.

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Former President Donald Trump faces his second impeachment trial in the Senate on Feb. 9, when lawmakers will begin the process of considering whether to convict him on a charge of incitement of insurrection following the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

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Game of Thrones is a fantasy show about a medieval country's civil war. The show features heavy special effects and editing. Despite the show being fantastical, many people find relatability in the show's exploration of universal human experiences, like romance, confrontation, and grief. Game of Thrones became a beloved show quickly after its release. However, despite the show being produced in the 20th century, it is often criticized for its lack of diversity.

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Game of Thrones Season 5: Episode #8 Clip - Daenerys and Tyrion Meet (HBO)

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Stranger Things is a show that one could argue is loved by everyone. This show debuted in 2016, and was one of its kind. The show fits into the science fiction/fantasy genre, and follows a group of young boys as they try to locate their missing friend. The show is set in the 80s and manages to capture the quintessential elements of the decade, while also remaining diverse and culturally respectful. The show features extremely heavy special effects and editing. Despite the genre, setting, and editing of the show, so many people connect to the humor, romance and emotion portrayed between all the characters and plotlines.

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Wheeler Family Dinner | Stranger Things | Netflix