Paul Newman was one of the hottest film stars from the Golden Age of Hollywood and the one that many boomers look back on and mourn for. Of course, kids today only recognize him from the side of his salad dressing bottles, but anyone who’s seen his films knows why he was such a hit in the 50s and beyond.
Some of his biggest films came out around the ‘60s and ‘70s, including the 1967 hit, “Cool Hand Luke,” in which he played the role of the title character, Luke Jackson.
Loving v. Virginia
It may seem shocking, as someone living in the modern world in 2021, that there was a time when there were bans on interracial marriages – but that time, unfortunately, and actually existed.
But in 1967, a couple named Richard and Mildred Loving had enough of the band and took their case straight to the supreme court in what would become Loving v. Virginia. Now, Loving Day is celebrated every year on June 12 to mark the momentous occasion.
Five-and-Dime Stores
Five-and-dime stores came into existence in 1879, created by a failed department store chain, Woolworths. But back in the day, they were extremely popular, that is until Walmart and Amazon, and other mega-stores ran them out of business.
Still, many look back and miss the days of shopping at the cheap and cheerful neighborhood five-and-dime. There may still be a few sprinkled here and there, and you may find one if you’re lucky, but the majority have been closed.
S&H Stamps
Stamps were a big deal when what’s now dubbed “snail mail” was still one of the more popular methods of communication. And, choosing what to do with those redeemed S & H Green Stamps was a boomer kid’s favorite pastime.
Would it be a comic book? A new toy truck, perhaps? The possibilities were endless! The stamps were incredibly popular throughout the U.S. from the ‘30s until the late ‘80s and were distributed as part of a rewards program by the Sperry & Hutchinson company.
The Milkman
Today, many grocery stores offer their own milk delivery services (and a number of them are plant-based, like coconut, oat, soy, and almond). But when boomers were younger, they had to wait for their weekly delivery from the milkman, who’d come by and drop off their supply, and pick up any empty glass bottles his customers left out from previous trips.
In the 1960s, about 30% of milk was still being delivered. Now, in the age of online shopping and grocery delivery, that percentage has probably gone up again!