Popular+Culture+-+1940's

Your task today is to post relevant information about the popular culture during the 1940's. This includes exploration of **popular music, movies, media, and technology.**


 * Madeleine Turk, Cara Chaney, Brogan Orcutt and John Adkerson (Bell 1)**

Music in the 1940s was mainly built around the jazz and big band styles that were popular during the day. Artists like Rosemary Clooney, Count Basie, and Artie Shaw helped to define the musical era with their unique brand of entertaining crowds through their music. This was also the era of World War II, and many musical acts strived to reflect the pain that the country was going through while still remaining upbeat and positive about the impending future. [|Music]

Films took on a more realistic rather than escapist tone, as they had done during the Depression years of the 30's. The US government's Office of War Information (OWI), formed in 1942, served as an important propaganda agency during World War II, and coordinated its efforts with the film industry to record and photograph the nation's war-time activities. Some famous movies that came out during this time are Hollywood Canteen, Casablanca, The Story of GI Joe, The Best Years of Our Lives, and I Was a Male War Bride. [|Movies]

Just like today sports were a very popluar thing in the 1940's. In 1940 the Chicago Bears won the super bowl and our hometeam, the Cincinnati Reds won the World Series by beating the Detriot Tigers 4-3. World War II has just begun and the fighting was harsh. The 1940 Summer Olympics were supposed to be held in Helsinki but were cancelled because of the great war. [|Sports]

One popular innovation of the 1940’s was the radio. By 1940, radio had become a mass medium. Almost 80 percent of the households in the U.S. owned a radio. Yet before the war, only seven percent of the airtime was devoted to news. By the end of the war, 25 percent of the airtime was news, and audiences had been transported to the battlefront in live and recorded reports. The desperate need for news spurred additional radio set sales despite a cutback in production because of wartime rationing. [|Radio]

In the 1940’s there were many technology advancements. Jet Engines, Radar and Nuclear Fission technological advances came due to the war. Colossus, the world's first totally electronic and digital computer was made. The first Supersonic Flight and the first Transistor were developed in the 1940’s. Other inventions include 45rmp Record, the Atomic Bomb, Atomic Power, Guided Missile, Hologram, Kidney Dialysis, Microwave, Mobile Phone and Napalm. [|Technology]



//Bell 8: Gabbie Pettinichi, Cody Okoroski, Nolan Wheeler, David Loock, Raphael Kurian//

Sports in the 1940’s was highly influences by WWII, in fact, the 1940 Summer Olympics were cancelled due to the outbreak of WWII. Also, on March 2 1940, Seabiscuit won his final race completing his triple crown. And most notably, in 1947 Jackie Robinson became the first black player in Major League Baseball. [|Sports 1] [|Jackie Robinson]

The beginnings of rock and roll begin to appear in the 1940's. Jazz and blues become very popular by the end of the decade. The music also reflected the changes America underwent during World War II. Bluegrass music also came to the mainstream. As an interesting fact, John Lennon was born in 1940.

[|Music]

The take off of radio happened in the 1940's. In particular, with radio being popular, radio shows took off. There were never ending amounts of radio shows and some of the popular radio shows were The Green Hornet, Duffys Tavern and Jack Benny show. Also by 1947 radio was listened to by over 82% of people on a regular basis.

[|Radio]

Due to the world being at war technology advanced at an alarming rate during the 1940’s. This technology was mostly in defense and science but other things were advanced as well. Including regular day activities like Velcro and long playing records.

Technology