Tag Archives: life in 1940

1940 U.S. Census Community Project, Genealogy, the1940census

What Happened the Year the Class of 1958 Was Born ?

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I am sure the class of  1958 had its dreams, just like “The Class of  57”*
Let’s look and see what their parents were dreaming or worrying about besides there little bundles of joy that would be making their appearances sometime in 1940. 

  • The population of the United States was  132,164,569, now that is a few people to index!
  • Unemployment was near 14% with about 8,120,000 unemployed
  • Minimum wage $.30 an hour
  • Your new house would have cost about $6,550.00
  • Run down to your local car dealer and grab a car in the range of $800 or so.
  • Gallon of gas! Hold your breath was…………….are you ready?  $.18 !

So what did they do for entertainment.

Here are the movies that were popular in 1940

  • The Philadelphia Story/ Cary Grant, Katherine Hepburn, James Stewart
  • The Grapes of Wrath / Henry Fonda, Jane Darwell, John Carradine,
  • Rebecca /Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, George Sanders
  • His Girl Friday/Cary Grant, Rosalind Russell, Ralph Bellamy
  • Fantasia/Mickey Mouse
  • Pinocchio/Mel Blanc, Don Brodie, Walter Catlett and many more wonderful voices
  • The Great Dictator/Charles Chaplin, Jack Oakie, Reginald Gardiner
  •  The Westerner/Gary Cooper,Walter Brennan, Doris Davenport
  •  The Thief of Bagdad/Conrad Veidt, Sabu, June Duprez
  • The Road to Singapore/Bob Hope, Bing Crosby

The Class of  “58” Celebs

  • Al Pacino
  • Rodger Miller
  • Chuck Norris
  • Author, Edmund White
  • Willie Stargell
  • Alex Trebek (you’ll need to wait till 1941 Canadian Census for this young man)

There are many more folks that will be found on the 1940 US Census.
Who will you be looking for? What information will add flesh to the bones in your family tree?

Join the 1940 U. S. Census Community Project today , sign up to be an indexer.  Treasures await !

*The Class of “57” by the Statler Brothers.