Born that year
Estimate3.6 million babies
an estimated 3,632,000 born in the U.S. (CDC/NCHS)
CDC/NCHS
Live births adjusted for underregistration, rounded to thousands (NVSR 59-1 Table 1).
CDC/NCHS, 1950 · Source (opens in a new tab)
Born in 1950
America in 1950
In 1950, about 152 million people lived in the United States, an estimated 3.6 million babies were born (CDC/NCHS), and Harry S. Truman was president.
A dollar from 1950 buys what $13.98 buys today, by consumer prices.
The Born Story shows the world on the day you were born — enter a birthday to see the weather, prices, and headlines of that day.
How many babies were born in 1950?
How many people lived in the U.S. in 1950?
Americans that year
1950 figure152 million Americans
as of July 1, 1950 (U.S. Census Bureau)
US Census Bureau
Includes service members overseas.
US Census Bureau, 1950 · Source (opens in a new tab)
How much did things cost in 1950?
A dollar then
1950 average$13.98 today
By consumer prices, 1950 average vs. Sept. 2026 (BLS CPI-U).
| First-class stampall of 1950 | 3¢ |
BLS · USPS Historian — Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863
Prices in the table are as charged then, not adjusted for inflation.
BLS, 1950 · Source (opens in a new tab)
USPS Historian — Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863, 1950 · Source (opens in a new tab)
How long were people expected to live in 1950?
Life expectancy at birth
1950 figure68.2 years
U.S. life expectancy at birth, 1950 (NCHS)
CDC/NCHS
All races, both sexes. A snapshot of that year’s death rates, not a forecast for any one person.
CDC/NCHS, 1950 · Source (opens in a new tab)
Who was president in 1950?
In the White House
1950Harry S. Truman
33rd President of the United States
US House Office of the Historian
US House Office of the Historian, 1950 · Source (opens in a new tab)
A birthday poster from 1950
Someone born in 1950 gets a poster of their own day: the weather where they were born, the Moon that night, and what the world looked like, with every fact sourced.
Make one for a 1950 birthdaySee the day you were born in 1950
The weather that day, the Moon that night, and your hometown, each with its source.