Back in Time Today
The 1960s were a whirlwind of change, freedom, and cultural revolution. From unique social customs to everyday habits, this decade created traditions that shaped generations. Today’s Gen Z might find these practices not just outdated but completely foreign to their digital-first world. Step back in time to discover what life was like before smartphones and social media dominated our daily routines.
1. Rotary Phone Patience
Calling friends meant physically rotating a dial for each digit, then waiting for the entire dial to spin back before entering the next number. Mistakes meant starting all over again! No redial buttons existed, so people memorized important numbers or kept phone books nearby.
Long-distance calls were expensive special occasions, often planned in advance and kept brief. Families would gather around to take turns speaking to relatives who lived far away.
The satisfying circular motion and mechanical clicking of rotary phones created a distinctive soundtrack to communication that today’s tap-and-swipe generation would find charmingly primitive yet fascinating.
2. TV Antenna Adjustment Dance
Television viewing required real physical effort! Family members took turns standing by the TV, holding rabbit ear antennas in awkward positions to improve reception. “A little to the left… no, right… hold it right there!” became a common household phrase.
Programming was limited to just three major networks, and shows aired only at specific times with no option to pause or record. Missing your favorite program meant waiting for summer reruns.
When the national anthem played at midnight, broadcasting ended completely until morning. The static-filled screen and test pattern that followed signaled bedtime for most households.
3. Drive-In Movie Magic
Saturday nights meant piling into the family station wagon with blankets, pillows, and homemade snacks for an evening at the drive-in theater. Cars parked in rows facing enormous outdoor screens, with small speakers hanging from windows providing sound.
Pajama-clad kids often played on swing sets below the screen before showtime. Parents sometimes brought lawn chairs to sit outside their vehicles on warm summer nights.
These outdoor theaters showed double features that lasted until midnight, creating a community experience where neighbors chatted between films. Many teenagers experienced their first dates at these magical outdoor cinemas, away from parental supervision.
4. Encyclopedia Reliance
Before Google, families invested in massive encyclopedia sets that occupied entire bookshelves. These expensive multi-volume collections represented a significant household investment, often purchased through monthly payment plans.
Homework meant physically flipping through alphabetically-organized volumes to find information. Students spent hours hand-copying facts for school reports, since photocopiers weren’t readily available in homes.
Door-to-door encyclopedia salespeople were common visitors, offering demonstrations of how these knowledge repositories could help children succeed academically. Many families displayed their complete encyclopedia collections prominently as symbols of their commitment to education and status.
5. Milk Delivery Service
Glass bottles of fresh milk appeared magically on doorsteps before dawn. The milkman made regular neighborhood rounds, collecting empty bottles and leaving full ones in their place.
Families left notes requesting extra butter, cream, or eggs pinned to returned empties. During winter months in colder regions, milk sometimes froze and pushed the paper caps upward, creating little towers of frozen cream.
The distinct sound of glass bottles clinking in metal carriers announced the milkman’s arrival. This personal service created community connections as milkmen knew their customers by name and often became trusted neighborhood fixtures who kept an eye on homes while making their regular rounds.
6. Formal Dinner Dress Codes
Families dressed up for dinner at home, not just for restaurant outings. Men wore slacks and button-down shirts while women donned dresses or skirts for everyday evening meals. Children were expected to wash up and change clothes before coming to the table.
The dining room was reserved for proper meals, with carefully set tables featuring cloth napkins and proper place settings. Sunday dinners were especially formal affairs with best china and silverware making appearances.
Television viewing during mealtime was strictly forbidden. Instead, families engaged in conversation about their day, current events, or plans for the week ahead, creating dedicated time for family bonding.
7. Carbon Paper Typing Skills
Creating document copies required sandwiching thin carbon paper between sheets in a typewriter. One typing mistake meant errors on all copies! Secretaries developed remarkable skills, typing nearly flawlessly on manual machines that required significant finger strength.
White correction fluid became a desk essential, carefully applied to errors before they dried. After waiting for the liquid to dry, typists precisely aligned the paper to continue at the exact spot.
The distinctive sound of typing pools filled office buildings as dozens of typewriters clacked simultaneously. Many high schools required typing classes where students learned proper finger placement on keyboards without looking at their hands – a skill that would eventually transfer to computer keyboards.
8. Record Store Listening Booths
Music lovers spent afternoons in small wooden booths sampling records before purchasing. These private listening stations allowed customers to preview albums through headphones, experiencing the music without commitment.
Album artwork was enormous and detailed, designed to be studied while listening. Teenagers saved allowances for weeks to afford a single album, making each purchase a significant investment worthy of careful consideration.
Record store employees became trusted music guides, recommending new artists based on customers’ tastes. These shops served as cultural hubs where like-minded fans connected and discovered underground bands, creating communities centered around musical preferences long before online forums existed.
9. Cigarette-Friendly Everything
Smoking wasn’t just accepted – it was actively accommodated everywhere. Restaurants, airplanes, offices, and even hospital waiting rooms featured ashtrays as standard amenities. Cigarette companies distributed free branded ashtrays to businesses as promotional items.
Cars came equipped with lighters and ashtrays in every door panel. Public buildings featured elegant standing ashtrays in lobbies, and homeowners proudly displayed decorative smoking accessories as part of their living room decor.
Lighting someone’s cigarette was considered a gentlemanly gesture, and smoking was portrayed as sophisticated in advertising and films. The distinctive smell of cigarette smoke permeated public spaces, clothing, and upholstery in a way that would shock today’s smoke-free generation.
10. Soda Fountain Social Scene
Downtown drugstores featured marble counters where teenagers gathered after school to sip hand-mixed sodas and malts. Uniformed soda jerks performed elaborate mixing rituals, creating frothy concoctions while spinning on chrome and vinyl stools became a rite of passage.
These fountains served as affordable teenage hangouts where young people could socialize without parental supervision. A nickel or dime bought a cherry Coke or phosphate, making these spots accessible to youth with limited spending money.
The jukebox provided background music while important social connections formed. Many couples had their first dates at these counters, sharing a single milkshake with two straws – a romantic gesture immortalized in films of the era.
11. Handwritten Letter Exchanges
Long-distance relationships survived through carefully crafted letters that took days or weeks to arrive. People developed distinctive penmanship and collected special stationery for different occasions and recipients.
Mail carriers delivered twice daily in many areas, creating regular excitement as personal correspondence arrived. College students checked mailboxes eagerly for news from home and care packages, while military families treasured V-mail from loved ones serving overseas.
The anticipation of waiting for replies built emotional investment in relationships. Many people saved significant letters in special boxes, rereading them for years to come. Some even spritzed stationery with perfume or cologne to create a sensory connection across the miles.
12. Fallout Shelter Preparations
Cold War anxiety led many families to construct underground bunkers in backyards. These concrete rooms were stocked with canned goods, water, and battery-powered radios in preparation for potential nuclear attacks.
Schools conducted regular duck-and-cover drills, teaching children to hide under desks at the sound of air raid sirens. Many public buildings displayed distinctive black and yellow fallout shelter signs, indicating where citizens should gather during emergencies.
Government pamphlets provided detailed instructions for survival after nuclear detonation. Some neighborhoods formed civil defense committees that coordinated emergency response plans and conducted practice drills, creating a culture where disaster preparedness became part of everyday life.
13. Door-to-Door Encyclopedia Salesmen
Charismatic salesmen carrying sample volumes appeared unannounced on doorsteps across America. These persuasive visitors convinced parents that encyclopedia sets were essential investments in their children’s futures, despite the significant cost.
Sales presentations included dramatic demonstrations of how encyclopedias could answer any question a child might ask. Many families signed multi-year payment plans, receiving volumes gradually as they paid off their purchase.
These encyclopedias often became prized family possessions displayed prominently in living rooms. The arrival of each new volume was an event, with children eagerly exploring fresh knowledge. For many families, these books represented both educational aspiration and social status in an era before instant information access.
14. Family Car Sunday Drives
Sunday afternoons were reserved for aimless family drives with no particular destination. Parents loaded children into massive station wagons or sedans just to enjoy scenery and each other’s company.
These leisurely excursions might include impromptu stops at roadside attractions or ice cream stands. With gasoline costing around 30 cents per gallon, driving was an affordable family activity that created shared experiences.
Cars lacked air conditioning, so windows stayed down while radio stations faded in and out as families crossed broadcast boundaries. Children played travel games like license plate bingo or I-Spy rather than staring at screens. These drives represented unstructured family time that’s increasingly rare in today’s scheduled, destination-focused world.