World War II was over. So was the Great Depression. Many Americans held jobs that provided enough money to buy homes and support families. From these conditions was born the baby boom. That was the name for the unprecedented surge in the U.S. birthrate between 1946 and 1964. Couples married younger and had more babies on average than in the past.
This group of Americans exerted a major impact on the American economy and culture. The baby boomers are forever linked with the youth and promise of the era after World War II. Today, as boomers reach retirement age, they continue to have a large impact on American society.
As the boomers moved into adolescence, marketers targeted products toward that age group. An estimated 75 million children were born during the baby boom. Products were born to cater to young boomers' needs for toys, games, books, and breakfast cereals.