Growing up in the 1950s and early '60s meant a life lived largely outdoors.

The Aftermath: The Last Days of the Baby Boom | by Frank Diana

: Enrollment nearly doubled, leading to "teaching in shifts" and classes held in barber shops or portable units to handle the overcrowding.

This is the story of the —the 76 million people born in the United States between 1946 and 1964 who grew up in a world that seemed to expand just to fit them. The Great Arrival

Because there were so many of them, the world had to physically change:

: Families migrated from cities to new suburban developments, sparking a building boom for housing and shopping malls. A Childhood of Freedom

It began just nine months after World War II ended. In 1946, 3.4 million babies were born—a 20% jump from the year before. For nearly two decades, the "cry of the baby" was heard across the land, fueled by a booming postwar economy and a newfound confidence that families could support more children.