Baby Boom Background

May 9 - Today is not a national holiday in the United States, despite the fact that on this date in 1960, the Food and Drug Administration made a decision that revolutionized our culture.

Die-hard FDA fans will insist that seldom a day goes by that the FDA doesn't inject excitement into the lives of the American populace, but even the most avid food and drug regulation procedure enthusiast must acknowledge that May 9, 1960, stands out as the FDA's day of days. It was on that date that the FDA formally approved The Pill.

Interestingly, this regulatory watershed came almost exactly twenty years after an important and equally pleasant commercial innovation: on May 15, 1940, the very first nylons went on sale in America.

Quick recap: 1940, nylons. 1960, oral contraceptives. 1940-1960, the baby boom.

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