Census facts:
Golden Oldies - Population
During the post-WWII baby boom, the 1951 Census records that the largest age group is that of 0-4 year old children. By 2001 Scotland’s population are living longer than ever before: the number of over 85s have more than doubled, whilst the number of 0-4 yr olds has almost halved. The population of Scotland is expected to carry on ageing.
* GROS estimates that by 2031 the number of children under 16 will decrease by 7 per cent, but the number of people over 60 will increase by 54 per cent.
The cough carries you off - Health
By the late 1940s, tuberculosis (TB) was killing someone every two hours in Scotland. In 1951, due to a shortage of beds and nurses, Scottish TB patients were airlifted to Switzerland for treatment.
*Scotland's Census doesn't record deaths or causes of deaths.
bah humbug! - Culture
In 1958, Christmas isn’t cancelled! The 25th of December becomes a public holiday in Scotland. Previously, in the centuries since the Reformation, the Scottish clergy had taken a dim view of the mid-winter festivities.
*Scotland’s Census does not ask if you celebrate Christmas.
Contemporary historical facts:
29 May 1953 – Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
2 June 1953 – An estimated 20 million TV viewers see a 25-year -old Princess Eizabeth crowned Queen of Great Britain and the Commonwealth
1959 – The silicon chip is invented, paving the way for personal computers.