In 1950, Charles Lindbergh was 48 years old, living with his family in Fairfield, Connecticut, and stated his occupation as a government aviation consultant.
Walt Disney was also 48 years old, lived in Los Angeles, California and claimed to be president of a “movie animation studio”.
Rosa Parks, 37, lived with her husband in Montgomery, Alabama. She didn’t specify an occupation, but her husband Raymond worked in a hair salon.
The trio of notable names, along with personal details about their lives in post-WWII America, are among millions whose records are now available with the release of the 1950 US Census.
“There are people that people think they already are, and it’s interesting to see aspects that you may not know about,” said Jim Ericson, senior manager at FamilySearch. “It’s fun to see these people and realize that everyone could learn something about their own family.”
Is the 1950 US Census Available Online?
Since its release on April 1, more than 50% of the 151 million names in the 1950 US Census have been checked to create a searchable digital database of records.
Records for two states – Utah and Nevada – have been completed. According to Janelle Vasquez, a program manager at FamilySearch, Idaho is 90% screened and several other states are nearing completion.
An interactive map on FamilySearch shows each state’s progress.
An interactive map on FamilySearch shows each state’s progress in creating a searchable index of the 1950 United States Census.
The 1950 US Census project had more than 130,000 volunteers, but FamilySearch is asking for more help in two areas.
How to help create a searchable index
First, millions of names still need to be verified. Patrons can use the Get Involved app or the FamilySearch website to review names for the index.
“We’re 60% done checking all names in the United States, which means we’ve checked 75 million names to date,” Ericson said.
The second task is to verify families, which means verifying the details listed for each person in a family or household.
Initially, this task was more complicated, but FamilySearch has worked with Ancestry to make it easier and less time-consuming.
“We’ve simplified the process of reviewing the records and made it a lot easier for the volunteers,” said Ericson. “We aim to make the recordings freely available.”
A U.S. Census Taker speaks to a family in Virginia during the 1950 census.
United States Census Bureau
See more famous names in the 1950 US Census
Here is a list of another 24 recognizable names found in the 1950 U.S. Census and where they lived when they were censused in 1950. The records can be viewed for free with a FamilySearch account.
Celebrities, Entertainers, and Notable Names:
- Lucille Ball, 38, and Desi Arnaz, 32, live in Los Angeles, California.
- Jackie Robinson, 31, lives in Queens, New York.
- Albert Einstein, 71, lives in Mercer, New Jersey.
- Elvis Presley, 15, lives in Memphis, Tennessee.
- Martin Luther King Jr., 50, lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Gladys “Glady” Knight, 6, lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Nat King Cole, 30, lives in Los Angeles, California.
- Billy Graham, 32, lives in Buncombe, North Carolina.
- Dolly Parton, 4, lives in Sevier, Tennessee.
- dr Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel), 44, lives in San Diego, California.
- Dwight D. Eisenhower, 59, lives in New York City, New York.
- Frank Lloyd Wright, 80, lives in Maricopa, Arizona.
- Fred Astaire, 50, lives in Los Angeles, California.
- Helen Keller, 69, lives in Fairfield, Connecticut.
- John F. Kennedy, 32, lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
- Katharine Hepburn, 40, lives in New York City, New York.
- Karen Carpenter, 1 month old, lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
- Neil Armstrong, 19, lives in Nueces, Texas.
- Walter Cronkite, 35, lives in Montgomery, Maryland.
- William Faulkner, 52, lives in Lafayette, Mississippi.
First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Other famous people found in the 1950 US Census including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Muhammad Ali, Bob Ross, John Denver, John Belushi and others are listed in this article published by Census.gov.
Learn more about the 1950 US Census Project at FamilySearch.org or Ancestry.com.
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