Mass production of consumer refrigerators in the United States (1945-1965)

1. Refrigerator ownership nears two-thirds of households

   Jan 1, 1945Labels: U S

   • OWID data

2. War Production Board restarts refrigerator priorities

   Jul 2, 1945Labels: War Production

   • TIME

3. Postwar housing boom expands appliance demand

   Jan 1, 1946Labels: Postwar housing

   • US history

4. Defense Production Act tightens materials priorities

   Sep 8, 1950Labels: Defense Production

   • CRS report
   • DPA overview

5. Refrigerator sales exceed five million in 1950

   Jan 29, 1951Labels: Refrigerator sales

   • ACHR News

6. GE begins building Louisville “Appliance Park”

   Jul 1, 1951Labels: GE Appliance

   • GE pressroom
   • GE manufacturing

7. GE’s Appliance Park starts refrigerator production

   Oct 1, 1954Labels: GE Appliance

   • Assembly Mag
   • ASSEMBLY

8. Refrigerators become near-universal household appliances

   Jan 1, 1955Labels: U S

   • OWID data

9. Congress passes the Refrigerator Safety Act

   Aug 2, 1956Labels: Refrigerator Safety

   • Congress gov
   • Cornell LII

10. Safety rule takes effect for new refrigerators

    Oct 30, 1958Labels: Federal regulation

    • Cornell LII
    • CPSC release

11. Factory-scale output supports weekly mass production

    Jan 1, 1961Labels: GE Appliance

    • Assembly Mag
    • ASSEMBLY

12. Refrigerator ownership reaches saturation by 1965

    Jan 1, 1965Labels: U S

    • OWID data