In 1947, the world struggled with the aftermath of WWII while facing the early stages of the Cold War. The Marshall Plan committed billions to aid in the recovery of Europe. The breaking of the - up until then - misunderstood sound barrier and the development of the transistor marked achievements that would open new areas of technology.

A close look at life at the beginning of the Baby Boom era. In post-war 1946, what our parents faced when literally millions of returning soldiers and sailors returned to enter the workforce. The war left Europe and Japan in ruins with a staggering death toll of 80 million lives. The U.S. was no exception, while our cities remained intact, 16 million joined the military over that period and 400,000 lost their lives.

'46 was an incredible year of transition. It was a year the country seemed to take a deep breath and say, "OK, it's over, now let's put things together and get going." And get going we did. As you'll see, the progress and achievements in this era are nothing short of astounding. And it all begins in '46.