Look Back To 1944: What Happened That Year

D-Day, the V-1s and the Education Act that changed school for everyone.

Here's 1944 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

Popular music in 1944

• 'I'll Be Seeing You' and 'Swinging on a Star' were among the year's popular songs.
• Glenn Miller disappeared over the Channel in December.
• Dance halls were full of British and American servicemen.

In the news in 1944

• The Normandy landings took place on 6 June.
• V-1 flying bombs began hitting London in June, followed by V-2 rockets in September.
• The Education Act raised the school leaving age to fifteen and set up the eleven-plus system.
• The blackout was relaxed to a dim-out in September.

On screen in 1944

• Henry V, with Laurence Olivier, was released.
• Newsreel footage of D-Day was watched over and over in packed cinemas.
• Television was still off air.

In sport in 1944

• Wartime football continued with large crowds at cup matches.
• Cricket was played at Lord's, including a match interrupted by a V-1.
• Planning began for the resumption of normal fixtures.

Everyday life in 1944

• Evacuation started again from London because of the flying bombs.
• Pay As You Earn began in April.
• Utility goods and coupons still governed every purchase.

If you were born in 1944

• Anyone born in 1944 was born in the year of D-Day.
• They were the first cohort to go through the school system set up by the 1944 Education Act.
• Anyone born in 1944 turns 30 in 1974, 40 in 1984, 50 in 1994, 60 in 2004 and 70 in 2014.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

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How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1947
• Look back to 1946
• Look back to 1945
• Look back to 1943
• Look back to 1942
• Look back to 1941
• The 1940s: the whole decade
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• Traditional British party games
• Pen and paper games
• Card games your nan taught you
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
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• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
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• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
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• How to make a balloon arch
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• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

When was D-Day?

6 June 1944, the Allied landings in Normandy.

What did the 1944 Education Act do?

It reorganised state schooling in England and Wales, raised the leaving age to fifteen and introduced the eleven-plus selection system.

How old is someone born in 1944?

Subtract 1944 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1984, 50 in 1994, 60 in 2004 and 70 in 2014.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.