Makes me wonder how many living people on earth have seen a nuclear explosion with their own eyes. It can't be very high, maybe 1-10 thousand? Not a number you would want to see increase, to be sure.
Somewhere between 400,000-550,000 (the number varies greatly depending on source) US servicemen (Army, Navy, and Marines) participated in nuclear tests from 1946 to 1962. As of 2024, about 10,000 were still alive.
I think a lot of folks who haven’t looked in to pop culture and pop science in the ~1950s assume a lot more of Fallout is totally made-up than really is…
Starting with the fact that every one of those novelty songs on the soundtrack were actual period songs. “Atom Bomb Baby” might not have been a huge hit (or maybe it was, I can’t seem to find info), but it’s period music:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Fallout/comments/3tzsma/update_ama_...
I don't know if I'd say it was the inspiration, as that is probably better credited largely to the book, "A Canticle for Leibowitz", and the "Mad Max" films. But the Fallout franchise certainly makes plenty of satirical reference to the Atomic Craze.
What a time...