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Princess Margriet of the Netherlands

b. 1943

Born
1943, Ottawa Civic Hospital
Country of birth
Canada

Living person. The family sees only the name, dates and photo; everything else stays private unless they choose to share it.

facts
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sources
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images and files
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Facts and their sources

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A life in time

  1. Born · Ottawa Civic Hospital

    Birth, Ottawa Civic Hospital

What was it like?

The world around Ottawa Civic Hospital, 1943: who ruled, who else was alive, how people lived. This is general history, not a record about the family, and every item shows where it comes from.

Princess was born around the same time as John Lennon, Pelé, and Bruce Lee.

Born around the same time

  • John Lennon

    1940 · British musician (1940–1980)

  • Pelé

    1940 · Brazilian footballer (1940–2022)

  • Bruce Lee

    1940 · Hong Kong–American martial artist and actor (1940–1973)

  • Muhammad Ali

    1942 · American boxer (1942–2016)

  • Joe Biden

    1942 · 46th President of the United States (2021–2025)

  • Stephen Hawking

    1942 · British theoretical physicist, cosmologist and author (1942–2018)

Fashion
Around 1950–1959

Handmade clothing for children

In the 1950s, many children wore dresses handmade by their mothers from cotton, corduroy, or wool, often featuring a plain high-neck bodice, short sleeves, and a gathered skirt.

Around 1950–1959

Stiffened crinolines for teenage girls

Teenage girls would sometimes use large, ruffled crinolines under their skirts, which required regular soaking in starch to keep them stiff and prickly.

Music
Around 1950–1964

Teen Town dances for Canadian youth

In the 1950s, Ladysmith youth attended supervised Teen Town dances held two or three times a month, where local bands played emerging rock and roll music. Admission to these popular events helped bands earn money while keeping local youth entertained.

Getting around
Around 1950–1969

Daily train travel on Prince Edward Island

In the mid-20th century, residents in rural Prince Edward Island often relied on the train for daily town trips, such as leaving at 6:30 a.m. and returning at 6:30 p.m.

Around 1950–1974

Dog-team travel in the Labrador winter

During winter in the Labrador Straits, residents commonly used dog-teams with sleds called komatiks to travel to social events, such as dances located 20 kilometers away.

Daily life
Around 1950–1954

Television cost 20 percent of annual income

In the early 1950s, a television set was a significant luxury, costing about 20 percent of an average annual income.

Around 1950–1961

Low high school graduation before 1950s

Before the post-war boom, only one in ten Canadian students finished high school, whereas the baby boomer generation spent significantly more time in school.

Food
Around 1950–1958

Cost of a Family Food Basket

A food basket for a family of four cost $20 in 1948–1950 and rose to $25 by 1958. This basket included typical items such as dairy, eggs, meat, and vegetables.

Around 1950–1959

Sugar's Post-War Return to Canadian Diets

Following wartime rationing, sugar returned to the Canadian diet through popular sugary children's cereals and convenience items like cake mixes and gelatin salads. Advertisers encouraged this trend by marketing sugar as a valuable source of energy for children.

Prices and wages
Around 1950–1950

Worker wages in 1950

In 1950, Hamilton city workers earned $34 to $45 per week, with outside workers paid 85 cents per hour.

Around 1949–1954

Family incomes in the 1950s

A typical budget-conscious family in 1949 managed their home on $40 a week, while a white-collar teacher earned $4,450 annually by 1954.

Work
Around 1950–1967

Dominant resource-based employment

In the mid-20th century, agriculture and resource-based industries remained dominant, employing nearly 45 percent of the Canadian workforce.

Around 1945–1974

Grueling nursing shift schedules

Nurses in Alberta often worked 13 consecutive shifts before receiving a weekend off, and they frequently managed wards alone with little orientation.

News and letters
Around 1948–1948

Canada adopted all-air domestic mail in 1948

In 1948, Canada became the first country in the world to transport all first-class domestic mail by air.

Around 1945–1970

Mail volume growth challenged delivery speeds

Following World War II, the massive increase in mail volume made next-day delivery for the price of a stamp impossible. By 1970, Canadians were sending 4.8 billion pieces of mail annually.

During their lifetime

  1. 1947

    Alberta Oil Discovery Starts Economic Boom

    The 1947 discovery of major oil fields in Leduc, Alberta, ignited a massive economic boom that reshaped the energy industry and Canada's modern economy.

  2. 1951

    1951 Polio Epidemic Strikes Canada

    A devastating polio epidemic struck Canada in 1951, causing widespread fear and leaving many with lasting, crippling health impacts.

  3. 1956

    Hungarian Refugee Crisis Leads to Arrivals

    Following the Hungarian Uprising, Canada admitted over 37,000 Hungarian refugees in less than a year, with many arriving on chartered flights in early 1957.

  4. 1960

    Canadian Bill of Rights Introduced

    Prime Minister John Diefenbaker introduced the Canadian Bill of Rights in 1960 to protect individual liberties and fundamental freedoms.

  5. 1967

    Immigration Points System Established

    Canada officially adopted a points-based system for immigration in 1967, eliminating racial discrimination and focusing on selection criteria such as education and skills.

  6. 1979

    Resettlement of 60,000 Indochinese Refugees

    Between 1979 and 1980, Canada resettled 60,000 refugees from Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia, spurred by the new private sponsorship program.

Family

Parents

Ancestors and children

Open the full tree

Four generations back to the right, the children to the left. The number beside a child counts the generations of descendants known after them.