On July 14th, 1946, at the dawn of the post-World War II baby
boom, Dr. Benjamin Spock published The Common Sense
Book of Baby and Child Care. It would become a foundational
work on the topic of parenting, transforming how generations
of children were raised.

The book, which has sold more than 50 million copies and been translated into more than 50 languages, stands as one of the
best-selling nonfiction works of the 20th century.

Dr. Benjamin McLane Spock
(May 2, 1903–March 15, 1998)

In the decades after publishing what would become
a worldwide childcare bible, Benjamin Spock gained
renown for his political activism.

He became a prominent opponent of the Vietnam War,
the military draft and nuclear weapons; in 1968, he was
convicted for aiding draft resisters. In 1972, he ran—
and lost—as the People’s Party’s presidential candidate.