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Prince Emmanuel of Belgium

Born Erasmus Hospital, 4 Oct 2005

5 facts1 source

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

Facts and their sources

A life in time

  1. 4 Oct 2005

    Born in Erasmus Hospital

Family

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Parents

During his lifetime

He has lived through 3 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Erasmus Hospital.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 2000s · Prince is born in Erasmus Hospital

What people wore

Around 1950–1970

Belgian boys' clothing in the 1950s-1960s

In the 1950s and early 1960s, Belgian boys frequently wore short pants until they were 12 or 13 years old, sometimes even until age 16 for school uniforms. By the 1960s, American-style casual wear like T-shirts began to gain popularity among the youth.

Getting around

Around 1950–1970

Transition from trams to buses in Brussels

During the 1950s, public transport in Brussels and other regions relied heavily on trams, but many lines were rapidly replaced by bus services, causing service frequencies to drop; for instance, waiting times increased from six or seven minutes to about twelve minutes.

At the table

Around 1950–1974

Potatoes were the staple of daily life

In the 1950s, potatoes were a staple of the daily diet, with average consumption reaching 150 kilograms per person annually, compared to roughly 80 kilograms today. Households followed a strict meal pattern of potatoes, meat, and vegetables, often considered the holy trinity of the time.

September 11. Hijacked planes destroyed the Twin Towers in New York and hit the Pentagon; nearly 3,000 people died, and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq followed.Around the world · 2001

September 11. Hijacked planes destroyed the Twin Towers in New York and hit the Pentagon; nearly 3,000 people died, and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq followed.

Flickr user Michael Foran · CC BY 2.0

Music

Around 1950–1974

Traditional Social Dances and Community Events

Common social dances in Belgium during this period included the polka, wals (waltz), schottische, and the linear branle. These dances were staples at local village celebrations and community events.

Daily life

Around 1950–1974

Weekly bathing and public shower houses

Bathing was a weekly ritual, often taking place on Saturdays in an oval tub that narrowed at the feet, with the same water frequently used for the entire family. In some communities, public shower houses existed, such as one in Zaventem where a shower cost 1.50 BEF.

What it cost

Around 1958

Cost of appliances in 1958

For a new radio in 1958, a miner had to work 15 days, and a new washing machine cost nearly a full month of labor.