I remember when:
My father would snap Gillete Blue Blades in half, and wrap the back with mastic tape so I could cut parts from Comet and Guillow kits.
O. K. Cub had their .049B, .074, and .099 engines available in assemble it yourself kits.
Radio Control was something you only read about in Air Trails, Model Airplane News, or Flying Models magazines.
Air Trails had articles on how to build your own (tube type, single channel) radios.
Almost half the engines on the market were still gas-oil ignition types.
Slag engines, even GHQs, were still easily purchased mail order through America's Hobby Center.
You could go to a local schoolyard and fly glow powered control line all day with nobody chasing you out.
Locally, B&O and Nickle Plate railroads were still using steam locomotives.
Our Landlord's car actually had a rumble seat.
Our town had at least three formal hobby shops, and you could also buy modeling supplies and kits in a number of small local pharmacies, variety and hardware stores. In fact, I bought my first CL plane and engine at a local bicycle shop.
Control Line ruled. Free Flight was taking second string, and RC was still the province of the rugged DIY people.
I saw my first air-to-air refueling. A KB-50 in a slight dive was leading a B-47 that was obviously flying slow with partial flaps and at a high angle of attack.
Feeling before seeing flights of B-36s coming low over town.
Sonic booms were a regular occurence.
Hearing the news about Chuck Yeager breaking the sound barrier.
Hearing the news about Roger Bannister breaking the 4 minute mile.
Flying standbye in the AF, and getting to sit in the semi-circular lounge on a Boeing Stratocruiser, Just me, another Airman from the Cleveland area, and a number of Stewardesses flying deadhead.
Getting served a meal on a 500 mile flight.
A Civil Observation Corps spotter tower in the downtown area.
The city maintaining a couple flying circles in a local park for control line.
Seeing a picture of an early NATS in a flying Models magazine, and reading the caption about how we expected big things from this ytoung Man. Somebody named John Glenn.
Flying from Cleveland to Lackland AFB in a combination of DC-6, DC-7, Boeing 720s, and a Lockheed Super Connie.
Seeing regular passages of B-50s, F-80s, F-84,F-86s, F-89s, and F-94s.
Freight trains always had cabooses.
DC-3s were flying over regularly.
Sud-Ouest Caravelles were the most common jet airliners around.
The Navy always hosted the NATS.
It was the fashion to either build your own fall-out shelter or have a pre-fabbed unit built and installed for you.
It was almost impossible to go a month without opening up a magazine like Air Trails, Popular Mechanics, Science and Mechanics or the like without finding an article for a model airplane design by people like Walt Musciano or Roy L. Clough, Jr.
The RC frequencies were on the current 27 MHz, 50 to 53 MHz, 220 MHz, and 456 MHz bands.
Electric powered planes were at best a FF novelty, and at worst an exersize in futility, being at best capable of an extended powered glide.
The majority of RC planes were single channel, usually using escapements, and usually only rudder only, with an occasional throttle added.
A 700' self unloading Great Lakes ore boat was an unbelievable monster.
Power Steering and Automatic Transmissions were extra cost options for the people to weak or lazy to handle a real car.
Geting to see an active duty PBY5A take off, followed by a pair of active duty P-47Ds (Belem, Brasil August 1967, Brasillian AF planes).
The Three Stooges were alive, well, and making movies.
I first learned about how a prop could cut fingers,while winding an AJ Hornet rubber powered FF.
Top Flight had a line of Jig Time rubber powered all sheet balsa planes

And I could go on typing on this subject for a few more hours, but I won't.