A Nation of the 1950s

Every nation needs to have its own identity. New Zealand is known for its millions of sheep, Switzerland for its clocks, and China its ancient culture. Micronations are the same - just look at Zealandia's Swedish influence, or St.Charlie's fine military tradition. And like everyone, Sirocco has its own identity.

The notion of a '1950s' nation might seem odd to some. Sure, you might find the odd diner holding onto a more innocent age, or art inspired by the time, but finding something replicating the 'fifties on a grand scale is pretty rare. But we've embraced it - in art, media, advertising, and more, nearly everything is somehow influenced by the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s.

And yet go back three years or so, and you'd be looking at a completely different Sirocco. Between 2010 and 2012, Sirocco was very much a modern micronation, the only thing being that there was nothing that made it stand out from other micronations. The 'march backwards' began on 25 May 2012 when the Siroccan Broadcasting Corporation adopted a new 1950s-inspired logo for the SBC-TV television channel. Very soon, more and more parts of Sirocco began to adopt a more '50s feel, and by the end of the year, there was no going back.

A Calendar of Our Own

But perhaps our boldest way of remembering times gone by is through Sirocco's very own calendar. The Atomic calendar is a full twelve-month calendar not too dissimilar to the Gregorian calendar used in the rest of the world, but still with a few key differences.

The calendar, introduced between 2012 and 2013, is dated from 16 July 1945 (or 1 Trinity 0), the date of the Trinity test - the first man-made nuclear explosion, and the event that opened the Atomic Age. Its months, which follow more or less the same pattern as their Gregorian counterparts, take their names from significant U.S. and British atomic tests, as well as places and projects linked to the atomic sciences.

Trinity (16 Jul-15 Aug), Baker (16 Aug-15 Sep), Hurricane (16 Sep-15 Oct),
Grable (16 Oct-15 Nov), Castle (16 Nov-15 Dec), Argus (16 Dec-15 Jan),
Plowshare (16 Jan-12 or 13 Feb*), Sedan (13 or 14 Feb*-15 Mar),
Prime (16 Mar-14 Apr), Manhattan (15 Apr-15 May), Nevada (16 May-14 Jun), Julin (15 Jun-15 Jul).
*These dates change during leap years. For more information, see the MicroWiki article.

Wherever you go in Sirocco, you'll be immersed in the Atomic Age.

Seeburg Corporation, a now-defunct manufacturer of music equipment, produced a series of background music records between the late 1950s and mid-1980s. These recordings have been adopted by Sirocco to the extent that Seeburg music is now considered Sirocco's 'national music'.

Sirocco's 1950s culture is sometimes mixed with its love for 1990s technology, leading to curious results.