World War II caused TV dinners to be created. With so many men off fighting the war, women entered the workforce in large numbers for the first time to support the war effort. "After the war many women kept their jobs. Thus, there was a need for quick, easy meals (which even workingwomen were usually responsible for preparing) for two-worker families at the end of the day.

Clarke and Gilbert Swanson of Omaha saw the need and began selling frozen potpies in 1951 on a national scale. Meanwhile, a lawyer named Cecil Johnson had trademarked the name "TV Dinner." The Swansons acquired Johnson's trademark and began preparing complete dinners in sectional aluminum trays in 1953. The first included one section of turkey with dressing and gravy, another section of flavored sweet potatoes, and a third section of buttered peas. The original packages were designed to...