• Prom, short for promenade, is a formal dance that takes place at the end of the academic year. While at smaller schools proms may be open to the entire student body, larger school may typically hold a senior prom and/or a junior prom for students in the equivalent grade. It is common in a prom, to crown a prom "King" and "Queen" who are elected to be prom "royalty" at American high schools.

• 1. First mention of Prom: Amherst, Smith College in 1894Random History: From Debutante Balls to High School Hops...
  2. Proms began to flourish in High Schools in 1920s and 1930sRandom History: From Debutante Balls to High School Hops...
  3. An 18-year old who attends prom has a 96% greater chance of watching network television later in lifeThe Anti-Prom: The Risks of "Socialization"
  4. One in five high school sophomores now attends promThe Anti-Prom: The Risks of "Socialization"
  5. The prom was inspired by early debutante ballsRandom History: From Debutante Balls to High School Hops...
  6. Prom dates often include risky behavior such as sex and drugsThe Anti-Prom: [http://www.theantiprom.com/resources/promfacts.php Prom Facts
  7. Teenagers who attend the prom have a higher risk of using drugs and alcohol as well as criminal activityThe Anti-Prom: [http://www.theantiprom.com/resources/promfacts.php Prom Facts
  8. Proms are becoming more open to GLBT couplesRandom History: From Debutante Balls to High School Hops...
  9. Today it is seen more as the high point of high school life rather than a rite of passageRandom History: From Debutante Balls to High School Hops...
  10. The prom is traditionally held towards the end of the school year

• Background

  The prom has its origins in the Victorian era grand balls and debutante balls held by the upper classes. The debutante ball was seen as a right of passage for girls who were ready to date. The social balls of the era had very strict rules regarding dress and etiquette. While proms may have hit the college scene in the 1890s, it wasn't until the depression-era 1930s and post-war 1940s that the prom became all the rage at high schools in America. Dance became a major part of the prom during the same time as the music revolution known as rock and roll. Today the prom is a major event for most high school students and is planned as one of the crowing events in the student's senior year.Random History: From Debutante Balls to High School Hops...

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