1950 -1959 By jkhagood Jan 1, 1950 Korean War Begins Period: Jan 1, 1950 to Jan 1, 1959 English 3 Jan 1, 1951 Transcontinental television begins with a speech by Pres. Truman. Jan 1, 1952 The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 removes racial and ethnic barriers to becoming a U.S. citizen. Jan 1, 1953 The first Corvette made Jan 1, 1954 Racial segregation is ruled unconstitutional in public schools by the U.S. Supreme Court. Jan 1, 1955 Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Jan 1, 1956 Elvis Presley enters the United States music charts for the first time Jan 1, 1957 Dr. Seuss' The Cat in the Hat is published. Jan 1, 1958 The first successful American satellite, Explorer 1, is launched into orbit. Jan 1, 1959 1959 - Alaska and Hawaii become the forty-ninth and fiftieth states.