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first modern credit card introduced
In 1949, Frank X. McNamara thought of a way for customers to have just one credit card that they could use at multiple stores -
The First Peanuts Cartoon Strip
The very first Peanuts comic strip, written by Charles M. Schulz, appeared in seven newspapers on October 2, 1950. -
Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain
After being chosen to be Prime Minister of Great Britain in 1940 to lead the country during World War II, Winston Churchill refused to surrender to the Germans, built up British morale, and became a central force of the Allies. However, before the war with Japan had ended, Churchill and his Conservative Party were soundly defeated by the Labour Party in a general election held in July 1945. -
Color TV Introduced
On June 25, 1951, CBS broadcast the very first commercial color TV program. Unfortunately, nearly no one could watch it on their black-and-white televisions. -
1952 - Princess Elizabeth Becomes Queen at Age 25
After suffering from lung cancer for several years, King George VI died in his sleep on February 6, 1952 at age 56 -
1952 - The Great Smog
From December 5 to December 9, 1952, a thick fog settled on London. This fog mixed with trapped black smoke to create a deadly layer of smog -
Body of Stalin Removed from Lenin's Tomb
After his death in 1953, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin's remains were embalmed and put on display next to Vladimir Lenin. Hundreds of thousands of people came to see the Generalissimo in the mausoleum. -
The First to Climb Mount Everest
After years of dreaming about it and seven weeks of climbing, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, at 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953 -
The First Playboy Magazine
in December 1953, 27-year-old Hugh Hefner published the very first Playboy magazine -
1954 - Segregation Ruled Illegal in U.S.
In 1896, the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court case determined that "separate but equal" was constitutional. The opinion of the Supreme Court stated, "A statute which implies merely a legal distinction between the white and colored races -- a distinction which is founded in the color of the two races, and which must always exist so long as white men are distinguished from the other race by color -
Disneyland Opens
On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened for a few thousand specially invited visitors; the following day, Disneyland officially opened to the public. Disneyland, located in Anaheim, California on what used to be a 160-acre orange orchard, cost $17 million to build -
Emmett Till Murdered (1955)
Emmett Till, a 14-year-old boy from Chicago, was visiting his relatives in Mississippi when he was snatched from his great-uncle's home on the night of August 28. -
James Dean Dies in Car Accident
On September 30, 1955, actor James Dean was driving his new Porsche 550 Spyder to an auto rally in Salinas, California when he was involved in a head-on collision with a 1950 Ford Tutor. -
Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Bus Seat
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks, a 42-year-old African-American seamstress, refused to give up her seat to a white man while riding on a city bus in Montgomery, Alabama. -
1956 - Elvis Gyrates on Ed Sullivan's Show
Elvis Presley had already appeared on other national television shows (such as on Stage Show, The Milton Berle Show, and on the popular The Steve Allen Show) when Ed Sullivan booked Elvis for three shows. Elvis' pelvic gyrations during his appearances on these other shows had caused much discussion and concern about the suitability of airing such provocative and sensual movements on television. -
1957 - Laika Becomes the First Living Animal to Enter Orbit
The Soviet Union and the United States were in a very heated competition after World War II. Part of this competition was over control of space. As part of this "space race," the Soviets succeeded in putting up the first satellite into space in October 1957. -
LEGO Toy Bricks First Introduced
The company that makes the famous, little, plastic, interlocking bricks known as LEGO started as a small shop in Billund, Denmark. Established in 1932 by master carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen who was aided by his 12-year-old son Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, -
1958 - Hope Diamond Is Donated to the Smithsonian
The large, exquisite, blue diamond known as the Hope Diamond has had a long history. The diamond's history may include having been owned by King Louis XIV, stolen during the French Revolution, sold to earn money for gambling, and worn to raise money for charity. On November 10, 1958 -
1958 - Peace Symbol Created
In 1958, British artist Gerald Holtom drew a circle with three lines inside, intending the design to be a symbol for the Direct Action Committee Against Nuclear War -
1959 - Fidel Castro Becomes Dictator of Cuba
Ever since General Fulgencio Batista's successful coup in 1952, Fidel Castro had worked to oust Batista from Cuba. At first, Castro used the legal system but when that didn't work, he resorted to violence. -
1961 - Berlin Wall Built
Just past midnight during the night of August 12-13, 1961, East German soldiers and construction workers headed to the border of West and East Berlin. While most Berliners were sleeping, the workers quickly constructed a barrier made of concrete posts and barbed wire along the border. -
1961: Soviets Launch First Man in Space
On board Vostok 1, Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin made history on April 12, 1961 when he became both the first person in the world to enter space and the first person to orbit the Earth. -
President John F. Kennedy's Man on the Moon Speech
President John F. Kennedy delivered this speech, "Special Message to the Congress on Urgent National Needs," on May 25, 1961 -
Eichmann Trial
After being found and captured in Argentina, Nazi leader Adolf Eichmann, known as the architect of the Final Solution, was put on trial in Israel in 1961. Eichmann was found guilty and sentenced to death. At midnight between May 31 and June 1, 1962, Eichmann was executed by hanging. -
Betty Friedan Publishes The Feminine Mystique1963
In 1963, Betty Friedan's groundbreaking feminist book, The Feminine Mystique, hit the shelves. In her book, Friedan discussed her discovery of a problem that had formed within post-World War II society that she called, "the problem that has no name." -
President John F. Kennedy's Assassination
On November 22, 1963, the youth and idealism of America in the 1960s faltered as its young President, John F. Kennedy, was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza in Dallas, Texas. Two days later, Oswald was shot and killed by Jack Ruby during a prisoner transfer. -
Muhammad Ali Becomes World Heavyweight Champion
On February 25, 1964, Muhammad Ali, then still known as Cassius Clay, fought Charles "Sonny" Liston for the world heavyweight title in Miami, Florida. -
The Beatles
The Beatles shaped not only music but also an entire generation. People mimicked all that they did, including haircuts, clothing, and outlook. Their style and innovative music set the standard for all musicians to follow. -
1965 - U.S. Sends Troops to Vietnam
In response to the Gulf of Tonkin Incident of August 2 and 4, 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson, per the authority given to him by Congress in the subsequent Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, decided to escalate the Vietnam Conflict by sending U.S. ground troops to Vietnam. On March 8, 1965, 3,500 U.S. Marines landed near Da Nang in South Vietnam; they are the first U.S. troops arrive in Vietnam. -
Australian Prime Minister Harold Holt Disappears
He might have been eaten by a shark. Or maybe he was assassinated by secret agents from the Soviet Union. Of course, he could have possibly been picked up by a Chinese submarine. Others have said that he might have committed suicide or been picked up by a UFO. Such were the rumors and conspiracy theories that ran rampant after the disappearance of Harold Holt, Australia's 17th Prime Minister, on December 17, 1967. -
1967 - First Heart Transplant
On December 3, 1967, South African surgeon Christiaan Barnard conducted the first heart transplant on 53-year-old Lewis Washkansky. The surgery was a success. However, the medications that were given to Washkansky to prevent his immune system from attacking the new heart also supressed his body's ability to fight off other illnesses. Eighteen days after the operation, Washkansky died of double pneumonia. -
My Lai Massacre
On March 16, 1968, U.S. soldiers from Charlie Company, 11th Brigade, Americal Division, led by Lt. William Calley, entered the Vietnamese village of My Lai on a search and destroy mission during the Vietnam War. Under Lt. Calley's command, the soldiers massacred somewhere between 347 and 504 civilians, including women, children, and the elderly. Many of the victims were raped, tortured, and/or mutilated. Lt. Calley himself mowed down large groups of civilians with a machine gun. -
Martin Luther King Jr. Assassinated
At 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968, civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was hit by a sniper's bullet. King had been standing on the balcony in front of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, when, without warning, he was shot. The .30-caliber rifle bullet entered King's right cheek, traveled through his neck, and finally stopped at his shoulder blade. King was immediately taken to a nearby hospital but was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m -
1968 - Tet Offensive
U.S. troops had been in Vietnam for three years before the Tet Offensive, and most of the fighting they had encountered were small skirmishes involving guerilla tactics. Although the U.S. had more aircraft, better weapons, and hundreds of thousands of trained soldiers, they were stuck in a stalemate against the Communist forces in North Vietnam and the guerilla forces in South Vietnam (known as the Viet Cong). The United States was discovering that traditional warfare tactics did not necessaril -
Robert Kennedy Assassination
Shortly after midnight on June 5, 1968, presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy was shot three times by Palestinian immigrant Sirhan Sirhan after giving a speech at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Robert Kennedy died of his wounds 26 hours later. Robert Kennedy's assassination later led to Secret Service protection for all future major presidential candidates.