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Hayley Weaver's Chapter 27 Timeline
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• Harry Truman becomes the first president to address the nation on TV from the White House.
On this day, Harry Truman made the first-ever televised presidential address from the White House. He was asking Americans to cut back on their use of grain in order to help starving Europeans. When he gave this speech, Europe was still recovering from World War II. -
• Transistor is invented, spurring growth in computers and electronics.
The transistor is a tiny circuit device that amplifies, controls, and generates electrical signals. IT did not take up a lot of space and it generated less heat. The transistor could be used in radios, computers, and other electronic devices. -
• President Eisenhower and Congress add the words “Under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance.
On this day, Eisenhower and the Congress added "Under God" to the Pledge. The Pledge of Allegiance continued to be recited daily by children in schools across America. It became very popular. -
• Polio vaccine announced to the world by Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Thomas Francis.
On this date, Dr. Thomas Francis announced to the world that the Salk polio vaccine was up to 90% effective in preventing paralytic polio. He made the announcement to a crowd of scientists and reporters, including Jonas Salk. Francis was chair of the School of Public Health Department of Epidemiology where Salk did postgraduate training. -
• The first nuclear power plant in the U.S. goes online at Shippingport, Pa.
Westinghouse Electric designed the plant in conjunction with the Atomic Energy Commission. When it was in operation, nuclear fission heated water, which transferred its heat to convert the water in a secondary system into steam, which drove the turbine that created the electricity.
Shippingport shipped its first power into the Pittsburgh grid Dec. 18, 1957. Eisenhower returned to formally dedicate the plant the following May 26. -
• NASA is established.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration was established on July 29, 1958. This was due the National Aeronautics and Space Act. NASA’s motto is: “For the benefit of all”. This was a very big day in history.
