Set Fire .

Joe DiMaggio and the New York Yankees go to the World Series five times in the 1940s, winning four of them.

Apr 25, 1947

DiMaggio Bio

Harry Truman is inaugerated

Apr 24, 1948

Harry Truman is inaugurated as U.S. president after being elected in 1948 to his own term; previously he was sworn in following the death of Franklin D. Roosevelt. He authorized the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan during World War II, on August 6 and August 9, 1945, respectively.

Joe McCarthy, the US Senator, gains national attention and begins his anti-communist crusade with his Lincoln Day speech.

Apr 25, 1951

Joe McCarthy Bio

The Catcher in the Rye, a controversial novel by J. D. Salinger, is published.

Apr 25, 1952

Spark Notes

The vaccine for polio is privately tested by Jonas Salk

Apr 25, 1953

[Vocabulary](The vaccine for polio is privately tested by Jonas Salk)

Marilyn Monroe soars in popularity with five new movies, including The Asphalt Jungle and All About Eve, and attempts suicide after the death of friend Johnny Hyde who asked to marry her several times, but she refused respectfully. Monroe would later (195

Apr 25, 1954

Monroe's Suicide

James Dean achieves success with East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause, gets nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor, and dies in a car accident on September 30 at the age of 24.

Sep 30, 1955

Click here to learn more! James Dean was a young but famous actor from the state of Indiana.

Ernest Hemingway commits suicide on July 2 after a long battle with depression.

Jul 2, 1961

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Bernie Goetz: On December 22, Mr. Goetz shot four young men who he said were threatening him on a New York City subway. Goetz was charged with attempted murder but was acquitted of the charges, though convicted of carrying an unlicensed gun.

Dec 22, 1984

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China's under martial law: On May 20, China declares martial law, enabling them to use force of arms against protesting students to end the Tiananmen Square protests.

May 20, 1989

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