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Period: to
The 1950's
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First "Peanuts" Comic Strip
On October 2, 1950, the comic strip "Peanuts", created by Charles M. Schultz, made it's first appearance in seven newspapers. Originally, Schultz intended the comic strip to be called "Lil' Folks", but the newspaper changed it to "Peanuts" - a name Schultz never liked. This beloved comic strip played a major role in the future of newspaper comics in America. It set the bar higher for everyone. From this point on, newspapers had to fight to put out comics meet the Peanut's Gang's standard. -
U.S. Signs Peace Treaty with Japan
President Truman signs a peace treaty with Japan. This marks the official end to World War II. -
Eisenhower is Eleted President
On November 4, 1952, Dwight D. Eisenhower was elected President with Richard Nixon as Vice-President. Eisenhower was the first Republican President to be elected in 20 years. -
Walt Disney's Peter Pan
On February 5, 1953, Walt Disney's "Peter Pan" makes its debut at the "Roxy Theater" in NYC. -
Segregation Made Illegal in the U.S.
On May 17, 1954, the Supreme Court ruled segregation to be "inherently unequal" in the Brown v. Board of Education case. This case was meant to only address a lack of equality between and black and white schools, but it had a much greater impact. -
First McDonald's Franchise Opens
In 1955, Ray Kroc, who purchased the company from the McDonald's brothers, opened his first franchise. This was the beginning of the fast-food chain restaurant. -
Rosa Parks Refused to Give Up Her Seat
On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on a bus - a seat which was "reserved" for whites only. Although she was arrested, Rosa Parks showed blacks that they could stand up for their rights. Rosa Parks continued to work with Martin Luthing King Jr. to fight for equal rights in the U.S. -
Soviet Union Lauches Sputnik
On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union lauched the satelite "Sputnik" into orbit. This was the first ever man-made object to enter the Earth's orbit successfully. This marked the beginning of the Space Age. -
First U.S. Satelite to Orbit Earth.
On January 31, 1958, "Explorer 1" became the first U.S. satelite to successfully orbit the Earth. -
Alaksa Becomes 49th State
On January 3, 1959, after years of lobbying, President Eisenhower declared Alaska to be the U.S.'s 49th state. -
Hawaii: U.S.A.'s 50th State
On August 21, 1959, Hawaii became the U.S.'s 50th state after being a U.S. territory since 1900.
