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Developing the hydrogen bomb
In January, 1950, responding to news of the first Soviet atomic test, Truman ordered an accelerated program to develop the hydrogen bomb, a weapon potentially one thousand times more powerful than the atomic bomb. -
Joseph McCarthy's witch hunt
On 9th February, 1950, Joseph McCarthy claimed that he had a list of 205 people in the State Department that were known to be members of the American Communist Party. McCarthy went on to argue that some of these people were passing secret information to the Soviet Union. -
The Korean War Began
More Information On June 25, 1950, the Korean War began when some 75,000 soldiers from the North Korean People’s Army poured across the 38th parallel, the boundary between the Soviet-backed Democratic People’s Republic of Korea to the north and the pro-Western Republic of Korea to the south. This invasion was the first military action of the Cold War. By July, American troops had entered the war on South Korea’s behalf. -
Watson and Crick Discover DNA
DNA's discovery has been called the most important biological work of the last 100 years, and the field it opened may be the scientific frontier for the next 100. -
Roger Bannister breaks 4 min mile
More Information Oxford, England, 25-year-old medical student Roger Bannister cracks track and field's most notorious barrier: the four-minute mile. Bannister, who was running for the Amateur Athletic Association against his alma mater, Oxford University, won the mile race with a time of 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. -
Brown vs. Board of Education
Supreme Court DecisionSegregation of white and Negro children in the public schools of a State solely on the basis of race, pursuant to state laws permitting or requiring such segregation, denies to Negro children the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment -- even though the physical facilities and other "tangible" factors of white and Negro schools may be equal. -
Jonas Salk and the polio vaccine
More InformationIn 1955 Salk's years of research paid off. Human trials of the polio vaccine effectively protected the subject from the polio virus. When news of the discovery was made public on April 12, 1955, Salk was hailed as a miracle worker. He further endeared himself to the public by refusing to patent the vaccine. He had no desire to profit personally from the discovery, but merely wished to see the vaccine disseminated as widely as possible. -
Disneyland opens
Disneyland was built for a total cost of 17.5 million dollars. July 17 1955 - Disneyland opens with 18 attractions, including the Jungle Cruise, Tomorrowland, Autopia, Mr. Toad's Wild Ride, and the Mark Twain. The televised opening is hosted by Ronald Reagan, Art Linkletter and Bob Cummings. The 11,000 invitation only tickets to opening day are so easily duplicated that first day attendance shoots to 28,154, with an ABC television audience of 90 million. -
Elvis and Ed Sullivan
Elvis' appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show was a major success. Over 60 million people, both young and old, watched the show and many people believe it helped bridge the generation gap for Elvis' acceptance into the mainstream. -
Cat in the Hat is published
The Cat in the Hat, was published in 1957 by Random House, and inaugurated a whole new line for that company. "Beginner Books", with Seuss as its editor and The Cat in the Hat as its early mascot, ran for years, with dozens of titles. Aside from more books about the eponymous cat, this imprint is where The Berenstain Bears got their start. -
Leave it to Beaver
The first episode of America's favorite family show, Leave it to Beaver, aired on April 23, 1957. -
First Dog in Space
Laika, the first animal ever sent to space, rode to orbit in Sputnik II on the 3rd of November, 1957. -
Castro becomes dictator of Cuba
More information In its first hundred days in office Castro's government passed several new laws. Rents were cut by up to 50 per cent for low wage earners; property owned by Batista and his ministers was confiscated; the telephone company was nationalized and the rates were reduced by 50 per cent; land was redistributed amongst the peasants; and separate facilities for blacks and whites were abolished.
