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U.S. President Truman Orders Construction of Hydrogen Bomb
At a committee meeting on Jan. 31, 1950, Truman asked: "Can the Russians do atomic bom?" All agreed that they could. Truman replied, "We have no choice, we’ll go ahead." -
Korean War Begins
North Korean divison crossed the 38 parallel, starting the Korean War, which opposed the communist forces supported by China and USSR, and forces from South Korea support by the West and the UN -
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. Upon his death, his oldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, became queen. Elizabeth was 25 years old. -
Polio Vaccine Created
Poliomyelitis has been around since ancient times. There is still no cure for the disease. But at the peak of its devastation in the United States, Jonas Salk introduced a way to prevent it. -
First Organ Transplant
Joseph Murray ,performing the first successful organ transplant at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, Boston, MA, December 23, 1954. -
Disneyland Opens
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. The original park included Main Street, Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrowland. -
The Suez Crisis
Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, the joint British-French enterprise which had owned and operated the Suez Canal since its construction in 1869 -
The Hungarian Revolution
The revolt began as a student demonstration, which attracted thousands as they marched through central Budapest to the Parliament building, calling out on the streets using a van with loudspeakers via Radio Free Europe. A student delegation entering the radio building to try to broadcast the students' demands was detained. -
Soviet Satellite Sputnik Launches Space Age
The Soviet Union launched it into an elliptical low Earth orbit. It was visible all around the Earth and its radio pulses were detectable. The surprise success precipitated the American Sputnik crisis and triggered the Space Race, a part of the larger Cold War. The launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments. -
Laika
the Soviets launched their second satellite (Sputnik 2) on November 3, 1957 with a living animal (Laika the dog) on board. Laika lived through the launch, but died in space since no return plan had been created for her. -
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 (DAC). -
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. -
NASA Founded
President Dwight D. Eisenhower established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in 1958[5] with a distinctly civilian (rather than military) orientation encouraging peaceful applications in space science. The National Aeronautics and Space Act was passed on July 29, 1958, disestablishing NASA's predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). The new agency became operational on October 1, 1958. -
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. -
The Sound of Music Opens on Broadway
The original Sound of Music Broadway Show brought the inspiring story of the von Trapp family to prominence to a wider audience when it hit the stage in 1959 and continued playing for over three years.
