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April 7 1949 , South Pacific musical
South Pacific, the prize-winning musical, opens on Broadway on April 7 -
August 6-9 , Harry Truman
Harry Truman is inaugurated as U.S. president after being elected in 1948 to his own term. He authorized the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan during World War II, on August 6 and August 9, 1945, respectively -
June 25 1950, War
North Korea and South Korea declare war after Northern forces stream south on June 25. -
March 29 , 1951 ,The Rosenbergs
The Rosenbergs, Ethel and Julius, were convicted on March 29 for espionage. -
March 29 , 1950-1952 , H-Bomb nuclear weapon
H-Bomb is in the middle of its development as a nuclear weapon, announced in early 1950 and first tested in late 1952. -
March 29 , The King and I, musical
The King and I, musical , opens on Broadway on March 29. -
September 26 , 1952 , Death
Santayana goodbye: George Santayana, philosopher, essayist, poet, and novelist, dies on September 26. -
March 5 , 1953 , Joseph Stalin dies
Joseph Stalin dies on March 5, yielding his position as leader of the Soviet Union. -
March 5 , 1953 , Sergei Prokofiev dies
Sergei Prokofiev, the composer, dies on March 5, the same day as Stalin. -
September 6 , 1953 , Georgy Maksimilianovich Malenkov
Georgy Maksimilianovich Malenkov succeeds Stalin for six months following his death. Malenkov had presided over Stalin's purges of party "enemies", but would be spared a similar fate by Nikita Khrushchev mentioned later in verse. -
March 7 , 1955 , Peter pan ( Mary Martin)
Peter Pan is broadcast on TV live and in color from the 1954 version of the stage musical starring Mary Martin on March 7. Disney released an animated version the previous year. -
April 18 , 1955 , Albert Einstein dies
Albert Einstein dies on April 18 at the age of 76 -
July 17, 1955 , Disneyland
Disneyland opens on July 17 as Walt Disney's first theme park. -
September 30 , 1955 , James Dean
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 . -
November 21 , 1955 , Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley signs with RCA Records on November 21, beginning his pop career -
February 23 , 1956 , Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev makes his famous Secret Speech denouncing Stalin's "cult of personality" on February 23. -
October 29. 1956 , Trouble in the Suez:
Trouble in the Suez: The Suez Crisis boils as Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal on October 29. -
October 4,1957 , Sputnik
Sputnik becomes the first artificial satellite, launched by the Soviet Union on October 4, marking the start of the space race. -
February 3 , 1959 , Buddy Holly death
Buddy Holly dies in a plane crash on February 3 with Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper, in a day that had a devastating impact on the country and youth culture -
June 30 , 1960 , Belgians in the Congo
Belgians in the Congo: The Republic of the Congo (Leopoldville) was declared independent of Belgium on June 30, with Joseph Kasavubu as President and Patrice Lumumba as Prime Minister. -
November 8 , 1960 , John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy beats Richard Nixon in the November 8 general election. -
July 2 , 1961, Ernest Hemingway commits
Ernest Hemingway commits suicide on July 2 after a long battle with depression. -
August 13 , 1961 , Berlin
Berlin: The Berlin Wall, which forcibly separated West Berlin from East Berlin and the rest of East Germany, was erected on August 13 to prevent citizens escaping to the West. -
February 20. 1962 , John Glenn
John Glenn: Flew the first American manned orbital mission termed "Friendship 7" on February 20. -
December 16 , 1962 , Lawrence of Arabia
Lawrence of Arabia: The Academy Award-winning film based on the life of T. E. Lawrence starring Peter O'Toole premieres in America on December 16. -
November 22 , 1963 , JFK blown away
JFK blown away: President John F. Kennedy is assassinated on November 22 while riding in an open convertible through Dallas. -
March 8 , 1965 , first U.S. combat troops
On March 8, the first U.S. combat troops, 3,500 marines, land in South Vietnam. -
December 22 , 1984 , Bernie Goetz
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. -
May 20 , 1989 , China's under martial law
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. -
September 25 , 1962 , Liston beats Patterson
Liston beats Patterson: Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson fight for the world heavyweight championship on September 25, ending in a first-round knockout. This match marked the first time Patterson had ever been knocked out and one of only eight losses in his 20-year professional career.
