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Harriet Truman is inaugurated
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, Japan during World War II, on August 6 and
August 9, 1945, respectively. -
H-Bomb in development
H-Bomb is in the middle of its development as a nuclear weapon, announced in early 1950 and
first tested in late 1952. -
Joe McCarthy starts anti-communism
Joe McCarthy, the US Senator, gains national attention and begins his anti-communist
crusade with his Lincoln Day speech. -
Joseph Stalin Dies
Joseph Stalin dies on March 5, yielding his position as leader of the Soviet Union. -
Einstein Dies
Albert Einstein dies on April 18 at the age of 76. -
Mickey Mantle All-Star
Mickey Mantle is in the middle of his career as a famous New York Yankees outfielder and
American League All-Star for the sixth year in a row. -
Crisis of Lebanon
Lebanon is engulfed in a political and religious crisis that eventually involves U.S.
intervention. -
Buddy Holly Dies
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. -
Watergate Break in
Watergate: Political scandal that began when the Democratic National Committee's
headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, DC was broken into. After the
break-in, word began to spread that President Richard Nixon (a Republican) may have known
about the break-in, and tried to cover it up. The scandal would ultimately result in the
resignation of President Nixon, and to date, this remains the only time that anyone has
ever resigned the United States Presidency. -
Wheel of Fortune Top Rated
Wheel of Fortune: A hit television game show which has been TV's highest-rated syndicated
program since 1983.
