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Diners Club Credit Card
In 1950, the Diners Club issued their credit card in the United States. The Diners Club credit card was invented by Diners' Club founder Frank McNamara and it was intended to pay restaurant bills. A customer could eat without cash at any restaurant that would accept Diners' Club credit cards. Diners' Club would pay the restaurant and the credit card holder would repay Diners' Club.
First Credit Card -
Period: to
1st January 1950 - 31st December 1959
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First Organ Transplant
The first documented kidney transplantation in the United States was performed June 17, 1950, on Ruth Tucker, a 44-year-old woman with polycystic kidney disease,
Finally, on June 17, 1950, at Little Company of Mary the operation was conducted.
The First United States Kidney Transplant -
Korean War
The Korean War (1950–armistice, 1953) was a military conflict between the Republic of Korea, supported by the United Nations, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea which was supported by People's Republic of China (PRC), and with air support from the Soviet Union. The war began on 25 June 1950 and an armistice was signed on 27 July 1953.
Wikipedia - Korean War -
Henry Louis Gates Jr. was Born
Wikipedia - Henry Louis GatesHenry Louis “Skip” Gates, Jr., (born September 16, 1950) is an American literary critic, educator, scholar, writer, editor, and public intellectual. He was the first African American to receive the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship. He has received numerous honorary degrees and awards for his teaching, research, and development of academic institutions to study black culture. -
South Africans Forced to Carry ID Cards
The African government tightened existing pass laws, compelling black South Africans to carry identity documents to prevent the migration of blacks to South Africa. Any black residents of cities had to be in employment. Black South Africans were forced to carry identity documents to prevent
migration.
Wikipedia - South Africa under apartheid -
Colour TV Introduced
Colour broadcasts using a system developed by CBS, started on June 25, 1951. When colour was first being considered in 1948 there were fewer than a million television sets in the U.S., but by 1951 there were well over 10 million.
Wikipedia - Colour Television -
Alice in Wonderland was released
Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 American animated feature produced by Walt Disney and based primarily on Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland with a few additional elements from Through the Looking-Glass. Thirteenth in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series, the film was released in New York City and London on July 26, 1951 by RKO Radio Pictures.
Wikipedia - Alice in Wonderland (1951 film) -
Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, KG, OM, CH, TD, PC, DL, FRS (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War (WWII). He is widely regarded as one of the great wartime leaders. He served as prime minister twice (1940–45 and 1951–55).
About.com - 1951 - Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain -
Princess Elizabeth Becomes Queen at Age 25
Princess Elizabeth Became Queen at 25 years old and was born in London, England on 21 April 1926. Elizabeth was proclaimed queen on 6 February 1952 following the death of her father, George VI; she was formally crowned the next year, on 2 June 1953.
Answers.com - Queen Elizabeth II -
Dick Button Performed 1st Figure Skating Triple Jump in Competition
Richard Totten Button was born on July 18, 1929. In 1946, Button rose to the top of American men's figure skating by winning the U.S. national senior singles championship, in Chicago, Illinois. He was 16, the youngest man to win the title. Button had to come from behind to win, as he placed second after compulsory figures. Feb 21 1952, Dick Button performed 1st figure skating triple jump in a competition.
Answers.com - Dick Button -
First B-52 prototype test flight was made
Apr 15, The 1st B-52 prototype test flight was made. The YB-52, the second XB-52 modified with more operational equipment, first flew on 15 April 1952. A 2 hour, 21-minute proving flight from Boeing Field, King County, near Renton, Washington to Larson AFB was undertaken with Boeing test pilot Alvin M. Johnston and Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Guy M. Townsend.
Wikipedia - Boeing B-52 Stratofortress -
Polio Vaccine Created
Polio vaccines are used throughout the world to combat poliomyelitis (or polio). The first was developed by Jonas Salk and first tested in 1952. Announced to the world by Salk on April 12, 1955, it consists of an injected dose of inactivated (dead) poliovirus.
Wikipedia - Polio Vaccine -
Discovery of DNA Structure
In 1953, James D. Watson and Francis Crick suggested what is now accepted as the first correct double-helix model of DNA structure in the journal Nature.
Wikipedia - History of DNA -
Joseph Stalin Dies
Joseph StalinJoseph Stalin was the second leader of the Soviet Union. His real name was Iosif Vissarionovich Dzhugashvili, and he was also known as Koba (a Georgian folk hero) to his closest sphere. The name "Stalin" (derived from combining Russian stal, "steel" with "Lenin") originally was a conspirative nickname; however, it stuck to him and he continued to call himself Stalin after the Russian Revolution. He died March 5, 1953, -
Hillary and Norgay Climb Mount Everest
After years of dreaming about it and seven weeks of climbing, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world, at 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953.
Mt. Everest had long been considered unclimbable by some and the ultimate climbing challenge by others. Soaring in height to 29,035 feet.
About.com - 1953 - Hillary and Norgay Climb Mount Everest -
First Successful Separation of Siamese Twins
The first fully successful separation in modern times is often said to be that of Carolyn Anne and Catherine Anne Mouton. Born to the wife of Mayor Ashton Mouton of Lafayette, on July 22, 1953, the sisters are pygopagus twins. Surgery is performed on September 17. Both twins thrive after the operation; however, Catherine commits suicide in 1985.
Conjoined Twins 1950s -
Elvis Presley recorded a 10 minute demo in Nashville.
On 4th January, 1954 Elvis Presley recorded a 10 minute demo at Sun Records Memphis Recording Service in Nashville. He had recorded an acetate recording of the same songs as a gift for his mother in 1953. The Sun Records boss Sam Phillips arranged for Elvis Presley to an audition on June 26, 1954.
1954 U.S A. Elvis Presley Records First Demo Record -
Cigarettes Can Cause Cancer
On January 4, 1954, Cancer from cigarettes was reported in newspapers all over the world. Some risks of smoking include, peripheral vascular disease emphysema, mouth and throat cancer and doubles your risk of stroke etc.
Jan. 4, 1954: A Frank Statement To Cigarette Smokers -
First Atomic Submarine
USS Nautilus (SSN-571) is the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine. She was also the first vessel to complete a submerged transit across the North Pole. It was launched on 21 January 1954 and commissioned on 30 September 1954.
[Wikipedia - USS Nautilus (SSN-571)]('http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Nautilus_(SSN-571)) -
Lassie premiered on CBS-TV
Lassie is an American television series that follows the adventures of a female rough collie named Lassie and her companions. The show was the creation of producer Robert Maxwell and animal trainer Rudd Weatherwax and was televised from September 12, 1954, to Sunday March 24, 1973. One of the longest running dramatic series on television, it initially was filmed in black and white.
Wikipedia - Lassie -
Kevin Costner is Born
Kevin Michael Costner (born January 18, 1955) is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA (British Academy of Film and Television Arts) Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards.
Wikipedia - Kevin Coster -
McDonalds Corporation Founded
McDonalds - Company InfoThe first McDonalds was created on April 15th 1955, in Des Plaines, Illinois. McDonalds has more than 30,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries worldwide, McDonald's is the largest quick service restaurant organization in the world. McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving more than 58 million customers daily. -
Velcro Introduced
Velcro is a brand name of fabric hook-and-loop fasteners. It consists of two layers: a "hook" side, which is a piece of fabric covered with tiny hooks, and a "loop" side, which is covered with even smaller and "hairier" loops. When the two sides are pressed together, the hooks catch in the loops and hold the pieces together. When the layers are separated, the strips make a characteristic "ripping" sound.
Wikipedia - Velcro -
Disneyland Opens
Disneyland Park is a theme park located in Anaheim, California, owned and operated by the Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of The Walt Disney Company. It was dedicated with a televised press preview on July 17, 1955, and opened to the general public on July 18, 1955. Disneyland is the only theme park to be designed and built under the direct supervision of Walt Disney himself.
Wikipedia - Disneyland -
Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat on a Bus
Rosa Louise McCauley Parks (February 4, 1913 – October 24, 2005) was an African American civil rights activist. On December 1, 1955 Montgomery, Alabama, Parks, age 42, refused to obey bus driver James Blake's order that she give up her seat to make room for a white passenger.
Wikipedia - Rosa Parkes -
TV remote Control Introduced
It was in June of 1956, that the practical television remote controller first entered the American home.In 1956, Robert Adler developed "Zenith Space Command", a wireless remote.[4] It was mechanical and used ultrasound to change the channel and volume. When the user pushed a button on the remote control, it clicked and struck a bar, hence the term "clicker". Each bar emitted a different frequency.
Wikipedia - Remote Control -
Rocky Marciano Retires
Rocky Marciano (September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969), born Rocco Francis Marchegiano, was an Italian-American boxer and the heavyweight champion of the world from September 23, 1952, to April 27, 1956. When he retired he became the only heavyweight champion to finish his career undefeated.
Wikipedia - Rocky Marciano -
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis</a>The 1956 Suez Crisis is one of the most important and controversial events in British history since the Second World War. Not only did Suez result in deep political and public division in Britain, it also caused international uproar.
href='http://www.bodley.ox.ac.uk/dept/scwmss/projects/suez/suez.html' >
The Suez Crisis<a -
Hungarian Revolution Began
The revolt began as a student demonstration which attracted thousands as it marched through central Budapest to the Parliament building. When the delegation's release was demanded by the demonstrators outside, they were fired upon by the State Security Police (ÁVH) from within the building. The news spread quickly and disorder and violence erupted throughout the capital.
Hungarian Revolution of 1956 -
The Cat in the Hat - Dr Seuss
The Cat in the Hat is a children's book by Dr. Seuss and perhaps the most famous, featuring a tall, anthropomorphic, mischievous cat, wearing a tall, red and white-striped hat and a red bow tie. He also carries a pale blue umbrella. With the series of Beginner Books that The Cat inaugurated, Seuss promoted both his name and the cause of elementary literacy in the United States of America.
Wikipedia - The Cat in the Hat -
The United States conducted its first underground nuclear test, code-named "Rainier," in the Nevada desert.
The United States set off the first underground nuclear test, code-named Rainier, in a mountain tunnel in the remote desert 100 miles from Las Vegas on September 19, 1957. Rainier was part of a series, known as Operation Plumbob, conducted at the Nevada Test Site to test warheads scheduled for production. Seismic waves from Rainier were detected 2,300 miles away in Alaska. -
Soviet Satellite Sputnik Launches Space Age
Sputnik was the world's first artificial satellite, it was about the size of a basketball, weighed only 183 pounds, and took about 98 minutes to orbit the Earth on its elliptical path. That launch ushered in new political, military, technological, and scientific developments.
The History of Satellites - Sputnik and The Dawn of the Space Age -
Laika Becomes the First Living Animal to Enter Orbit
Laika the dog was the first living being to orbit the Earth in space. She was aboard Sputnik II when it was launched by the Soviet Union on 3 November 1957. In a cruel twist, no provision was made for Laika's return to Earth; as planned, she died in space. Laika died when the capsule overheated after four days or less in orbit.
Answers.com - Laiki -
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 .
About.com - 1958 - Peace Symbol Created -
Annette Bening, actress was born in Topeka, KS.
Annette Francine Bening was born in Topeka, Kansas, the youngest of four children. Annette Bening is an American actress. Her break-through role in The Grifters was followed with critically acclaimed roles in films such as Bugsy and American Beauty.
Annette Bening -
Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minn.
Prince Rogers Nelson was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota on June 7th 1958. He wrote Nothing Compares 2 U, How Come U Don't Call Me Anymore? and Chocolate, among other things. He starred in 3 Chains o' Gold. His albums include Lovesexy, Purple Rain, Kamasutra and Dirty Mind. He has worked as a singer-songwriter, a record producer and an actor, and his current occupation is musician.
Biography of Prince Rodgers Nelson -
In Chicago Our Lady of Angels School burned. 92 students and 3 nuns were killed.
Dec 1 1958, in Chicago Our Lady of Angels School burned, 92 students and 3 nuns were killed. A fire broke out in the basement of Our Lady of the Angels catholic school in Chicago, educational home to approximately 1,600 students in Kindergarten through 8th grade. The result was one of the worst school fires in US history.
dy_of_the_Angels_School_Fire_December_1_1958_Chicago_IL' >Our Lady of the Angels School Fire December 1, 1958 </a> -
Bozo the Clown
Bozo the Clown (also known as Bozo) is the name of a clown whose widespread franchising in early television made him the best-known clown character in the United States.
Bozo the Clown -
Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" was released.
On Jan 29 1959, Walt Disney's "Sleeping Beauty" was released. Sleeping Beauty is a 1959 American animated film produced by Walt Disney and based on the fairy tale "La Belle au bois dormant" by Charles Perrault. It was the fairy tale produced by Walt Disney (after his death, the studio returned to the genre with 1989's The Little Mermaid) due to its initial box office disappointment.
The Disney Wiki -
Fido Castro Becomes Prime Minister
Fidel Castro became Prime Minister of Cuba after leading a revolution against the dictator Batista. One of the primary leaders of the Cuban Revolution, Castro served as the Prime Minister of Cuba from February 1959 to December 1976, and then as the President of the Council of State of Cuba and the President of Council of Ministers of Cuba until his resignation from the office in February 2008.
Answers.com - Fidel Castro -
The Antartic Treaty System
The main treaty was opened for signature on December 1, 1959, and officially entered into force on June 23, 1961. The original signatories were the 12 countries active in Antarctica at the time and were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Wikipedia - Antarctic Treaty System
