Boomers Guide 1950-1955

For complete information and research for
your Boomers Guide 1950-1955 I recommend
When We Were Young: A Baby-Boomer Yearbook
by Rita Kleinfelder.

DVD Family Portrait's
1950

Senator Joseph McCarthy
News Chronology

January 14
The U.S. breaks diplomatically with China.

January 17
The Brinks robbery in Boston nets the gang $2.7 million. They are eventually captured, but only $50,000. is ever recovered.

January 21
Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury as a result of the zealous investigation by Richard Nixon.
On the same day, George Orwell, author of 1984, dies.

January 29
France grants independence to Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia.

February 9
Senator Joseph McCarthy makes a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia charging that the State Department currently employs 205 communists. The McCarthy era begins. No communists are ever found.

February 14
USSR and China sign a 30 year treaty of aid and friendship.

February 22
Variety names Gone With The Wind as the best film of the first half of the 20th century.

March 14
The F.B.I. issues the first "10 Most Wanted List".

March 30
The first transistor is produced.

Liz weds!

May 6
Elizabeth Taylor weds for the first time to Nicky Hilton, the hotelier’s son.

May 8
U.S. begins aid to the French in Viet Nam.

May 9
The Canadian government defeats a bill to outlaw communism.

May 26
Film Daily reports film attendance is down to 1934 levels.

June 9
South Africa passes the Population Registration Act – apartheid’s first key enabling law.

June 17
The first kidney transplant is performed.

June 25
North Korea invades South Korean. The start of the Korean war.

July 22
William Lyon Mackenzie King, former Prime Minister of Canada, dies.

July 26
The British playwrite George Bernard Shaw dies.

October 7
China invades Tibet.

October 23
Singer Al Jolson dies.

November 1
Two Puerto Rican nationals try to assassinate President Truman.

November 24
The musical Guys and Dolls opens on Broadway.

Firsts

Ray Bradbury publishes The Martian Chronicles.

Sugar Pops, Minute Rice and Miss Clairol first go on the market.

New Words

apartheid, captive audience, fire fight, guilt by association, McCarthyism

Music

Goodnight Irene – The Weavers
Music, Music, Music – Teresa Brewer
Mona Lisa – Nat King Cole

Down Beat magazine names Billy Eckstein, Perry Como and Frankie Lane as the top recording artists.

Movies

All About Eve
The Gunfighter
Harvey
Sunset Boulevard
Winchester 73

Top box-office star is

John Wayne.

Top money maker is Samson and Delilah.

TV Debuts

The Arthur Murray Dance Party
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
Jack Benny (on air until 1965)
What’s My Line
You Bet Your Life
Your Show of Shows
Howdy Doody

Sports

The Yankees win

the World Series.

Detroit wins the Stanley Cup over New York 4 games to 3.

The Grey Cup turns into the “Mud Bowl” which Toronto wins
13-0 over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

Ted Williams' $125,000. per season makes him the highest paid player.

DVD Family Portrait's
1951

Truman & MacArthur

News Chronology

January 27
The Atomic Energy Commission, without warning, does an A-bomb test 75 miles outside of Las Vegas. Even though there is a measurable increase in radiation the AEC declares that the levels are not harmful.

March 14
Under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, the UN launches an offensive in Korea.

March 29
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are convicted of selling U.S. atomic secrets to Russia during World War II and are sentenced to death.
The musical The King and I opens on Broadway.
Fanny Brice dies.

April 11
President Truman fires General MacArthur because of his insubordination and his desire to widen the Korean war into China expressly against official U.S. policy.

June 14
UNIVAC is the first commercially sold computer.

August 14
Newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst dies.

September 4
The one millionth U.S. soldier killed since the Battle of Lexington dies in Korea.

September 8
The war with Japan is officially ended.

September 19
The war with Germany is officially ended.

Bobby Thompson's home run

October 3
Bobby Thompson hits the “shot heard round the world” home run as the Giants defeat the Dodgers in a playoff game.

October 25
Winston Churchill 77, is once more Prime Minister of Britain as his Conservative Party wins the election.

November 1
Atomic tests involving servicemen are conducted in Nevada. They wear no protection. Of the 5,000 soldiers ordered to participate. All are dead within forty years.

November 10
North American coast-to-coast direct-dial service is inaugurated.

Firsts

Earl Tupper introduces his food storage containers.

Marion Donovan creates disposable diapers.

James Jones publishes From Here To Eternity
and J. D. Salinger’s Catcher In The Rye appears.

New Words

brainwashing, ground zero, roadblock, target date

Music

Tennessee Waltz– Patti Page
How High The Moon – Les Paul and Mary Ford
Come On-a My House – Rosemary Clooney
In the Cool, Cool of the Evening – Bing Crosby
Truly, Truly Fair – Guy Mitchell

Movies

The African Queen
The Lavender Hill Mob
A Place in the Sun
Rashomon
Strangers On A Train
Streetcar Named Desire

All About Eve wins the Best Picture Oscar.

David and Bathsheba is the top grossing film.

The top star is John Wayne.
TV Debuts
I Love Lucy (on air until 1957)
Red Skelton (on air until 1971)
The Roy Rogers Show
Sports
The Yankees win the World Series 4 games to 2 over the Giants.

Ottawa wins the Grey Cup 21-14 over Saskatchewan.

Toronto wins the Stanley Cup 4 games to 1 over the Canadiens.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower

DVD Family Portrait's
1952

News Chronology

January 4
Vincent Massey becomes the first Canadian to be named Govenor-General.

February 6
King George VI dies. Elizabeth becomes Queen of England.

March 10
Fulgencio Batista returns to power in Cuba after a coup.

May 21
Actor John Garfield dies an early death. He had been blacklisted.

May 26
The occupation of Germany ends.

July 11
Republicans nominated Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon for the presidential election.

July 26
Adlai Stevenson is nominated by the Democrats.

September 10
West Germany agrees to pay $1.774 billion to Israel as compensation for the Holocaust.

September 18
Discovery of Nixon’s “slush" fund results in the infamous “Checkers” speech.

October 3
Britain explodes its first atomic bomb.

October 31
The U.S. detonates the first H-bomb.

November 4
Eisenhower elected.

November 25
The first performance of Agatha Christie’s The Moustrap.

December 5-9
A warm air mass traps coal smoke and sulfer dioxide over London killing 4,000 and causing 8,000 respiratory cases.

Firsts

Pream, the first instant cream for coffee, is introduced.

The first Holiday Inn opens.

Alfred Butts introduces the game Scrabble.

Dr. Jonas Salk discover the Polio vaccine.

Amber is introduced in traffic lights for the first time in New York city.

Books

Giant by Edna Ferber
The Diary of Ann Frank
East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Music

Cry – Johnnie Ray
Glow Worm – The Mills Brothers
High Noon – Tex Ritter

Movies

The Bad and the Beautiful
High Noon
Moulin Rouge
The Quiet Man
Singin’ in the Rain

An American in Paris wins the Best Picture Oscar.

The Greatest Show on Earth is the top grossing film while Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis are the top film stars.

Movie attendance has dropped 50% since 1947.

Ozzie and Harriet (on air until 1966)
Dragnet
I’ve Got A Secret (on air until 1967)
Our Miss Brooks
See It Now

Sports

The Yankees defeat the Dodgers 4 games to 3 to win the World Series.

Toronto wins the Grey Cup 21-11 over Edmonton.

Detroit wins the Stanley Cup 4 games to 0 over the Canadiens.

Sam Snead wins the Masters.

DVD Family Portrait's
1953
News Chronology

January 1
Singer songwriter Hank Williams dies.

January 20
Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon are sworn in as President and Vice President of the United States.

March 6
Stalin dies.

April 11
A truce settlements is reached in Korea.

April 15
Charlie Chaplin’s re-entry card for the U.S. is revoked. He must go into exile.

May 19
Winds from the a-bomb test “Harry” carry radioactive material into St George, Utah. The AEC states there is no danger even though levels are three times above safe amount.

May 29
Edmund Hillary successfully climbs Mount Everest.

Hillary on Everest

June 2
Elizabeth is crowned Queen of England.

June 19
Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are executed.

August 8
The USSR announces it has the H-bomb.

August 10
A CIA backed coup establishes Riza Pahlavi as Shah of Iran.

September 12
John Kennedy weds Jacqueline Bouvier.

September 30
Earl Warren is sworn in as head of the U.S. Supreme Court.

November 13
Playwright Eugene O’Neil dies

November 19
Poet Dylan Thomas dies in New York City after drinking nineteen straight whiskeys.

December 11
George Marshall, architect of U.S. World War II strategy, receives the Nobel Peace Prize.

Firsts

The first MacDonald’s franchise opens in Phoenix, Arizona.

American Airlines inaugurates regular transcontinental flights.

Irish Coffee is served in San Francisco for the first time.

The first open heart surgery.

British scientist, Francis Crick discovers DNA.

Playboy hits the stands.

Alfred Kinsey publishes The Sexual Behavior in the Human Female.

New Words

count-down, drag-strip, egghead, red carpet

Music

How Much Is That Doggie In The Window – Patti Page
You, You, You – The Ames Brothers
Your Cheatin’ Heart – Hank Williams
Baubles, Bangles and Beads – Peggy Lee

Movies

From Here To Eternity
Mr. Hulot’s Holiday
Shane
The Wild One
Stalag 17

The Best Picture Oscar goes to The Greatest Show On Earth.

The top star is Gary Cooper and the top grossing film is the first cinemscope film The Robe.

TV Debuts

The Danny Thomas Show (on air until 1964)Life of RileyOmnibusYou Are ThereName That Tune
Sports
The Yankees win the World Series 4 games to 2 over the Dodgers.
Hamilton wins the Grey Cup 12-6 over Winnipeg.
Montreal defeats Boston 4 games to 1 to win the Stanley Cup.
Ben Hogan wins the Masters.

Edward R. Murrow
DVD Family Portrait's
1954
News Chronology
April 22
The Army-McCarthy hearings open to answer charges that there are communists in the Army. The charges are unfounded.
March 30
Canada’s first subway opens in Toronto.
April 5
The announcement is made that the first successful artifical insemination of women has taken place.
May 7
The French surrender at Dien Bien Phu in Viet Nam. In total the French have lost 50,000 soldiers. Three days later the U.S. congress passes a resolution that will commit US troops to Viet Nam.
May 17
The Supreme Court overrules states rights and finds that segregated schools deprive Negro Americans of equal protection guaranteed under the 14th Amendment.
May 25
Famed Life photographer Robert Capa is killed in Viet Nam.

Robert Capa's famous photo of
The Spanish Civil War
June 14
The first national defense civil test is held in the U.S.
June 29
Robert Oppenheimer, father of the atomic bomb, loses his security clearance after a secret hearing.
July 13
The last war time rationing is lifted in Britain.
August 12
The UN withdraws forces from Korea.
August 16
Sports Illustrated is launched.
October 9
Supreme court justice Robert H. Jackson, who was lead prosecutor at Nuremberg, dies.
October 15-18
Hurricane Hazel, the most severe storm in North American history, kills 1,200 people.
November 12
The immigration processing station at Ellis Island New York is closed.
November 15
Actor Lionel Barrymore dies.
November 20
The Distant Early Warning (DEW) Line is formed by Canada and the U.S. as a joint defense program.
November 28
Enrico Fermi, principle creator of the A-bomb, dies.
December 2
The U.S. senate votes to “condemn” Joseph McCarthy.
December 20
James Hilton, author of Lost Horizon, dies.
Firsts
British “Matchbox” cars are launched in North America.
The Thunderbird is introduced by Ford.
Northland in Detroit opens as the world’s largest shopping mall.
Contact lenses are developed.
The first polio vaccinations takes place.
The IBM 650 is the first mass produced computer.
Texas Instruments produce the first practical silcon transistor.
Books
The Two Towers and Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien
Casino Royale by Ian Fleming
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
New Words
desegregation, do-it-yourself, fall-out, hard sell, sci-fi
Music
This Ole House – Rosemary Clooney
Sh-Boom – Crewcuts
Mr. Sandman – Chordettes
That’s Amore – Dean Martin
Shake Rattle and Roll – Bill Haley and His Comets
Elvis Presley cuts his first record in Memphis.
225 million records are sold in the U.S. this year.
Eddie Fisher is the top singer in the U.S.
Movies
Beat The Devil
Bad Day At Black Rock
Caine Mutiny
Hobson’s Choice
Rear Window
On The Waterfront
The Seven Samurai
The Best Picture Oscar goes to From Here To Eternity.

The top star is John Wayne and the top grossing film is White Christmas.
TV Debuts
Rin Tin Tin
Father Knows Best
Lassie
The Tonight Show
Walt Disney
Sports
Marilyn Bell swims Lake Ontario on September 9.
Roger Bannister breaks the four minute mile.
The Giants win the World Series 4 games to 0 over the Indians.
Edmonton wins the Grey Cup 26-25 over Montreal.
The Stanley Cup is won by Detroit 4 games to 3 over Montreal.

Einstein

DVD Family Portrait's
1955
News Chronology
It is estimated that the U.S. has 4,000 nuclear weapons compared to 1,000 in the USSR.
February 8
Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the USSR, emerges as the most powerful figure in the Soviet Union.
March 17
The suspension of Maurice “the Rocket” Richard from the Montreal Candiens sparks a riot.
April 5
Winston Churchill, 80, resigns as British Prime Minister.
April 16
The polio vaccine program against polio is initiated.
April 18
Einstein dies.
May 14
In response to West Germany joining NATO, the USSR signs the Warsaw Pact with Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Bulgaria, Romania, Albania and East Germany. The 20 year pact puts military command under Soviet authority.
June 11
Eighty two spectators are killed at the 24 hour Le Mans race when a car slams into the crowd.
June 15-17
Operation Alert is a 3 day H-bomb drill for 53 U.S. cities.
July 17
Disneyland opens.
Walt Disney
July18
The first Big Four conference since World War II sees President Eisenhower, Prime Minister Anthony Eden of Britain, Premier Edgar Faure of France and Premier Nikola Bulganin of the USSR discuss East-West tensions in Geneva.
August 28
Two white men kidnap and murder 14 year old Emmett Till in Mississippi. The crime will be the springboard for a renewed civil right movement.
September 9-13
The last 9,626 German POWS from World War II are released by the USSR.
September 18
The British Foreign Office announces the defection of diplomats Guy Burgess and Donald MacLean to the Soviet Union.
September 24
Eisenhower suffers a mild heart attack and the stock market sees the heaviest loss to date - $14 billion in one day.
September 30
Actor James Dean dies in an automobile accident.
October 4
In the first use of solar power, Bell makes a phone call in Georgia.
November 4
Baseball pitcher Cy Young dies.
November 15
The last survivor of Custer’s Last Stand, Chief Iron Hail, dies.
November 22
Elvis Presley signs a $35,000. recording contract with RCA.
December 1
Rosa Parks is arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to give up her seat on a bus to a white man. 40,000 gather to discuss a bus boycott.
The keynote speaker is an unknown preacher, Martin Luther King.
December 6
Baseball great Honus Wagner dies.
Firsts & Fads
Vladimir Nabokov publishes Lolita
Kellogg’s begins the “They’re G-R-Reat" commercial for Frosted Flakes.
Play-Doh is introduced.
The Davy Crockett fad engulfs North America

IBM completes the first programmed computer.
New Words
automated, cue cards, junk mail, rock-and-roll
Music
Rock Around The Clock – Bill Haly and His Comets
Moments To Remember – The Four Lads
Autumn Leaves – Roger Williams
Sixteen Tons – Tennessee Ernie Ford
Movies
East Of Eden
Marty
Mister Roberts
Night Of The Hunter
Rebel Without A Cause
To Catch A Thief
The Best Picture Oscar goes to On The Waterfront.
The top box office star is James Stewart.

All the above movies are available at www.amazon.ca.
TV
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Alfred Hitchcock Presents
Gunsmoke (on air until 1975)
The Honeymooners
The Lawrence Welk Show (on air until 1972)
Sergeant Bilko
The $64,000 Question
Captain Kangaroo
By October it is estimated that there are 33.5 million TV sets in the U.S.
Sports
The Dodgers win the world series 4 games to 3 over the Yankees.
Edmonton wins the Grey Cup 34-19 over Montreal.
Detroit wins the Stanley cup 4 games to 3 over the Canadiens.
For further research and ideas for your DVD family portrait go to...

1956-1959

1947-1949 1960-1964

Below is a Video Clip from my own DVD movie that represents
a nostalgic look at growing up in the 50's.

My complete one hour DVD family movie is available upon request.

Contact Bruce Pittman Return To A Baby Boomer Guide Main Page Making Your DVD Family Portrait Video Demo The Music of Your Times Bruce Pittman's Resume Pricing Return to the Top of
Boomers Guide 1950-1955
Return To DVD Family Portrait Home Page

Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955
Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955
Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955
Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955 Boomers Guide 1950-1955