Timeline of the Twentieth Century: 1950-1959
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First Modern Credit Card Introduced
First Organ Transplant
First "Peanuts" Cartoon Strip
Korean War Begins
Senator Joseph McCarthy Begins Communist Witch Hunt
U.S. President Truman Orders Construction of Hydrogen Bomb
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Color TV Introduced
South Africans Forced to Carry ID Cards Identifying Race
Truman Signs Peace Treaty With Japan, Officially Ending WWII
Winston Churchill Again Prime Minister of Great Britain
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Car Seat Belts Introduced
The Great Smog of 1952
Jacques Cousteau Discovers Ancient Greek Ship
Polio Vaccine Created
Princess Elizabeth Becomes Queen at Age 25
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DNA Discovered
Hillary and Norgay Climb Mt. Everest
Joseph Stalin Dies
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg Executed for Espionage
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Britain Sponsors an Expedition to Search for the Abominable Snowman
First Atomic Submarine Launched
Report Says Cigarettes Cause Cancer
Roger Bannister Breaks the Four-Minute Mile
Segregation Ruled Illegal in U.S.
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Walt Disney presents the Mickey Mouse Club
James Dean Dies in Car Accident
McDonald's Corporation Founded
Rosa Parks Refuses to Give Up Her Seat on a Bus
Warsaw Pact Signed
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Elvis Gyrates on Ed Sullivan's Show
Grace Kelly Marries Prince Rainier III of Monaco
Hungarian Revolution
Khrushchev Denounces Stalin
Suez Crisis
T.V. Remote Control Invented
Velcro Introduced
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Dr. Seuss Publishes The Cat in the Hat
European Economic Community Established
Soviet Satellite Sputnik Launches Space Age
Laika Becomes the First Living Animal to Enter Orbit
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Boris Pasternak Refuses Nobel Prize
Chinese Leader Mao Zedong Launches the "Great Leap Forward"
Hope Diamond is Donated to the Smithsonian
Hula Hoops Become Popular
Lego Toy Bricks First Introduced
NASA Founded
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Castro Becomes Dictator of Cuba
International Treaty Makes Antarctica Scientific Preserve
Kitchen Debate Between Nixon and Khrushchev
The Sound of Music Opens on Broadway
U.S. Quiz Shows Found to be Fixed
Poodle Skirts
Undoubtedly, the poodle skirt was one of the most iconic fashion trends of the 1950s. The long, swingy, often pastel-hued skirts had a motif appliqued below the knee. Some common images were musical notes, flowers, and, of course, poodles. Dancing to the new rock 'n' roll music was popular, but it required dancers to wear clothes that allowed them to move. Since women rarely wore pants at the time, A-line poodle skirts were a nice alternative.
Sock Hops
Those 1950s teens were so thoughtful! Informal high school dances were named "sock hops" because students would remove their shoes so as to not scuff the floor while they danced. And they really liked to dance! Elvis made his famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1956, and youngsters across the country were moving to the beat of the neat, new sound of rock 'n' roll. The always chaperoned sock hops were hugely popular .
3D Movies
Just as the proliferation of downloadable music sent the record industry scrambling at the turn of this century, the advent of television spooked movie executives. Would anyone go to the movies when they could be entertained at home? In an attempt to offer something unique, studios like Warner Brothers released movies in "3-D."
The Conical Bra
Though it was invented in 1943, the cantilevered brassiere really came into the spotlight in the 1950s. Jane Russell sported one of the bras in The Outlaw, and her lifted and separated bosom caused quite a sensation. The new silhouette was invented by none other than director, eccentric, and ladies' man Howard Hughes, who directed Russell in the movie.
Beatniks
Every generation has a rebellion and the "beats" emerged from the 1950s underground. While good girls and boys were heading to sock hops, these writers, artists, and musicians were pushing cultural expectations and embracing taboo subject matter.
Each day of the week the Mickey Mouse Club had a special show theme.
Do you remember the themes?
* Monday - Fun with Music
* Tuesday - Guest Star
* Wednesday - Anything Can Happen
* Thursday - Circus
* Friday - Talent Round-up