In July of 1951, Congress authorized construction of the world's first nuclear powered submarine at the Electric Boat Shipyard in Groton, Connecticut. After nearly 18 months of construction, NAUTILUS was launched on January 21, 1954 with First Lady Mamie Eisenhower breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across the bow. Eight months later, on September 30, 1954, NAUTILUS became the... Continue reading
Disneyland opened with an invitation only event on Sunday, July 17th, 1955. Ronald Reagan, Bob Cummings, and Art Linkletter hosted ABC’s 90 minute Telecast, the largest live event ever. The entrance fee was one dollar with rides and attractions each costing from 10¢ to 35¢. The television crews and staff contributed to the overcrowded conditions, along with the dignitaries, and the extensive... Continue reading
DAVID SUSSKIND Called one of the most important cultural figures of the 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s, David Susskind is considered a key player in the development of television shows. Beginning his career as a talent agent, the Harvard educated Susskind successfully became a pioneer in radio, television, film and theater. The maverick TV producer and talk show host/moderator was known for his keen... Continue reading
Peter Lawford shows off his Woodie! During the World War II, wood construction saved steel for critical war-time uses. After the war, the middle class found mass-produced woodie wagons perfect for family travels. The popularity of woodies for personal transportation peaked mid-century. By the late fifties and sixties, used car dealers had plenty of cheap, poorly maintained wood-clad cars.... Continue reading
Top Ten Population Cities in 1800 Source : US Bureau of the Census New York city, NY 60,515 Philadelphia city, PA 41,220 Baltimore city, MD 26,514 Boston town, MA 24,937 Charleston city, SC 18,824 Northern... Continue reading
The Chrysler Six Revolutionizes the Automobile Industry Walter P. Chrysler reached one of his great personal aims with this car, an aim he had been pursuing since 1908. His Chrysler Six, marketed with the model designation B-70 because of its top speed of 70 mph (approx. 110 km/h), set new standards in the category of mid-sized US cars. The first Chrysler became a bestseller – and the... Continue reading
Mrs. Henry Ford Redecorates Home in Ft. Myers, Florida February 28, 1921 Mrs. Henry Ford has summoned the assistance of the staff at Robb & Stucky to redecorate their home in Ft. Myers. Virgil Robb and Harry Stucky, well known in the area for their furniture and buggy emporium were immediately available to fill this order. The Ford’s very close friends of Thomas Edison, originally... Continue reading
IBM Celebrates Banner Year 1947 Johnson City, NY “One Hundred Percenter Convention” In 1947 IBM announced an increase in revenue of 22% with an employment staff of over 22,000. One of IBMs innovative products is the Automatic Sequence Controlled Calculator, called the Mark I, a joint development with Harvard University. It is the first machine that can execute long computations... Continue reading
Supplies 6 Months on the Oregon Trail for Survival with $ 420. total The US Government was already set up to ship goods to Mexico from Independence, Mo. Thus this town became the starting point in 1843 when the first 1,000 settlers set out for the west on the Oregon Trail. In 1850 the year after Gold was discovered, over 55,000 people made this same historic trek. The wagons carried their... Continue reading
How Did the San Diego Zoo Begin? The way the story goes, it began with a roar! In 1916 when San Diego hosted an exposition (like a world's fair) to celebrate the opening of the Panama Canal. Among the exhibits were groups of animals scattered throughout Balboa Park. On September 16, a local physician, Dr. Harry Wegeforth, was driving through the Park and heard––you guessed it––the roar of... Continue reading

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