Headlines & tidbits from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s.

American Living:

1940: 1st nylon stockings sold in US

1949: 1st Polaroid camera sold $89.95 (NYC)

1960: Taxes took 25% of earnings in US

1975: 80,000 turned out in New York City’s Central Park to celebrate the end of the Vietnam War.

Technology & Inventions:

1952: The Westinghouse Frost-Free Refrigerator was introduced

1954: The Pacific Telephone & Telegraph Co. unveils a device that dials automatically. It is the forerunner of equipment that will soon permit a telephone user to dial direct, skipping the step of the operator.

Movies & TV:

1952: “Singin in the Rain” was in theaters starring Gene Kelly, Donald O’Connor and Debbie Reynolds

1959: “Some Like It Hot” was in theaters starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon

1959: Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle, last airs on NBC-TV

1960: Elvis Presley appears on a Frank Sinatra special

1963: Bob Dylan walks off Ed Sullivan Show

1970: Beatles movie “Let it Be” premieres

1986: “Top Gun,” premieres

Music & Radio:

1963: Peter, Paul & Mary win their 1st Grammy (If I Had a Hammer)

1966: The Pet Sounds “masterpiece” by The Beach Boys was released. It contained “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B.,” “God Only Knows,” “Here Today,” “Caroline No” and other songs.

1977: 1st quadrophonic concert (Pink Floyd in London)

1977: Howard Stern begins broadcasting at WRNW, Briarcliff Manor NY

1981: “Bette Davis Eyes” by Kim Carnes hits #1 for next 9 weeks

1985: Madonna’s “Crazy For You,” single goes #1

Hollywood Headlines:

1967: Paul McCartney meets his future wife Linda Eastman

1971: Mick Jagger married Bianca Macias at St Tropez Town Hall

1976: Keith Relf, rock vocalist (Yardbirds), electrocuted at 33 while at home tuning his guitar

1980: Brian May of rock group Queen collapses on stage with hepatitis

1987: Rita Hayworth, actress (Gilda), dies of Alzheimer’s disease at 68

The Arts:

1946: Musical “Annie Get Your Gun,” starring Ethel Merman premieres in NYC

1969: Monty Python comedy troupe forms

1981: Andrew Lloyd Webber/TS Eliot’s musical “Cats,” premieres in London

Sports:

1967: Mickey Mantle’s 500th HR off Oriole’s Stu Miller

1975: Muhammad Ali TKOs Ron Lyle in 11 for heavyweight boxing title

1983: Reggie Jackson is 1st major leaguer to strike out 2,000 times

1985: Michael Jordan named NBA Rookie of Year

1986: Reggie Jackson hit his 537th HR passing Mickey Mantle into 6th place

Automobile News:

1947: BF Goodrich announced the development of the tubeless tire (Akron Ohio)

1969: Last Chevrolet Corsair built

Posted Sunday, May 11th, 2008 at 6:06 pm EST by Nicole
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