Headlines & Tidbits from the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s & 80s
World News & the American Experience:
1948 – Due to a strike at the Chicago Tribune, the editors guessed at the outcome of the 1948 presidential election. They printed out papers with the headline reading “Dewey Defeats Truman.” They guessed incorrectly because Harry S. Truman won the election.
1960 – Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy (D) defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon (R) in the presidential election. Kennedy was the youngest president, elected at 43 years old.
Movies & TV:
1949 – “One Man’s Family” premiered on NBC-TV and enjoyed a run on radio from 1933 to 1959.
1956 – “The Wizard of Oz” was shown on TV for the first time.
1959 – Charles Van Doren confessed that the TV quiz show “21” was fixed.
1965 – “Days of Our Lives” premiered on NBC-TV.
1967 – Phil Donahue began his TV talk show in Dayton, Ohio. The show moved to Chicago and was syndicated by Multimedia Productions.
1973 – “Good Morning America” premiered on ABC.
1976 – “Gone With the Wind” was aired (over two nights) on NBC-TV. The showing was the highest-rated TV show in history.
Music & Radio:
1932 – “Buck Rogers in the 25th Century” premiered on CBS radio.
1934 – The first broadcast of “The Gumps” was heard on CBS radio.
1956 – Elvis Presley’s song “Love Me” went to the top of the charts. It was the first song not released as a single that hit the million mark.
1974 –The album “So Far” by Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, rose to #1 in the U.S.
1975 – The Sex Pistols made their first appearance as a band at Saint Martins College in London.
1975 – Elton John’s album, “Rock of the Westies”, debuted at #1 on US album charts.
1979 – The Eagles’ album “The Long Run” was the #1 album for 9 weeks.
1980 – Bruce Springsteen’s album, “The River”, hit #1 for four weeks in the U.S.
1988 – The Beach Boys hit #1 with “Kokomo.” It broke records because it was the longest amount of time in between #1 hits.
Arts & Entertainment:
1935 – Parker Brothers launched the game of Monopoly.
1939 – “Life With Father” premiered on Broadway in New York City. The show broke the record for the longest-running stage production.
1954 – “Fanny,” starring Florence Henderson, opened at the Majestic Theater in New York City for 888 performances.
1960 – “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” opened on Broadway at Winter Garden for 532 performances.
Celebrity Headlines:
1972 – Carly Simon and James Taylor got married in Carly’s Manhattan apartment. The couple was said to be the highest-paid couple in the world at the time.
1978 – Norman Rockwell, artist (Saturday Evening Post covers), dies at 84
Sports:
1971 – The Los Angeles Lakers began the longest winning streak in the history of pro sports by winning the first of 33 consecutive basketball games.
1973 – New Jersey became the first state in the U.S.A. where girls were allowed to play on Little League baseball teams.
Technology & Inventions:
1946 – A coin operated television receiver was displayed in New York City. It cost a quarter to watch test patterns and a model of Felix the Cat.
Automobile News:
1939 – The first air-conditioned automobile, a Packard, was exhibited in Chicago.
Famous Birthdays:
1931 – Ike Turner, singer
1937 – Loretta Swit, actress MASH
1941 – Art Garfunkel, singer
1943 – Joni Mitchell, singer
1946 – Sally Field, actress
1947 – Peter Noone, singer Herman’s Hermits
1959 – Bryan Adams, singer
1963 – Tatum O’Neal, actress
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