1950s

Influential Laws• During the 1950's and 1960's, southern states continued to pass 'separate but equal' laws. These laws are referred to as

segregation laws because they segregated (or separated) people based on race.

• In September, 1957, nine African-American students tried to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. The governor sent the Arkansas National Guard to stop the students from entering the school. President Eisenhower stepped in. He sent U.S. soldiers to Arkansas to escort the children to school for the entire school year.

http://lawfreefaq.com/law/7380-12-law.html

Laws cont.• In Montgomery 1955, 50,000 African-Americans did not ride the city buses.

They decided to continue the boycott until segregation on buses ended. For over a year, African-Americans walked, hitchhiked, rode bicycles, or shared car rides.

• On November 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Alabama's state and local laws requiring segregation on buses were unconstitutional. The boycott ended on December 21, 1956. It had lasted 382 days.

http://lawfreefaq.com/law/7380-12-law.html

Important Events/News Stories*1950 - Pres. Harry Truman  ( 'til 1952) approves the production of the hydrogen bomb, and sends the air force and navy to Korea in June. *1951 – Transcontinental Television begins with a speech by Pres. Truman.  *1953 – 1961 Dwight D. Eisenhower  is president.  *1952 - The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1952 removes racial and ethnic barriers to becoming a U.S. citizen.  *1953 -  Julius and Ethel Rosenburg are electrocuted for their part in W.W.II espionage.  *1953 - Fighting ends in Korea  *1954 -  U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy begins televised hearings into alleged Communists in the army.  *1954 - Racial segregation is ruled unconstitutional in public schools by the U.S. Supreme Court.  *1955 -  Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama.  *1955 - The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merge making the new AFL-CIO an organization with 15 million members.  also in 1955  Dr. Jonas Salk developed a vaccine for  polio *1956 – The Federal Highway Act is signed, marking the beginning of work on the interstate highway system.  *1958 – Explorer I, the first U.S. satellite, successfully orbits the earth.  *1958 - The first domestic jet-airline passenger service is begun by National Airlines between New York City and Miami.  *1959 – Alaska and Hawaii become the forty-ninth and fiftieth states. 

www.thepeopleofhistory.com/1950s.html

WorksBooksFictionThe Cardinal - Henry Morton RobinsonFrom Here to Eternity - James JonesThe Sliver Chalice - Thomas B. CostainThe Robe - Lloyd C. DouglasNot as a Stranger - Morton Thompson

http://www.caderbooks.com/best50.html

Non-FictionLook Younger, Live Longer - Gayelord HauserPogo - Walt KellyA Man Called Peter - Catherine MarshallLife Is Worth Living - Fluton J. SheenThis I Believe, 2 - Raymond Swing

WorksDancesJitterbugLindy HopCha-ChaThe Hand JiveThe Madison

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-common-dances-from-the-1950s.htm

FashionLeather JacketPoodle SkirtsDressesPenny LoafersLetter SweaterGlovesScarvesGirdleStilletosPencil SkirtsJeans

http://www.tqnyc.org/2007/NYC074230//fashion.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOrQTh_Cq7U&feature=related

Inventions •Credit Cards

•Introduced by Diner’s Club International – Company in Britain. •Eliminates the need to carry cash. •Time saving device•Huge success and universally used.

•Barcode•A unique code for items that’s read by a scanner.•Invented by Joseph Woodland and Bernard Silver•Initially used to identify railroad cars•Used in shipping and sales tracking.

•Barbie Dolls•Created by Ruth and Elliot Handler•Recognized the value of helping children realize their dreams and goals through play.•Revealed at New York’s annual Toy Fair in 1959•Quickly caught the attention of little girls across the country

•Snowmobiles•Helpful and successful•Helped people in snowy weather who aren’t able to get around by car•Valued in Alaska•Used to haul things or rode for enjoyment

http://library.thinkquest.org/J0111064/50inventions.htmhttp://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/modern.htmhttp://www.enchantedlearning.com/inventors/1900a.shtml

Music! Top Ten Songs of the 50s

ARTISTS 1.Bing Crosby2.Rosemary Clooney3.Nat King Cole4.Ames Brothers5.Dean Martin6.Bill Haley & His Comets7.Elvis Presley8.Pat Boone9.Tommy Edwards10.Bobby Darin

SONGS1.White Christmas2.Come on-a My House3.Unforgettable4.You, You, You5.That’s Amore6.Rock Around The Clock7.Hound Dog8.Love Letters In The Sand9.It's All In the Game10.Mack The Knife

Elvis Presley

Bing Crosby

*The music in the 1950’s affected the buying habits and clothing of teens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Mjb4yLMeK8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZXiulKIgGpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1AieUk2AH4w&feature=PlayList&p=DADB0C561054C19C&playnext_from=PL&playnext=1&index=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8tRTZIx298

Television*In the fifties if you had a television, you would be the neatest kid on the block. Even though at the beginning they only had a few shows, anything would be fun

Popular shows-Kids Lassie Walt Disney Mickey Mouse Club Drama Dragnet The Twilight Zone Superman Private EverywhereComedy I Love Lucy The Honeymooners The Families of the Fifties

http://www.kidsnewsroom.org/elmer/infoCentral/frameset/decade/1950.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YG1UVCexVFg&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wp3m1vg06Q&feature=related

Movies • In 1952 movies became more than just movies. In the month of November the first 3-D movie, Bwana Devil, was able to be seen. At first people were amused by this optical illusion, but the fad did not last very long at all. 1950’s was the birth of teen film! Leather jackets, motorcycles, rock "n" roll & rebellious youths were introduced to the world. Rebel Without a cause• Rebel Without a Cause tells the story of a rebellious teenager played by James Dean, who comes to a town, meets a girl, disobeys his parents, and challenges the local high school bullies. It was an attempt to portray American youth, critique parental style, and exploit the differences between generations.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDL8UeYpnxk • VERTIGO (1958)• A tense, absorbing, and thrilling masterpiece. Jimmy Stewart, the best actor of Hollywood’s Golden Age, plays his greatest role as a man that not only must battle his own fear of heights but also must battle his own personal demons, such as a desperate search for identity. Singing in the Rain• SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN is a film of well-being, joy, and happiness that cascades throughout series of songs and dances. This film of up-beat goofiness and charm stars Gene Kelly, who gives his most legendary performance.• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7QL46cK7B8&feature=related • Lady and the Tramp• Film introduced by Walt Disney in 1955. The story centers on a female American Cocker Spaniel named Lady who lives with a refined, upper middle-class family, and a male stray called the Tramp. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WxDdz-Anls&feature=related

Movies cont. Singing in the RainSINGIN’ IN THE RAIN is a film of well-being, joy, and happiness that cascades throughout series of songs and dances. This film of up-beat goofiness and charm stars Gene Kelly, who gives his most legendary performance.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7QL46cK7B8&feature=related Lady and the TrampFilm introduced by Walt Disney in 1955. The story centers on a female American Cocker Spaniel named Lady who lives with a refined, upper middle-class family, and a male stray called the Tramp.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WxDdz-Anls&feature=related

Marilyn Monroe1926-1962

*In the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe was a famous actress and model.

*Many people in the world and in America believe that her name brings beauty and sensuality, with a note of innocence, to the minds of those who hear it.

*Marilyn Monroe dominated the age of movie stars to become, without question, one of the most famous women of the 20th century.

Jackson Pollock1912-1956

•Jackson Pollock was a famous artist in the 1950s.

•He was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement

•He was regarded as a mostly reclusive artist. He had a volatile personality and struggled with alcoholism all of his life.

John Wayne1907-1979

*He was an American film actor, director and producer

*He is famous for his distinctive voice, walk and height. He was also known for his conservative political views and his support, beginning in the 1950s, for anti-communist positions.

Rosa ParksRosa Parks was a black woman arrested and convicted for refusing to give up her seat for a white man on a bus and violating the city's segregation law. Rosa Parks heroic stand and actions changed the course of history and made her an American icon.

Jonas SalkJonas Salk was the first to develop an injection vaccine against polio. During the 1950s, polio was one of the most feared and widespread childhood diseases. Salk was recognized as a miracle worker. His original intention was to study law, but he was attracted to the medical sciences and decided to become a doctor, who researched to medical practices.

Perry ComoPerry Comos was a popular television performer and recording artist, who produced numerous hit records. [Received 3 Emmys] His weekly television shows and seasonal specials were broadcast throughout the world He was widely respected for both his professional standards and the conduct in his personal life

Singing Hot Diggity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94BbEY_8Fhk

Elvis Presley1935-1977

*Elvis Presley was a famous musician in the 1950s.

*He was a rock and roll influence to teens to be different but alike at the same time.

*He wanted to be “cool” but “different”

Audrey Hepburn

*She was a Fashion/ image icon

*Was a humanitarian

*Wowed millions of people with her gorgeous looks and power packed perfomances

*She won a Golden Globe Award, Academy Award, and Best Motion Picture

Lucille Ball

*She was the star of I Love Lucy, a popular TV show, in the 1950s.

*She won 8 Emmys

*She was in the movies Stage Door and Mame

*She married Desi Arnaz who was a Cuban bandleader

Harry S. Truman

*The 33rd president of the United States

*He was an artillery officer

*County Commissioner of Missouri

Frank Sinatra

Won an academy award for best supporting actor in “From Here to Eternity”

Signed with capitol records

Created reprise records

Marlon BrandoGreatest actor in motion picture history

Won an academy award

Supported Civil Rights and Indian movements