Life In 1958

                  1958 (60 Years Ago)

-          The European Economic Community (EEC) created. Would later become the European Union (Jan, 1st.)

-          4-year-old Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship (Jan. 8th.)

-          UK House of Lords passes bill allowing women to take seats (Jan 30th)

-          Ruth Carol Taylor is 1st African-American woman hired as flight attendant, Ithaca NY (Feb. 11th.) Hired by Mohawk Airlines, her career lasts only six months, due to another discriminatory barrier – the airline's ban on married flight attendants.

-          The internationally recognized peace symbol was designed by Gerald Holtom as the logo for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (February 21st.)

-          British Empire Day is renamed "Commonwealth Day" (March 12th.)

-          RIAA certifies 1st gold record (Perry Como's Catch A Falling Star) (March 14th.)

-          Vanguard 1, launched. Is the oldest man made satellite still in orbit (March 17th.)

-          Sputnik 2 (with dog Laika) burns up in atmosphere (April 14th.)

-          US and Canada form North American Air Defense Command (NORAD) (May 19th.)

-          President Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the first American elected official to be broadcast on color television (May 22nd.)

-          US schools 1st use Cliff's Notes (May 23rd.)

-          The first Pizza Hut opens in Kansas (June 15th.)

-          Dutch government of Drees ends obligatory dismissal of married teachers (June 30th.)

-          The Hula Hoop was invented by Richard Knerr and Arthur "Spud" Melin. Over 100 million sold (July.)

-          The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation links television broadcasting across Canada via microwave (July 1st.)

-          President Eisenhower signed a bill approving Alaskan statehood (July 7th.)

-          1st parking meters installed in England (625 installed) (July 10th.)

-          National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) created (July 29th.)

-          US 1st class postage up to 4 cents (had been 3 cents for 26 years) (Aug. 1st)

-          USS Nautilus reaches North Pole, 1st submarine to achieve submarine transit of North Pole (Aug. 3rd.)

-          The Billboard Hot 100 is founded (Aug. 3rd.)

-          TV game show scandal investigation starts (Aug. 18th.)-          FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) created (August 23rd.)

-          Air Force Academy opens in Colorado Springs, CO. The all male facility won’t go co-ed unto 1976. (Aug. 29th.)

-          1st color video recording on magnetic tape presented, Charlotte, NC (Sept. 5th.)

-          US Supreme Court orders the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas to integrate (Sept. 12th.)

-          The Fresno Drop: Bank of America mails out 60,000 BankAmericards in Fresco, California, the first credit card (later renamed VISA) (Sept. 18th.)

-          1st airplane flight exceeding 1200 hours, lands, Dallas TX (Sept. 21st.

-          Donna Reed Show premieres on ABC (Sept. 24th.)

-          5th French Republic forms (Oct. 4th.)

-          Transatlantic commercial jet passenger service began (BOAC) (Oct. 4th.)

-          Dr Ake Senning installs first pacemaker (Stockholm) (Oct. 8th.)

-          An Evening with Fred Astaire, the very first television show recorded on color videotape, is broadcast on NBC (Oct. 17th.)

-          1st women in British House of Lords (Oct. 21st.)

-          PanAm flies first transatlantic jet from New York to Paris (Oct. 26th.)

-          1st US guided missile destroyer launched - the Dewey at Bath Iron Works, Maine (Nov. 30th.)

-          Benelux treaty signed by Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg (Dec. 2nd)

-          "Chipmunk Song" reaches #1 (Dec. 22nd)

-          Super Glue was invented.

-          Instant noodles go on sale for the first time.

-          The word "modem" (first used in 1958) is derived from the words "modulator" and "demodulator" because it performs both tasks in order to send and receive data.

-          World War I officially lasted til 1958, because Andorra didn't sign a treaty with Germany.

-          The current 50 star US flag was designed by Robert Heft as a junior high history project an got a B- for it. The grade was later changed to an A after Heft's design was accepted and adopted by the United States Congress in 1959.

-          Mr. Clean introduced.

-          Rice-a-Roni came onto the market.

-           The Jim Henson Company is founded.

-          45 million American households have television sets.

-          Dr. Zhivago is published in the US. Banned in the USSR, Zhivago won author Boris Pasternak the Nobel Prize which he was forced to decline due to political forces at home.

-          31.3% of all domestic passenger travel was by railroad; 27.7% by bus; and 38% by air.

-          This is the peak year for drive-in movies with 4,063 outdoor screens nationwide.

^ The earlier post about life in 1968 got a lot of attention and I was asked to do some more so here is one (with a different format from the '68 version) for 1958. ^