by Alice and Abigail 

1950   1951   1952   1953   1954   1955   1956   1957   1958   1959

The year 1952 was a year of many firsts and advances in technology such as the first VHS video tape. Puerto Rico became the first US Commonwealth and the first 3-D movies were shown to the public. The Old Man and the Sea, a novella by Ernest Hemingway is published. The year 1952 brought many new things in to American society.

• American Bandstand debuts in January on ABC network stations. Dick Clark, hosted the show for more than 25 years.
• The Today Show premiers January 14 on NBC television stations with Dave Garroway as host of the 2-hour morning news and interview show. They work at a street-level studio with a window facing  New York’s Rockefeller Center street traffic. The show even has a chimp, J. Fred Muggs to encourage children to watch.
• After being released from jail in February, Malcolm X  joins U.S. Black Muslim leader Elijah Mohammed. he had been in jail for six years.
• Queen Elizabeth accepted the throne of England on June 2, 1953, her coronation day. To many she was the greatest Queen of England. Elizabeth was married to Prince Philip, who rode beside her, dressed in a naval uniform.
• The McCarran-Walter Immigration and Nationality Act passed despite President Truman's veto, and became a law June 27. It removed the ban on Asian and African immigrants to the United States and allows spouses and children to enter as non quota immigrants.
• S.S. United States leaves New York on July 3. Her first transatlantic voyage  sets a new record. She can 1,750 passengers, and makes the voyage of 2,949 nautical miles in 3 days, 10 hours, 40 minutes, averaging 35.59 knots per hour (more than 40 mph).
• High Noon premiers on July 24, it is praised highly by the critics as one of the greatest western movies ever made.
• Puerto Rico becomes the first US Commonwealth when they accept a new constitution on July 25. The Puerto Ricans obtains all rights of US citizenship except paying taxes and voting in federal elections.
• Frank Sedgman wins in men’s singles at Wimbledon in June and Forest Hills in August now known as the US Open, Maureen Connolly in women’s singles.
• On August 1 The first Holiday Inn opens on U.S. Highway 70 in Memphis, Tennessee. It is a new kind of motel with a swimming pool, air conditioning and a television set in every room, ice, baby cribs, and children under 12 stay free with their parents. It also has free kennels and dog food for family pets.
• The Olympic Games at Helsinki in August draws 5,867 contestants from 69 countries. Bob Mathias, wins the decathlon and US athletes wins the most medals.
• Richard Nixon makes his famous Checker's Speech on September 23. 56 million people watch it. 
• In a subway series the New York Yankees defeated the Brooklyn Dodgers 4 games to 2 at the World Series on October 7, 1952.
• The first 3-D movies are presented to the public.
• Juvenile Charlotte’s Web by E. B. White is published.
• More than 50,000 people are infected with polio. U.S. microbiologist Jonas Edward Salk tests a vaccine against polio.
• Two American inventors, John Multin and Wayne Johnson, showed the first VHS videotape in Hollywood, California,  bringing in a new and exciting period for the worldwide entertainment industry. VHS soon became the standard for video recording.
• http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/blvideo.htm
• Kellogg’s Sugar Frosted Flakes, is 29% sugar, were introduced by Kellogg Co.
• "A Mask for Janus," a poem written by 25 year old American poet W. S. Merwin, was published in Yale and took the country by storm.
• “Do not go gentle into that good night” by Dylan Thomas, who was losing his eyesight has inspired him to pen, "Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
• U.S. meteorologists set up the first weather station in the Arctic, at Ice Island T-3.

Emmy Awards:
Best Drama: Robert Montgomery Presents (NBC)
Best Comedy: I Love Lucy (CBS) 

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1950's