Count down from 2016 with real world facts!

[Vincent]

1956
The wildly popular epic film “The Ten Commandments” premieres in the United States on October 5, 1956. The film, directed by legendary icon Cecil B. DeMille, starred Charlton Heston as Moses, Yul Brynner as Rameses and Anne Baxter as Nefretiri. The film told the Biblical tale of Moses in a grand and cinematic way and was filmed on location in Egypt. At the time it was created, “The Ten Commandments” was the most expensive film ever made and featured some of the largest sets ever created. It was a huge financial success and had critical acclaim, being nominated for 7 Academy Awards.

[Clarence]

1955

The Vietnam War begins!

[Vincent]

1954
Rationing finally ends in Great Britain

[Clarence]

1953



The first color television sets go on sale for about US$1,175.

[Vincent]

1952
despite the war in Korea Americans considered themselves to be prospering with average worker earning $3,400 per year, a college teacher could expect to earn $5,100 per year . Three out of 5 families owned a car, 2 out of 3 families now had a telephone, 1 in 3 homes had a television. The average woman in America would be married by 20 years of age looking forward to raising a family but few continued with a career after children were born. Fast Food restaurants were growing in popularity, but the scourge of Polio hit many thousands of families ( 50,000 estimated ) . Many more cars in America were now fitted with automatic gearboxes and gas cost 25 cents per gallon. The worlds first passenger jet The Comet is produced in UK signaling the start of faster and cheaper air travel in later years.

[Shay]

1951

The first oral contraceptive (the Pill) was invented by Luis E. Miramontes.

[Vincent]

1950 was the start of the fast changes that would be seen in the next 2 decades , the great depression was becoming a faint memory and families were moving out to the suburbs, kids watched howdy doody on 12 inch black and white TV sets and spent Saturday afternoons watching cartoons at Cinema matinees , times were gentler with little violence and the consumer revolution was about to start in a big way, and the man of the household became the sole breadwinner. The median family income was $3,300 a year and milk was still delivered to the doorstep.

[Clarence]

1949



Newfoundland officially joins Canada on this year!

Prior to this they were part of Britain. They decided to separate and had a vote:

48% voted to start a new country.
52% voted to join Canada.

That was a close one!

[Wesley]

1948

GreatZot's dad is born on 8-16-48

General Motors opens a 1.1 Million square foot facility for casting engine blocks in Defiance, Ohio.

The first molten iron in this facility was poured on 8-23-1948.

[Clarence]

1947



The United Nations General Assembly votes to partition Palestine between Arab and Jewish regions, which results in the creation of the State of Israel.

[LaLou]

1946
The first meeting of the United Nations is held at Methodist Central Hall Westminster in London on January 10th.

[Clarence]

1945
World War II ended.

No double posting Lalou! I'm stealing your post.

Now you can go again if you want

GreatZot's Great Uncle Carl Davis was on a battleship in the sea of Japan when the Japanese surrendered.

[chex]

1944

Frank family arrested.

Edit - Expanded on by Clarence:

On this day in 1944, a German-born Jewish girl and her family, who had been hiding in German-occupied Holland, are found by the Gestapo and transported to various concentration camps. The young girl’s diary of her time in hiding was found after her death and published. The Diary of Anne Frank remains one of the most moving testimonies to the invincibility of the human spirit in the face of inhuman cruelty.

[Vincent]

1943
Following American involvement in the war manufacturers around the US became as efficient at producing war machines as they had been producing other goods with companies like ford and GM managing to change from cars to bombs and aircraft engines and at the same time due to the number of men overseas fighting the war using more women for manufacturing a total of 18 million women were employed. Due to shortages America sees it's first rationing. Italian and German forces surrender in North Africa as the war in Europe starts to turn the Allies way. The Glenn Miller Orchestra provided the most popular music of the time.

[Clarence]

1942



WWII: The Battle of Midway: The Japanese naval advance in the Pacific is halted.

The Battle of Midway was a crucial and decisive naval battle in the Pacific Theatre of World War II. Between 4 and 7 June 1942, only six months after Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor and one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea, the United States Navy decisively defeated an attacking fleet of the Imperial Japanese Navy on Midway Atoll, inflicting devastating damage on the Japanese fleet that proved irreparable. Military historian John Keegan called it "the most stunning and decisive blow in the history of naval warfare."

It was Japan's first naval defeat since the Battle of Shimonoseki Straits in 1863.

[chex]

1941

Attack on Pearl Harbor

The attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise military strike conducted by the Imperial Japanese Navy against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941 (December 8 in Japan). The attack led to the United States' entry into World War II.

This attack was later regretted by Admiral Yamamoto who uttered the quote,"I fear we have awakened a sleeping giant and filled him with a dread resolve."

[Clarence]

1940



France Surrenders! France is completely defeated and taken over by Germany!

It really is scary to think about how powerful Germany had become during this war, taking over country after country.

[Wesley]

1939

Capitalizing on the last bits of post world war one modernism, the Duesenberg automobile corporation, backed by funding from also famous auto maker Cord, Designed one of the most advanced and stylish cars never to be mass produced: the Duesenberg Coupe Simone "Midnight Ghost."

It was the longest car produced by Duesenberg, living up the the adage,"It's a Deuzy!"

I can't help but think the opulence and exlusivity of this vehicle as well as the mystery surrounding it helped influence the design of the BatMobile. See for yourself...

Midnight Ghost

[chex]

1938

Disney's "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is officially released.

[Clarence]

1937



Howard Hughes establishes a record by flying from Los Angeles to New York City in 7 hours, 28 minutes and 25 seconds.

(real pictue not included)