NATO was formed. West Germany was established. Chairman Mao
Zedong proclaimed the Communist Republic of China. Ireland’s independence
was recognized by Britain. Vietnam was set up with an emperor. South Africa adopted Apartheid, prohibited mixed
marriage. Taiwan formed on Formosa. The
U.S. recognized Israel. Harry Truman established Cape Canaveral.
Pope Pius XII excommunicated
communist Catholics. The American Contract Bridge League voted to keep Blacks
out. Jackie Robinson won the National
league’s Most Valuable Player. Ezzard Charles defeated Jersey Joe Walcott. Joe DiMaggio was the first sports star
to earn $100,000. Hopalong Cassidy premiered with first network Western. The first Jewish family show on TV, “The
Goldbergs,” debuted. Arthur Godfrey
had both radio and TV shows. Cable TV emerged.
First 45-rpm records were sold.
First Emmy Awards were announced. The Nobel Prize for Literature went to
William Faulkner. The Pulitzer for fiction was awarded to James Gould Cozzens for Guard of Honor. In music, Virgil Thompson received a Pulitzer for Louisiana Story. For drama, it
was Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller. In the movie theaters we watched All The King’s Men, Twelve O’clock High, The
Third Man, She Wore A Yellow Ribbon,
White Heat, Little Women, Holiday Affair
and The Fountainhead. We listened to “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” by Dinah Shore, “Riders in the Sky” by Vaughn Monroe, “Mule Train” by Frankie Laine, “I’ve Got my Love To
keep Me Warm” by the Mills Brothers,
“Red Roses For A Blue Lady’ by Guy Lombardo,
‘Lavender Blue” (Dilly Dilly) by Sammy
Kaye, and ‘Why Was I Born,’ by Vic
Damone. Among the popular books this
year were Golden Apples by Eudora Welty 1984 by George Orwell, Confessions Of A Mask by Yukio Mishima, The Grand Design by John Dos
Passos, The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. Richard Strauss died. Others
who passed included Wallace Beery, Margaret Mitchell and Leadbelly. Among those who first
appeared in this realm in 1949 were Meryl
Streep, Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Lionel Richie, John Belushi,
Sigourney Weaver, George Foreman, Don Johnson, Vera Wang, Bill Nighy and Benjamin Netanyahu. If you
were around, what were you doing during this year of the earth ox?
1 comment:
I remember it well. Started third grade in the First Baptist Church because our school building had been condemned and demolished. I distinctly remember seeing the trailer for SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON at the theater. I miss the old days.
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