• Economy: The first credit card (Diner’s Club) was introduced.
• Influential Songs include: The Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page, The Third Man Theme by Guy Lomabard (or Anton Karas), and Mona Lisa by Nat ‘King’ Cole
• The Big Movies included Cinderella, Annie Get Your Gun, and Destination Moon
• The price of a loaf of bread in 1950 was 13 cents
  Lunchbox kit with Thermon: $2.59
• The World Population was ~ 2,579,000,000
• The Great Brink’s Robbery: $2.775 Million was robbed from the Brink’s Building in Boston, Massachusetts, and the 11 robbers were caught, but only $58,000 was recovered.
• And… Whataburger (Texas), and What-a-burger (Virginia) opened this year without knowing each other’s existence. There was a trademark infringement issue in the early 2000s, but both kept their names.

“Fasten your seatbelts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.”
– Betty Davis, in All About Eve

“All right, Mr. DeMille, I’m ready for my close-up.”
“I am big! It’s the pictures that got small.”
– Gloria Swanson, in Sunset Boulevard

Corn Pops were originally named “Corn Pops” in 1950, then “Sugar Corn Pops” in 1951, then “Sugar Pops” in 1955, then back to “Sugar Corn Pops” in 1978, and since 1984, “Corn Pops” again, except for a brief time in 2006 when there were just “Pops”.

When Peanuts started in 1950, Charlie Brown was four years old, aged six in 1957, and has been about eight since 1979.

If I Ran the Zoo by Dr. Seuss, published in 1950, is the first recorded instance of the word “nerd.”

Sean Connery placed third in the 1950 Mr. Universe contest.

The FBI made the first ‘Ten Most Wanted’ list in 1950. There were others, of course. # 11 was Willie Sutton. He was probably the most successful and famous bank robber ever, although he was caught several times. A reporter once quoted him; when asked why he robbed banks, he supposedly said, “Because that’s where the money is.” The Real Story: An articulate man (and snazzy dresser), Mr. Sutton, later said he never said it, although the statement was true. “Why did I rob banks? Because I enjoyed it. I loved it. I was more alive inside a bank, robbing it than at any other time. I enjoyed everything about it so much that one or two weeks later, I’d be out looking for the next job. But to me, the money was the chips, that’s all.”

In 1950, the interior of the Whitehouse was dismantled, leaving the house as a shell. It was rebuilt using concrete and steel beams instead of its original wooden joists.

Minute Rice appeared on the shelves for the first time.

The cigarette industry invented the Type A/B Personality Theory in the 1950s to prove coronary heart disease and cancer were risks related to high-stress personality types instead of tobacco use.

Marion Donovan invented disposable diapers.

The 1950 toy lab set “Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Laboratory” contained uranium ore, polonium, a Geiger counter, and a cloud chamber.

Hurricanes in America were not named until 1950. That year, there was Hurricane Dog, Hurricane Easy, Hurricane Jig, Hurricane Item, Hurricane Love, and Tropical Storm How.

These years use the same calendars: 2017, 2006, 1995, 1989, 1978, 1967, 1961, 1950, 1939, 1933, and 1922.

We know the modern-day “pirate accent” from Robert Newton’s portrayal of Long John Silver in the 1950 Disney adaptation of Treasure Island. Before that, there was no universal “pirate accent.”

Private Kenneth Shadrick was the first US casualty of the Korean War, on July 5th, 1950.

After the Empire State Building opened in New York City in 1931, much of its office space went unrented. It was nicknamed the “Empty State Building” by New Yorkers and didn’t become profitable until 1950.

Green plastic garbage bags, made from polyethylene, were invented by Harry Wasylyk.

In 1950, an average of 3.37 people lived in each American home; in 2011, that number had shrunk to 2.6 people. The average size of a new American home in ’50 was 983 square feet; by 2011, the average new home was 2,480 square feet.

The first metal lunchbox, featuring Hopalong Cassidy, was produced by Aladdin (the company, NOT the 1001 Arabian Nights hero).

Kathryn Johnston became the first girl to play Little League baseball in 1950, when she tucked her hair under her hat, adopted the nickname “Tubby,” and joined the Kings Dairy team, posing as a boy. When she told her coach she was a girl, he said, “That’s O.K., you’re a darned good player.”

Since 1950, the United States has lost 8-10 nuclear bombs that we know of.

When the New York Sun was relaunched in 2002, its first edition carried the solution to the last crossword puzzle that the earlier Sun published before it folded in 1950.

In 1950, Louis Eliasberg completed the first and only complete US coin collection – one of every date, metal, denomination, and mint mark ever struck as of that year. Mr. Eliasberg was given a special trophy by Numismatic Gallery Magazine to recognize his unique achievement.

John Hopps invented the world’s first cardiac pacemaker. It was larger than life and had to be used outside the body of the first recipient.

7UP originally contained lithium citrate, a mood-stabilizing drug. It was in the product until 1950.

The The Chinchaga Fire, the largest recorded fire in North American history, produced massive amounts of smoke that was mostly in the upper atmosphere and could not be smelled. Since news of the fire was also sparse, many thought the dark sky resulted from nuclear armageddon, supernatural forces, or alien invasion.

Kent, a major tobacco company, sold unique cigarette filters in the 1950s and advertised their health benefits. What was the advertised ingredient that sets them apart? Asbestos.

In 1894, the London Times predicted that London would be under nine feet of horse manure by 1950.

Racing pioneer C.J. Hart was credited with creating the first commercial drag racing strip on the runway of the Orange County Airport in Santa Ana, California, on June 19.

Little People and the Safety School Bus, Wooly Willy, official Magic-8 Ball, Silly Putty

Galaxy Science Fiction Magazine (1950-1980)

Golf Digest began publication

Prevention began publication

(Data is compiled from charts, including Billboard’s Pop, Rock, Airplay, R&B/Dance, and Singles Charts. The Hot 100 is the primary chart used for this list.)

January 7, 1950 – January 13, 1950: Gene Autry – Rudolph, The Red-nosed Reindeer

January 14, 1950 – February 10, 1950: The Andrews Sisters – I Can Dream, Can’t I

February 11, 1950 – February 17, 1950: Ames Brothers – Rag Mop

February 18, 1950 – March 17, 1950: Red Foley – Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy

March 18, 1950 – April 14, 1950: Teresa Brewer – Music! Music! Music!

April 15, 1950 – April 28, 1950: Eileen Barton – If I Knew You Were Comin’ I’d’ve Baked a Cake

April 29, 1950 – July 14, 1950: Anton Karas – The Third Man Theme

July 15, 1950 – August 18, 1950: Nat King Cole – Mona Lisa (Nat King Cole song)

August 19, 1950 – November 17, 1950: Gordon Jenkins and The Weavers – Goodnight Irene

November 18, 1950 – December 1, 1950: Sammy Kaye – Harbor Lights

December 2, 1950 – December 29, 1950: Phil Harris – The Thing

December 30, 1950 – March 2, 1951: Patti Page – The Tennessee Waltz