Book of Me, Written by Me--Prompt 12: The Year You Were Born

The Book of Me, Written by You is a blogging theme where one can write about their own life using blog themes posted each week. More information can be found at Anglers Rest here.

This week’s prompt is - The year you were born
· What happened
· Historical
· Films
· Music
· Books
· Television
· Or use any other historical (well known or otherwise) event

I was born in 1954 nearly one year after the marriage of my parents. Of course I don’t have a clue what happened that year but Wikipedia gives a great list.  Here are some highlights:

January: 

--Marilyn Monroe married Joe DiMaggio.
--The first nuclear-powered submarine USS Nautilus was launched.

February:

--Mass vaccination against polio began in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
--Gamal Abdel Nasser became premier of Egypt.

March:

--The French began the battle against the Viet Minh in Dien Bien Phu.
--I was born on March 26.
--The first subway opened in Toronto.

April:

--Bill Haley & His Comets recorded “Rock Around the Clock.” 
--Senator Joseph McCarthy begins hearings investigating the United States Army for being "soft" on Communism.

May:

--Unification Church was founded in South Korea.
--Roger Bannister ran the first under 4 minute mile in Oxford, England.  
--The Boeing 707 was released.

June:

--The words “Under God” were added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
--First atomic power station opened in Obninsk.

July:

--Food rationing in Great Britain ended.

August:

--First issue of Sports Illustrated was published in the United States

September:

--Lord of the Flies was published in London.

October:

--NY Giants defeated the Cleveland Indians to win the World Series.
--Transistor radio developed by Texas Instruments.
--Hi and Lois by Mort Walker and Dik Browne was launched.
--West Germany joined NATO.

November:

--Immigration port of entry at Ellis Island closed.

December:

--The Nutcraker ballet was staged for the first time in New York.

This was a good exercise because I learned a lot about what happened in 1954.  Some of it I knew, such as the NY Giants winning the World Series. I'm a big SF Giants fan and that had been the last time the Giants won the World Series until 2010.

Those born on my birthday (March 26):

Kazuhiko Inoue, a Japanese voice actor.

Clive Palmer, an Australian mining tycoon. 

Some famous people born in 1954: Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Oprah Winfrey, Christie Brinkley, John Travolta, Patty Hearst, Ron Howard, Robert Carradine, Jackie Chan, Dennis Quaid, Jerry Seinfeld, Sonia Sotomayor, Hugo Chavez, Al Roker, Dennis Eckersley, Al Sharpton, Ang Lee, Condoleezza Rice and Denzel Washington.

Some films released in 1954:  Godzilla, Seven Samurai, Rear Window, On the Waterfront, Sabrina, Dial M for Murder, The Caine Mutiny, Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I have seen most of these movies.

Some books published in 1954: Lord of the Flies, The Lord of the Rings (#1-3), Horton Hears a Who!, Lucky Jim, The Little Red Hen, Live and Let Die, Twelve Angry Men, The Bad Seed.  I have read most of these books.

Some TV Shows that debuted in 1954:  Annie Oakley, The Public Defender, Stop the Music, Lassie, The Tonight Show, The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin, Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Disney, Face the Nation.  I have watched some of these television shows. There were lots of other shows that were broadcasted that year that I have seen in re-runs or late night TV: I Love Lucy, The Ed Sullivan Show, Dragnet, Jack Benny Show, The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, Adventures of Superman, What’s My Line.

Copyright © 2014 by Lisa Suzanne Gorrell, My Trails into the Past