1926 A strike in Britain brought the nation’s activities to a standstill; Chiang Kai-shek becamethe leader of China’s revolutionary party; and the Book-of-the-Month Club was established.

1927 The German economy collapsed; Charles Lindbergh made the first nonstop solo transatlantic flight; and Al Jolson became a star in his first movie, The Jazz Singer.

1928 The Academy Awards were handed out for the first time; penicillin was discovered; and GE introduced a television set with a 3” x 4” screen.

1929 The U.S. stock market plummeted, marking the beginning of the Great Depression; The Museum of Modern Art opened in New York City; and penicillin was used for the first time to fight an infection.

1930 Unemployment in the U.S. soared; the ninth planet, Pluto, was discovered; Gallant Fox won the Kentucky Derby; and Grant Wood painted American Gothic.

1931 “The Star Spangled Banner” became the nation’s anthem; Spain became a republic; nearly 30,000 television sets had been sold in the U.S.; and the Empire State Building was completed.

1932 Radio City Music Hall opened in New York; Charles Lindbergh’s son was kidnapped; Amelia Earhardt was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic; and the price of a first class stamp went back up to 3¢.

1933 Adolph Hitler became the German Chancellor; Roosevelt inaugurated the new Deal; Prohibition was repealed; and FM radio was introduced.

1934 The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) was established; Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were ambushed; and It Happened One Night swept the Academy Awards winning Best Picture, Director, Actor, and Actress.

1935 The Nazi’s begin anti-Semitic activities; President Roosevelt called for Social Security; the Gallop Poll was begun; and George Gershwin wrote Porgy and Bess.

1936 King Edward VIII abdicated the throne to marry an American divorcee; Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind was published; the first helicopter flight was made; and the stamp held steady at 3¢.

1937 The “Hindenburg” exploded killing 36 people; Amelia Earhardt and her co-pilot disappeared; the New York Yankees beat the New York Giants in the World Series; and the Golden Gate Bridge was completed.

1938 Hitler overtook Austria; Kuwait had its first oil strike; Orson Welles broadcast his War of the Worlds creating national panic; and the Fair Labor Standards Act established a minimum wage.

1939 Germany invaded Poland; the World’s Fair opened in New York; Einstein wrote to President Roosevelt about the possibility of an atomic bomb; and Robert Kane introduced the Batman cartoon.

1940 Winston Churchill became Britain’s Prime Minister; the first Social Security benefits checks were paid; the first McDonald’s hamburger stand was opened; and the Bugs Bunny cartoon was introduced.

1941 Japan bombed Pearl Harbor; Actress Greta Garbo retired at age 36; Boston won the Stanley Cup; and Wimbledon wasn’t held due to the war. The stamp? Hanging in there at 3¢.

1942 Nazi leaders begin the Holocaust; the U.S. moved Japanese immigrants to “relocation centers”; and Casablanca premiered in theaters.

1943 Withholding tax on wages was introduced; the Pentagon building was completed; Federal spending was $78.56 billion; and the Federal debt was $142.7 billion.

1944 The Allies invaded Normandy on “D-Day” (June 6); the Bretton Woods Conference resulted in the creation of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank; and the United nations was established.

1945 Adolph Hitler committed suicide; the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Japanese cities; Franklin Roosevelt died; and a B-25 bomber flew into the Empire State Building damaging the 78th and 79th floors.

1946 Benjamin Spock published his book on childcare; the first computer (the ENIAC) was introduced; and the Cannes Film Festival debuted in France.

1947 The Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered; a Hollywood “Black List” was created; and Jackie Robinson joined the Brooklyn Dodgers.

1948 The 33-1/2 LP record was introduced (giving listeners 25 minutes of music per side); and the “Big Bang” theory of the origins of the universe was first put forth.

1949 NATO was established; the New York Yankees won the World Series; the U.S. recognized the state of Israel; and Cable television made its debut.

1950 The Korean War began; Saturday morning children’s programming was introduced; and Charles Schulz started the Peanuts comic strip.

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