1950 - 1959

In 1955, 14-year old Emmett Till was taken from his relatives home, beaten, and then shot in the head. His body was then thrown in the river. Find out how his murder acted as a spark for the Civil Rights Movement.

Though invented in 1943 by James Wright, Silly Putty was not placed onto the market as a toy until Peter Hodgson packaged the goo in plastic eggs and sold them in 1950. Learn the history of the accidental invention and surprising marketing of one of the most popular toys of the 20th century.

A year-by-year chronology of the 1950s.

According to the legend, a curse befell the large, blue diamond when it was stolen from an idol in India - a curse that foretold bad luck and death not only for the owner of the diamond but for all who touched it. Is there really a curse? Where has the Hope diamond been? Why was such a valuable gem donated to the Smithsonian?

On July 17, 1955, Disneyland opened. Children and adults alike were able to enter the magical land and leave their problems behind while they enjoyed rides and shows in Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, and Tomorrowland.

On September 9, 1956, Elvis made his first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Although this was not Elvis' first national television appearance, it did help to make Elvis a household name.

After several years of challenging Batista, Fidel Castro finally succeeded in ousting Batista from Cuba after two years of guerilla warfare. In 1959, Fidel Castro became the leader of Cuba, a position he has held for over four decades.

Though the concept of credit has existed longer even than money, it wasn't until 1950 that the modern credit card was invented.

The very first Peanuts comic strip, written by Charles M. Schulz, appeared in seven newspapers on October 2, 1950.

When a thick fog engulfed London from December 5 to December 9, 1952, it mixed with black smoke emitted from homes and factories to create a deadly smog. This smog killed approximately 12,000 people and shocked the world into starting the environmental movement.

After years of dreaming about it and seven weeks of climbing, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Mt. Everest, the highest mountain in the world, at 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953.

On November 10, 1958, the latest owner of the huge diamond, Harry Winston (a New York jeweler) donated the diamond to the Smithsonian Institute to be displayed as part of the National Gem and Mineral Collection in the National Museum of Natural History.

On September 30, 1955, movie star James Dean was driving his new Porsche 550 Spyder when he hit another car nearly head-on. James Dean died in the crash at age 24.

At the very beginning of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union, the Soviets successfully launched Sputnik 2 with Laika the dog on board. Laika became the very first living creature to enter orbit.

For over half a century, the small, plastic bricks known as LEGOs have sparked the imagination of children around the world. Discover the history of LEGO toys.

The peace symbol, the circle with three lines within it, was originally designed in 1958 by British artist Gerald Holtom. Learn more about the history of the peace symbol.

After suffering from lung cancer for several years, King George VI died in his sleep on February 6, 1952 at age 56. Upon his death, his oldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, became queen. Elizabeth was 25 years old.

Rosa Parks was on her way home from work on December 1, 1955 when the bus driver asked her to give up her seat for a new white passenger. Rosa Parks refused. Rosa Parks' refusal to give up her seat sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott and is considered the beginning of the modern Civil Rights Movement.

On May 17, 1954, the landmark Supreme Court decision of Brown v. Board of Education overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision by ruling that segregation was inherently unequal.

On March 5, 1953, Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin finally died after having been responsible for the deaths of millions of his own countrymen. However, he still symbolized power in the Soviet Union, so after his death, he was embalmed like Lenin and his body was put on display.

Having led Great Britain in World War II, Winston Churchill suffered a surprising electoral defeat in 1945. Six years later, when the Labour Party lost to the Conservatives in the 1951 election, Winston Churchill once again became Prime Minister.

On June 25, 1951, CBS broadcast the very first commercial color TV program. The problem, however, was that nearly no one could watch it on their black-and-white televisions. Find out more about the first color TV program.

Who was the first Playboy playmate? When was the first Playboy magazine published? Find out all about the very first edition of Playboy.