The Brinks Robbery
On January, 17th, 1950 the biggest crime in history occurred. The crime referred to as the brinks robbery. The brinks robbery happened in Boston, Massachusetts. Eleven men in Halloween masks and chauffer hats came into the bank, all with pistols in their hands. They stole $2.5 million in a matter of 17 minutes. At the end of the investigation, 3 men were caught and sentenced to life in prison.
San Francisco Peace Treaty
On September, 8th, 1951 a very important event occurred, the San Francisco peace treaty was signed. The San Francisco peace treaty ended World War 2 by also declaring Japan as our allies. This treaty saved lives in Germany and also in America. This happened after our war with Japan also known as World War one. This event will always be useful to our wars because we will have more allies to fight with so our army can be stronger.
First to Climb Mount Everest
In 1953, Edmund Hillary was the first to climb Mount Everest. The reason that is incredible is because Mount Everest is 8,848 meters tall and would take more than courage to climb. Mount Everest is the third tallest mountain in the world. It takes a lot of muscle, finger strength and upper body strength to climb. Surprisingly it took him a day to climb all the way to the top. That is what made his journey even more successful. It was also the fastest recorded time to climb to the top. Edmund Hillary will always be a mountain climbing legend.
Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe, actress, singer, model and dancer, started her career in 1953 when she starred in her first movie, The Asphalt Jungle. From that point on, she was known as the cougar with blonde hair. She became the most famous actress of the 20th century. She also signed with Fox Twentieth Century. She was at the top of her career until she started consuming drugs. A few years later she died of an overdose. Although she is gone she will always be remembered.
School Integration
In 1954, schools were racially divided or segregated. Black kids couldn’t be in the same class room, same hall or drink from the same water fountain as the white kids. It was disgusting because if the black kids did something wrong, they would be whipped. The Supreme Court finally took care of the situation by making the integration official and all races equal. No more would blacks be treated different or be left out.
Vietnam War
In 1954, many Vietnam citizens perished from bombs, gun and many other threats. The reason why there were so many deaths is because the Vietnam War was taking place in the middle of millions of civilians. Over 130,000,000 of those civilians died in the middle of the war. It was one of the worst tragedies of the century. Over 45,000 U.S. soldiers died during this war. The U.S. one the war and because the sacrifices these soldiers made, they will always be remembered.
Rosa Parks
In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to get off a segregated bus. This was a big deal because when Dr. Martin Luther King did this he was arrested. Rosa Parks was arrested but became a legend for standing up for her rights and because of her brave act she is a legend. Rosa Parks was very courageous because she knew the consequences her actions would cause but decided to face them. She went to jail and served 15 long years in prison. She was the bravest woman I ever read about.
First World Series
In 1956, the biggest event in baseball history occurred, the first ever World Series. The teams that played were The Yankees versus the Dodgers. This happened while the first African-American player Jackie Robinson was playing. He is also the reason they lost. It was the last inning and there were two outs, Jackie Robinson struck out for the Yankees to take the win. The crowd cheered frantically as the team celebrated on the field with champagne.
Cuban Revolution
In 1958 Fidel Castro wanted independence for his country. He armed a protest against the dictator. It might’ve not been the best thing to do but he was very much successful. This revolt lasted five years and had success in 1959. Over 500 people did during this revolt. The people of Cuba had a parade in honor of Castro and his revolt. Castro was named a legend of Cuba for uniting his country.
Typhoon in Japan
In 1959, a tragedy struck in Japan. A hurricane the size of the freedom tower splashed down on innocent people. The typhoon knocked down houses, drowned people and left even an emotional effect on the victims. People were left homeless and unemployed for months. People starved because supermarkets were closed. Medical care was barely provided because all the hospitals were flooded or knocked down.
The Skateboard was invented
In 1960 history was made, the best toy invention of the 20th century, the skateboard. The skateboard evolved from the surfboard and went on to have wheels. Tony Hawk said it was like surfing on land. It became the most popular toy of its time. People started coming up with new tricks such as the kick flip or the Ollie. The Ollie was the most common trick of all the tricks. The skateboard was a sensation and still is now.
Plane Crash in Manchester
In 1958 a tragic event occurred in Manchester. It was a plane crash, the plane crashed, the plane crashed into a soccer field where the team was the Busby babes. There were 44 people on the plane and only 21 people survived. Most of the people died in the hospital so that means 23 people died in total. It was a very horrible tragedy.
First man to orbit earth
In 1961 a historical event occurred. The first man to orbit earth was sent off to space. His name was Yuri Gagarin; he was part of the Russian Soviet Union. It was very dangerous in space because one mistake could’ve cost him his life. Also they have limited supplies of food and oxygen which is very important to keep track of. Yuri was known as a legend after that huge accomplishment.
Death of JFK
In 1963 tragedy struck the Kennedy family. It was the death of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He was assassinated in his convertible with his family in the car. Hours after his death, the new president Lyndon Johnson was nearly shot. The name of the suspect went by Lee Harvey Oswald. He was sentenced to life in prison with 3 charges, 1st degree murder, possession of military weapon and attempted murder. Oswald was hated after all those years.
Alaska Earthquake
In 1964, a tragedy struck Alaska. A huge earthquake occurred and destroyed houses all over Alaska. The earthquake also reach a magnitude of 9.9 which is one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded. During the earthquake, the ocean started to disappear. The water was draining from the ocean somehow. It was devastating for all of the Alaskan citizens.
Civil Rights Act
On July 2, 1964 one of the most important document was signed. That document was the Civil Rights Legislation. It stood for equality of all races or skin color. It also made slavery illegal in all states. Blacks were set free and integrated. This was a landmark of history.
Nelson Mandela
In 1964 something terrible happened. Nelson Mandela was arrested along with others leaders of the ANC and went to trial where he was sentenced to life in prison for trying to fight for his rights. He was trying to stop racism. He only served 18 years on Robben island prison.
Malcolm X dies
On February 21, 1965 terrible news was revealed to America. The news was the death of Malcolm X. He was assassinated and was shot to death in New York City. He left an amazing legacy at the age of 39. He was names one of the most influential African-Americans. He stood up to human rights which not a lot of people did. He was known as an African-American hero to the people.
Muhammad Ali
On February 26, 1965 a boxing legend by the name of Casius Clay changed his name to Muhammad Ali. He did this because he was no longer a Christian and converted to Islam. This happened the day after he knocked out Sonny Liston. Now he is known only as Muhammad Ali and many people don’t know his real name. With that change of name, Muhammad Ali is a legend in the boxing world.
FIFA World Cup
In 1966, the biggest event in soccer occurred. The first FIFA World Cup was held. It was the year after the first televised soccer game. The winners of the first FIFA World Cup were England with the final score of 4-2. They were facing Germany in England. It was a historical event that no soccer fan would ever forget.
Charles Whiteman
On August 1st 1966 a mad man roamed the streets in broad daylight. That man was Charles Whiteman, serial killer. This man killed his family then went outside and shot random people. He was then shot by cops and died. He injured 32 people and killed 16 people.
NASA Fire
On February 21st 1967 a big fire occurred. This fire occurred in a NASA space shuttle. While in the mission Apollo 1 the fire started in the commander module. One of the crew members (Chaffer) alerts the crew to get out of the module. Because of him, his entire crew member turned out to be okay.
The First Super Bowl
In 1967 the biggest event in NFL history occurred, the first super bowl. It was the Chiefs and the Packers, rivals in the NFL. The Packers went home as winners tasting the smell of victory in the air. The game ended with a score of 35 to 10. Ever since that game, the Packers have been named the kings of football just because they won the biggest football game ever.
First Cardiac Transplant
On December 3rd 1967 the biggest event in medical history occurred. It was the first official cardiac transplant or heart transplant. This extreme procedure was done for no reason because several days after the patient died, but Christian Bernard was known as a medical hero.
Prime Minister’s Death
On December 17th 1967 a tragic event happened. It was the death of the Prime Minister of Australia, Harold Edward Holt. His term came to an early finish when he went swimming and never came out of the water. It was devastation to all of the Australian citizens. His death occurred in his favorite beach which is notorious for its dangerous currents. That beach was the cheviot beach located in port Nepean in Victoria, Australia. Holt will forever be missed and was a very good prime minister.
Six Day War in Middle East
In 1967 a terrible war occurred in the Middle East. It was the six day war. The six day war was a religious war of Islam’s and Christianity. It took place in Israel where military weapons were involved and also bombs. Many lives were taken during this war even though it was only six days. This event will always be remembered.
Martin Luther King Dies
In 1968 a wonderful leader was lost. That leader was Martin Luther King Jr, the man who stood up to racism and gave the most famous speech known, I have a dream. Martin Luther King took risks of going to jail and risked his life to stop segregation. He spent years in jail and after he came out he continued rebelling. He was on his way to a march when he was shot dead on the street. He left a good legacy though and almost everybody knows how courageous he was.
Robert Kennedy’s Death
In 1968 a terrible event occurred for the Kennedy family. It was the death of Robert Kennedy. Robert Kennedy is the son of John Fitzgerald Kennedy. He died in a hotel room because he was also assassinated like his father. His assassin was unknown though. Police found no suspects and ended the search after a long period of time. Robert will always be in our memories.
