What Was Going On
in the World When Nora Was Born
October 10, 1950, just another day in history?
We think not! It was the day our talented Nora was
born. Now, if this was all that happened on that
day in the history of the universe, it would still
be enough to make it remarkable. But, as we all
know, stuff happens. So, what else was going on in
the world as Nora made her presence known to her
mother and father and 4 brothers?
On October 10, 1950, which was a Tuesday, Harry
Truman was president and Alben Barkley was
Vice-president. (Just in case you’re ever on
Jeopardy). The FFC granted permission to CBS to
begin commercial color television broadcasts.
President Truman met with General Douglas MacArthur
on Wake Island to discuss the Korean War and the
spread of Communism in Asia. In Seoul, Syngman Rhee
announced a plan to control all of Korea without
assistance from the United Nations. King Gustav VI
was crowned King of Sweden. Also on October 10,
1950, the New York Yankees, with Joe DiMaggio, took
the World Series in four straight games against
Philadelphia. (Sorry, Nora, Orioles weren’t playing
on the day you were born.)
The cost of living was, shall we say, just a
little lower. A gallon of milk was $.82, a loaf of
bread $.14. You could buy a new car for $1,750
(although, I wager it was not a nifty little BMW
sportster), and put a gallon of gas in it for $.20.
A new home was $14,500, to be paid for with an
income of about $3,215 a year.
Popular songs in 1950 included Patti Page’s "All
My Love" and "Mona Lisa" by Nat King Cole. The Ames
Brothers crooned "Sentimental Me" and Bing Crosby
was singing "Sam’s Song". Wonder if Nora’s mom
listened to any of these when she was in labor for
her?
The Oscar for the best movie of the year went to
"All About Eve". (Well, was it kismet that our own
Eve became a germ of an idea in our Nora’s head
when she was just a wee one?). Jose Ferrer was best
actor for "Cyrano De Bergerac" and Judy Holliday
was best actress for "Born Yesterday".
Nora shares a birthday with some other pretty
talented people. Guiseppe Verdi, Helen Hayes, James
Clavell, Adlai Stevenson, and Ben Vereen were all
born on October 10, as were David Lee Roth, Tanya
Tucker, and Martina Navratilova. But the only
person who shares the exact day of Nora’s birth is
Dennis Holmes, the actor who played Mike on
"Laramie". Remember him? He and Nora could have
been bassinet buddies in the hospital, for all we
know!
Lots of other stuff happened on October 10,
although not in the year that Nora was born. The
Naval academy opened in Annapolis in 1845. The
tuxedo was introduced in New York in 1886. "Porgy
and Bess" opened on Broadway in 1935. In 1968, The
Detroit Tigers beat the St. Louis Cardinals in game
seven in the 65th World Series. (Sorry, I couldn’t
resist that!) And, finally, in 1976, Humphrey the
humpback whale entered San Francisco Bay, where he
stayed for 26 days before finding his way back to
the Pacific.
So, there you have it. Everything you always
wanted to know about October 10. Of course, the
only really important thing we have to remember is
that it was the day our beloved Nora was born.
‘Nuff said.
|
