Sports & Leisure
This New York Yankees center fielder became an American sports legend, symbolizing both the sport's golden age and the American Dream
Joe DiMaggio
The development of this medical breakthrough in 1955 led to the virtual eradication of polio in the United States
Vaccine
This singer was a popular box office draw and recording artist of the 1950s, embodying the era's wholesome, all-American image.
Doris Day
This President resigned in 1974 amid the Watergate scandal, the only U.S. President to do so
Richard Nixon
This Rodgers and Hammerstein musical from 1949 explored racial prejudice, becoming a critical and commercial success.
South Pacific
This professional boxer was the world middleweight champion and became an icon of the sport's golden age in the 1950s
Sugar Ray
This invention transformed American entertainment and information distribution in the 20th century, becoming a household necessity.
television
This film star epitomized Hollywood glamour and femininity in the 1950s and became a cultural icon.
Marilyn Monroe
This President, elected in 1952, led the U.S. through the end of the Korean War and the beginning of the Cold War's tensest moments
Eisenhower
This 1951 novel by J.D. Salinger has become a classic of teenage rebellion and angst.
The Catcher in the Rye
This heavyweight boxing champion was undefeated throughout his career, retiring as champion in 1956.
Marciano
This automobile manufacturer symbolizes the post-WWII American economic boom and the rise of consumer culture.
Studebaker
This actor's method acting in movies like 'On the Waterfront' changed Hollywood's acting style in the 1950s
Brando
This President is known for his decision to use atomic bombs on Japan in 1945, effectively ending World War II
Harry Truman
This singer-songwriter emerged as a pivotal figure in the 1960s folk music scene, known for his influential protest songs that captured the spirit of social and political upheaval.
Bob Dylan
This switch-hitting center fielder for the New York Yankees became one of baseball's greatest icons, known for his power hitting and speed during the 1950s and 1960s.
Mickey Mantle
This term refers to the early animal astronauts sent into space by the United States during the late 1950s and early 1960s to test the survivability of space travel, paving the way for human spaceflight.
Space Monkey
his pianist and entertainer was known for his flamboyant style and became one of the first openly gay celebrities.
Liberace
This U.S. Senator led a campaign to root out supposed communists in government, contributing to a period of intense political fear and division.
Joe McCarthy
Renowned for his adventurous lifestyle and struggles with alcoholism, this Nobel Prize-winning author's personal life and exploits in places like Key West and Cuba became almost as legendary as his contributions to American literature.
This term reflects the major league expansion westward in 1958, when this state became home to the San Francisco Giants and the Los Angeles Dodgers, forever changing the landscape of American baseball.
California Baseball
Developed in the early 1950s, this thermonuclear weapon represented a monumental leap in destructive power over earlier atomic bombs.
H-bomb
This rock and roll musician, whose career was tragically cut short by a plane crash in 1959, influenced the Beatles and Bob Dylan with his distinctive sound and style.
Buddy Holly
This President's term, cut short by assassination in 1963, was marked by events such as the Cuban Missile Crisis and the initiation of the Apollo space program, leaving a lasting legacy on American politics and the Cold War.
John F. Kennedy
This science fiction novel published in 1961 became a cultural touchstone for its exploration of free love, organized religion, and the concept of grokking, resonating with the counterculture movements of the 1960s."
Stranger in a Strange Land