What else happened in 1951?

In the news…

*Jan. 9 – United Nations headquarters officially opens in New York City.
*Jan. 17 – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul.
*Feb. 6 – A Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. 85 people are killed and over 500 are injured in one of the worst rail disasters in US history.
*Feb. 27 – The 22nd Amendment to the US Constitution is ratified, limiting Presidents to two terms.
*Mar. 6 – The trail of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg begins
*Mar. 12 – Dennis the Menace appears in newspapers for the first time.
*Mar. 29 – The King And I opens on Broadway.
*Apr. 11 – Truman fires MacArthur.
*Jul. 13 – The Great Flood of 1951 reaches its highest point in Northeast Kansas, culminating in the greatest flood damage to date in the Midwestern US.
*Oct. 15 – The first oral contraceptive is invented.
*Oct. 15 – I Love Lucy debuts on CBS.

Famous Births…

*Feb. 16 – William Katt; The Greatest American Hero
*Mar. 13 – Fred Berry; Rerun on What’s Happening!
*Mar. 14 – Jerry Greenfield; co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
*Mar. 17 – Kurt Russell; cool actor, check out Escape From New York and Big Trouble in Little China
*Mar. 18 – Ben Cohen; co-founder of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream
*Apr. 13 – Max Weinberg; drummer for the E Street Band and Conan O’Brien
*Apr. 27 – Ace Frehley; guitarist for Kiss
*May 4 – Mick Mars; guitarist for Motley Crue
*May 15 – Jonathan Richman; indie rock icon and leader of The Modern Lovers
*May 19 – Joey Ramone; punk rock legend and Ramones lead singer
*Jul. 1 – Fred Schneider; singer for The B-52s
*Jul. 8 – Anjelica Huston; cool actress
*Jul. 16 – Stewart Copeland; drummer for The Police
*July 24 – Lynda Carter; cool actress, Wonder Woman
*Aug. 19 – John Deacon; bassist for Queen
*Aug. 24 – Orson Scott Card; author of Ender’s Game
*Sep. 5 – Michael Keaton; cool actor, check out Batman
*Sep. 7 – Chrissie Hynde; singer for The Pretenders
*Sep. 12 – Joe Pantoliano; cool actor, Joey Pants! He was Ralphie on The Sopranos
*Sep. 25 – Mark Hamill; Luke Skywalker!
*Oct. 2 – Sting; lead singer of The Police
*Oct. 7 – John Mellencamp; rock star
*Oct. 25 – Richard Lloyd; guitarist for Television
*Oct. 26 – Bootsy Collins; bass player for P-Funk
*Nov. 26 – Cicciolina; Italian porn star and member of the Italian parliament

Famous Deaths…

*Aug. 14 – William Randolph Hearst, inspiration for Charles Foster Kane

In the world of movies…

The Top Grossing Films of 1951

5. Born Yesterday
4. A Streetcar Named Desire
3. (tie) The Great Caruso & An American in Paris
2. Show Boat
1. David and Bathsheba

Oscar Winners of 1951

Best Picture – An American in Paris
Best Actor – Humphrey Bogart (The African Queen)
Best Actress – Vivien Leigh (A Streetcar Named Desire)

Other Films released in 1951

Bedtime for Bonzo
The Day the Earth Stood Still
The Lavender Hill Mob
A Place in the Sun
Strangers on a Train
The Thing from Another World
When Worlds Collide

In the world of television…

Shows premiering in 1951

Dragnet
I Love Lucy
The Roy Rogers Show

In the world of books…

Great Books published in 1951

The Caine Mutiny – Herman Wouk
The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
Foundation – Isaac Asimov
From Here to Eternity – James Jones

In the world of sports…

*World Series – The New York Yankees win 4 games to 2 over the New York Giants.
*NBA Finals – Rochester Royals win 4 games to 3 over the New York Knicks.
*Boxing – Jersey Joe Walcott knocks out Ezzard Charles in round 7.
*NFL Championship – The Los Angeles Rams won 24-17 over the Cleveland Browns.
*Stanley Cup – The Toronto Maple Leafs win 4 games to 1 over the Montreal Canadiens.