Historical News Rock
1958 Year-IN-Review: National News
American troops and vehicles enter Beruit in July.
By Kena Robele
Political and religious tensions
in Lebanon, caused the United
States military intervention,
lasting for three months, until
President Camille Chamoun
completed his term.
Lebanon was threatened by a
civil war between the largest
Christian denomination in the
country and Muslims in July.
This started from the tensions
with Egypt that escalated during
1956, when pro-western
Christian President Camille
Chamoun did not break
diplomatic relation with the
western powers that attacked
Egypt during the Suez crisis.
The tensions were further
increased when Chamoun
showed closeness to the
Baghdad Pact. As a response to
that, Egypt and Syria united into
the United Arab Republic.
Lebanese Muslims pushed the
government to join the newly
created UAR, while Christians
wanted to keep Lebanon aligned
with Western powers. The UAR
supplied the Muslim rebellion
with arms.
President Chamoun complained
about Syria to the United
Nations Security Council. The
U.N. inspectors reported it did
not find any evidence of
intervention from the UAR.
The crisis came to a head on
July 14 when an Arab nationalist
coup in Iraq overthrew King
Faisal and similar attempts in
Jordan and Lebanon were likely.
This caused President Chamoun
to call for American assistance.
U.S. President Dwight
Eisenhower ordered Operation
Blue Bat on July 15. This was
the first application of the
Eisenhower Doctrine which the
U.S. announced it would
intervene to protect regimes
from Communist threats.
The goal was to strengthen the
pro-Western Lebanese
government of President
Camille Chamoun against
internal opposition and threats
from Syria and Egypt.
The plan was to occupy and
secure the Beirut International
Airport, then secure the port of
Beirut.
The first Marine battalion in the
Mediterranean landed to take
control of Beirut airport on July
5. The other two landed July 18.
An U.S. Army airborne battle
group from Germany landed at
Beirut airport on July 19. An
orderly Presidential Election
was held in Lebanon on July
31.
The Operation involved more
than 14,000 men, After the U.S.
withdrew its forces on October
25, Eisenhower sent diplomat
Robert D. Murphy to Lebanon
as his personal representative.
Murphy played a significant
role in convincing both sides to
reach an agreement by electing
moderate Christian General
Fuad Chehab President, while
allowing Chamoun to continue
in power until the end of his
term on September 22.
Prime Minister Rashid Karami
formed a reconciliation
government after the 1958 crisis
ended.
American
Launches its
First Satellite
Joshua Lee-Reid
On January 31, 10:46:16 PM
EST, a Juno I rocket launched
from Cape Canaveral with a
historic cargo on board; the
first ever satellite launched by
the United States.
Explorer 1 was equipped with
the new Iowa Cosmic Ray
Instrument, which was able to
send real-time measurements
and observations to Earth.
The data received was very
puzzling on the ground, as
often the signals would
become unreliable, then stop.
This was thought to be because
of the rushed manner in which
the equipment was modified to
fit into the spacecraft, but was
later confirmed to be correct
by Explorer 3, launched just
five months later in June.
After the confirmation by
Explorer 3, scientists began to
look more closely at the data,
and noticed a pattern.
It was discovered that these
interruptions came from a belt
of highly charged particles in
space that are trapped in orbit
around Earth because of
Earth’s magnetic field, called
the Van Allen Belt. This belt
overwhelmed the satellite's
Geiger counter, blocking the
transmission.
The discovery of the Van
Allen Belt is considered to be
one of the most valuable of the
International Geophysical
Year, a time dedicated for
nations all around the world to
work together towards
scientific discoveries that will
benefit the whole world.
Explorer 1 stopped
communicating with NASA on
May 23 after both its
transmitter batteries died. It is
expected to remain in orbit for
another two years, after which
it will succumb to orbital
decay.
Nixon’s
Motorcade
Attacked
In South
America!
Vice President Richard Nixon
By Fletcher Anderson
Vice President Richard Nixon
survived being attacked while
on a goodwill tour of South
America. When he was in
Venezuela, his motorcade was
attacked. This attack was
considered to be the most
vicious attack on any
American Officer not in
America.
Venezuelan police were not
there as to, “not provoke the
communists.” However, it did
not work and Nixon was
almost killed. Three of his
aides were injured.
Nixon managed to reach the
United States Embassy and
was given a hero’s welcome
upon returning to the United
States.
The attack helped America
realize that many countries in
the Western Hemisphere had
an Anti-American agenda.
The attack also permanently
destroyed Nixon’s perception
of South America because of
the people being, “violent and
irrational.”
U.S. Intervenes in Lebanon Crisis
Mega-tsunami hits Alaska
Picture depicting Lituya Bay before the mega tsunami
By Kiran Powers
A mega-tsunami hit Lituya Bay Alaska on July 9 at 10:15. This
occurred following a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that took place at
Fairweather Fault.
A 7.8 strike earthquake at Fairweather Fault created a huge rock
slide of 90 million tons. The rockslide tumbled down into Lituya
Bay causing the water to surge up to over 500 meters in height.
The mega-tsunami is the largest of its kind ever recorded in modern
times. It was heard over 50 miles away and the earthquake that
caused it is the largest for the region in over 50 years.
According to an eyewitness account, “The glacier had risen in the
air and moved forward so it was in sight. It must have risen several
hundred feet.”
The exact devastation this tsunami had is still unknown. For now all
that can be done is hope nobody was hurt by the massive waves.
Historical News Rock
1958 Year-IN-Review: National News
Recession Slows
American Economy
By Jasmine Williams
The worst economic downfall since the Great Depression hit the
United States. Twenty percent of all Detroit workers were
unemployed. Nationally, this recession forced 5,000,000 people
out of work.
The Recession of 1958 lasted eight months, the recovery start
beginning in May. This recession started in Detroit, Michigan, but
the grand effect spread itself all the way to Canada and Europe,
affecting all the countries in between.
Unemployment was highest in the Midwest and Northeast. They
also took a big unemployment hit in mining areas, such as
Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Mining areas have bad conditions for their employees, and they
are often treated unfairly. One Hundred thirty out of 321 miners
stated that they were made redundant, 143 others resigned to
achieve career progression.
Michigan suffered the most, hitting unemployment rates at 11%.
Housing construction declined overtime, due to rising interest
rates. There was also a decrease in business of capital goods,
affecting the way producers made and sold their products.
To help this exceeding rate of unemployment, the federal
government decided constructions that were ongoing at the time
were accelerated, forcing more people to help contribute, and
forcing more jobs into place.
They also encouraged home building by ending restrictions on no-
down-payment mortgage loans.
The government also lowered the discount rates, and authorized
federal assistance to certain states so that unemployment benefits
were much more appropriate for that time.
As the Recession of 1958 came to an end, most businesses and
land were retaken. As the year came to an end, those affected by
the event were anticipating the high levels of employment and
production.
A recession is a period of time where economic downfall is taking
place. The recession of 1958 was the biggest recession since
World War I.
By Kavita Thakurdial
The Hope Diamond, also
known as Le Bijou Du Roi
(The King’s Jewel), Le Bleu
de France (The Blue of
France), and Tavernier Blue
was donated to the
Smithsonian Institute. It is
described as the most famous
diamond in the world.
Jean Baptiste Tavernier first
had the Hope Diamond
because he purchased it in
from the Kollur Mine in
Golconda, India. He described
it as a “beautiful violet.”
He later sold the diamond to
King Louis XIV of France in
1668 with 14 other large
diamonds and several smaller
ones. In 1673, the stone was
recut by Sieur Pitau, the court
jeweler. Its color was
described as an intense blue
and the stone became known
as the “Blue Diamond of the
Crown” or the “French Blue.”
In 1749, King Louis XIV had
the stone reset by court jeweler
Andre Jacquemin. In 1791,
King Louis XIV and Marie
Antoinette made an attempt to
flee France.
In September of 1792, the
French Blue Diamond was
stolen. In 1812, a deep blue
diamond described by John
Franchillion was documented
as being in the possession of
London diamond merchant,
Daniel Eliason.
Strong evidence indicates the
stone was the recut French
Blue and the same stone
known today as the Hope
Diamond. Several references
suggest that it was acquired by
King George IV of the United
Kingdom.
Hope Diamond Donated
to Smithsonian
At his death in 1830, the
King’s debts were so big that
the blue diamond was likely
sold through private channels.
The next owner was Henry
Philip Hope, in 1839. He did
not reveal where or from he
acquired the diamond or how
much he paid for it.
After his death in 1839, the
diamond was passed down to
his nephew, Henry Thomas
Hope and his grandson Lord
Francis Hope. In 1901, he
obtained permission from the
court of Chancery and his
sisters to sell the stone to help
pay off his debts.
It was sold to London dealer
who quickly sold it to Joseph
Frankels and Sons of New
York City, who kept the stone
in New York until they needed
cash.
The diamond was next sold to
Selim Habib who put it up for
auction in Paris 1909. It was
not sold in the auction but was
later sold to C.H Rosenau and
the resold to Pierre Cartier
same year. He had to diamond
reset and took it to the U.S
where he left it with Mrs.
McLean for a weekend.
The sale was made in 1911
with the diamond mounted as a
headpiece on a three tiered
circlet of large white
diamonds.
Sometime later it became the
pendant on a diamond
necklace as we know today.
Her ownership of the stone
lasted until her death in 1947.
Harry Winston Inc. of New
York City purchased Mrs.
McLean’s entire jewelry
collection including the Hope
diamond from her estate in
1949. The next 10 years, the
Hope diamond was shown at
many exhibits and charitable
events worldwide by Harry
Winston Inc.
On November 10, 1958,
Winston donated the Hope
diamond to the Smithsonian
Institution and almost
immediately the great blue
stone became its premier
attraction.
A firefighter carrying out one
of the victims
By Liban Warsame
A total of 92 students and
three nuns died when a fire
broke out at Our Lady of the
Angels School in Chicago.
Many more were injured when
they jumped out of the second
floor windows.
On December 1, 1958, a fire
broke out at Our Lady of the
Pope John XXIII
Angels in Chicago. The fire
started in the basement near
the main stairway and
happened right before the
classes were dismissed.
The school is run by the
Roman Catholic Archdiocese,
and 1,600 students attended.
The fire blocked the exits and
carried toxic gases.
Pope John XXIII sent his
condolences from Rome.
School Fire kills 92
Aerial Shot of Our Lady of the Angels School fire.
Nuclear Sub First Vessel to Cross
North Pole Under Water.
By Tea Roepke
At 11:15 p.m. on August 3, 116 men aboard submarine, USS
Nautilus, had done the “impossible” and reached the geographic
North Pole. The geographic North Pole is the point where the
Earth’s axis of rotation meets its surface.
On July 23, 1958, Nautilus was set on “Operation Sunshine” and left
Pearl Harbor, Hawaii to cross North Pole by ship for the first time.
The construction of the world’s first nuclear powered submarine
began in July, 1951, and launched on January 21, 1954. The Navy
announced that she is the sixth ship of the fleet to have the name
Nautilus.
Historical News Rock
1958 Year-IN-Review: National News
U.S. Drops
A-Bomb on
S. Carolina!
By Jay Manolis
An atomic bomb was accidentally
dropped near the home of Walter
Gregg in Mars Bluff, South
Carolina on Sunday, March 11.
The bomb, which lacked a
nuclear core, landed in the woods
behind Gregg’s home, injuring
Gregg, his wife, and his three
children, as well as damaging
seven nearby buildings.
The bomb was dropped from a B-
47 flying over the area when the
emergency release pin was
accidentally pulled. The nuclear
core was being stored elsewhere
on the plane.
The blast from the conventional
explosives in the bomb was still
enough to create a 70 foot wide
crater and damage multiple
homes in the area. Although six
people were injured, no deaths
have been reportedly caused by
the explosion.
FAA
Created
By Arturo Tello-Ulloa
Congress created a new agency to
oversee the skies when it passed
the Federal Aviation Act. The act
transferred the authority of
aviation regulation from the Civil
Aeronautics Board to the Federal
Aviation Administration.
The Federal Aviation Act was
introduced by Senator
A.S."Mike" Monroney to create
an independent FFA.
This act guaranteed the
responsibility of the civil aviation
safety, the nation's civil-military
system of air navigation and air
traffic control.
On August 23, President Dwight
D. Eisenhower signed the Federal
Aviation Act.
Supreme
Court Rules
Magazine not
Obscene
By Louis Lee
A magazine published for the
homosexual audience and was
declared not obscene by the
United States Supreme Court on
January 13. It overturns the lower
court decision.
This started when the postmaster
of Los Angeles, Otto K. Olsen
told one of his post authorities to
seize one of the magazines and
inform the publisher that is was
obscene.
The publisher sued saying that the
government’s actions were
violating the first and 14th
Amendments.
One, Inc., owner of the magazine,
sued the lower courts and lost.
They appealed to the Supreme
Court, and they had to decide if
the magazine fell into their
definition of obscenity.
The lower courts was in favor
with the government because it
contained articles and poems that
aroused gay people.
The Court also stated that,
“Obscenity was not protected by
the First Amendment.”
Alaska Becomes 49th State!
By Paige Offerdahl
The Alaska Statehood Act was signed by President Dwight D.
Eisenhower on July 7, allowing Alaska to become the 49th US state on
January 3, 1959.
It was very hard for this act to be passed and signed, because some
people wanted Alaska a state, but some did not, making it very
difficult.
Alaska is considered a military district of the United States, and it was
controlled by the Federal Government from 1867 to 1884.
In 1884, the government passed the Organic Act which allowed
Alaska to become a judicial district as well as a civil one.
There were people chosen by the government to run this territory.
During this time, Alaska was only a district. People tried to make
Alaska have their own self-government, but it was very hard to do
this.
The second Organic Act ended up being passed in April, 1912. This
law made Alaska a U.S. territory with an elected legislature, but the
Federal Government still controlled the laws.
In 1916, the first bill to propose statehood was sent to Congress, but it
did not pass due to disinterest of Alaskans.
The desire for Alaska to become a State was helped by the amount of
attention it received during World War II and the Cold War.
Alaskan people feared that if Alaska would become a State, it would
bring too many people to Alaska, which they did not want.
Another bill was sent to Congress, but the bill was immediately shot
down again by a coalition of Democrats and Republicans. In 1949, yet
another bill was introduced to Congress and passed in the House by a
186 to 146 vote in 1950. The bill was shot down in the Senate .
In 1954, President Eisenhower referred Hawaii for Statehood (then a
Republican territory) but not Alaska (then a Democratic territory).
Eisenhower was not really supportive for Alaska’s statehood, so a
Senate coalition tied Alaska and Hawaii’s statehood together as one
package.
The constitution for Alaska was written up and Alaskans voted and
passed the Constitution in 1956. It was “one of the best, if not the best,
state constitution ever written.”
In January of 1958, President Eisenhower fully endorsed the bill for
the first time. The House passed the statehood bill. The Senate passed
it by a 64-20 vote.
Alaska will officially became the 49th State of the United States on
January 3rd, 1958.
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: International
Castro Attempts Coup in Cuba
Catholic Church in change:
One Pope Dies;
Another Selected
Fidel Castro
By Kiran Powers
Arevolution started by Fidel
Castro against the Cuban
government and their leader
Fulgencio Batista took a turn
for the Cuban army instead of
for the rebellion when the army
surrounded and trapped
Castro's army of 300 men.
The Cuban Army, which
cornered Castro and was
discussing negotiations with
him, found out that Castro and
his army escaped into the
mountains.
Prior to this, the revolution was
working out mostly for the
rebellion with Castro's troops
setting up a pirate radio station,
broadcasting propaganda to the
entire country. The rebels
defeated the Cuban Army in
the Battle of La Plata.
After five years of fighting,
things looked good for the
army who the United States as
well as the Mafia, who has
money in Cuba, are backing.
It did not happen the way that
the army, Cuban government
or the U.S. was expecting. The
Cuban Army had Castro
pinned down with vastly bigger
numbers when he called for a
cease fire.
Cuban General Eulogio
Cantillo agreed to the cease fire
and the two sides began
negotiations. It is reported that
Castro even offered to
negotiate the end of the war
which was too tempting for the
Cuban government to pass up.
During the nights of the
negotiations Castro would
sneak his troops out until they
were all gone and he was no
longer there.
On August 8, the army decided
to start attacking again, but
Castro and his army were gone.
Pope Pius XII
Dies
By Abdirahman Abdi
Pope Pius XII died on October
9 at age 82. He died at the
Papel Summer Residence in
Castle Gandolfo.
In recent years, he suffered
from gastritis intermittently.
He had surgery and everything
seemed good they.
Pope Pius XII, whose birth
name was Eugenio Maria
Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli,
was born on March 2, 1876 in
Rome. His papacy began when
he was 63 on his birthday in
1939.
During in World War II, Pius’s
mission was to make sure the
“church was visible,” so he
tried to help world leaders
prevent the outbreak of war.
After the war, Pius worked to
make sure that Europe was not
in ruins.
John XXIII
named Pope
By Jalene Abebe
Pope John XXIII succeeded
Pope Pius XII as the 261st Pope
to lead the Catholic Church.
When Pope Pixus XII died a
meeting of the church’s
cardinals was held, called a
conclave, and they selected
Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli to
be the new Pope. Roncalli
took the name John XXIII.
Pope John was born on
November 25, 1881.
Pope Pius XII was the Pope of
the Catholic Church from
March 2, 1939 till his death on
October 9, 1958.
Pope Pius XII was the Pope
during the Holocaust and a
memorable moment he did was
protecting and sheltering some
Jews and encouraged others to
help the Jews. He protested
against the deportation of Jews.
There has been 266 Popes
leading the Catholic Church in
history. A Pope is the supreme
pontiff and is the Bishop of
Rome and always been the
leader of the head of the state
of Vatican City since 1929.
The Pope has political and
religious duties to do every
day. Meeting other political
leaders all over the World and
meeting with Bishops are
among his duties.
The main duty for every Pope
is to politically and religiously
keep the Roman Catholic
Church on track and continuing
practicing the faith.
Guinea Declares
Independence
By Tea Roepke
Guinea officially declared
independence from France on
September 28, 1958. Sékou
Touré became their President.
French President, Charles de
Gaulle, said colonies had a
choice between autonomy or
immediate independence.
Most French colonies chose
autonomy, but Guinea voted
for independence.
By Norah Austin
Typhoon Ida resulted in 1,269
fatalities from Guam to Japan.
Typhoon Ida formed over the
Pacific near Guam. Rapidly, it
moved to the west and quickly
intensified to severely
dangerous speeds of 115 miles
per hour.
In the wee hours of the
morning of September 22,
Typhoon Ida took a quick turn
to the north and continued to
increase with extremely
dangerous wind speeds.
Hurricane hunters, dispatched
by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration,
estimated maximum speeds of
325 kilometers per hour at the
peak of the storm.
Torrential flooding, mudslides,
and damage to settlements
have been reported, making
Typhoon Ida the sixth strongest
typhoon to hit Japan.
According to Time Magazine,
“Roaring north out of the
Pacific last week came the
worst storm to hit Japan in 24
years….In twelve dreadful
hours, Typhoon Ida swept clear
up the northern half of Honshu,
Japan's biggest and richest
island. The torrential rains
caused widespread floods and
some 1,900 landslides, leaving
half a million homeless.”
The full effects of Ida cannot
yet be fully estimated, however
it is known that much
devastation will be seen
throughout Japan in the days to
come.
War ends
between
Morocco,
Spain
By Liban Warsame
A war between Spain and
Morocco ended with both
countries deciding to split the
land they were fighting over.
The Ifni War took place in
West Africa specifically
Morocco. The war began in
1957.
Much of the war was fought in
a Sidi Ifni. The city of Sidi Ifni
was incorporated into the
Spanish Empire in 1860.
People seen this war as a
movement toward
decolonization in Africa.
When Morocco gained
independence from France and
Spain in 1956, the country
expressed their interest in all of
Spain’s remaining possessions
in Morocco.
Typhoon Ida Hits
Japan as Category
5 Super Storm!
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: International
De Gaulle elected
President of
France.
By Gabriel Chang-Deutsch
In a landslide victory, the
French people voted for former
Resistance fighter Charles de
Gaulle to be the next President
of France. de Gaulle is a
member of the Union of
Democrats for Republic.
de Gaulle was a major figure in
the French Resistance to
German occupation during
World War II. He fought
against the Germans and
worked to organize the
intricate planning necessary to
beat the,
After the liberation of France,
de Gaulle fell out of the public
eye. He was not seen much by
the international news and did
not use his leadership skills to
strengthen the new Republic.
In November of this year,
France had another
constitutional crisis, the fourth
they have had in since World
War II. The governing party
called for de Gaulle to step in
and help. He did as he was
asked and he successfully
rewrote the French
Constitution earlier this year.
There were many issues that
lead to the destruction of the
fourth constitution of France,
aptly named the Fourth
Republic. The main ones
surrounded the war in the
French colony of Algeria.
The old republic was wracked
with political instability.
French settlers in Algeria had
begun to take control of Army
buildings as they did not trust
the French anymore. The
failures in Indochina by the
French Army only magnified
the political instability.
De Gaulle’s rewriting of the
Constitution created a stronger
military but also did not trade
off with civil liberties.
This popularity, along with
fears of instability within
France left fear of a fascist
coup. This fear allowed de
Gaulle to coast to an easy win.
For the rest of his presidency
his main task will be keeping
the French Republic together,
while also making sure the new
constitution holds through.
France, Mexico, Argentina Elect Leaders!
Frondizi
Elected
President of
Argentina
By Ellie Barnett-Cashman
Arturo Frondizi of Paso de Los
Libres, Corrientes, has been
elected president of Argentina.
He was elected and inaugurated
on May 1.
Frondizi was born on October
28, 1908
As president, he hopes to
implement various economic
policies, such as tax increases
in order to decrease budget
deficit.
These changes benefit the
upper class but the lower and
middle class are angered that
he would suggest things like
that and wants to make those
changes.
Frondizi recently formed a
small party called the
Movement for Integration and
Development, where he will
work to promote protection for
industry in Argentina.
López
Mateos
becomes
Mexican
President
By Ana Ayaveca Tirado
Adolfo Lopez Mateos became
the President of Mexico on
December 1. He won the
election with almost 90 percent
of the total votes
He was born in Atizapán de
Zaragoza in 1910 and moved to
Mexico City after completing
his primary and secondary
education.
He received a law degree from
the National Autonomous
University of Mexico.
In 1934 he became a regional
secretary of the Partido
Nacional Revolucionario and
served in the Senate from 1946
to 1952.
He was brought to the cabinet
as the Minister of Labor with
the election of Adolfo Ruiz
Cortinez as president.
Riots Break Out
in Notting Hill
By Freya Benson
On August 29, a series of riots
were started by the white
residents of Notting Hill,
England, targeting the
community’s population of
African, Indian, and Caribbean
immigrants.
The first riot, comprised of 300
to 400 white working-class
people, attacked the houses of
West Indian residents in the
area.
The attacks continued every
night for a week. Rioters were
mainly comprised of white
youth, many of which threw
petrol bombs and milk bottles.
There were several
counterattacks initiated by
black youth, mostly out of self-
defense. The riots continued
until September 5.
The London Metropolitan
Police Service arrested 140
people during the week, 108 of
those have been charged crimes
relating to grievous bodily
harm and the possession of
weapons.
Since the Second World War,
Great Britain has seen a large
influx of immigrants from
Africa and the Caribbean,
many of which have settled in
Notting Hill, a district in West
London.
Since their arrival, they faced
hostilities from a group of
white working class youth
known as the “Teddy Boys.”
Tensions between these two
groups have been high ever
since a series of attacks on
West Indian and Caribbean
immigrants took place during
the summer.
This riot is believed to have
been instigated by the physical
attack on a white woman,
Majbritt Morrison, due to her
marriage with a Jamaican man,
Raymond Morrison.
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: International
Khrushchev Replaces Stalin
On the Left is an image of Joseph Stalin who was the previous
leader of the U.S.S.R. and next to him stands Nikita Khrushchev
By Dominic Adriany
After Joseph Stalin’s recent death on March 5, the question of
who would lead the U.S.S.R. next came to play. This has now
been answered with Nikita Khrushchev taking control of the
Republic.
Khrushchev is a 59-year-old man who grew up in a small town
called Kursk. He has been working for the government for some
time now and also worked as a political commissioner during
World War II.
He has not yet been declared as the leader but he has maintained
control of the Republic.
His fight for power was no easy one for he had to deal with,
Lavrenti Beria, who has just recently been executed after
allegations of being a British spy.
The plot to have Beria executed was part of a plot agreed on by
many to get him out of power.
What Nikita Khrushchev will do in power is unknown to us but it
is positive that the Republic will stay Communist, as Khrushchev
has proudly shown.
UK, Iceland
Fight Over
Cod
By Jay Manolis
Tensions are rising between
Iceland and Great Britain over
who has a right to fish for cod
off in the seas between the two
nations.
Iceland extended its fishing
limits from four to 12 nautical
miles off its coast, tensions
have been rising between
Icelandic fisherman and
fisherman from the United
Kingdom.
British fisherman have refused
to stay out of the 12 mile zone,
which is a rich fishing ground,
and the navies of both
countries have become
involved.
The British Navy brought
numerous frigate boats for the
purpose of protecting the
British trawlers from possible
interference from the Icelandic
fisherman.
The Icelandic Navy has given
warning to the British Navy
but so far no severe conflict
has arisen.
British Flight
Crashes on
Munich Runway
By Lars Freeburn
Twenty-three people were
killed when British Airways
Flight 609 crashed on its third
failed attempt for a takeoff
from Munich, Germany on
February 6.
Twenty-one died immediately.
Two more died shortly after in
the hospital.
The primary issue was that the
runway was covered with ice
and snow. The aircraft, known
as the Airspeed Ambassador,
showed no previous problems.
The aircraft was on its way
back from a European Cup
game in Yugoslavia. It made a
stop in Munich to refuel as the
distance was out of the
aircraft’s range. Among the
dead were seven Manchester
United players.
The aircraft hit a fence at the
end of the runway, and a house
tore off the aircrafts left wing.
Harry Gregg, the team’s
goalkeeper, helped pull
survivors from the wreckage.
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: Entertainment
Cheating discovered on Quiz
Shows Cause Scandals
By Louis Lee
It was revealed that several
popular quiz shows were
giving help to the contestants
by the show’s producers. One
of the reasons they did this
was financial gain.
In 1955, the first woman to
gain fame from the quiz
shows was Joyce Brothers. It
was later revealed that the
game was controlled and gave
her questions that were too
difficult, yet she answered the
questions correctly anyways.
In 1956, Herb Stempel was
told to let his opponents win
on the quiz show Twenty-
One. He then told the New
York Journal-American, but
without any proof, the article
was never published.
An investigation was later put
in action and found Dan
Game Show contestant
Charles van Doren faces the
media after it is announced he
was given the answers to
questions to help him win.
Enright, the producer, rigged
Twenty-One. As a result many
contestants reputation were
tarnished.
The United States eventually
amended the Communications
Act of 1934 stating that quiz
shows could not be rigged. As
a result, many networks
cancelled their quiz shows.
World's Fair: A
Massive Success
By Joshua Lee-Reid
Over 51 million people entered the World’s Fair grounds this year,
hosted just outside of Brussels, Belgium. The fair opened on April
17 and closed on October 19th.
The modern architecture and spacious exhibit halls showcased a
new era of progress in the post-war world. Newly constructed
buildings of glass and steel lined the streets of the 500 acre
fairgrounds, housing the newest innovations the nations of the
world had to offer.
One of the more prominent structures was the Belgian-built
Atomium, representing an iron crystal magnified 165 billion times.
Standing at 335 feet tall, it is the tallest building in all of Belgium.
So far, it appears as if it will stay as a permanent structure in
Brussels.
With its shiny new buildings and awe-inspiring technology, the
1958 World’s Fair painted a glimmering image of the future.
By Lars Freeburg
A black and white photograph
has 57 of the best current Jazz
musicians are in the
photograph taken at 17 East
126th Street.
On August 12, the
photograph, known as “A
Great Day in Harlem,” was
taken by a freelance
photographer Art Kane for
Esquire Magazine.
A variety of children were
also in the image. Most of
these children were just
residents of the neighborhood
with the exception of one who
was in the photograph with
his father.
As it was already difficult to
get all 57 face in the image,
the children added into the
mess of trying to take such a
photograph as they were quite
rowdy. What was thoroughly
incredible is this was Art’s
first photo shoot making this
an even larger
accomplishment.
Among the Jazz greats
appearing in the photo are
Count Bassie, Art Blakey,
Dizzy Gillespie, Coleman
Hawkins, Gene Krupa, and
Thelonious Monk.
The children stayed doing
their own thing, which
included basically messing
around. Art took the photo
with the children proceeding
to do what they want.
By Ellie Barnett-Cashman
Doctor Zhivago has been
published in Italy by Boris
Pasternik. Pasternik has been
collecting documents and
information for a while now
but it has finally been
smuggled and published by
Pantheon Books.
The genre of the novel is
historical fiction and is
written entirely in Russian. It
takes place between the
Russian Revolution of 1905
and World War II about a
man named Yuri Zhivago.
The story is just as difficult to
follow as it is difficult to read,
as it includes some very
triggering themes from Russia
in that time, such as
loneliness, violence, protests,
and family problems.
It has been controversial
because the U.S.S.R denied
publication due to variant
stances on the content.
The U.S.S.R.’s Communist
Party is enraged about the
book because they believed it
gave them a bad impression.
Pasternak was also recently
given the Nobel Prize for
Literature for the novel, a
high honor awarded annually.
This book will have a huge
impact on the way history is
taught and there is talk of
David Lean planning to make
it into a film.
A Great Day in
Harlem Brings Music
Giants Together!
Pasternik’s Doctor Zhivago:
an Embarrassment to USSR
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: Entertainment
Annimation & Music Collide
with the Chipmunks! The Smurfs Debut
By Liban Warsame
Alvin and the Chipmunks
stole the hearts of American
Children this year. They are
an animated music group.
This group consists of three
singing chipmunks and their
owner David Seville. The lead
singer or the “star” singer of
the group is Alvin. The other
two are named Simon and
Theodore.
The first song to feature what
became the Chipmunks was
Seville’s “Witch Doctor” in
early 1958. By the Holidays,
the Chipmunks were the stars
of “The Christmas Song,”
which is currently the Number
1 hit in America.
In the song, Alvin asks Santa
Clause for many gifts for
Christmas, including the new
Hula Hoop.
By Kiran Powers
As we look back on this year
and what 1958 has brought to
this world we think of many
things. Perhaps we think of
NASA being created or the
Soviets launching Sputnik 3
but when we think of the
lighter side of this year I
always think of the creation of
the Smurfs.
Of course by now we have all
heard of the Smurfs but the
origin of the Smurfs may not
be what you expect. It began 6
years ago in 1952 when
cartoonist Pierre Culliford
whose real name is Peyo
created a comic strip in a
magazine in France known as
Johan and Peewit.
Johan and Peewit is a comic
series set in the Middle Ages
about Johan, a king, and
Peewit, his sidekick. In this
comic strip, they go on many
adventures and meet many
characters.
Earlier this year on October
23, Pierre Culliford had his
two characters go on an
adventure where they met the
Smurfs. In this comic Johan
and Peewit run into a Smurf
named Papa Smurf and many
Smurfs that look just like him.
This introduction of Smurfs to
the world almost by accident
has so far been a huge success
with people all over the world
loving the small blue
characters.
Next year many people
believe a Smurf spin off and a
Smurf comic strip will be
created and many people also
believe that Smurfs might be
around for years to come.
Elvis
Inducted in
the Army!
By Yahye Aden
Elvis Presley, the King of
Rock and Roll, entered the
U.S. Army at Memphis,
Tennessee in March. He spent
three days at the Fort Chaffe,
Arkansas induction station.
Presley was born on January
8, 1935 in Tupelo,
Mississippi. He moved to
Memphis, where he started his
music career in 1954,
recording his music at Sun
records with producer Sam
Phillips.
Phillips waned to widen the
audience to include African-
Americans. Presley's first song
was “That's All Right.”
Elvis will not vanish from the
charts during the next two
years however. He recorded a
number of songs to be
released periodically during
his military service.
Music
Creates
Interesting
News
By Tea Roepke
The music scene of 1958 was
a hodgepodge of tidbits.
Unique hits, the Army, and a
scandal were high on the list
of musical news.
Billboard introduced its first
Hot 100 Hits on August 4,
1958, with Ricky Nelson’s
“Poor Little Fool” as the
Number 1 song.
Elvis Presley was inducted
into the army on March 24. He
had the option to have
preferential treatment, but his
manager believed that the
critics would be harsh on
Elvis. But getting drafted did
not keep him off the charts.
His hit, “I Beg of You,” made
the year’s Top Ten.
Jerry Lee was forced to cancel
his England concert tour
called Great Balls of Fire after
the news of him marrying his
13-year-old distant cousin
came out.
David Seville’s “Chipmunk
Song” created the most
enduring characters, Alvin and
the Chipmunks. David’s son
Adam was the role model for
Alvin.
Bernstein Performs a
Young People’s Concert
Leonard Bernstein with young people before the concert.
By Jalane Abebe
Leonard Bernstein’s Young People’s Concert with the New York
Philharmonic was one of his achievements he was proud of.
Bernstein conducted his first Young People’s Concert on Jan. 18,
just two weeks after becoming the Philharmonic’s Music Director.
The Young People’s Concert was an exploration musical
masterpieces hosted by Bernstein. It was nominated for Prime
Time Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical Program. It also
received the Prime Time Emmy Award for Outstanding Musical
Individual Achievements in Entertainment.
CBS broadcast the concert and it was very intense. Bernstein
created the script by himself with the help of the production to edit
it and the orchestra would rehearse constantly.
It was broadcast live, so there was no way to edit any mistakes.
Bernstein’s hard work, with a lot of motivation and determination,
earned him the title of “The Most Famous Conductor.”
He is one of the most talented and successful musicians in
American History.
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: Entertainment
Hitchcock Film
‘Vertigo’ is a Dizzying
Thriller By Freya Benson
The esteemed English filmmaker Alfred
Hitchcock directed and produced a new
movie titled Vertigo. This movie is a
psychological thriller based on the 1954
novel The Living and the Dead by Pierre
Boileau and Pierre Ayraud.
The film stars James Stewart who plays a
former police detective, John “Scottie”
Ferguson. Scottie suffers from acrophobia,
the extreme fear of heights, and vertigo.
Scottie is hired as a private investigator by a
man named Gavin Elster to follow his wife,
who has been acting strangely.
The film has received mixed reviews. Some
critics claim that the film is too long and is
excessively detailed while others praise it for
its cinematography and complex storyline.
Although Vertigo earned $2.8 million in
gross retail sales, it should be noted that it
has made significantly less than previous
Hitchcock films.
Kwai Takes
Home Four
Oscars!
By Sarah Meek
The 30th Academy Awards were a big hit!
Some of the biggest movies of 1957 were
featured. Hosted on Wednesday, March 26 in
the RKO Pantages Theatre, the awards
ceremony took over Hollywood. Who were
the big winners? Who took home the golden
man and claimed their fame?
Bridge on the River Kwai snatched Best
Picture, Best Directing, done by David Lean,
Best Cinematography and Best Actor,Alec
Guinness, away from the competition. The
movie swept the awards away to no one’s
surprise!
Other movies won awards, but Bridge on the
River Kwai stole the show! This movie was
not in short supply of love for certain.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Turned into Movie
By Dominik Adriany
The award winning play “Cat on a Hot Tin
Roof” that won the Pulitzer Prize three years
ago is now a movie. It is directed by Richard
Brooks who also directed the movie
Blackboard Jungle.
This movie is about a dad who get annoyed
at his son because he does not have kids yet.
There is also a lot of other family drama in
this movie like the dad having cancer but not
knowing about it because he is not told. His
two sons were know however.
If you like a drama, this is the movie for you.
The protagonist, Brick Pollitt is acted by
Paul Newman, who appeared in the box
office failure “The Silver Chalice.” The wife
of Brick Pollitt was played by Elizabeth
Taylor, who was recently in the movie
“Giant.”
In the movie, “Big Daddy,” who is the father
of Brick Pollitt, is played by Burl Ives. He
acted recently in East of Eden and is also in a
couple other movies right now.
Movies are for Every Taste in 1958!
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: Sports
Yankees beat Braves to
win the World Series!
By Norah Austin
In the 8th inning the World
Series’ Game Seven, Yankee
first baseman Bill “Moose”
Skowron hit a three-run homer to
left, preceded by Elston
Howard’s one run single to
center. The back to back scoring of these
4 runs by Howard and Skowron
broke the 2-2 tie, helping the
Yankees to come back from a 3-1
deficit in games to beat the
Milwaukee Braves for the series
title. Starting off the eighth inning,
Yankees catcher Yogi Berra
tagged Milwaukee ace pitcher
Lew Burdette for a double.
Yankee left-fielder Elston
Howard followed with a single.
Andy Carey’s single off of third
baseman Eddie Mathews' glove
marked the increasing intensity
of the game and a glimmer of
hope for the Yankees. At the
climax of this comeback, Moose
Skowron crashed a devastating
home run to left-center, putting
the Yankees ahead, 6-2. This astounding comeback and
lead ceased to change throughout
the final innings of the game.
This astounding comeback and
lead ceased to change throughout
the final innings of the game. This win by the Yankees gave
them their 18th World Series title,
their seventh in the past 10 years. This win proves to be historic, as
it was a rematch of last year’s
World Series, ultimately won by
the Braves. The defeat of the
Braves in this World Series has
been said to further prove the
Yankees’ dominance as a world
class sports institution, showing
that they are deserving of yet
another World Series title.
“Masters of making it look easy
in Series competition with a
record six sweeps, the Yankees
proved...that they could do it the
hard way, too.
By roaring back against the
Braves, they became only the
second team, the 1925 Pittsburgh
Pirates were the other, to rally
from a 3-1 deficit and win a
seven-game Series,” according to
the Sporting News.
By Asher Nycklemoe
Roy Campanella otherwise
known as “Campy” by friends
and fans was involved in an
automobile accident on
January 29. The accident left
Campanella in a wheelchair,
paralyzed from the shoulders
down.
Campanella was one of the
first colored players in the
major leagues and played
alongside Jackie Robinson. He
would go on to hit 242 home
runs in his career setting an
impressive example for all
catchers.
Roy played for the Brooklyn
Dodgers for 12 years and was
one of their most valuable
players.
Born in 1921 in Pennsylvania,
Roy always loved baseball and
was just 15 when he started to
play professionally for the
Baltimore Elite Giants, the all-
black team where he started
his professional career.
He would stay with the team
for nine years and only
earning $3,000 per season.
He persevered and in 1948 he
would advance to the Major
Leagues playing for the
Brooklyn Dodgers. He was
asked to join before in 1945
but declined the offer thinking
that he was going to be put on
another all-black team.
Roy Campanella was one of
the greatest players in the
world and his tragic accidents
saddenss all baseball lovers
today. He will forever keep
playing in our hearts.
Baseball Moves
to California By Lucus Lund
The 1958 Major League
Baseball season played their
first official game in
California on April 15.
The game took place in San
Francisco’s Seal Stadium
between the Los Angeles
Dodgers, who were the
Brooklyn Dodgers, and the
San Francisco Giants,
formerly New York City
Giants.
The game played out to be an
8-0 victory for the Giants.
Colts Beat
Giants in Sudden
Death
By Mya Lynch
The Baltimore Colts beat the
New York Giants 23-17 to
win the NFL Championship
Game on December 28.
Some experts consider it the
“Greatest Game Ever Played.”
This was the first
championship game to go into
sudden death overtime.
The 26th Annual game was
played at the Yankee Stadium
in New York City.
Baltimore receiver Raymond
Berry recorded 12 receptions
for 178 yards and a
touchdown. Those 12
receptions set a championship
record.
14-Year-Old
Becomes
Youngest U.S.
Chess
Champion
By Fletcher Anderson
Fourteen-year-old Bobby
Fischer won the title of US
Chess Champion on January
8, becoming the youngest
champion yet.
Having been playing chess
since he was 6-years-old,
many people are calling him
the greatest chess prodigy of
our time.
His next step will be to
compete in the World
Championships.
Canadians
win the
Stanley Cup
By Ana Ayavaca Tirado
After having beat the Boston
Bruins in six games, the
Montreal Canadians played
them in the Stanley Cup and
won 4-2.
This is the Canadians third
consecutive Cup victory.
To reach the finals the
Montreal Canadians beat the
Detroit Red Wings 4-0 and the
Boston Bruins beat the New
York Rangers 4-2.
The Montreal coach was Tom
Blake and their captain was
Maurice Richard. Boston
coach was Milt Schmidt and
their captain was Fernie
Flaman.
The series winning goal was
made by Bernie Geoffrion
from the Montreal Canadians.
Baseball Grabs the Headlines in 1958!
Palmer Wins
Masters
By Rick Roberts
In the Masters Golf
tournament, held at Augusta
National Golf Club, Arnold
Palmer claimed the title.
There was a tie for second
place between Doug Ford and
Fred Hawkins as well as a tie
for third place between Stan
Leonard and Ken Venturi.
Kentucky Claims
NCAA Title
By Sarah Meek
On March 22, a brilliant game
between Seattle and Kentucky
occurred. This was the NCAA
tournament. Kentucky went up
by 12 points, making them the
champions of the epic game.
The National Collegiate
Athletic Association hosts a
grand tournament every year,
this final game marked the
winner of the long
championship process.
Campanella Paralyzed
After Car Accident
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: Sports
Pelé Gains Int’l Fame
After Fateful World Cup
Edson Arantes do Nascimento, more commonly known as Pelé, is
shown in this photograph of the final match crying tears of joy
after Brazil’s victory against Sweden.
Hawks Claim NBA Title Game 1 Game 2 Game 3 Game 4 Game 5 Game 6
St. Louis Hawks: 104 112 111 98 102 110
Boston Celtics : 102 136 108 109 100 109
By Joshua Lee-Reid
A 17-year-old broke three
world records during the
iconic final match of the
World Cup, becoming the
youngest player in history to
participate, score, and win a
FIFA World Cup final.
Throughout the entire World
Cup competition, Pelé scored
an incredible 6 separate goals,
second only to French player
Just Fontaine.
Held in the Råsunda Stadium
outside of Stockholm, Sweden,
the Brazilian team won against
the Swedes 5 to 2.
This year’s World Cup was
also the first to feature the
Soviet team, who had not
qualified for entry up until this
year. This year was also the
first to feature Northern
Ireland, Scotland, England and
Wales all in the same
competition.
Controversy over the
qualification conditions of
Israel flared up when
Indonesia and Egypt withdrew
from the qualifications before
playing against the Israeli
team, as well as Sudan and
Turkey’s team refusing to play
against the team, automatically
bringing Israel to qualify for
the World Cup.
However, it was decided that
no team could qualify without
actually playing any matches,
so the Israeli team lost the
qualifications.
Gibson Claims
Second
Consecutive
Wimbledon Title
By Justine Persigehl-Flak
Over 200,000 tennis fans from
all over the world gathered in
London for the 72nd
Wimbledon Championships.
American Althea Gibson’s
historic win last year, where
she became the first black
woman to win a singles title,
made her the favorite to win
the tournament again.
Since then, she won the U.S.
Open in September.
She did not disappoint at this
year’s Wimbledon, claiming
another singles.
In the men’s category,
Australian Ashley Cooper
took home the title, and is
currently ranked as the #1
tennis player in the world,
thanks to his three combined
U.S. and Australian Open
titles within the past 18
months.
Although average yearly
attendance for the event has
dropped by over 10,000
people over the past six years,
numbers are slowly climbing
back, with help from the
accomplished athletes
competing in the
championship.
Thomson wins
Fourth Claret
Cup!
By Jayden Quaderer
The 87th British Open
Championship was won by
Peter Thomson from
Australia. It was the fourth
time he won the trophy.
The Tournament was held
from July 2-5 in St. Lytham,
England.
The Australian legend
dominated The Open
throughout the mid-1950s,
winning the title three times in
a row between1954-56.
A year earlier in 1957 he
finished second, but stormed
back to reclaim his title and
make it seven years in a row
of finishing either first or
second.
He won with −6 (33-72-67-
73=278) points
The prize fund was $13,580 in
which the Thomson received
$2,800.
By Louis Lee
The St. Louis Hawks, in third
place, were going against
defending champions Boston
Celtics.
The Hawks had stars Bob
Pettit, Ed Macauley, Cliff
Hagan, and Slater Martin
while the Celtics countered
with Bob Cousy, Frank
Ramsey, Tom Heinsohn, Bill
Sharman, and Sam Jones.
Sharman, and Sam Jones.
St. Louis was able to grab a
one game edge 111-108.
During this game Bill Russell
injured his ankle. Even though
Russell was not able to play
anymore, the Celtics were still
able to tie up the series 2-2 at
the Kiel Auditorium with an
11-point win.
With Russell still out, the
Hawks were able to win the 5th
Game, 102-100.
Russell was inserted into the
6th game with a very close
game 57-52 at intermission. In
the final minutes of the last
quarter the Hawks were able to
beat the Celtics by 110-109, on
a Pettit tip in of a Martin shot.
Pettit scored 50 points in the
final game, including 18 of the
Hawks last 21 points.
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: Obituaries
Claire Lee
Chennault
(-July 27, 1958)
By Lucas Auer
Well-known World War II
aviator Claire Lee Chennault
died at the age of 67 from lung
cancer 0n July 27.
Chennault was born
September 6, 1890 in
Commerce, Texas. He
attended Louisiana State
University going through
Reserve Officers Training
Corps.
Claire married his first wife,
Nell Thompson, and they
moved to West Carroll Parish
where they had a total of eight
children.
He served as the principal for
Kilbourne School in West
Carroll Parish. He graduated
from Officers’ School at Fort
Benjamin Harrison in Indiana.
He was known for thinking
that the romantic one-on-one
dog fights were ridiculous, so
he devised a process where
groups would take the enemy
down.
He became famous when he
severed as a captain of the
“Flying Tigers.” Gifted with
eight British Curtiss P-40
Warhawks, they became one
of the most powerful aviation
squads during World War II.
They proved America's
dominance in the skies in
Asia, taking down many
Japanese fighters, and
showing no mercy to the
Japanese fighters.
During his time in Asia, he
married his second wife, Chen
Xiangmei (Anna Chennault).
They had two kids, Claire
Anna and Cynthia Louise
Chennault.
Chennault left a great legacy
behind his new methods and
unorthodox way of thinking,
helped Asia when it needed it,
when we needed it.
W.C. Handy
(November 16, 1873 – March
28, 1958)
By Lucas Lund
W.C. Handy, the father of
blues, died of bronchial
pneumonia in New York City
on March 28.
Handy was the first person to
publish blues music. This took
the blues genre from a local to
a national audience.
William Christopher Handy
was born in Florence,
Alabama, where his father was
a pastor of the local church.
His father believed that
musical instruments were
“tools of the devil.”
Handy bought his first guitar
secretly and eventually his
father made him return it. He
then joined a local band
secretly.
Handy was also very religious
and used this in his songs but
he did not not share his dad’s
musical views.
After a performance in
Kentucky, he met the woman
who would become his wife,
Elizabeth and they had six
children.
Even though he was banned
from performing in some areas
because he was African-
American, more the 25,000
people attended his funeral.
Chuck Klein
(October 7, 1904-March 28,
1958)
By Louis Lee
Baseball player Chuck Klein
died from complications of a
stroke he suffered in 1947
which left him paralyzed in
one leg.
Chuck Klein was born in
Indianapolis on October 7,
1904. He found baseball fun
while other players found it as
another job. He spent 15 years
in the Philadelphia Phillies as
an offensive force.
In 1932 he was named the
National League Most
Valuable Player and just a
year after that he won the
Triple Crown.
In 1930 he set the record of 44
outfield assists.
Klein was traded to the Cubs
in 1934 and led them to the
World Series. He returned to
the Phillies in 1936 and hit
four home runs as a National
Leaguer in modern era.
He remained in the Phillies for
the rest of his career.
Ernest Lawrence
(August 8, 1908-August 27,
1958)
By Khadar Mohamed
Scientist Ernest Lawrence
died on August 27 from
complications from ulcers and
narrowing of the arteries. He
was one of the representatives
to the Partial Nuclear Test Ban
Treaty conference in Geneva,
Switzerland when he was
stricken.
Lawrence had surgery in
Geneva and was taken home,
where he died in a Palo Alto
Ernest Lawrence was born on
August 8, 1908 in South
Dakota. His parents were both
immigrants and they met when
they were both teaching at the
same high school.
He was a pioneering scientist.
He won the Nobel Prize for
his invention in 1939 called
the cyclotron.
He is also known for making
the uranium-isotope
separation. He earned a Ph.D.
in physics at Yale. He
graduate at Nniversity of
Minnesota and the University
of South Dakota.
Tim Moore
(December 9, 1887-December
13, 1958)
By Kavita Thakurdial
Tim Moore, best remembered
as George “Kingfish” Stevens
on the classic Amos ‘n’ Andy
series, died on December 13
of pulmonary tuberculosis in
Los Angeles, four days after
his birthday.
Moore was born on December
9, 1887 in Rock Island,
Illinois. He was married to
Vivian Gravens Moore.
He began his career dancing
on the sidewalks of his
hometown for money. He
entered the vaudeville circuit
when he teamed with Romeo
Washburn, another black
performer from Rock Island.
They became known as the
“Gold Dust Twins.”
Moore eventually went solo
and toured British music halls
for nearly two years. He
joined a medicine show that
played vacant lots across the
Midwest.
He made his Broadway debut
as the star of Lucky Sambo.
Unfortunately, the show
closed after only a few
performances.
He was very successful in
burlesque in the mid-1920s
and returned to vaudeville in
1927. He wrote all his material
and did some writing for other
performers.
One skit called Not a Fit Night
for Man nor Beast was bought
by W.C Fields. He also did
some writing for the radio
show of the Two Black Crows
comedy team.
In 1931, he and Andrew
Tribble performed one of their
funniest routines in Oscar
Micheaux’s first talking
picture The Darktown Revue.
In 1946, he starred as Bumpsie
in the musical comedy film
Boy! What a Girl!.
He also made some
appearances on Ed Sullivan’s
television show Toast of the
Town and at the Apollo
Theater.
There was no money to pay
for his hospital care or for his
funeral. He received his final
$65.00 residual payment from
Amos ‘n’ Andy in January
1958.
Mel Ott
(March 2, 1909-November 21,
1958)
By Kena Robele
Hall of Fame baseball player
Mel Ott died on November 21.
Ott was involved in an auto
accident in Bay Saint Louis,
Mississippi. He was
transferred to a hospital in
New Orleans where he was
pronounced dead after one
week.
Melvin Thomas Ott, born on
March 2, 1909, in Gretna, a
suburb of New Orleans. He
weighed 170 pounds and he
stood 5 feet and 9 inches tall.
He was an All-Star for eleven
consecutive seasons and was
the first National League
player to surpass 500 career
home runs.
In 1951 he was elected to the
National Baseball Hall of
Fame. Ott was a six-time
National League home run
leader. From 1928 to 1945 he
led the New York Giants in
home runs.
Historical News Rock 1958 Year-IN-Review: Obituaries
He was the youngest player to
hit 100 home runs.
Because of his power hitting,
he was noted for reaching base
via the base on balls. He drew
five walks in a game three
times.
On October 1929, he set the
National League record for
most walks in a doubleheader
with six and was able to keep
that record for 15 years.
In 1943, all of his 18 home
runs came at home.
In 1951, Ott succeeded Chuck
Dressen as manager of the
Oakland Oaks of the Pacific
Coast League, leading the club
to an 80-88 finish.
Ott was elected to the Baseball
Hall of Fame in 1951 with
87% of the vote. He was one
of only six National League
Players to spend 20+ year
career with one team.
Pal
(June 4, 1940-June 18, 1958)
By Liban Warsame
Pal, the first animal actor to
play the iconic collie Lassie,
died on June 18 of natural
causes.
Pal was born at Cherry
Osborne's Glamis Kennels in
North Hollywood on June 4,
1940. Pal was the son of Red
Brucie and Bright Bauble both
of Glamis.
Howard Peck, an animal
trainer, brought Pal to a
Hollywood to work with
animal trainer Rudd
Weatherwax. After working
with the dog, Weatherwax
gained control of the barking
but was not able to control Pal
of his motorcycle-chasing
habit.
Peck was disappointed with
the results and gave the dog to
Weatherwax in exchange for
the money.
Weatherwax gave the dog to a
friend, but when he learned
that Pal was going to be in
Lassie Come-Home, he
bought Pal back from his
friend for $10.
Peck tried to get Pal back after
he became famous but he
could not get him back
because Weatherwax had legal
ownership.
Tyrone Power
(May 5, 1914-November 15,
1958)
By Daniel Avre
Well-known and beloved actor
Tyrone Power passed away in
Valdespartera, Spain on
November 15th, 1958.
His tragic death came at just
the age of 44. Not surprisingly
he died by the same illness
that his father died from.
At the time, Power was ilming
Solomon and Sheba directed
by King Vidor and co-starring
Gina Lollobrigida.
During filming, a dueling
scene with his friend and co-
star George Sanders, he was
stricken with a massive heart
attack.
His unfortunate death,
according to Juan Olaguíbel,
was attributed to fulminant
angina pectoris which is chest
pain and pressure due to the
lack of blood flow to the heart.
His funeral was at Hollywood
Forever Cemetery in Los
Angeles, California. Despite
his death the very handsome
talented actor recalled by
many will forever carry a
great legacy as an actor during
his time.
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio in
1914 he was son to Helen
Emma and former stage and
screen actor Tyrone Power Sr.
Named after his dad, he would
also follow in the footsteps of
him becoming an actor.
Through his father’s first
cousin, he was related to
William Tyrone Guthrie
founder of the Guthrie Theater
in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Following along in acting
through the roots of his
family, he began his acting
career upon high school
graduation by joining his
father to learn from one of the
most respected actors of the
time.
After his dad’s death in his
arms, it motivated his passion
and pursuit to become an
actor. After troubling years on
starting his acting career he
took a friend’s advice to go to
New York and do stage acting
on Broadway.
Tris Speaker
(April 4, 1888-December 8,
1958)
By Misha Donnelly
Beloved American baseball
player Tris Speaker died of a
heart attack in Lake Whitney,
Texas. The 70 year old was
with his friend pulling their
boat to the dock after a fishing
trip.
Born on April 4, 1888 in
Hubbard, Texas, Speaker
always had a love of baseball.
In 1905, he played a year of
college baseball. Before
joining becoming a
professional player, Speaker
worked on a ranch.
Speaker’s mother tried to steer
him away from professional
baseball, saying it reminded
her of slavery. She would
rather have him stay home or
work in a farming business.
He played for the Texas
Buffaloes, and later was sold
to the Boston Americans for
$800. After playing for the
Americans, he played for the
Boston Red Sox.
He had a marvelous career
with many good plays. Then,
he transferred to the Cleveland
Indians.
He was a great baseball player
for every team, creating a
name as “The best player in
the American League” by
1916.
He will always be
remembered in our hearts and
his baseball legacy will be
continued forever.
Harry Warner
(December 12, 1881-July 25,
1958)
By Owen Larson
Harry M. Warner, known as
one of the Warner Brothers
fame died on July 25.
He was originally born in
Krasnosielc, Poland on
December 12, 1881as Hirsz
Mojzesz Wonsal. He came to
the United States in 1889,
when the family Anglicized
their name to “Warner.”
He produced many movies
during 1920-1930, including
The Aero-Nut and Moby
Dick.
He died in Los Angeles,
California from a blockage of
blood to the brain.
John B. Watson
(January 9, 1878-September
25, 1958)
By Paige Offerdahl
American psychologist John
Broadus Watson, who
established the psychological
school of behaviorism, died on
September 25 at the age of 80.
He was born January 9, 1878
in Travelers Rest, South
Carolina. His parents were
Pickens Butler and Emma
Kesiah Watson. His mother
was very religious and was
against smoking and drinking.
She forced him to try and
become as religious like her,
which later John decided to be
an Atheist.
His dad was a drunk, and left
when he was 13 to go live
with two Indian women.
Watson's mother sold their
farm and moved to Greenville,
in hope for a better life.
Moving from a rural area to a
big city made Watson
experience a lot of different
types of people, which he later
uses to pursue his theories in
psychology.
He knew college was
important to have a successful
career. He had run ins with the
law while in high school. He
was arrested twice, first for
fist fighting and then for
discharging firearms within
city limits.
His mother’s connections
gained him admission to
Furman University. He
entered college at age 16 and
left at age 21 with a Master’s
Degree.
After graduating he worked at
a one classroom school known
as “Batesburg Institute.” He
was the principal, janitor and
handyman.
Watson entered the University
of Chicago, where he began
studying philosophy under
John Dewey. The influence of
many professors led Watson’s
approach to the analysis of
behavior, he would call
“behaviorism.”
Watson was best known for
his theory of behaviorism and
applying it to child
development. He strongly
believed a child's environment
is the factor that shapes
behavior over their genetic
makeup or natural
temperament.
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