Time marches on
by
David Grand
November 25, 2004
Wow! It's hard to believe that it has marched at such a rapid pace over the last 50 years, from 1954 to the present. But as Ben Hecht said, "Time is like a circus always packing up and moving on."
I can remember 1954 like it was yesterday, marking as it did a landmark year in my life. I was fresh out of the army and entering college under the GI bill only two months later.
And I still chuckle in recalling when a fraternity called to invite me over to dinner. But when I asked what they'd be having for dinner, the conversation ended abruptly. That was my way of brushing 'em off, for I wasn't about to wear a pledge's green beanie after wearing a steel helmet.
Out of curiosity, I opened my reliable almanac to see what other notable events occurred in 1954. And I found it had been quite an eventful year, with more good things having happened than bad ones:
- The downfall of that demagogue of Sen. Joseph McCarthy, when the U.S. Senate voted to condemn him for "conduct contrary to senatorial ethics," which act brought to a close a national drama lasting nearly five years, during which he had made reckless and far-reaching accusations of Communist influence in just about every area of American life.
- President Eisenhower warned conservative Republicans that the party must adopt a progressive course or risk losing its influence in the nation.
- Alger Hiss, who passed government secrets to the Soviet Union was released from prison. His accuser Whittaker Chambers testified that Hiss passed classified documents along to him in a hollow pumpkin on Chambers farm in Carroll County.
- The Supreme Court ruled in Brown vs. Board of Education that segregated schools violated the 14th Amendment, which brought forth both jeers and cheers in the nation.
- Among the technological advances were the launching of the first nuclear submarine, the USS Nautilus; the invention of the solar battery by the Bell Telephone labs; the first commercial jet plane, the Boeing 707; and NBC pioneering color programming.
- Jonas Salk developed a polio vaccine which saved countless lives. Too bad he died just when he was beginning his research on finding a cure for cancer.
- C.A. Swanson & Sons earned the eternal gratitude of Americans by introducing TV dinners.
- In sports, nothing surpassed the feat of Britain's Roger Bannister running a world record mile in 3 min. 59.4 seconds. It was also the year the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League struck out.
- "On the waterfront," starring Marlon Brando, walked away with the top 8 Academy Awards. Costarring was Karl Malden as Father Barry, whose real name was Maldeneski, and who graduated a few years ahead of me from the same school in Gary, Indiana.
- By joint resolution of Congress, the words "under God" were added to the Pledge of Allegiance.
- Gamal Abdel Nasser assumed power in Egypt, and organized an alliance with Jordan and Syria, which led to the Six-Day War that ended in an enormous victory for Israel; and with the 1954 Geneva Accords ending the first Indochina War, dividing Vietnam into two zones-North and South.
- Five congressmen were fired upon from the spectators' gallery by Puerto Rican Nationalists.
- The Northeast was hit by hurricanes Carol and Hazel, with 64 and 347 deaths, respectively.
- Rev. Moon founded the Unification Church, whose followers are known as "Moonies."
Sorry if you found my trip down memory lane boring. But it's the surest way I know of for escaping, however briefly, from the depressing problems of today, both here and abroad. And I'm glad I won't be around fifty years from now in 2054 to chronicle the events of 2004. But maybe a grandchild will.
