January 4
January 4
The God That Failed published
The God That Failed, a collection of essays by six writers and intellectuals who either joined or sympathized with the communist cause before renouncing the ideology, is published by Harpers.…
A Year In History: 1950
Also Within This Year in History:
1950
The first year of the 1950s marked the start of the Korean War. In America, Joseph McCarthy ignited Red Scare witch hunts, spreading fear and suspicion about almost anyone’s possible communist ties. In India, Mother Theresa founded her Missionaries of Charity order. President Harry Truman survived an assassination attempt and authorized the development of the hydrogen bomb. Diners Club introduced the first major charge card, Silly Putty bounced into toy stores and Charles Schulz’s “Peanuts” cartoon strip made its debut.
January 7
January 7
“Rudolph the Red‑Nosed Reindeer” is the #1 song on the U.S. pop charts
You know Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen because of the 1823 poem “A Visit From St. Nicholas” (aka “‘Twas the Night Before Christmas”), but your knowledge of Rudolph—the…
January 13
January 13
Soviets boycott United Nations Security Council
For the second time in a week, Jacob Malik, the Soviet representative to the United Nations, storms out of a meeting of the Security Council, this time in reaction to…
January 17
January 17
The Great Brinks Robbery
A team of 11 thieves, in a precisely timed and choreographed strike, steals more than $2 million from the Brinks Armored Car depot in Boston, Massachusetts. The Great Brinks Robbery,…
January 17
January 17
Boston thieves pull off historic Brink’s robbery
On January 17, 1950, 11 men steal more than $2 million ($29 million today) from the Brink’s Armored Car depot in Boston, Massachusetts. It was the perfect crime—almost—as the culprits weren’t…
January 18
January 18
China recognizes Democratic Republic of Vietnam
The People’s Republic of China formally recognizes the communist Democratic Republic of Vietnam and agrees to furnish it military assistance; the Soviet Union extended diplomatic recognition to Hanoi on January…
January 19
January 19
Communist China recognizes North Vietnam
The People’s Republic of China bestows diplomatic recognition upon the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Communist China’s official recognition of Ho Chi Minh’s communist regime resulted in much needed financial and…
January 21
January 21
Accused spy Alger Hiss convicted of perjury
In the conclusion to one of the most spectacular trials in U.S. history, former State Department official Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury. He was convicted of having perjured himself…
January 26
January 26
Republic of India born
On January 26, 1950, the Indian constitution takes effect, making the Republic of India the most populous democracy in the world. Mohandas Gandhi struggled through decades of passive resistance before…
January 31
January 31
Truman announces development of H‑bomb
On January 31, 1950, U.S. President Harry S. Truman publicly announces his decision to support the development of the hydrogen bomb, a weapon theorized to be hundreds of times more…
February 2
February 2
Klaus Fuchs arrested for passing atomic bomb information to Soviets
Klaus Fuchs, a German‑born British scientist who helped developed the atomic bomb, is arrested in Great Britain for passing top‑secret information about the bomb to the Soviet Union. The arrest…
February 9
February 9
McCarthy accuses State Department of communist infiltration
Joseph Raymond McCarthy, a relatively obscure Republican senator from Wisconsin, announces during a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, that he has in his hand a list of 205 communists who…
February 9
February 9
Senator McCarthy says communists are in State Department
During a speech in Wheeling, West Virginia, Senator Joseph McCarthy (Republican‑Wisconsin) claims that he has a list with the names of over 200 members of the Department of State that…
February 14
February 14
USSR and PRC sign mutual defense treaty
The Soviet Union and the People’s Republic of China, the two largest communist nations in the world, announce the signing of a mutual defense and assistance treaty. The negotiations for…
February 15
February 15
Disney’s “Cinderella” opens in theaters
On February 15, 1950, Walt Disney’s animated feature Cinderella opens in theaters across the United States. The Chicago‑born Disney began his career as an advertising cartoonist in Kansas City. After…
February 20
February 20
Dylan Thomas arrives in New York
On this day in 1950, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas arrives in New York for his first reading tour of the United States. His four U.S. tours were wildly successful but…
March 7
March 7
Soviet Union denies Klaus Fuchs served as its spy
Just one week after British physicist Klaus Fuchs was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in passing information on the atomic bomb to the Russians, the Soviet…
March 8
March 8
VW bus, icon of counterculture movement, goes into production
Volkswagen, maker of the Beetle automobile, expands its product offerings to include a microbus, which goes into production on March 8, 1950. Known officially as the Volkswagen Type 2 (the…
March 14
March 14
U.S. senator smears actress Ingrid Bergman for extramarital affair
In a burst of caustic, moralistic grandstanding, U.S. Senator Edwin C. “Big Ed” Johnson of Colorado launches a verbal attack on Swedish movie star Ingrid Bergman for her extramarital affair…
March 14
March 14
The FBI debuts “10 Most Wanted Fugitives” list
The Federal Bureau of Investigation institutes the “Ten Most Wanted Fugitives” list in an effort to publicize particularly dangerous fugitives. The creation of the program arose out of a wire…
