(Thursday, March 11, 1954; during the Second Red Scare) — The U.S. Army charged today that Sen. Joseph R. McCarthy, a Republican from Wisconsin, and his subcommittee’s chief counsel, Roy Cohn, had exerted pressure to obtain favored treatment for Pvt. G. David Schine, a former consultant to the subcommittee. The confrontation culminated in the famous Senate Army-McCarthy hearings.
Video: '45 85 Part 6' (Mar. 4, 1954, at 4:12)
(Thursday, March 4, 1954; during the Cold War) — Speaking before the 10th Inter-American Conference, Secretary of State John Foster Dulles warned today that “international communism” is making inroads in the Western Hemisphere and asked the nations of Latin America to condemn this danger.
Video: 'Recollections of the 1954 Shooting on the House Floor'
(Monday, March 1, 1954, 2:30 p.m. EST) — Four Puerto Rican nationalists opened fire today from the spectators’ gallery of the U.S. House of Representatives, wounding five members of Congress.
Video: 'Castle Bravo Nuclear Test'
(Monday, March 1, 1954, 6:45 a.m. local time; Sunday, February 28, 1954, 1:45 p.m. EST) — The United States detonated a dry-fuel hydrogen bomb, codenamed Castle Bravo, at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands today. The explosive yield of 15 megatons, much greater than expected, dropped radioactive fallout on occupied islands hundreds of miles away.
Video: 'Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine: A Shot of Hope'
(Tuesday, February 23, 1954) — The first mass inoculation of schoolchildren against polio using the Salk vaccine began today in Pittsburgh as some 5,000 students were vaccinated.
Video: 'Big Joe Turner - Shake Rattle N'Roll (Rare Stereo Mix 1954)'
(Monday, February 15, 1954) — “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” a twelve bar blues-form rock and roll song, was recorded today by Big Joe Turner in New York. The Turner version was ranked #127 on the Rolling Stone magazine’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Video: 'Redecorating the Mertzes' Apartment' (Nov. 23, 1953)
(Thursday, February 11, 1954) — I Love Lucy dominated the 6th Emmy Awards today, winning two awards, including Best Situation Comedy (for the second consecutive year). Continue reading ‘I Love Lucy,’ ‘The United States Steel Hour’ big winners at Emmy Awards 60 years ago today (Feb 11 1954)
Video: 'USS Nautilus & Submarine History: "Take 'Er Down" 1954 US Navy 14min' (Jan. 21, 1954, at 11:33)
(Thursday, January 21, 1954; during the Cold War) — The world’s first operational nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, was launched today at Groton, Connecticut, as First Lady Mamie Eisenhower christened the vessel with the traditional bottle of champagne broken against the bow.
Video: 'Muddy Waters - Hoochie Coochie Man ( Chess 1954)'
(Thursday, January 7, 1954) — Muddy Waters recorded “Hoochie Coochie Man”, a blues standard written by Willie Dixon, today in Chicago. The song was ranked #225 on Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Video: 'Excerpt from President Eisenhower's 1954 State of the Union Address'
(Thursday, January 7, 1954) — U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower called for voting rights for 18-year-olds and held out hope of future tax cuts in his State of the Union address before Congress today.
