Category Archives: 1950s

Allies accused of germ bombing in Korea 60 years ago today (1952)


Video: Allies accused of germ bombing (at 1:06)

(Friday, February 22, 1952) — The Chinese Communist radio at Peiping charged today that Allied planes dropped “epidemic” germs including cholera along the Communist front lines and rear areas in Korea between Jan. 28 and Feb. 17. Continue reading Allies accused of germ bombing in Korea 60 years ago today (1952)

French Pay Homage To Dead Marshal 60 years ago today (1952)


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(Wednesday, January 16, 1952) — The church and the army joined today in Paris in a glittering spectacle to honor Gen. Jean de Lattre de Tassigny, a French military hero of World War II and commander in the First Indochina War who died January 11.

‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ premieres in New York 60 years ago today (1952)


Video: 'The Greatest Show on Earth' trailer

(Thursday, January 10, 1952)The Greatest Show on Earth, a drama film set in the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, premiered today in New York City. Continue reading ‘The Greatest Show on Earth’ premieres in New York 60 years ago today (1952)

Truman says threat of world war ‘still very real’ 60 years ago this hour (1952)

(Wednesday, January 9, 1952, 12:30 p.m. EST) — U.S. President Harry S Truman summoned the nation today to “move full steam ahead” in its rearmament drive because the “threat of world war is still very real.”

The president, in his annual State of the Union message, charted a stern course of continued high taxes, greater military expansion, tougher wage-price controls, fewer civilian goods and more foreign aid.

Korean War POW lists exchanged 60 years ago today (1951)


Video: POW lists exchanged (at 3:29)

(Tuesday, December 18, 1951) — In a big step toward resolving difficilites over an armistice in the Korean War, the communists today turned over a list of 11,559 prisoners, 3,198 of them Americans, far short of United Nations estimates of 100,000 or more missing. The UN command handed the communists a list of 132,474 Chinese and North Korean prisoners.

Ed Murrow’s ‘See It Now’ debuts 60 years ago this hour (1951)

(Sunday, November 18, 1951, 6:30 p.m. ET)See It Now, a newsmagazine and documentary series, debuted tonight on CBS-TV with the first live simultaneous coast-to-coast TV transmission.

The series was created by Edward R. Murrow and Fred W. Friendly with Murrow serving as host.