1950

World Events

• North Korea invades South Korea. President Truman commits the United States military to the the conflict. 3 million soldiers and civilians will be killed or wounded before it ends in 1953.

• Chinese invade Tibet.
• 11 men enter the Brinks Building in Boston and 17 minutes later leave with over $2 million in stolen cash and securities. This crime was so well planned that it took police years to find enough evidence to prosecute the men.
• The Federal Bureau of Investigations begins listing its Ten Most Wanted people.
• Mother Teresa founds the first Mission of Charity in Calcutta, India.

San Diego History

• Lou Burgener and Carlos Tavares introduce their vision of the new community of Clairemont. Clairemont changes the course of city planning as the city extends away from the Downtown center. Clairemont homes feature the luxury of modern design and conveniences, ocean views, and business and retail centers as part of the master plan.

Arts

• Autumn Rhythm and One by Jackson Pollock are finished. Fellow abstract expressionist Mark Rothko paints No. 10. Franz Kline has his first solo-art show in New York City.
• Snoopy and Charlie Brown debut with the rest of the gang in the new comic strip Peanuts by Charles Shulz.

American Life

• First credit card company, Diners Club, founded.
• Earl Lloyd becomes the first African American to play in the NBA.
• Senator Joseph McCarthy argues that the State Department is riddled with Communists. Anti-Communist hysteria begins.
• Guys and Dolls opens on Broadway.
• Zenith presents "lazy bones" tuning, the mother of all remote controls to the television viewing world.

• Pillsbury introduces their legendary Bake Off to promote flour.
• Burt the Turtle teaches kids atomic safety in the cartoon Duck and Cover.
  Special thanks to the Trinity Atomic Web Site