1952

World Events

• King George VI of Britain (ruled 1936-52) dies and Queen Elizabeth takes his place in the seat of power.
• John Cobb is killed while setting the water-speed record at 207 miles per hour. Many believe his boat crashed into the fabled Loch Ness Monster when it disintegrated in mid-run.
• Charlotta Bass, editor and publisher of the California Eagle for 40 years, ran for Vice President on the Progressive Party ticket in 1952, the first African American to run for national office.

San Diego History

• The government commissions 9,800 homes to be built in Clairemont to counter the Korean War home shortage. Within a year, Clairemont will become one of the fastest growing communities in the nation.
• California Western University is founded at site of Tingley's Theosophical Society on Point Loma.

Arts

• Robert Rauschenberg, John Cage, and Merce Cunningham collaborate on the first multi-media art happening. Theater Piece included art lectures, poets, rollerskaters, music, and dance.
• Architect Le Corbusier introduces his Unité d'Habitation in Marsailles, France.
• Ernest Hemingway publishes The Old Man and the Sea.
• Gibson introduces the Les Paul edition guitar. It will become the most popular electric guitar of all time.
• Gary Cooper faces the box office shoot-out with High Noon. The other Hollywood big guns for the year are Singing in the Rain with Gene Kelly and Cecil B. DeMille's The Greatest Show on Earth.

• Isamu Noguchi's visit to Japan inspires him to create new ceramic designs that combine traditional Japanese elements with Modern shapes. It is meant to be held in a traditional manner with the hand surrounding the cup and the handle between the fingers. The Isamu Noguchi teacup and saucer are available in our Vital Forms Exhibition Store.

American Life

• Ozzie and Harriet debut on television.

• George Jorgensen makes headlines around the nation when he returns from Copenhagen as Christine Jorgensen. She is the first person to go public after a sex change operation.
• American film distributors vote Marilyn Monroe as the top star of 1952.
• Lipton revolutionizes party chip dips with their Onion soup mix.

• The 19 foot tall Space Queen mobile home makes its debut to camping-crazy American families. Its tendency to flip over in high winds keeps demand down and it was only produced for one year.