1950 starts with a, ahem, bang when Truman announces plans for the hydrogen bomb, whilst McCarthy accuses everyone of being Communist, and he's just getting warmed up. The US lands at Inchon, sweeps up the the 38th parallel, and reckons they're doing alright, and carry on a bit into North Korea. A bit too far, actually, leaving the Chinese to get a bit twitchy and come in, which they do, really well, and push the line back down the 38th parallel. MacArthur suggests that 'about 50 atomic bombs' should scare them back a bit.

 

Not to worry, though, because the remote control gets invented this year, which will no doubt ease some inter-ideological tensions the world over. Although T.S. Eliot's speech against TV seems a bit doomed, now.

 

Edit: Oh, and my dad was born.

1952 is more of the same (but with less physical effort to change the channel); Seoul changes hands a few times, the Rosenbergs are convicted, nuclear tests are still going strong, the forward-thinking US lays the groundwork for Vietnam with the AZNUS Treaty, everyone signs a bit of paper saying the war with Japan is over, in case somebody didn't get the memo, and that Churchill chap has another bash at Prime Ministering.

 

No blue moons are recorded as occuring, but ash from a fire in Canada several months earlier does result in Europe witnessing a blue sun.

 

Edit: Oh, and my mum was born.

Surprise snow leads the way in '52, too, this time in Algeria, with a tropical storm in Cuba hot on it's heels. Elizabeth ascends to the throne on the same day that Churchill discloses that the UK has developed the atomic bomb, and tested some off the coast of Australia, as far away from him as they could manage - those things are /dangerous/, y'know? Truman realises that building nuclear subs is quite expensive, and stops Marshall Aid, Farouk does various crazy things in Egypt for a bit, before he's kicked out by the military, the first hydrogen bomb goes pop, and Eisenhower wins the presidential elections, just as Charlie Chaplin is thrown out of the USA.The UK's ID cards are scrapped, traffic lights appear in New York, and lots of people bump into things in a very smoggy London.

 

None of my parents were born.

Those sassy commies in the USSR exploded their own H Bomb and Dag Hammarskjold was elected secretary general of the United Nations...in
1953 of course

On the topic of wood carving, Reg Davidson an internationally acclaimed Haida artist was born in 1954 but sadly, Carl Johan Trygg died.

1955 - how the world has changed in 10 years as West Germany joins NATO, the Warsaw pact is signed, Russia invades Hungary and Dear old Britain joins the H Bomb owners club.

1956, Elvis's classic Sun Sessions and, err, I was born.

1958! Sees a young footballer called Pele come to the fore.

 

Gol!!!

Bollocks! Having missed the birth of the very man who will one day crack his ball, 1959 makes up for it a little by opening the Guggenheim Museum and experimenting - unsuccessfully - with delivering mail by missile.

Sorry :-$ .

In another football related 'date', 1960 sees the dirty Communists actually win something, the European Championship. Well, there were only three other teams competing. Still, Lev Yashin wasn't that bad.

A certain Berliner became President towards the end of this year. Rumours that he had a splitting headache go unconfirmed.

Oh and my father dearest was born.

EDIT: My grandad (God rest his soul) was part of the Iraqi delegation who came to the UK from the (PRE-SADDAM, PRE-BA'ATHIST) government to meet lots of people - like the Mayor of Bristol (cheer) - and see what was the building of Britain's first commercial nuclear power plant in Berkeley, Gloucestershire. Which is scary because before I knew about it, I went there on a school trip.

1961 sees the arrival of me!

Okay, 1963 and the Russians put the first woman into space, whilst the US put the first zip codes on envelopes and makes anything they can think of relating to Cuba illegal. Over in Vietnam, American-supported Diem's policies are proving so popular that monks take to burning themselves alive, but it's okay, because he's assasinated in a military coup shortly after. Not to be outdone, JFK gets himself killed, too, leaving Lyndon B Johnson (who's entire family's initials were LBJ. Including the dog.) to carry forward Kennedy's policies and advisors (like friendly McNamara).

 

Meanwhile, in Britain, the first episode of Doctor Who is shown.

1964, and a British firm sells Cuba 450 buses, whilst saying " (giggle) " at America. There's a second military coup in S. Vietnam, and a different general gets power. Cuba cuts off the water supply to Guantanamo Bay, claiming that the Americans were "being dicks". Italy asks the world if anyone has any bright ideas how to stop the Tower of Piza from falling over. Some American ships sink in the Gulf on Tonkin, as are some North Vietnamese subs; things are slightly hazy as to what really happened, but it doesn't matter - the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, passed a few days later, gives LBJ permission to do what he fancies, in regards to Vietnam. Then he wins the election, so he doesn't feel bound to JFK's policies any more, but, oh, darn, he finds he can't change his position on anything now, without looking like a prat, so he just decides to bomb everything, instead.

1965 was a boring year. Probably gearing people up. Oh yeah, Singapore gained independence.

 

1965/1966 was the season Liverpool won another league title under Bill Shankly, reaching a UEFA Cup final - losing to Monchengladbach (I think) and started the ball rolling for...

The major love in with Russia.

 

Well, Azerbaijan. But who cares. England won the World Cup and the Sun rejoiced.
And would cram it down the throat of pretty much anyone who could speak English for the next 40 years or so.

Some ragheads didn't like some other semi ragheads. Bitchslapping ensued and people are still feeling sore.

 

And Concorde was unveiled towards the end of the year. Hurrah.

1967 sees Donald Campbell die while attempting a water speed record on Coniston Water.

 

Parliament of the United Kingdom decides to nationalize 90% of British steel industry.

 

Supertanker Torrey Canyon runs aground off Lands End, English Channel.
(ffs. I remember this !)

 

Harold Wilson announces that United Kingdom has decided to apply for EEC membership
(muppet)

 

British parliament decriminalizes homosexuality

 

In Gibraltar, only 44 out of 12.182 voters support union with Spain.

 

Mariner 5 probe flies by Venus

 

The Concorde is unveiled in Toulouse, France
(aarrgghh, I remember this too !)

It's 1969, OK?
All across the USA.
It's another year for me and you,
Another year with nothing to do.

 

Except, if you're Iggy Pop, in which case you and your merry band of Stooges will release your self-titled album and scare America with your peanut butter chucking antics.