Tales of a Life Well Wasted & Other Gems

On The Day I Was Born

1950 was a very good year – after all, it was the year I was born! That makes me one of the baby boomer generation. In fact, I’m about smack dab in the middle of that generation. It was an interesting time.

copyright 1997-2017 dMarie Direct Inc

Tuesday, August 22, 1950

Top News Headlines This Week

Aug 22 – Abdel Rehim swims English Channel (10:50)
Aug 22 – Rotterdam harbor strike end
Aug 22 – Althea Gibson becomes 1st black competetor in natl tennis competition
Aug 23 – Jack Holden wins marathon (2:32:12)
Aug 23 – West Germany & Japan readmitted to Intl Amateur Athletic Federation
Aug 24 – Edith Sampson named 1st black US delegate to UN

Top Songs for 1950

Mona Lisa by Nat King Cole

Chattanoogie Shoe Shine Boy by Red Foley

The Tennessee Waltz by Patti Page

The Third Man Theme by Anton Karas (also Guy Lombardo)

All My Love by Patti Page

Goodnight, Irene by The Weavers with Gordon Jenkins

I Can Dream, Can’t I? by The Andrews Sisters

The Thing by Phil Harris

If I Knew You Were Comin’  I’d’ve Baked a Cake by Eileen Barton

Harbor Lights by Sammy Kaye

1950 Prices

Bread:  $0.14/loaf
Milk:  $0.82/gal
Eggs:  $0.70/doz
Car:  $1,750
Gas:  $0.27/gal
House:  $14,500
Stamp:  $0.03/ea
Avg Income:  $3,815/yr
Min Wage:  $0.75/hr
DOW Avg:  235

United States President

Harry S. Truman

United States Vice President

Alben W. Barkley

Academy Award Winners

Best Motion Picture:    All the King’s Men – Robert Rossen Productions
Best Actor:    Broderick Crawford – All the King’s Men
Best Actress:    Olivia de Havilland – The Heiress
Best Supporting Actor:     Dean Jagger – Twelve O’Clock High
Best Supporting Actress:     Mercedes McCambridge – All the King’s Men

People Born on August 22

  • 1862 – Claude Debussy, French pianist and composer (d. 1918)
  • 1893 – Dorothy Parker, American poet, short story writer, critic, and satirist (d. 1967)
  • 1920 – Ray Bradbury, American science fiction writer and screenwriter (d. 2012)
  • 1949 – Diana Nyad, American swimmer and author
  • 1950 – Ray Burris, American baseball player and coach
  • 1950 – Scooter Libby, American lawyer and politician, Chief of Staff to the Vice President Dick Cheney

Popular Toys in 1950

Happi Time Doll

Happi Time Doll

The Happi-Time doll is dressed in only a diaper and knit shirt. But she's ready for visiting in a jiffy, because she has her own complete layette, carrying case, and nursing bottle.

Clue Board Game

The classic detective game! In Clue, players move from room to room in a mansion to solve the mystery of: who done it, with what, and where?

Slinky

Mechanical engineer Richard James invented the Slinky by accident when accidentally knocked some springs off a shelf. He watched in amazement as they gracefully “walked” down instead of falling.

On TV in 1950

SeriesDebutEnded
The Ed Sullivan ShowJune 20, 1948June 6, 1971
Howdy DoodyDecember 27, 1947September 24, 1960
The Lone RangerSeptember 15, 1949June 6, 1957
What’s My Line?February 2, 19501975