In 1955, after years of research and testing, the polio vaccine created by Jonas Salk was declared safe and effective. The devastating virus is nearly eradicated in the United States today. In 1946, however, two years before Jonas Salk first began his research, the city of San Antonio, Texas tried to prevent the spread of … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Spraying DDT to Prevent Polio, 1946
This week, we have a performance from Elmer Trudgen, who created a one-man band with an impressive eleven different instruments. And yet Trudgen was not content to stop at that achievement–according to a 1939 newspaper article, he added a banjo to bring the grand total to fourteen instruments. From the Release Sheet: Elmer’s A Real … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Elmer Trudgen’s One-Man Band, 1937.
Did you enjoy a mint julep over the weekend in honor of the Kentucky Derby? This week, we look back to the sixty-fourth running of the Kentucky Derby, held on May 7th, 1938. The winner was long-shot Lawrin, the only Kansas-bred horse ever to win the race. Lawrin was buried beside his sire, Inisco, in his … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The 64th Running of the Kentucky Derby, 1938
This week in Universal News, the All-American Girl Baseball League plays a pre-season game in Alexandria, Virginia. The league operated from 1943 to 1954, and was created to fill stadiums that were left empty when professional baseball players went to war. You probably know about these women baseball players from the 1992 film A League of … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The All-American Girl Baseball League, 1951
The 1964 New York World’s Fair opened fifty years ago this week, on April 22nd, with the theme of “Man’s Achievements in an Expanding Universe.” If this extended Universal News story leaves you with the impression that the fair was not a runaway success, that’s because it wasn’t. The fair was not sanctioned by the Bureau of … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The New York World’s Fair Opens, 1964
This week in 1966, Boeing introduced the world to the 747, the first jumbo jet. Today, production of the 747 is winding down, but when it first debuted with commercial airlines in 1970, the double-decker represented both scale of economy and the lap of luxury for those fortunate enough to travel in first class. Even … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: Introducing the Boeing 747, 1966
Although this year’s Oscars broadcast was a full two months ago, the ceremony honoring My Fair Lady, Julie Andrews, and Rex Harrison was held this week in 1965. If that seems late to you, consider that the very first Oscars were handed out May 16, 1929. From the release sheet: HOLLYWOOD’S NIGHT OF GLAMOUR: It’s … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The 37th Academy Awards, 1965
This week in 1951, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were found guilty of providing secret information about atomic weapons technology to the USSR. The couple were sentenced to death on April 5, 1951 and were executed in June of 1953. From the release sheet: DEATH FOR ATOM SPIES! New York- It’s a verdict of death in … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: The Rosenberg Verdict, 1951
This week we’re featuring Professor I.M. Nuts, a gentleman who demonstrates his spectacular inventions in several Universal News stories. In this story, Prof. Nuts shows off a gadget that will prevent you from ruining your day while eating grapefruit. According to Nuts, “every home should have at least half a dozen”! Have you ever had … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: An Invention to Protect Yourself from Grapefruit, 1937
This week in Universal News, it’s “another great day for the Irish” at the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade. In attendance were Robert Kennedy, Mayor John Lindsay, Governor Nelson Rockefeller, and James Farley, Postmaster General under Franklin D. Roosevelt and one of the first successful Irish Catholic politicians in the United States. From … Continue reading This Week in Universal News: NYC St. Patrick’s Day Parade, 1967
