Mark Scott Smith's Blog: Enemy in the Mirror, page 36

The Bridge on the River Kwai

At the 30th Academy Awards in 1958, The Bridge on the River Kwai won seven awards, including best picture of 1957.

Its director, David Lean, and star Alec Guinness also received Oscars. 

The Bridge on the River Kwai was based on the 1952 novel written by Pierre Boulle. Although the film depicted the construction of the Burma Railway in 1942–1943, the plot and characters of the novel and screenplay are almost entirely fictional. The cast included Alec Guinness, William Holden, Jack Hawkins, and Sessue Hayakawa.

Source: Wikipedia

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Elvis Joins the US Army

Elvis Aron Presley entered the United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee in March 1958.

During his active military career Presley served as a member of two different armor battalions. At the 2d Medium Tank Battalion, 37th Armor in Fort Hood, Texas he completed basic and advanced military training. His overseas service was with the 1st Medium Tank Battalion, 32d Armor in Friedberg Germany.

He left active duty at Fort Dix, New Jersey, in March 1960, and received his discharge from the Army Reserve in March 1964.

Source: US Army Center of Military History

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Venezuelan Protesters Attack Nixon Cavalcade

In April-May1958, on a goodwill trip to Latin America, Vice President Richard Nixon engaged in angry debates with student groups in Peru and Uruguay. Then, in Caracas, Venezuela, a large crowd pelted his car, smashing the windows. Nixon escaped from the crowd and left Venezuela ahead of schedule.

Source: History.com

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Van Cliburn wins Moscow Competition

In April 1958, at the height of the Cold War, the Texan pianist, Van Cliburn won the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

Because the contest was intended to demonstrate Soviet cultural superiority, the judges asked permission of Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev to give first prize to an American—“Is he the best?” Khrushchev asked. “Then give him the prize!”

Source: cliburn.org

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USSR Declares Atomic Testing Halt

 

In March 1958 the Soviet Union declared it was halting tests of atomic and hydrogen bombs. It called on the other nuclear powers, the United States and Britain, to do the same. Moscow warned that it would resume testing if their example was ignored. In October 1958 the United States, Britain and the USSR began negotiations for a more permanent ban on nuclear testing.

The  Limited Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, signed in Moscow in August 1963 :

prohibited nuclear weapons tests or other nuclear explosions under water, in the atmosphere, or in outer spaceallowed underground nuclear tests as long as no radioactive debris falls outside the boundaries of the nation conducting the testpledged signatories to work towards complete disarmament, an end to the armaments race, and an end to the contamination of the environment by radioactive substances.

In 1996, the United Nations General Assembly Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, prohibited “any nuclear weapon test explosion or any other nuclear explosion.” Although President Bill Clinton signed the treaty along with more than 180 nations, the U.S. Senate rejected the treaty in 1999. Those who objected argued that a ban on testing would damage the safety and reliability of America’s existing nuclear arsenal, and claimed it would be impossible to guarantee treaty compliance by all countries.

 China, India, Iran, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan and the United States, have not ratified the treaty.

 

Main Sources: JFK Library and History.com 

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First Overland Crossing of Antarctica

In March 1958 the British geologist/explorer Vivian Fuchs led a 99-day multinational expedition (United Kingdom, New Zealand, United States, Australia and South Africa) on the first overland crossing of Antarctica by way of the South Pole.

Source: Wikipedia

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Unarmed Nuclear Bomb Dropped on South Carolina

In March 1958 a B-47 pilot accidentally grabbed the bomb bay door lever and released an unarmed nuclear bomb at 15,000 feet over the suburbs of Florence, South Carolina. The bomb’s high explosives exploded on impact, wrecking a house and injuring several people on the ground. The extent of radioactive contamination was never revealed.

Source: Wikipedia

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Teenage Fashion

In the 1950s many teenage girls wore circle skirts with fitted blouses, wide belts, bobby socks and flat shoes emphasizing the hourglass shape… ETSY

Casual girl’s wear 1950s

Pinterest

Some teen boys were inspired by the blue jeans and black leather jackets of Marlon Brando and James Dean.

James Dean ~ Rebel Without a CauseMarlon Brando ~ The Wild OnePinterest

Other boys wore preppy (some said “collegiate”) sweaters over slim pants and button-down shirts

Pinterest

Main source: TIMELESS AND FLATTERING TRENDS FROM 50S TEENAGE FASHION

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Syria and Egypt form United Arab Republic

In February 1958 Syria and Egypt formed the United Arab Republic.

Although initially a political union between Egypt (including the occupied Gaza Strip) and Syria, Syria seceded from the union in 1961 after a Syrian coup d’état.

Egypt continued to be known officially as the United Arab Republic until 1971.

Source: Wikipedia

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US Launches Explorer 1

In January 1958 the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency successfully launched a satellite using a Jupiter C rocket developed by Dr. Wernher von Braun.

The satellite carried a cosmic ray detector designed to measure the radiation environment in Earth’s orbit. The radiation belts discovered by Explorer 1 subsequently were known as the Van Allen Belts.

Making one orbit every 114.8 minutes, Explorer 1 revolved around Earth in a looping orbit from 354 kilometers (220 miles) to Earth to 2,515 kilometers (1,563 miles).

Explorer 1 made its final transmission in May 1958.

Explorer1 entered Earth’s atmosphere and burned up on March 31, 1970, after more than 58,000 orbits.

Source: NASA

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