Major Events of the 1950s


1951- Oliver Brown sues Topeka, Kansas school board to let his daughter go to a white school that was closer to her home than the black school.

1952- Dwight D. Eisenhower elected President. Vice President was Richard Nixon.

1955- Montgomery Bus Boycott- Rosa Parks was arrested for refusing to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. The African-Americans walked or rode in carpools for one year, until the Supreme Court ruled that segregation on buses was unconstitutional.

Ray Kroc buys out a hamburger franchise from the McDonald brothers and launches an empire of golden arches. Harland Sanders also begins his Kentucky Fried Chicken franchise.

The polio vaccine, developed by microbiologist Jonas Salk, is declared safe for use.

1958- National Defense Education Act was designded to improve student ability in Science and Mathematics.

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1950s Culture

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