In a popular song by Don McLean called "American Pie," a specific day is highlighted, "The Day the Music Died." This lyric is not random or in the song because it fit nicely, it is there to signify February 3, 1959, the day Buddy Holly's plane crashed.
Buddy Holly was a famous rock and roll artist who experienced fame for only two short years. Between August of 1957 and August of 1958, Holly and his band the Crickets charted seven Top Forty singles. He is known to have pioneered and popularized the now-standard rock-band lineup which consists of two guitars, bass and drums.
During his Winter Dance Party tour, the band covered twenty four Midwestern cities in only three weeks. This major amount of travelling created a problem that was worsened by the tour bus's heating system breaking down shortly after the tour began. Holly became frustrated with the tour bus situation and made flight arrangements with Roger Peterson, a twenty one year old local pilot. J.P. Richardson, known as "The Big Bopper," took Waylon Jennings seat on the plane because he had developed the flu. When Holly heard that Jennings was going to be taking the bus and not the plane he said, "Well, I hope your ol' bus freezes up," to which Jennings replied "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes." These words haunted Jennings for the rest of his life.
The plane contained Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson, and the pilot Roger Peterson. Around 1:05 am the plane started to descend from the sky and eventually crash into the Iowa countryside, killing all four passengers. It appeared that the death came upon impact. The cause of the crash was due to worsening weather conditions, and Peterson's decision to fly using only his instruments with no visual confirmation of the horizon. This probably caused Peterson to believe that he was ascending when in reality he was descending. Also, Peterson had not been given accurate flash warnings about the weather conditions of the route.
Buddy Holly's funeral was held at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock Texas and it attracted over a thousand mourners, not including his wife. Even after his death, on March 9, 1959 the song "It Doesn't Matter Anymore," which was recorded by Holly, became a posthumous hit.
The death of Buddy Holly and his other band members hit hard at the hearts of many Americans, and it was enough to inspire other singers to write songs about the tragic night. His death occurred during the Cold War, a hard time in the lives of many Americans, but it still made headline news.
"Ben-Hur"
"Ben-Hur"
The Cold War was continuously looming over the heads of American citizens creating fear across the country. Because of this fear, many people found security in religion. Church membership increased and religion was seen on television. Religion was also revived in movies to create security and ease the minds of citizens, such as in the 1959 epic film Ben-Hur. Ben-Hur is a movie based off the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ.
It was directed by William Wyler and it was produced by MGM i hopes that the $15 million production would save it from bankruptcy. The gamble was successful because the movie earned a total of $75 million, and it won Best Motion Picture, Best Director, Best Leading Actor, Best Supporting Actor, and many others. There have been claims that there is homosexual subtext in the movie between Judah and Messala, but the Hollywood production code would not permit it to appear on screen explicitly, so it is possible that the actors implied homosexual relations.
Ben-Hur is a story about a rich Jewish prince and merchant in Jerusalem named Judah Ben-Hur, played by Charlton Heston. Judah’s old friend Messala, played by Stephen Boyd, arrives to Jerusalem as a commanding officer of the Roman Legions. Messala had been named to command the Roman garrison of Jerusalem, and Judah was thrilled for his old friend. During the welcome parade, a brick falls from Judah’s house near Messala’s horse, throwing Messala off the horse and nearly kills him. Although Messala knows it was an accident, his arrogance as a conqueror cause him to send Judah to the galleys and put Judah's mother and sister into prison. Later on, Judah refuses to give Messala the names of the Jews who oppose Roman role, so Messala decides to send Judah off as a galley slave. As he goes to the galleys, he marches through the desert and a town called Nazareth where a young, caring man gives him water. Judah is able to survive the galleys and return to Jerusalem to try to find his mother and sister and also to seek revenge against Messala. Judah then tries to take revenge against Messala by beating him in a chariot race, and when Messala tries to hit another carriage he is thrown off and stampeded by his horses. Talking to Messala before he dies, Judah is informed that his mother and sister are still alive but, they are dying of Lepers. Determined to find them, Judah seeks them in the valley.
After he finds them, he returns to the city to find everyone gone and attending the trial of Jesus. Judah recognizes Jesus as the man who gave him water in the desert, and as Jesus falls, Judah runs to him and gives him water. The look in Christ’s eye touches Judah and he weeps at the cruelty shown towards Christ. Suddenly, the sky starts to darken, and Judah’s mother and sister run into a cave for shelter. A lightning bolt strikes and cures their leprosy. When Judah returns home, he finds that his family has been healed and he thanks God for it. The sacrifice of Christ has taken the hatred out of his heart and has saved his soul.
Ben-Hur was able to restore American citizens' faith in Christ and ease their tensions and worries about the Cold War. It helped distract them from worldwide issues and war, and create a security blanket.
Ben-Hur was able to restore American citizens' faith in Christ and ease their tensions and worries about the Cold War. It helped distract them from worldwide issues and war, and create a security blanket.
Space Monkey
Sending monkeys into space seemed like a ridiculous idea until 1959 when Ham, the space monkey, was sent into space in an American space satellite. Ham was actually not a monkey, but a chimpanzee that was known for biting the workers when they tried to put him into the space capsule. Ham was sent into space in the Mercury-Redstone 2. The purpose of his mission was to test the capabilities of the Mercury capsule's systems in outer space. This was to prelude the May 5th, 1961 mission of astronaut Alan B. Shepard. Ham safely survived the mission, making Shepard's flight possible and giving Americans hope about the future of space travel.
Ham was not the only monkey sent into space. Able, a rhesus monkey, and Baker, a squirrel monkey were also sent into space in 1959. They were sent into space in the nose-cone of a Jupiter missile AM-18 from Cape Canaveral, Florida to test its capabilities in space. The flight lasted for only fifteen minutes and reached speeds up to 10,000 miles per hour. The monkeys were found in the South Atlantic near Puerto Rico, which was 1,500 miles away from their initial take-off location. Both Able and Baker had been monitored throughout the entire flight for changes in heart beats, muscular reaction, pulse velocity, body temperature, and rate of breathing. As stated by a spokesman from the Medical Research and Development Command of the US Army, both monkeys returned in "perfect condition." Even with the success of the mission, it was criticized by animal welfare groups as a "scientific devilry rather than scientific research." (1959: Monkeys survive space mission)
The goal of both missions was to pave the way for future space missions and research. These monkeys were the first living beings to successfully return to Earth from space. They also put America ahead in the space race against the Soviet Union. The space race was a significant problem during the Cold War that created tension between The United States and the Soviet Union, which made these 1959 missions even more significant to America.
Ham was not the only monkey sent into space. Able, a rhesus monkey, and Baker, a squirrel monkey were also sent into space in 1959. They were sent into space in the nose-cone of a Jupiter missile AM-18 from Cape Canaveral, Florida to test its capabilities in space. The flight lasted for only fifteen minutes and reached speeds up to 10,000 miles per hour. The monkeys were found in the South Atlantic near Puerto Rico, which was 1,500 miles away from their initial take-off location. Both Able and Baker had been monitored throughout the entire flight for changes in heart beats, muscular reaction, pulse velocity, body temperature, and rate of breathing. As stated by a spokesman from the Medical Research and Development Command of the US Army, both monkeys returned in "perfect condition." Even with the success of the mission, it was criticized by animal welfare groups as a "scientific devilry rather than scientific research." (1959: Monkeys survive space mission)
The goal of both missions was to pave the way for future space missions and research. These monkeys were the first living beings to successfully return to Earth from space. They also put America ahead in the space race against the Soviet Union. The space race was a significant problem during the Cold War that created tension between The United States and the Soviet Union, which made these 1959 missions even more significant to America.
Mafia
The Mafia is a criminal society which is believed to have originated in 19th century Sicily, although the specific details of the organization are not entirely known. The society is a collection of criminal groups, each of which have their own territory and which are united by a feudal-like organizational structure as well as codes of conduct.
The Sicilian Mafia was exported to the United States in the 20th century as Italian immigrants filtered into the nation, and a new outlook on the organization was established. During the 1950s, the United States began to imprison many Mafiosi in the country as they cracked down on drug trafficking and other illegal activities.
The arrests resulted in an American mafia boss named Joseph Bonanno returning to Italy in the year of 1957 with the intention of furthering his heroin operation and creating a Sicilian Mafia Commission for disputes within the organization. Other American mafia members rushed to secure their profits and close their casinos and in 1961 a friend of Chicago mobsters, Frank Rosenthal, appeared in a Senate hearing on gambling and organized crime. Rosenthal used the Fifth Amendment a total of 38 times during the hearing, proving the secrecy and determination of the Mafia organization to stay behind closed doors.
The Mafia is a criminal society which is believed to have originated in 19th century Sicily, although the specific details of the organization are not entirely known. The society is a collection of criminal groups, each of which have their own territory and which are united by a feudal-like organizational structure as well as codes of conduct.
The Sicilian Mafia was exported to the United States in the 20th century as Italian immigrants filtered into the nation, and a new outlook on the organization was established. During the 1950s, the United States began to imprison many Mafiosi in the country as they cracked down on drug trafficking and other illegal activities.
The arrests resulted in an American mafia boss named Joseph Bonanno returning to Italy in the year of 1957 with the intention of furthering his heroin operation and creating a Sicilian Mafia Commission for disputes within the organization. Other American mafia members rushed to secure their profits and close their casinos and in 1961 a friend of Chicago mobsters, Frank Rosenthal, appeared in a Senate hearing on gambling and organized crime. Rosenthal used the Fifth Amendment a total of 38 times during the hearing, proving the secrecy and determination of the Mafia organization to stay behind closed doors.
The determination of the United States to reduce Mafia activity throughout the nation ultimately resulted in the creation of "The Mafia Monograph" by the FBI in 1958, which became a guide for the campaign against organized crime. Eventually, the organization was driven underground as a result of the collaborative efforts of United States law enforcement, but the Mafia continues to be glamorized in television shows and movies today.
Hula Hoops
Invention of the hula hoop not only initiated an incredibly popular fad of the late 1950’s, but also sparked competition and profit within the toy industry within the United States and internationally. Richard Knerr and Arthur Melin founded the toy upon hearing about bamboo hoops being used in Australian gym classes, and they quickly realized that it would be the perfect addition to their Wham-O Manufacturing Company in San Gabriel, CA.
The hula hoop was discovered to have a long play value amongst children and therefore became popular very quickly, with international business picking up before the founders were able to patent the toy. Other versions of the hula hoop were developed across the world, fueling international competition over sales and impressive earnings for manufacturers of over 45 million dollars.
Although the fad of the hula hoop died out around November of 1957 as reported by the Wall Street Journal, its success aroused the desire in toy manufacturers to continue discovering fads that would enthrall consumers whom were searching for entertainment during the period.
The hula hoop was discovered to have a long play value amongst children and therefore became popular very quickly, with international business picking up before the founders were able to patent the toy. Other versions of the hula hoop were developed across the world, fueling international competition over sales and impressive earnings for manufacturers of over 45 million dollars.
Although the fad of the hula hoop died out around November of 1957 as reported by the Wall Street Journal, its success aroused the desire in toy manufacturers to continue discovering fads that would enthrall consumers whom were searching for entertainment during the period.
Castro
Fidel Castro was born on August 13th, 1926 to wealthy family amongst the overwhelming poverty plaguing his native country of Cuba. Castro attended law school in 1945 at the University of Hawaii and quickly submerged himself in ideas of social justice, nationalism, anti-imperialism and socialism within his native country. The early political career of Castro was largely unsuccessful until he and approximately 150 supporters of his Ortodoxo party attacked military barracks of Moncada with the intention of overthrowing the current dictator of Cuba, Fulgencio Batista.
The party members failed in their attempt, however, and instead Castro found himself captured and sentenced to 15 years in prison. He was released in 1955 as a result of a reprieve by the Batista government, but the incident had already captured the attention of Cuba and fostered both support for Castro and stronger opposition towards the regime.
Following his release from prison, Castro went to Mexico and devised a plan of guerrilla warfare to overthrow the Batista regime. The initial attempt failed with Batista’s forces killing or capturing the majority of the attackers, but in 1958 Castro and his followers successfully launched military campaigns to capture significant portions of the country until Batista fled to the Dominican Republic in January, 1959.Fidel Castro established a new government in Cuba with great support of the Cuban people, and he immediately implemented reforms on factories and plantations in the hopes of minimizing United States economic superiority on the island. Despite Castro’s consistent denial that he was a communist, many Americans felt that Castro was instating communist policies similar to that of the Soviet Union, and this belief was further when his revolutionary government purged military leaders and suppressed critical media outlets throughout Cuba during 1959.
The influence of the Soviet Union over Castro’s policies became even more difficult to ignore when his regime began establishing diplomatic relations with the power and received defense organization with the assistance of USSR advisors. In the years following 1959, Fidel Castro continued to lead the island with communist policies while intensifying relations with the Soviet Union by accepting their aid.
Edsel
On September 4th, 1957, Ford Motor Company introduced an entirely new division of cars known as Edsel, which were intended to fill the hole in their market of medium-sized cars. The models produced included the large Mercury-based Corsair and Citation, as well as the smaller Ford-based Ranger and Pacer. With the new Edsel division and the new cars came an entirely unique, distinguishable design.
The company launched an immense promotional campaign of magazine advertisements, commercials and a television special called “The Edsel Show” in order to build up public expectations of the car. However, despite an estimated 2.5 million Americans going to the dealerships on “E-Day”, the cars were a disappointment and very few were sold.
Ford Motor Company announced the end of Edsel development on November 19th, 1959 after selling only 68,045 cars when 200,000 sales had been predicted. The spectacular failure of the Edsel cars is due to a combination of factors, none of which can be pinpointed with sole responsibility. Edsel models were uniquely designed in a way that did not appeal to the tastes of all Americans, and the assemblers failed to produce parts that always fit together efficiently. Not only was the car introduced at a time when car sales across the nation were in a recession, but the desire of the public was for small, fuel-efficient cars which would cost less money. Many experts fault Ford for not understanding the American consumers and the market at the time when Edsel was developed.
The division of Ford can be viewed as having a death spiral, which eventually ended in Edsel becoming synonymous for the American public as “failure”. As cars failed to sell, dealers disregarded the Edsel franchise until the American public became even more afraid than ever to buy the cars.
The company launched an immense promotional campaign of magazine advertisements, commercials and a television special called “The Edsel Show” in order to build up public expectations of the car. However, despite an estimated 2.5 million Americans going to the dealerships on “E-Day”, the cars were a disappointment and very few were sold.
Ford Motor Company announced the end of Edsel development on November 19th, 1959 after selling only 68,045 cars when 200,000 sales had been predicted. The spectacular failure of the Edsel cars is due to a combination of factors, none of which can be pinpointed with sole responsibility. Edsel models were uniquely designed in a way that did not appeal to the tastes of all Americans, and the assemblers failed to produce parts that always fit together efficiently. Not only was the car introduced at a time when car sales across the nation were in a recession, but the desire of the public was for small, fuel-efficient cars which would cost less money. Many experts fault Ford for not understanding the American consumers and the market at the time when Edsel was developed.
The division of Ford can be viewed as having a death spiral, which eventually ended in Edsel becoming synonymous for the American public as “failure”. As cars failed to sell, dealers disregarded the Edsel franchise until the American public became even more afraid than ever to buy the cars.
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