Fun facts from 1953
- Life Expectancy in the United States: 68.8 years
- United States Population: 160,184,192
- World Population: 2.681 billion
- June 19: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed after their conviction for espionage
- First successful open heart surgery was performed in Philadelphia
- Dwight D. Eisenhower was President and Richard Nixon was Vice President in 1953
- Playboy magazine hits newsstands with Marilyn Monroe on the cover
- Cost of a first class postage stamp was 3 cents
- Bazooka Joe first appears on Topps comics
More fun facts from 1953--
TELEVISION--
- February 18: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz sign an 8 million dollar contract to continue the I Love Lucy show through 1955
- April 3: TV Guide is published for the first time
- September 29: "Make Room for Daddy" debuts on CBS
- December 30: Westinghouse releases the first color tv which sold for $1250
- "Romper Room" premiers
- December 24: "Dragnet" becomes the first network sponsored tv show
SPORTS—
- 1953 World Series was: New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers (4-2)
- Kentucky Derby Champion: Dark Star
- Stanley Cup: Montreal vs. Boston (4-1)
- NCAA Basketball Championship: Indiana vs. Kansas (69-68)
- NBA Championship: Minneapolis Lakers vs. New York (4-1)
- If you’re celebrating your 55th birthday this year, here is some information about the:
25th ACADEMY AWARDS
- The first year the Academy Awards were broadcast on television
- Best Motion Picture: "The Greatest Show on Earth"
- Best Actor: Marlon Brando in "Julius Caesar"
- Best Actress: Leslie Caron in "Lili"
MUSIC--
- Dean Martin had the hit song, "That's Amore"
- Frank Sinatra begins recording at Capitol Records
- Hank Williams had the hit "Your Cheatin' Heart"
- Elvis Presley records for the first time
- The Platters' musical career begins
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS IN 1953--
- January 19:Desi Arnaz, Jr.
- May 6: Tony Blair
- March 23: Chaka Khan
- August 11: Hulk Hogan
- August 16: Kathie Lee Gifford
- September 2: John Zorn
Retro Candy Memories
Michele M. of Fullerton CA wrote: "Well, I'm an old hippie, from the age of around 13. I tried to hide it when I was "grown up," beginning around 1975, but that whole mindset percolated to the surface some 20 years ago and now I wear it like a badge.
I was born in 1953 so my story has nothing to do with your contest. In fact, my first exposure to C. Howard's - I can't quite get my mind around the name "Choward's" - was not the gum. My foray into the world of perfume-flavored confections began with the "mints." First of all, I'm a sucker for anything purple, so the long cube wrapped in gorgeous, Art Deco deep purple and silver caught my eye in a little shop in Berkeley back in 1972. I was hooked. I've always been in love with the scent of violets, but that I could have something that tasted like violets was like being in a waking dream. From then on, Howard's Violets were as much a part of my DNA as my Patchouli oil.
Because I live in Southern California, Howard's Violets were always a little hard to find, and I think that was part of the allure, to be honest. But my friends and I, we have our ways. And now of course there are wonderful retro candy purveyors on the Internet to sate our desires. Every now and then I meet someone who looks like he or she might have discriminating tastes, and I'll reluctantly test the water by daring to introduce my Violets. Usually my instincts are on target, but not always. It's not everyone's cup of poison. Well, it's not a litmus test, but I'm always a little glad when someone says no, because that means more for me. I hope Howard's Violets will always be around."