Stories from 1950
Browse a timeline of top world events from 1950. Or, use Proust to tell your life story and share personal
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January 1, 1950
The Timex wristwatch debuted. Print ads and TV commercials featured 'torture tests,' which boosted sales.
February 1, 1950
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New York, New York
Ralph Schneider and Frank McNamara invented the modern-day credit card, naming it the Diners Club Card because it was used primarily for dining and entertainment. It was made of cardboard and wouldn't switch to plastic for another eleven years.
February 9, 1950
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Wheeling, West Virginia
Wisconsin Senator Joseph R. McCarthy claimed over 200 State Department employees were communists, which prompted the Senate to create a special investigative committee that would incriminate citizens with little to no evidence.
June 25, 1950
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South Korea
North Korea, Soviet-backed and communist, invaded U.S.-aided South Korea. This was the first 'hot war' of the Cold War conflict and launched the three-year Korean War.
October 2, 1950
Carl Schulz's comic strip Peanuts was featured in seven magazines across the country. By the time Schulz retired in 1999, Charlie Brown was a regular in 2,600 newspapers around the world.
