At the beginning of 1950, America might not have known how significant the decade would eventually become. Here are 3 interesting pieces of history that highlight what happened in 1950.
The Korean War
1950 marked the beginning of the Korean War. In June, North Korea invaded South Korea, and America joined the fight. The war claimed more than 30,000 American soldiers and millions of Korean civilians. Though centralized in Korea, the war rippled around a world still recovering from World War II. North Korea was assisted with supplies and strategy by their Soviet Allies with support also coming from the People's Republic of China. The United Nations forces were led by the United States. The conflict in effect ended in 1953, though they still technically remain at war and hostilities remain.
The Great Brinks Robbery
On January 17, 1950, after 2 years of methodical planning, a squad of armed robbers bound and gagged 5 Brinks employees and left the building with more than 2 million dollars in cash, checks, and securities. It was the largest and most elaborate crime of its kind and was branded as the “crime of the century.”
The investigation quickly captivated the country, and the bandits evaded capture for years. Eventually, a hit man shot at Joseph "Specs" O’Keefe, one of the men involved in the robbery. While in the hospital, O'Keefe made a deal with the FBI and testified against his cohorts. All were caught, and with the exception of 2 who died before trial, each man was convicted. Amazingly, only $58,000 was ever recovered.
Credit Cards
Ever use one? While the idea of using a card to pay for things wasn’t new in 1950, the concept of using one card at multiple stores was groundbreaking. Schneider and McNamara, founders of Diners Club, created a single card to consolidate all the individual cards that could only be used at the issuing business. Today, nearly 200 million Americans have one at the ready, and the innovation created new markets, exciting opportunities, but also tremendous risks for consumers and the companies who issue them.
If you like history, we invite you to join us in celebrating the release of the indexed 1950 US Census. Learn more about the historic release and how to find famous Americans, politicians, celebrities, and your own family members in the census, to see what life might have been like for them in 1950.
