Reminisce February/March 2019

Home economics was somehow not a course on my mother’s high school schedule. But after she got married and had six children who were younger than 12, she quickly concluded that sewing was a handy skill to have. So she bought a sewing machine and learned to use it. Intrigued by the possibilities, I begged her to teach me, too. I loved picking out patterns and fabric, and finally I could make clothes that fit—I’m 5 feet tall, so clothes are always oddly proportioned and way too long for me. Another benefit: I could stretch my 50-cents-an-hour baby-sitting wage. If sewing is one of your talents, you’ll want to read our tribute to the craft, “In Stitches,” on page 50. Learning to make my own clothes was a clear-cut turning…

« SUMMER ROAD TRIPS Remember packing up and stuffing the car for adventures on the open road? Did you plan out every stop to the last second or let your whims carry you where they may? We want to know. Label your story “Summer Road Trips.” TECH TALK First we had rotary-dial phones. Next came princess and touch-tone phones. Then, in what seemed like a New York minute, we’ve had bag, Palm, cordless, mobile, flip and smart phones. Tell us about your phone evolution. Label your story “Tech Talk.” WOODSTOCK Promoted as Three Days of Peace and Music, Woodstock rocked almost half a million in 1969. They went to Yasgur’s farm and found their place in history. How about you? Did you make it? Label your story “Woodstock.” FAVORITE DINNERWARE…

World War II dominated world events. With so many men fighting overseas, American women moved into jobs previously unavailable to them. U.S. companies transitioned from building cars to building aircraft engines, trucks and tanks. Stars such as Bette Davis and Rita Hay worth sold government-issued war bonds to finance the war effort. The U.S. rationed food, gas, even clothing. Sports teams suffered as athletes traded in colorful uniforms for khakis. And popular band leaders, including Glenn Miller and Artie Shaw, entertained war-weary troops. JAN. 15 Construction of the Pentagon—the new headquarters for the U.S. Department of Defense in Arlington, VA—is complete. JAN. 23 Jazz legend Duke Ellington and His Orchestra debut at New York City’s Carnegie Hall. FEB. 9 Shoe rationing begins in the U.S.—three pairs per person every year,…

~ ACADEMY AWARDS ~ BEST MOTION PICTURE Mrs. Miniver BEST ACTOR James Cagney Yankee Doodle Dandy BEST ACTRESS Greer Garson, Mrs. Miniver ~ SPORTS STATS ~ TRIPLE CROWN WINNER Count Fleet HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER Angelo Bertelli Quarterback, Notre Dame NFL MOST VALUABLE PLAYER Sid Luckman Quarterback, Chicago Bears NFL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Chicago Bears over Washington Redskins 41-21 WORLD SERIES New York Yankees over St. Louis Cardinals (4-1) MVP, AMERICAN LEAGUE Spud Chandler New York Yankees MVP, NATIONAL LEAGUE Stan Musial St. Louis Cardinals…

Using the 1931 play Green Grow the Lilacs as a template, Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, in their first collaboration, developed Away We Go! as a musical play, a new format that wove both song and dance into the storyline. The musical followed farm girl Laurey and her courtship by two rival suitors: cowboy good-guy Curly and sinister Jud, the farmhand. Many on the Great White Way in 1943 predicted that Away We Go! would be dead on arrival, especially after it first opened out of town in New Haven, Connecticut. As the story goes, one Broadway producer left after the first act, quipping a stinging review: “No legs, no jokes, no chance.” Ouch! Oklahoma! is considered the single most influential work in the American musical theater. On the…

Creative minds churned out remarkable discoveries in 1943—some of them by pure accident. From toys to tailgating cuisine, how many of the year’s innovations can you name? 1 Conceived as a way to keep sensitive ship equipment steady at sea, this now classic toy is beloved by baby boomers for its ability to walk down stairs. 2 This accidental toy used to lift images off the funny pages started out as a synthetic rubber. 3 Undersea explorer Jacques Cousteau became famous for this invention, the first modern scuba system, with engineer Emile Gagnan. Extra credit: Scuba is an acronym for what? 4 Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann discovered this synthetic drug’s hallucinogenic properties when he consumed it by accident. 5 Mexican chef Ignacio “Nacho” Anaya created this spicy, cheesy snack from…