Reminisce June/July 2019

At some point in my life, I realized I needed to live near the water. I grew up close to Lake Michigan and spent summers building sand castles and swimming in the surf. Then in 1978, my husband, Ray, and I made the bold decision to relocate to California where we could live near the ocean. Our little town, Fortuna, didn’t even have a McDonald’s then, so it was ideal for living an unplugged life. We were “working for the weekends”—he at the Shrine Drive-Thru Tree and I at the local newspaper—and spent hours at the beach or by the river. We didn’t have much, but we made it work. Alas, five years later, my father-in-law got sick; we moved back to Lombard, Illinois, to take care of him and…

CANDY LAND Designed by a retired schoolteacher in the early days of the baby boom, the board game Candy Land found a mountain of buyers when it hit the shelves. What do you remember about finding your way through the Molasses Swamp and past the Peanut Brittle House? Label your story “Candy Land.” SMOKEY BEAR The furry fellow in blue jeans and a ranger hat always carried a shovel. He told us we could prevent forest fires, and we listened. What do you remember about this iconic symbol of conservation? Label your story “Smokey Bear.” BEST CARD GAMES Flinch, bridge, cribbage, canasta. What’s your favorite card game? Did your parents play in tournaments or clubs? Do you keep cards on hand to play with guests? Label your story “Best Card…

Fidel Castro rose to power in Cuba. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet and went into exile. President Dwight D. Eisenhower ran the White House with Richard Nixon at his side. Alaska and Hawaii joined the Union. A Boeing 707 Astrojet made the first transcontinental passenger flight from Los Angeles, California, to New York. Jazz had a great year with albums from Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Dave Brubeck. And little girls clamored for the new Barbie dolls. JAN. 2 The Soviet Union launches Luna 1, the first manmade object to escape the earth’s gravitational pull. JAN. 3 Alaska joins the Union as the 49th state. JAN. 12 Berry Gordy Jr. founds Motown Records in Detroit, MI. FEB. 3 Rockers Buddy Holly, top right, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper die…

BEST-SELLING GENERAL CIRCULATION MAGAZINES 1. Reader’s Digest 2. TV Guide 3. Life BEST-SELLING FICTION BOOK Exodus, Leon Uris BEST-SELLING ALBUM The Music from Peter Gunn Henry Mancini TOP 5 SONGS 1. “THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS” Johnny Horton 2. “MACK THE KNIFE” Bobby Darin 3. “PERSONALITY” Lloyd Price 4. “VENUS” Frankie Avalon 5. “LONELY BOY” Paul Anka ~ ACADEMY AWARDS ~ BEST PICTURE Gigi BEST ACTOR David Niven Separate Tables BEST ACTRESS Susan Hayward I Want to Live! ~ EMMY AWARDS ~ BEST COMEDY SERIES The Jack Benny Show, CBS BEST LEAD ACTOR, DRAMATIC SERIES Raymond Burr Perry Mason, CBS BEST LEAD ACTRESS, DRAMATIC SERIES Loretta Young The Loretta Young Show, NBC…

Roger Peterson was excited. The 21-year-old Iowa pilot was about to fly three of the biggest rock stars—Charles Hardin “Buddy” Holly, 22, Ritchie Valens, 17, and The Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson), 28—to Fargo, North Dakota, their next tour stop. Each had paid $36—about $300 today—for a place on the four-seater plane. Holly’s backup band, initially scheduled to fly with him, consisted of two then-unknown musicians, guitarist Tommy Allsup and bassist Waylon Jennings. Don McLean’s 1971 hit “American Pie” memorialized rock’s first tragedy. Chartering the 1947 Beechcraft Bonanza was Holly’s idea. The grinding Midwest tour (dubbed the Winter Dance Party) had proven wretched. Their school bus often broke down in whiteout conditions. Enough was enough. On the night of Feb. 2, 1959, the musicians, along with supporting act Dion and the…

Once Alaska and Hawaii joined the Lower 48, the U.S. became 50 states strong. What do you know about the noncontiguous states? 1 The U.S. purchased Alaska in 1867 for $7.2 million from what country? 2 Name the Wild West lawman who made his fortune running a saloon in Nome, AK. 3 What is Alaska’s nickname? 4 Name Alaska’s state land mammal. 5 At 656,000 square miles, Alaska is twice the size of the next largest state. Name it. 6 What mountain in Alaska is the highest in North America? 7 Name Hawaii’s last sovereign queen. 8 What Hawaiian volcano is among the world’s largest? 9 What do the eight stripes on Hawaii’s flag stand for? 10 Hawaii is the only state to grow what commodity? 11 Who was born…