1948

A few facts about 1948 in belated celbration of the 60th birthdays of Bampa (July 29) and Oosje (August 8):

Technology, Architecture & Art:

• Chrysler introduces a new method of starting a car engine -- with an ignition key.
• Manufacturers began to put turn signals on some cars
• Columbia Records introduces the 33⅓ rpm LP featuring 25 minutes of music per side, compared to the four minutes per side of the 78 rpm record
• The Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado is completed.
• Cheetos (Oosje's "orange food" of choice) are introduced
• Nestle Quick introduced
• MC Escher Draws "Drawing Hands" and "Stars"

Television:

• The Ed Sullivan Show (as Toast of the Town), premieres on CBS, with guests Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis
• Candid Camera (as Candid Microphone) premieres on CBS
• The first network telecast of political conventions from Philadelphia.
• The first network nightly newscast debuts on CBS with Douglas Edwards.
• Perry Como has his first television Christmas Special
• CBS begins network programming.
• ABC opens its first television station in New York.
• Marvin the Martian makes his Looney Tunes debut in Haredevil Hare. Marvin's likeness appears in miniature on both the Spirit and Opportunity rovers on Mars.

Hit Songs:

• "Ballerina" Vaughn Monroe
• "I'm Looking Over a Four Leaf Clover" Art Mooney
• "Mañana (Is Soon Enough for Me)" Peggy Lee
• "Nature Boy" King Cole
• "Woody Wood-Pecker" Kay Kyser
• "You Call Everybody Darlin'" Al Trace
• "A Tree in the Meadow" Margaret Whiting
• "Twelfth Street Rag" Pee Wee Hunt
• "Buttons and Bows" Dinah Shore

Cost of Living:

• Bleach 21 cents 1/2 gallon
• Cantaloupe 23 cents
• Cauliflower 15 cents per head
• Chewing Gum 12 cents for 3
• Coffee 85 cents for 2 pound bag
• Fresh Chickens 55 cents per pound
• Frozen peas 19 cents
• Ground beef 55 cents per pound
• Ivory Soap 35 cents for 2 bars
• Jello 23 cents 3 pks
• Kellogs Corn flakes 35 cents for 2 pks
• Ketchup 19 cents
• Large White Eggs 69 Cents per dozen
• Morton Salt 10 cents
• Onions 49 cents 10 pounds
• Seedless grapes 25 cents for 2 pounds
• Tide Soap powder 36 cents
• Tooth Paste 47 cents

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Sports:

• World Series: The Cleveland Indians defeat the Boston Braves, 4 games to 2. (their last WS title)
• Cleveland Browns 49-7 Buffalo Bills in the All-America Football Conference championship game.
• Philadelphia Eagles 7-0 Chicago Cardinals in the National Football League championship game, played in a blizzard.
• Citation became the 8th horse to win the Triple Crown. Secretariat would be the next, 25 years later.

Academy Awards:

• Best Picture: Hamlet
• Best Director: John Huston - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
• Best Actor: Laurence Olivier - Hamlet
• Best Actress: Jane Wyman - Johnny Belinda
• Best Supporting Actor: Walter Huston - The Treasure of the Sierra Madre
• Best Supporting Actress: Claire Trevor - Key Largo

Pulitzer Prize:

• Drama: Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire
• Fiction: James A. Michener - Tales of the South Pacific