THE YEAR IS 1958 by Veronica Smith
Daily writing prompt Share what you know about the year you were born.
View all responses I was born in February 1958. In fact, I was two weeks over-due and should have been Aquarius, born in the Chinese year of Yin Fire Rooster. As Fate would have it, I arrived as Pisces, born in the new Chinese year of Yang Earth Dog!
My place of birth was Dublin, capital of the Republic of Ireland. In 1958, the Republic had only been in existence for thirty-odd years. Although Southern Ireland had finally achieved independence from Britain, the British government had imposed heavy penalties on the young state and Ireland was still struggling to recover economically.
There was so much happening politically in 1958 that you could write an entire book on the subject! So here are just a few of the highlights.
In Africa that year, Morocco finally gained its independence from Spain. It was then able to join the Arab League, along with Tunisia.
Meanwhile, Algeria was struggling to gain independence from France. In fact, it caused a crisis within France, which toppled the Fourth Republic. Emergency measures resulted in a new constitution that created the Fifth Republic and controversial General Charles De Gaule was brought out of retirement to lead the new government. However, not everyone was happy with this out-come. Guinea declared itself independent from France, rejecting that nation’s new constitution. It precipitated changes in French Sudan, which gained autonomy as a self-governing member of the French colonial empire. Soon afterwards, Chad, the Republic of the Congo and Gabon also became autonomous republics within the French colonial empire. Belgian Congo saw its last Belgian governor before independence.
In the Middle East, there were several new alliances, hoping to bring more stability to the region. Egypt and Syria formed the United Arab Republic, which lasted from 1958 until 1961, when Syria left the Union, following the 1961 Syrian Coup d’etat. Another alliance, which took place between the Hashemite Kingdoms of Jordan and Iraq, resulted in a bloody revolution in Iraq that same year. In Lebanon, United States Marines were called in to Beirut, to support the pro-Western government there.
Elsewhere, the world was coping with the Cold War struggle between Communism and Capitalism. On 27th March, Nikita Khrushchev became the new Premier of the Soviet Union (USSR). Taiwan was defending itself against attacks from Communist China. Communists, led by Fidel Castro, were trying to take control in Cuban. Trouble in South Vietnam would eventually escalate into the Vietnam War, which would involve troops from multiple Western countries.
Although politics undoubtedly held center stage in 1958, there were many other mile-stones, particularly in technology. I often say that I was born at the beginning of the Space Race! Why? Well, it was the time when the USSR were sending up their Sputnik satellites. In response, on 29th July 1958, the US Congress formally created the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), which would send up rival satellites and rockets, in answer to the USSR’s space programme.
On 11th October, American “Pioneer 1”, the second and most successful of the 3 Project Able Space Probes, became the first spacecraft launched by the newly formed NASA. The following month, on 18th December, the United States launched “SCORE”, the world’s first communications satellite and the next day, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower broadcasted the first message relayed by the Score satellite.
Not to be outdone, China initiated its own television station. America goes one better with colour TV. A proto-type video game is also premiered at a show in the USA. The Australian elections are influenced by television coverage. U.S. space scientist, James van Allen, announces the discovery of Earth’s Magnetosphere. Another American, Jack Kilby, invents the first integrated circuit, while working at Texas Instruments. In December, Arthur Schawlow and Charles Townes of Bell Laboratories, publish their paper in “Physical Review Letters”, setting out the principles of the Optical Laser.
It wasn’t just in space that countries were competing with each other! People were still putting on a show of crossing the Arctic and Antarctic, only this time, with mechanised vehicles. In one incident, a Soviet polar pilot on Li-2, rescued four Belgian polar explorers, who had survived a plane crash in Antarctica 250km from their base five days earlier! On 3rd August, the nuclear-powered submarine USS Nautilus, became the first vessel to cross the North Pole under water!
Some well-known symbols also started to appear in 1958. For instance, the anti-nuclear Peace Symbol made its debut on 21st February 1958 (two days before my birth!) and was used by Bertrand Russell at his launch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament in the United Kingdom. Protests were focused on the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston.
Did you know that in 1958, for the first time, the total of transatlantic passengers carried by air exceeded the total carried by sea? I remember those famous airlines, such as British B.O.A.C. and American Pan Am. It is hard to believe that Pan American World Airways Boeing 707 made its first transatlantic flight in October 1958! However, it was BOAC, who made the first commercial transatlantic flight by JET LINER (instead of turbo-prop) earlier that year!
An important mile-stone here in Europe was the inauguration of the European Economic Community (EEC) on 1st January 1958. This body was a regional organisation, created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957, aiming to foster economic integration (including a common market and customs union) among its six member states: Belgium, France, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and West Germany.
It must be remembered that 1958 was only thirteen years after the end of World War Two and Europe was still recovering from the devastation caused by that war. The hope was that such a union would not only help Europe economically but also prevent further internal wars. In English-speaking countries, the EEC was known as the European Common Market (ECM) and lasted in various forms, from 1958 until 1993, before being absorbed into the current European Union (EU).
In November 1958, the new UNESCO building, designed as a World Heritage Centre, was inaugurated in Paris. I remember visiting this building with my parents, during the 1960s, while my father worked on some UN project. I also discovered the Belgian cartoon character of Tin-Tin and his West Highland White terrier dog called “Snowy”!
On 28th October 1958, there was a change of Popes, when John 23rd succeeded Pius 12th as the 261st Pope. Pope John 23rd would initiate the Second Vatican Council and bring much needed reforms to the Roman Catholic church.
How about this for a “foundation”?! On the 28th January 1958, the classic LEGO Brick was patented in Denmark! Nice to know that, 66 years later, kids (including adult kids!) are still constructing amazing creations with Lego! In fact, it has become an “art form” in itself!
In the entertainment world, the Jim Henson Company was founded as “Muppets Inc” in the United States. 1958 was also the year of birth of many well-known singers and actors, including Prince, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Miranda Richardson, Holly Hunter, Alex Baldwin, Gary Oldman, Sharon Stone, Michelle Pfeiffer, Kevin Bacon, Fiona Shaw, Michael Flatley, Viggo Mortensen, Jamie Lee Curtis, …. I am in good company!
As I said earlier, there was so much happening in 1958 that you could write a book – probably several books! – about the events of that year. I hope that this synopsis gives you some idea of what an important turning point it was in many areas.
My thanks to the Wikipedia website for the reference points in this article.
Author: Veronica Smith, first published 18th December 2024.
#1950s #CommonMarket #dailyprompt #dailyprompt2161 #economicsOf1958 #EEC #history #politicalHistory #PostWarEuropeanHistory #socialHistory #year1958CE
Miniphernalia.co.uk 🏳️🌈🇺🇦
Γιανίρης
Graham Ward
Brighid's Ogham Grove
This account has moved
Stefan Scholl
Andrew F.
Irish Left Archive
Ontario News Watcher Bot