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Ch. 27 Postwar Years at Home
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Harry Truman on T.V
Truman was the first president to talk to the nation of television. He adressed them from the White House. In this broadcast, he asked Americans to refrain from eating meat on Tuesdays, and poultry and eggs on Thursdays, to help stockpile grain for starving people in Europe. -
Transistor is Invented
This is a tiny circuit device that amplifies, controls, and generates electrical signals. The scientists at Bell Telephone Laboratories invented it. The transistor was such a big deal big deal because it could do the work of a much larger vacuum tube, but took up less space and generated less heat. -
Words Added to the Pledge
Congress and President Eisenhower added the words "under god" to the pledge. It was after after a campaign by the Knights of Columbus. The Pledge was now both a patriotic oath and a public prayer. -
Polio Vaccine
The polio vaccine was made by Dr. Jonas Salk and Dr. Thomas Francis. The real disease was called poliomyelitis. This vaccine was a big deal because it had killed or disabled 20,000 children. The revealing of the vaccine was made on the tenth aniversy of Roosevelt's death, in honor of him. -
First Nuclear Power Plant
The Navy produced the first nuclear-powered submarine. It had a small reactor in the hull. This technology provided a model for the first nuclear power plant on land. The first one was in Shippingport, Pennsylvania. -
Establishment of NASA
This stands for National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It was created as an independent agency for space exploration. It was also created because many Americans were in fear of Sputnik, and felt like America was losing its competitive edge.
