An Unforgettable Year.... The Book of Me Prompt #12

Nat King Cole Sings "Unforgettable"

I can't imagine a lot happening on the chilly December day when I was born born. It was a Saturday evening when I entered the world in the early 1950s. But that year was a memorable one when I entered the world. But I am sure that my parents must have shared unforgettable moments as their family grew, and I know that they heard this song by Nat King Cole, "Unforgettable", and we had several of his albums. I know that they also heard another popular song on local radio stations. Tennessee Waltz, by Patti Page which came out early that year.

In popular newspapers around the country, one strip about a menacing little boy emerged, Dennis the Menace. I am not sure if our local newspaper carried it though.

In July of that year, in Missouri the first United States Memorial Monument  to honor an African American was unveiled.

A landmark book was first published that year. J. D. Salinger's "Catcher in the Rye", hit the stands. I would later read that book in high school. And 16 years later, I would read that book in high school.

Book Cover, Catcher in the Rye

Source of Image: HERE

On the music scene, a 3 LP recording of Gerwhin's Porgy and Bess was released. Porgy and Bess was a major opera, and my parents would often speak of the music, and story and later the movie.

Columbia Masterworks Record Label

Image Source: HERE

As the family grew, I wonder what my parents thought as decisions about schooling took place. My brother was about to go to kindergarten that year. Surely my parents must have had major discussions when news broke that year about 8 year old Linda Brown and the lawsuit brought against the Topeka Board of Education. Brown vs. Topeka would be a landmark Supreme Court Case. The case was decided upon by the Supreme Court in 1954.

Linda Brown sued for the right to attend an elementary school near her home.

Image Source HERE

Parents always have the concerns of the health of their children. In that year polio, a terribly crippling disease became an epidemic that affected thousands of people around the country. In that year a black child was selected to be a poster child for the March of Dimes. I wonder if they ever saw her image. That year, more than 70% of all cases of polio patients in Vicksburg Mississippi, were black children and almost half in the entire state were African Americans.

Emma  Pearl Berry was selected as the first Black Poster child for the March of Dimes

Photo Source, Jet Magazine 

I am not sure when my parents purchased the first family car, but I know it was a blue Chrysler, and it was probably purchased as a used car. This is the style of the first car that I can remember this image of the blue Chrysler as the first car that we called "Nellie Belle".  I know that later they  purchased another Chrysler, a 1954 model that to which they also gave the same name.

1951 Chrysler Image Source: HERE

So our family grew that year, and I had arrived on the scene. Born in late December, that chilly day marked a new beginning for the family. And interestingly, as I am looking back at the Walton family line, I was the first female child born to that one Walton line since the mid 1800s. My gr. gr. grandparents had one son and one daughter. The young girl died before the age of three leaving my gr. grandfather. He, would have one son, my grandfather and no daughters. My grandfather had three sons, and no daughters. My father was the only one of those 3 son to have children. And my dad had two children my brother and myself. I was the first girl born in that direct line since 1850s. Thank goodness I am here to tell the story.

Indeed it was an unforgettable year.

An image of me as an infant.