About September 22, 1956

Day of the Week: Saturday
How Long Ago? 69 years, 3 months and 4 days
Leap Year: Yes

Generation: Baby Boomer
Chinese Zodiac: Monkey
Star Sign: Virgo

1956 Headliners

• #1 US song: Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera) by Doris Day
• The best-selling single on September 22, 1956 was “Hound Dog” by Elvis Presley.
•  Play the top songs from 1956
  A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1956. Take a trip back to the days of Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Kay Starr and The Platters. 
• Top movie: The Ten Commandments directed by Cecil B. DeMille
• 29 Feb Eisenhower announces second presidential campaign: On February 29, 1956, President Dwight D. Eisenhower announced his candidacy for a second term in the 1956 presidential election.
• 10 Apr Racist Attack Interrupts Nat King Cole Concert: On April 10, 1956, during a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, African American singer Nat King Cole was attacked by a white man who threw a knife at him. The incident was part of a series of racist attacks against Cole during his tour of the segregated South.
• 11 Apr Racial violence against Nat King Cole: On April 11, 1956, Nat King Cole faced racial violence during a concert in Birmingham, Alabama, where he was attacked by a group of white men. This incident highlighted the racial tensions and challenges faced by African American artists during the civil rights era. 
• 14 Apr First commercial videotape recorder demonstrated: On April 14, 1956, Ampex Corporation unveiled the VR-1000, the first commercial videotape recorder, at the National Association of Radio and Television Broadcasters Convention in Chicago.
• 07 Jun Elvis Presley’s controversial TV performance: On June 7, 1956, Elvis Presley performed on television, which sparked controversy due to his provocative dance moves. This performance played a significant role in shaping his career and the perception of rock and roll music.
• 15 Jun First meeting of John Lennon and Paul McCartney: On June 15, 1956, John Lennon and Paul McCartney met for the first time at a church fete in Liverpool, marking the beginning of one of the most influential musical partnerships in history. This meeting would eventually lead to the formation of The Beatles, transforming popular music worldwide.
• 30 Jul U.S. National Motto ‘In God We Trust’ officially authorized: On July 30, 1956, the U.S. Congress officially adopted ‘In God We Trust’ as the national motto. This decision was part of a broader movement during the Cold War to emphasize the United States’ religious values in contrast to atheistic communism.
• 25 Aug 1956 Republican National Convention Nominates Eisenhower: The 1956 Republican National Convention was held from August 20 to August 23, 1956, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, California. President Dwight D. Eisenhower was unanimously re-nominated for re-election, with Vice President Richard M. Nixon as his running mate.
• 15 Nov Elvis Presley’s film debut: Elvis Presley made his film debut on November 15, 1956, in the movie ‘Love Me Tender.’ This marked the beginning of his successful career in Hollywood, complementing his already burgeoning music career. 
• 26 Nov The Price Is Right television debut: The American television game show ‘The Price Is Right’ premiered on November 26, 1956, marking the beginning of its long-running presence in American television history.
• 30 Dec NFL Championship: New York Giants Triumph Over Chicago Bears: On December 30, 1956, the New York Giants defeated the Chicago Bears in the NFL Championship game, securing the league title for that season. source: en.wikipedia.org
• 31 Dec Asian Flu Pandemic Origin: The Asian Flu pandemic, caused by the H2N2 influenza A virus, originated in East Asia in 1956 and spread globally, leading to significant health impacts. 
• CANADA SELLING ISRAEL 24 JETS; NO U.S.OBJECTION; Ottawa Acts to Offset Supply of Soviet Planes to Egypt– Stresses Defensive Use

As Danny O’Day once quipped, “I was born at a very early age.”

The problem with writing about your life after you’ve lived it is remembering the life you lived. There are brief clips, like my toy lawn mower that I used to follow behind dad, pretending to mow. It was all metal and had a metallic rattling noise it made as you “mowed”. Like my Danny O’Day ventriloquist dummy, I have no idea what my age was.  My first bicycle was a basic two-wheeler dad had refurbished. It was painted black I recall. I first learned to ride it going around in circles in our back yard in Tulsa, OK (possibly here: https://tinyurl.ee/vPTtf). That was possible only when dad was with us because he had a dog that liked to maul us. Just in fun, but it was a frightening experience for us three kids. Maybe two. I have no memory of Linda ever being back there. Perhaps she was too young. That’s where we lived from when I was born until I was around 6-years old. At that point we moved to Vienna, WV. I don’t remember either house, but I do remember a couple things from outside. One time, in Vienna, Bob and I got the brilliant idea of knocking a wasps nest down from the siding on our house with dirt clods. As you can imagine that didn’t go well.