IT WAS THE YEAR THAT...
- Jackie Robinson became the first African-American to play professional baseball
- Cambridge University began to admit women as full time-students
- India, the 2nd most populous country in the world, became Independent
- Transistors were invented - transforming the world of electronics and computer designs
- The basic concept of cellular phones began
- The United States Air Force was created
- An American test pilot flew for the first-time ever a Bell X-1 faster than the speed of sound
15 GAME-CHANGERS OF OUR TIME WERE BORN
- David Bowie - January 8
- Nolan Ryan - January 31
- Farrah Fawcett - February 2
- Billy Crystal - March 14
- Elton John - March 25
- David Letterman - April 12
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - April 16
- Salman Rushdie - June 19
- Larry David - July 2
- OJ Simpson - July 9th
- Carlos Santana - July 20
- Arnold Schwarzenegger - July 30
- Stephen King - September 21
- Hilary Rodham Clinton - October 26
- Ted Danson - December 29