*Franklin Delano Roosevelt died in office. Vice President Harry S. Truman took the oath of office.

*50 nations sign the United Nations Charter creating the United Nations.

*Five U.S. Navy bombers Flight 19 are lost in the Bermuda Triangle.

*A US bomber crashed into the 79^th floor of the Empire State building.

*"Your Lucky Hit Parade" is broadcast for the first time.

Popular Films:

Anchors Away; The Paleface; The Lost Weekend; Spellbound; and National Velvet

*In 1945, only 5,000 homes in the United States have television sets.

*The average cost of a new house is $4,600.00.

*Average wages per year $2,400.00

*Cost of a gallon of gas - 15 cents.

*Average cost for house rent - $60.00.

*Average cost of a new car - $1,020.00.

*Men’s shirts - $2.50.

*The motion picture daily fame poll designates Bing Crosby "Top Male Vocalist" for the ninth straight year.

Some of the top hit records in 1945:

*Blue Moon of Kentucky by Bill Monroe;

*Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief by Betty Hutton

*Dream by Frank Sinatra

*Cattle Call by Eddy Arnold

*Did You Ever Get That Feeling In the Moonlight by Perry Como

*It’s Been A Long, Long time by Harry James also Bing Crosby

*Sentimental Journey by Les Brown with Doris Day

*There! I’ve Said It Again by Vaughn Monroe

*Till the End of Time by Perry Como

*Waitin’ for the Train to Come In by Harry James

Famous people born in 1945:

Rod Stewart; Eric Clapton; Bob Seger; Priscilla Presley; John Fogerty; Anne Murray

Carly Simon; Kim Carnes; Jeannie C. Riley; Bette Midler; Davy Jones;

Moving on to 1963, here are some things of interest from that year:

Events:

*The Coca-Cola Company debuts its first diet drink, TaB cola.

*A smallpox outbreak was recognized at Stockholm, Sweden, lasting until July that year.

*President John F. Kennedy makes a historic civil rights speech in which he promises a Civil Rights Bill and asks for "the kind of equality of treatment that we would want for ourselves."

*Zip codes are introduced in the United States.

*John F. Kennedy assassination in Dallas, Texas.

*Alleged assassin of President Kennedy, Lee Harvey Oswald, is shot dead by Jack Ruby in Dallas, Texas, on national television.

*I Want to Hold Your Hand and I Saw Her Standing There are released in the United States, marking the beginning of full scale Beatlemania.

*Academy Awards for Best Picture - Lawrence of Arabia; Best Actor - Gregory Peck, To Kill a Mockingbird; Best Actress - Anne Bancroft, The Miracle Worker. Best Original Song, Days of Wine and roses by Henry Mancini.

A few of the biggest hit singles in 1963:

She Loves You by the Beatles

Louie, Louie by the Kingsmen

Hey Paula by Paul and Paula

It’s My Party by Leslie Gore

Ring of Fire by Johnny Cash

In Dreams; Blue Bayou; Mean Woman Blues; Pretty Paper all by Roy Orbison

He’s So Fine by The Chiffons

Bo Diddley by Buddy Holly

Sweet Dreams by Patsy Cline. On March 5, 1963, Patsy Cline is killed in a small plane crash near Camden, Tennessee, while on her way to Nashville from Kansas City, Missouri.

Livingston Academy’s annual for 1963 shows the following:

*Superintendent of Overton County schools - Illard Hunter

*Secretary - Mrs. Janie Stephens

*Board of Education members: Tom McDonald; Esby Burgess; Wynn Easterly; Willie Wilborn; Jim Webb, Edd Davis, and Clyde Wilson.

*Homecoming Queen: Louise Winningham

*Football Queen: Betty Sue Coleman

*Lady and Knight of the Blue and White: Lamoine Apple and Mike Matheny

*Best All Round: Linda Gilpatrick and Leon Reeder

*Prince of Personality and L.A. Sweetheart: Royce Harris and Virginia Gray

*Best Athletes: Marvena Smith and Mike Matheny

*Honor Students: Marvena Smith, Valedictorian and Max Puckett, Salutatorian

*Senior Class Officers: Bill Needham, President; Jerry Glasscock, Vice-President; Wanda Sue Watson, Secretary; Pat Copeland, Treasurer; and Dan Hicks, Reporter.

*Top Ten Seniors: Marvena Smith; Max Puckett; Beryl Reid; Barbara Heady; Donnie Norris; Richard Smith; Cleo Carmack; Charles Neill Eley; Mary Franklin; and Virginia Gray.

*Faculty: Sue Young; Melvin Johnson; Margaret Miller; Martha Copeland; Hugh Ogletree; Roxie Ledbetter; Willie H. Bilbrey; Thomas Ada Tucker; Glen Masters; Evelyn Oakley; Arley Poston; Lois Warren; Thurman Crawford; Joanna Ferrill; L.E. Oakley; Jeanette Smith; Billy Gene Gaw; Lucille Hyder; Derward Vaughn; Loretta Qualls; Albert Smith; Katherine Hale; Glenn Moore; and Mary Sadler. Principal: Kenneth R. Stephens; School Secretary: Dorothy Moore.

During the years it took reach graduation in 1963, what’s listed below will be very familiar:

*It took five minutes for the TV warm up.

*Nearly everyone's Mom was at home when the kids got home from school.
*Nobody owned a purebred dog.

*A quarter was a decent allowance.
*Your Mom wore nylons that came in two pieces.
*You got your windshield cleaned, oil checked, and gas pumped, without asking, all for free, every time. And you didn't pay for air. And, you got trading stamps to boot.
*Laundry detergent had free glasses, dishes or towels inside the box.
*It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents.
*Kids were kept back a grade if they failed. When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home. Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.

*A 57 Chevy was everyone's dream car...to cruise, peel out and lay rubber.

*No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car,
in the ignition, and the doors were never locked.
Remember these?
*Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, Laurel and Hardy,
*Howdy Doody and the Peanut Gallery, the Lone Ranger, The Shadow Knows,
*Nellie Bell, Roy and Dale, Trigger and Buttermilk.
*Candy cigarettes
*Wax Coke-shaped bottles with colored sugar water inside *Soda pop machines that dispensed glass bottles
*Coffee shops or drug stores with jukeboxes
*Blackjack, Clove and Teaberry chewing gum
*Newsreels before the movies

*PF. Fliers