United States and American History: 1957

About the history of the United States in 1957, Kerouac publishes On the Road, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. forms the SCLC, McCarthy dies of alcoholism, Little Rock desegragates, Sputnik is launched.

1957

--Sen. John F. Kennedy was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his book Profiles in Courage.

--Jack Kerouac's On the Road was published. "Beat" literature signified a conscious withdrawal from the American cultural consensus.

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., organized the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

--An Academy Award for the best screenplay of the year was given to "Robert Rich," author of the Brave One. "Rich" failed to claim his Oscar. "Rich" was actually a blacklisted member of the Hollywood 10, Dalton Trumbo.

--The Senate's McClellan Committee investigated the corrupt practices of union officials, principally those of the Teamsters union. The chief majority counsel of the committee was Robert Kennedy.

May 2 Sen. Joseph McCarthy, who had gone badly downhill after his condemnation by the Senate, died in the Bethesda Naval Hospital, Md., of cirrhosis of the liver brought on by acute alcoholism.

Sept. 18 The Ethical Practices Committee of the AFL-CIO charged that Teamster leader James Hoffa maintained criminals in the union hierarchy. It ordered the Teamsters to expel Hoffa or leave the federation. On December 6, the AFL-CIO expelled the Teamsters.

Sep. 24 One thousand army paratroopers were dispatched to Central High School, Little Rock, Ark., to permit 9 black students to attend the previously all-white school.

Oct. 4 The Soviet Union launched the 1st man-made satellite, Sputnik I.

You Are Here: Trivia-Library Home » United States History: 1957 » United States and American History: 1957