The interactive timeline below depicts important events and milestones relevant to this exhibition, from the period of the early 1930’s through today. Events are tracked across three categories:
Franklin D. Roosevelt 
Norman Rockwell 
world events
Japan announces its withdrawal
1933 / 1930sWithdrawal from the League of Nations after a resolution is passed declaring the Japanese occupation of Manchuria illegal
Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes the 32nd President of the United States of America
March 4, 1933 / 1930sDuring his speech, FDR utters this now famous line, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”
President Roosevelt gives the first “Fireside Chat”
March 12, 1933 / 1930sBroadcasting from the White House, Washington, D.C.
The first of many ‘fireside chats’ – FDR declares a “bank holiday,” temporarily closing all national banks and meets with Congress to discuss the Bank Crisis
Photo: Public Domain
President Hindenburg appoints Adolf Hitler chancellor of the German republic
March 21, 1933 12:00 am / 1930sFDR – “Fireside Chat”
May 7, 1933 / 1930sPresident Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chat” – Outlining the New Deal Program
Radio Address of the President:
To you, the people of this country, all of us, the Members of the Congress and the members of this Administration owe a profound debt of gratitude. Throughout the depression you have been patient. You have granted us wide powers, you have encouraged us with a wide-spread approval of our purposes. Every ounce of strength and every resource at our command we have devoted to the end of justifying your confidence. We are encouraged to believe that a wise and sensible beginning has been made. In the present spirit of mutual confidence and mutual encouragement we go forward.- President Franklin D. Roosevelt
FDR “Fireside Chat”
July 24, 1933 / 1930sFirst Hundred Days: The Purposes and Foundations of the Recovery Program
Prohibition Ends
December 5, 1933 / 1930sProhibition is lifted in the USA when the Twenty-First Amendment repeals the Eighteenth, which has been in force for 13 years.
Mrs. Roosevelt helps to launch a campaign by women
January 15, 1934 / 1930sA women run campaign for the Roosevelt Administration’s recovery projects in the Democratic National Committee.
Photo Credit: Mrs. Roosevelt in Puerto Rico – with fellow friends and feminists, including, Emma Bugbee, a journalist who covered the First Lady, as a reporter and friend. Bugbee’s reporting helped to promote the Roosevelt administration in a positive light
Photo: Courtesy of the FDR Library Photograph Collection
President Roosevelt encourages “Birthday Balls”
January 30, 1934 / 1930sPresident Roosevelt uses his birthday to encourage Americans to host “Birthday Balls” to raise awareness and money for the Georgia Warm Springs Foundation – founded in 1927 as a polio rehabilitation center.
Photo: Courtesy of the FDR Library Photograph Collection
“Fireside Chat”
June 28, 1934 / 1930sPresident Roosevelt’s “Fireside Chat” on the merits of the recovery program
Photo: Public Domain
FDR “Fireside Chat”
September 30, 1934 / 1930sPresident Roosevelt delivers “Fireside Chat” on Moving Forward to Greater Freedom and Security
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell’s “Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit,” published cover
December 15, 1934 12:00 am / 1930sTiny Tim and Bob Cratchit (God Bless Us Everyone), Norman Rockwell. 1934. Oil on canvas, 55” x 31” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, December 15, 1934 ©1934 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Mrs. Roosevelt is the honored guest at the Cause and Cure of War Conference
January 22, 1935 / 1930sPhoto: Public Domain
This year President Roosevelt’s annual “Birthday-Balls” celebration
January 30, 1935 / 1930sFundraising money to be given to local infantile paralysis treatment centers across the country and to medical research to find a cure
Photo: Courtesy of the FDR Library
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
April 28, 1935 / 1930sWorks Progress Administration and Social Security
President Roosevelt speaks on the establishment of the work relief program, which includes the structure of Social Security
Photo: Public Domain
Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law
August 14, 1935 / 1930sPhoto: Public Domain
First meeting of the Social Security Board
September 14, 1935 / 1930sThe Social Security operations was made up of three operating bureaus: Public Assistance, Unemployment Compensation, and Old-Age Benefits
Photo: Courtesy of SSA History Museum & Archives.
President Roosevelt & the leader of the NAACP
January 2, 1936 / 1930sMrs. Roosevelt secures a meeting with Walter White, leader of the NAACP, and President Roosevelt
President Roosevelt gives a speech at the American Museum of Natural History
January 19, 1936 / 1930sA dedication ceremony of the Theodore Roosevelt Wing – New York
Theodore Roosevelt is seen here pointing out his explorations
Photo: Creative Commons
Photo Credit: Theodore Roosevelt
Social Security (SS-5) applications
1936 / 1930sPostal carriers delivering Social Security (SS-5) application forms
Photo: Courtesy of SSA History Museum & Archives
Rockwell illustrates the Heritage Press Edition of “Tom Sawyer”
March 6, 1936 / 1930sTom Sawyer “Well, I don’t see why I oughtn’t to like it.” , Norman Rockwell. 1936
Oil on canvas, 17.5 x 13.75″ Illustration for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, 1936
Movie “Starlet and Reporters” published cover
May 7, 1936 / 1930sMovie Starlet and Reporters, 1936. Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 7 1936. ©1936 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN.
“Love Ouanga” – Illustration
1936 / 1930sLove Ouanga ‘Spice slumped on a bench…’, Norman Rockwell. 1945 Oil on canvas, 30 x 62″ Illustration for American Magazine, June 1936. Collection of the National Museum of American Illustration
FDR “Fireside Chat”
September 6, 1936 / 1930sDrought Conditions and the Plight of Farmers
Photo: Courtesy of Library of Congress (Harris & Ewing, photographer)
FDR is elected for a second US presidential term with an increased share of the vote
November 3, 1936 / 1930sPhoto: Public Domain
President Roosevelt orders two battleships to be built
January 8, 1937 / 1930sIn response to foreign powers decline to renew treaties limiting navel armaments
Photo of USS Yorktown – example of Battleship to be built
Photo: Courtesy of the Naval History and Heritage Command
President Roosevelt appoints Thomas Edison’s son, Charles Edison
January 18, 1937 / 1930sFDR appoints, Charles Edison, Assistant Secretary of the Navy
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credit: Charles Edison
Norman Rockwell creates 13-foot-wide Yankee Doodle Mural for Nassau Inn
1937 / 1930sYankee Doodle (Mural), 1937. Oil on canvas, 60 x 152″ Mural for the Nassau Inn, 1937.
Hindenburg Explosion
May 6, 1937 / 1930sGerman airship bursts into flames trying to land at Lakehurst, NJ
Photo: Courtesy of National Archives
Congress rejects President Roosevelt’s proposed reform of the US Supreme Court
1937 / 1930sRejection due to amid furious accusations that he is trying to pack the Court with his nominees
FDR signs the second Agricultural Adjustment Act
February 16, 1938 / 1930s
Rockwell purchases home in Arlington, VT
1938 / 1930s
Norman Rockwell’s Heart’s Dearest, “Why Do You Cry?” illustration
1938 / 1930sNorman Rockwell (1894-1978), Heart’s Dearest, 1938 Oil on canvas, 32” x 18″ Story illustration for Woman’s Home Companion, March 1938 Norman Rockwell Museum Collections. ©Norman Rockwell Family Agency. All rights reserved.
U.S.A. – Minimum wage is 40 cents / hour
1938 / 1930s44 hour working week
The tragic face of ‘Hitlerism’
1938 / 1930sSudeten woman forced to salute Hitler
Photo: National Archives
Fair Labor Standards Act
1938 / 1930sFair law passed for “labor of persons under eighteen years of age”
Photo: Courtesy of National Archives, Records of Children’s Bureau
Rockwell travels to England
1938 / 1930sHe meets several famous illustrators, including Arthur Rackham
Congress passes the Revenue Act of 1938
May 27, 1938 / 1930sAfter FDR veto, the Revenue Act is passed to stimulate the economy by corporate income tax reduction
FDR signs the Fair Labor Standards Act
June 25, 1938 / 1930s
Rockwell’s Illustration “Artist Facing Blank Canvas,” published cover
October 8, 1938 / 1930sArtist Facing Blank Canvas (Deadline), Norman Rockwell. 1938 Oil on canvas, 38 ½ x 30 ½” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, October 8, 1938 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1938 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Mrs. Roosevelt goes on record in favor of passing the federal anti-lynching bill
January 13, 1939 / 1930sAt the Second National Conference on Problems of the Negro and Negro Youth
Rockwell befriends John Atherton & Mead Schaeffer
1939 / 1930sTwo other illustrators living in Arlington, VT
Rockwell’s “A Scout is Helpful,” first seen in Boy Scout calendar
1939 / 1930sA Scout is Helpful, Norman Rockwell. 1941. Oil on canvas, 34 x 24” Illustration for Boy Scouts of America Calendar From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing Company, Niles, IL
German-born US physicist Albert Einstein writes to President Roosevelt
August 2, 1939 / 1930sThe letter is a warning of the potential of an atomic bomb
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credit: Albert Einstein
Social Security amendments
August 10, 1939 / 1930sSocial Security amendments advanced the start date for monthly benefits – poster informing the public about the amendments
Photo: Courtesy of SSA History Museum & Archives
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
September 3, 1939 / 1930sPresident Roosevelt speaks on, the war in Europe – The radio press is there to capture his ‘fireside chat’
Photo: Public Domain
FDR signs the Neutrality Act of 1939
November 4, 1939 / 1930sPrime Minister – Winston Churchill
1940 / 1940sWinston Churchill delivers his first speech to the House of Commons as prime minister – he offers the nation nothing but ‘blood, toil, tears and sweat’
Rockwell illustrates the Heritage Edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn”
1940 / 1940s“Lemme see him, Huck. My he’s pretty stiff!” , Norman Rockwell. 1940 Illustration for The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, 1940.
FDR signs the Selective Training and Service Act
1940 / 1940sAuthorizing the first peace-time military draft in U.S. history
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
May 26, 1940 / 1940sNational Defense and Military Readiness (May 26, 1940) WH
President Roosevelt speaks to the American public, reassuring the nation that the US is prepared to deal with threats and points out that military strength is expanding
Rockwell’s “A Scout is Loyal,” in Boy Scout calendar
1940 / 1940sA Scout is Loyal, Norman Rockwell. 1940 Oil on canvas, 31 1/8 x 29 1/8″ Illustration for Boys’ Life, February 1942
President Roosevelt, campaigning for a third term
October 3, 1940 / 1940sHe assures Americans that he will not send their sons to fight in Europe’s war
FDR wins an unprecedented third US presidential term
November 5, 1940 / 1940sAlbeit it with a considerably reduced share of the vote
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credit: Campaign Photo, Franklin D. Roosevelt
President Roosevelt – Delivers the “Four Freedoms”
January 6, 1941 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt defines to Congress his concept
Four Freedoms – of speech, of worship, from want, from fear
Photo: Engraving of the Four Freedoms at the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Photo: Creative Commons
“Four Freedoms” – promotion begins
January 6, 1941 / 1940sPoster promoting FDR’s Four Freedoms
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell’s “Girl Reading the Post,” published cover
March 1, 1941 / 1940sGirl Reading the Post, Norman Rockwell. 1941. Oil on canvas, 35 ¼” x 27 ¼ “ Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 1, 1941 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1941 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
The US army invests in a significant new vehicle – ordering 16,000 jeeps
1941 / 1940sCongress passes the Lend-lease Act
March 11, 1941 / 1940sLend-lease Act enables President Roosevelt to provide much needed help to US allies
Rockwell’s Illustration “Strictly a Sharpshooter”
1941 / 1940sStrictly a Sharpshooter, Norman Rockwell. 1941, Oil on canvas, 30” x 71” Story illustration for American Magazine, June 1941 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
Roosevelt appoints Douglas MacArthur
July 26, 1941 / 1940sMacArthur appointed commander of US forces in the Far East
Photo: Public Domain
Roosevelt and Churchill claim the future
August 14, 1941 / 1940sRoosevelt and Churchill publish a joint Atlantic Charter, foreseeing a future free from ‘Nazi tyranny’
Roosevelt and Churchill
August 14, 1941 / 1940sRoosevelt and Churchill publish a joint Atlantic Charter, foreseeing a future free from ‘Nazi tyranny’
Their relationship grew throughout the war, and in the end was authentically self-serving, candid, and strongly connected
Photo: Courtesy of the FDR Library Photograph Collection
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
September 11, 1941 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt speaks on Freedom of the Seas
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell’s “Willie Gillis: Package from Home,” published cover
October 4, 1941 / 1940sWillie Gillis: Food Package, Norman Rockwell. 1941 Oil on canvas, 38 x 50″
Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, October 4 1941 ©1941 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Attack on Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941 / 1940sAftermath of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor
Photo: Courtesy of the Franklin Roosevelt Library
“A date which will live in infamy.”
December 8, 1941 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt declares “a date which will live in infamy.” Congress responds by declaring war on Japan.
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credits: Vice President Henry Wallace, Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn, Rayburn, is Roosevelt’s son James
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
December 9, 1941 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt signs the declaration of war against Imperial Japan, and then speaks to the nation on War with Japan
Photo: Public Domain
President Roosevelt – “United Nations” inception
January 1, 1942 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt informally meets with Winston Churchill, Soviet Foreign Minister Maxim Litvinov, and Chinese Ambassador T.V. Son
They sign a declaration pledge for liberty, religious freedom, and the preservation of human rights. FDR later names this coalition the “United Nations”
Photo: Public Domain
Image Credit: Poster created during the Second World War (1943)
The Roosevelt administration
January 10, 1942 / 1940sSupported price control bill is voted by the Senate 83 to 1
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
February 23, 1942 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt speaks on Progress of the War
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell begins work on “Four Freedoms”
1942 / 1940s
Rockwell creates US Army War Poster, “Let’s Give Him Enough and On Time”
1942 / 1940sLet’s Give Him Enough and on Time, Norman Rockwell. 1942 Oil on canvas, 42 x 50″
United States Army, 1942 Collection of the United States Army Center of Military History
Black Americans fighting a war for the “four freedoms”
1942 / 1940sFighting for America with strong convictions to achieve and demand the same rights as all citizens
Photo: Courtesy of National Archives
Photo Credits: Drivers of the 666th Quartermaster Truck Company, 82nd Airborne Division
Rockwell’s Illustration of “Aunt Ella Takes a Trip,” published
1942 / 1940sAunt Ella Takes a Trip, Norman Rockwell. 1942. Oil on canvas. Story illustration for Ladies’ Home Journal, April 1942 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
American prisoners of war celebrate the 4th of July
July 4, 1942 / 1940sAmericans in the Japanese prison camp – they celebrated despite all the rules against it
Photo: Courtesy of National Archives
FDR appoints Anna M. Rosenberg
1942 / 1940sTo the National Recovery Administration and then to War Manpower Commission as Regional Director. She is the first woman to serve as a Regional Manager for Social Security
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
October 12, 1942 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt speaks on Report on the Home Front
FDR brings forth many subjects of discussion, including a workforce of women, the imperative after-war need for peace time, and the drafting age
We, therefore, fight for the restoration and perpetuation of faith and hope and peace throughout the world. The objective of today is clear and realistic. It is to destroy completely the military power of Germany, Italy, and Japan to such good purpose that their threat against us and all the other United Nations cannot be revived a generation hence. We are united in seeking the kind of victory that will guarantee that our grandchildren can grow and, under God, may live their lives, free from the constant threat of invasion, destruction, slavery, and violent death. - President Franklin D. Roosevelt
President Roosevelt talks about the United Nations at a press conference
January 1, 1943 / 1940sHe states that maintaining peace is the most important objective
President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill
January 22, 1943 / 1940sMeet in Casablanca for a strategic conference
Photo: Courtesy of the Roosevelt Library
First Lady Roosevelt christens the USS Yorktown
January 22, 1943 / 1940sPhoto: Creative Commons
Rockwell’s “Freedom of Speech,” published illustration
February 20, 1943 / 1940sFreedom of Speech, Norman Rockwell. 1943. Oil on canvas, 45 ¾” x 35 ½” Story illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, February 20, 1943 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum
Rockwell’s “Freedom of Worship,” published illustration
February 27, 1943 / 1940sFreedom of Worship, Norman Rockwell. 1943. Oil on canvas, 46” x 35 ½” Story illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, February 27, 1943 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1943 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rosie the Riveter – World War II Icon
1943 / 1940s“We Can Do it!” inspirational campaign image by J. Howard Miller
Photo: Public Domain
Women Welders
1943 / 1940sPhoto: Courtesy of National Archives
Rockwell’s “Freedom from Want,” published illustration
March 6, 1943 / 1940sFreedom from Want, Norman Rockwell. 1943. Oil on canvas, 45 ¾ x 35 ½” Story illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 6, 1943 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1943 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell’s “Freedom from Fear,” published illustration
March 13, 1943 / 1940sFreedom from Fear, Norman Rockwell. 1943. Oil on canvas, 45 ¾” x 35 ½” Story illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 13, 1943 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1943 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Four Freedoms War Bonds Tour
April 30, 1943 / 1940s
Rockwell’s studio burns down
May 15, 1943 / 1940sMy Studio Burns, Norman Rockwell. 1943 Charcoal on paper, 21.5 x 17″ Drawing for The Saturday Evening Post story illustration, July 17, 1943 ©1943 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter,” published cover
May 29, 1943 / 1940sRosie the Riveter, Norman Rockwell. 1943. Oil on canvas, 52” x 40” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, May 29, 1943 Permanent collection at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art ©1943 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
The War Refugee Board is formed by FDR
January 2, 1944 / 1940sThe board is formed for the rescue of persecuted minorities of Europe
Mrs. Roosevelt “My Day” column
January 5, 1944 / 1940sShe explains the deceitful strategies of developing segregated neighborhoods
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
January 11, 1944 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt – State of the Union: National Service and Economic Bill of Rights
Photo: Public Domain
General Douglas MacArthur
1944 / 1940sGeneral Douglas MacArthur wades ashore during initial landings at Leyte, P.I.
Photo: Courtesy of National Archives
Rockwell creates war poster “Mine America’s Coal,” for the US Office of War Information
1944 / 1940sMine America’s Coal (Portrait of a Coal Miner), Norman Rockwell. 1943. Oil on canvas, 21” x 14” Poster for U.S. Office of War Information. From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing Company, Niles, IL.
Rockwell’s Illustration “The Homecoming,” published cover
May 26, 1944 / 1940sThe Homecoming, Norman Rockwell. 1945. Oil on canvas, 28 x 22″. Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, May 26 1945. ©1945 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN.
FDR – “Fireside Chat”
June 12, 1944 / 1940sLaunching the Fifth War Loan Drive (June 12, 1944)
I urge all Americans to buy War Bonds without stint. Swell the mighty chorus to bring us nearer to victory! - President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Rockwell’s Illustration “The Fighting Gillises,” published cover
September 16, 1944 / 1940sThe Fighting Gillises, Norman Rockwell. 1944 Oil on canvas, 13.25 x 10.625″ Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, September 16, 1944. ©1944 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN Private collection
President Roosevelt is elected for a fourth term
November 7, 1944 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt, although seriously ill, is elected for a fourth term with Harry S. Truman as his vice-president
Photo: Public Domain
FDR’s LAST – “Fireside Chat”
January 6, 1945 / 1940sPresident Roosevelt gives his last message to Congress on Return from Yalta Conference.
Work-or-Fight and Vision for the United Nations
Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill meet
February 4, 1945 / 1940sThe three leaders meet at Yalta to discuss Allied post-war plans
Roosevelt, Stalin and Churchill
Mrs. Roosevelt’s column “My Day” column
February 9, 1945 / 1940sShe writes about the joy of going to see an American-folk Broadway Musical Sing Out, Sweet Land!
Rockwell’s Illustration “April Fool: Fishing,” published cover
March 31, 1945 / 1940sApril Fool: Fishing, Norman Rockwell. 1945 Oil on canvas, 13.25 x 10.625″ Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 31 1945. ©1945 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. Whereabouts unknown
President Franklin D. Roosevelt dies
April 12, 1945 / 1940sLast photo of President Roosevelt – April 11, 1945
He is succeeded by his vice-president, Harry S. Truman
Photo: Public Domain
Famous Comedian Mickey Rooney entertains the troops
April 13, 1945 12:00 am / 1940sRooney is apart of a jeep tour with three other professional entertainers on a mission to entertain the troops and build morale
Photo: Courtesy of National Archives
President Roosevelt’s funeral procession
April 14, 1945 / 1940sWashington, D.C.
Photo: Public Domain
USS Bunker Hill
May 11, 1945 12:00 am / 1940sTwo Kamikazes hit USS Bunker Hill, of Kyushu, killing 372 and wounding 264
Photo: Courtesy of National Archives
WW II ENDS
1945 / 1940s
Rockwell’s Illustration “Mother and Son Peeling Potatoes,” published cover
November 24, 1945 / 1940sThanksgiving: Mother and Son Peeling Potatoes, Norman Rockwell. 1945. Oil on canvas Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, November 24, 1945 Private collection ©1945 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Book on Norman Rockwell by Arthur Guptill is published
1946 / 1940sNorman Rockwell: Illustrator – The “American man,” this book documents b Norman Rockwell’s life’s work.
President Harry S. Truman and President Herbert Hoover
June 20, 1946 / 1940sThe fight against hunger – Hoover reports on the international food council meeting of 18 nations
Photo: Harris & Ewing (Courtesy of Stock Montage)
Source: Truman Library
Eleanor Roosevelt joined the United Nations Human Rights Division
1946 / 1940sMrs. Roosevelt holding the Spanish publication of Universal Declaration of Human Rights
This includes FDR’s Four Freedoms: freedom of speech, freedom of worship, freedom from want, freedom from fear
Cuatro Libertades: libertad de expresión, libertad de culto, vivir libres de necesidad, libertad del miedo
Photo: Public Domain
“Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect.” — Eleanor Roosevelt American Delegate to the United Nations
Rockwell’s Illustration “Boy in Dining Car,” published cover
December 7, 1946 / 1940sBoy in a Dining Car, Norman Rockwell. 1946 Oil on canvas, 38 x 36” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, December 7, 1946 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1946 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
George C. Marshall – sworn in as Secretary of State
January 21, 1947 / 1940sSworn in by Chief Justice Fred Vinson
Photo: Creative Commons
Princeton University honors three men
June 17, 1947 / 1940sHonoring – General Dwight D. Eisenhower, President Harry S. Truman, and former President Herbert Hoover
Photo: Courtesy of Truman Library
Eleonor Roosevelt – United Nations
1947 / 1940sEleanor Roosevelt speaking at the United Nations
Photo: Public Domain
“I believed the United Nations to be the one hope for a peaceful world. I knew that my husband had placed great importance on the establishment of this world organization. So I felt a great sense of responsibility.”
- Eleonor Roosevelt
American Delegate to the United Nations
Rockwell Illustrates “Going and Coming,” published cover
August 30, 1947 / 1940sGoing and Coming, Norman Rockwell. 1947. Oil on canvas; upper canvas, 16” x 31 1/2”; lower canvas, 16” x 31 1/2” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, August 30, 1947 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1947 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell spends time in CA, teaching at Los Angeles Art institute
1948 / 1940sRockwell begins creating Hallmark Christmas cards
1948 / 1940sEleanor Roosevelt begins ABC radio program
1948 / 1940s
Rockwell joins Famous Artists School as one of the founding faculty
1948 / 1940sNorman Rockwell (center, bow tie), with some of the Famous Artists School’s faculty.
Rockwell’s “The Gossips,” published cover
March 6, 1948 / 1940sThe Gossips, Norman Rockwell. 1948. Oil on canvas, 33” x 31” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 6, 1948 Stuart Family Collection ©1948 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Harry Truman Elected President
November 3, 1948 / 1940s“That is one for the books!” – President Elect Harry Truman trails to victory (Chicago Tribune’s election day edition error)
Photo: Courtesy of The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Norman Rockwell’s “Christmas Homecoming,” published cover
December 25, 1948 / 1940sChristmas Homecoming, Norman Rockwell. 1948 Oil on canvas, 35 ½ x 33 ½” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, December 25, 1948 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1948 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
1949 / 1940sNATO is set up by the USA and Canada, together with Britain and other European countries, for purposes of collective security
Gwendolyn Brooks – First African-American poet to win the Pulitzer Prize
1949 / 1940sAnnie Allen, by US author Gwendolyn Brooks, describes in narrative verse the life of a black girl in contemporary USA
Photo: Courtesy of the History Network
Eleanor Roosevelt appears on “Meet the Press”
1949 / 1940s
Rockwell Illustrates “New Television Antenna,” published cover
November 5, 1949 / 1940sNew Television Antenna, Norman Rockwell. 1949. Oil on canvas, 46.5 x 43″ Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, November 5 1949. ©1949 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. Collection of Los Angeles County Museum of Art
Eleanor Roosevelt begins NBC radio show
1950 / 1950s
IBM 705 mainframe computers
1950 / 1950sSocial Security Administration (SSA) is the first to install a “high-speed electronic calculator” – SSA employees at the control console of the IBM 705 mainframe computers
Photo: Courtesy of SSA History Museum & Archives
Rockwell Illustrates “Shuffleton’s Barbershop,” published cover
April 29, 1950 / 1950sShuffleton’s Barbershop, Norman Rockwell. 1950. Oil on canvas, 33” x 31” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, April 29, 1950 Collection of The Lucas Museum of Narrative Art, Los Angeles, CA ©1950 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell creates summer artist colony in Arlington
1950 / 1950sNorman Rockwell designs Plymouth ad
1951 / 1950sMerry Christmas, Grandma… We Came in Our new Plymouth!
Rockwell’s Illustration “Day in the Life of a Boy,” published cover
May 24, 1951 / 1950sDay in the Life of a Little Boy, Norman Rockwell. 1952 Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, May 24 1952. ©1952 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN.
Rockwell Illustrates “The Facts of Life,” published cover
July 14, 1951 / 1950sThe Facts of Life, Norman Rockwell. 1951 Oil on canvas, 28 x 26″ Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, July 14, 1951. ©1951 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. Collection of the Spencer Museum of Art
48 Nations – Peace Treaty
September 8, 1951 / 1950sYoshida and members of the Japanese delegation sign the Treaty
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell’s Illustration “Saying Grace,” published cover
November 24, 1951 / 1950sSaying Grace, Norman Rockwell. 1951. Oil on canvas Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, November 24, 1951 The George Lucas Collection ©1951 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
DNA
1952 / 1950sX-ray crystallographer Rosalind Franklin, working at King’s College in London, photographs DNA
NATO flag
April 7, 1952 / 1950sAfter signing North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949 the official flag was raised
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell’s Illustration “Day in the Life of a Girl,” published cover
August 30, 1952 / 1950sDay in the Life of a Little Girl, Norman Rockwell. 1952 Oil on canvas, 45″ x 42” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, August 30, 1952 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1952 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell’s Illustration “Eisenhower Portraits,” published
October 11, 1952 / 1950sPortrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, Norman Rockwell. 1952. Oil on canvas. Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, Oct 11 1952. ©1952 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. Collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum
President-Elect Dwight D. Eisenhower
November 4, 1952 12:00 am / 1950sA landslide victory for Eisenhower
Photo: Public Domain
“The Crucible”
1953 / 1950sArthur Miller’s play,The Crucible, uses the Salem witch trials as a metaphor for the contemporary paranoia of McCarthyism
Rockwell begins a series of ads for Kellogg’s corn flakes
1953 / 1950s
Rockwell’s Illustration “Girl with Black Eye (The Shiner),” published cover
May 23, 1953 / 1950sGirl with Black Eye, Norman Rockwell. 1953. Oil on canvas, 34 x 30″ Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, May 23, 1953 Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut, Gift of Kenneth Stuart. ©1953 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
The Rockwells move to Stockbridge in December
1953 / 1950s
Rockwell’s Illustration “Girl at Mirror,” published cover
March 6, 1954 / 1950sGirl at Mirror, Norman Rockwell. 1954 Oil on canvas, 31 ½” x 29 ½” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 6, 1954 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1954 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Elvis Presley begins his music career
1954 / 1950s
Ellis Island shuts its doors
1954 / 1950sFrom 1892 – 1954,12 million immigrants made their way to America through the open doors of New York’s immigration port
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credits: Arriving at Ellis, circa 1908 (Photo by Lewis Hine)
Rockwell’s Illustration “Breaking Home Ties,” published cover
September 24, 1954 / 1950sBreaking Home Ties, Norman Rockwell. 1954 Oil on canvas, 49 x 49” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, September 25, 1954. Owner unknown ©1954 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Minimum wage – raised to $1.00 / hour
1955 / 1950s
Rockwell’s Illustration “Art Critic,” published cover
April 16, 1955 / 1950sArt Critic, Norman Rockwell. 1955 Oil on canvas, 39 ½ x 36 ¼” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, April 16, 1955 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1955 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell’s Illustration “Marriage License,” published cover
June 11, 1955 / 1950sThe Marriage License, Norman Rockwell. 1955. Oil on canvas, 45 ½” x 42 ½” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, June 11, 1955 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1955 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
The world’s first nuclear-powered submarine
1955 / 1950sUSS Nautilus was created for and by the United States Navy
(Launching Nautilus)
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell’s Illustration “The Mermaid,” published cover
August 20, 1955 / 1950sMermaid, Norman Rockwell. 1955. Oil on canvas, Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, August 20 1955. ©1955 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN. Private Collection.
Rockwell creates ads for Pan American after traveling around the world
1956 / 1950s
Rockwell’s Illustration “Happy Birthday, Miss Jones!” published cover
March 17, 1956 / 1950sHappy Birthday Miss Jones, Norman Rockwell. 1956 Oil on canvas Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 17, 1956 Private collection. ©1956 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
IBM releases the first computer with a hard drive
1956 / 1950sThis 16 square foot hard drive, created by IBM associate, Reynold Johnson and his team had a writeable platter and weighed about one ton
Photo: Creative Commons
Federal-Aid Highway Act
June 29, 1956 / 1950s41,000 miles of interstate highway construction
Rockwell’s Illustration “The Discovery,” published cover
December 29, 1956 / 1950sThe Discovery, Norman Rockwell. 1956. Oil on canvas, 35 ¼ x 32 ½” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, December 29, 1956 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1956 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
US Chamber of Commerce recognizes Rockwell as a “great living American”
1957 / 1950s
Rockwell’s Illustration “After the Prom,” published cover
May 25, 1957 / 1950sAfter the Prom, Norman Rockwell. 1957 Oil on canvas, 31 1/8 x 29 1/8″ Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, May 25, 1957 Private collection
The first space satellite “Sputnik”
1957 / 1950sThe Soviet Union launched the world’s first man-made satellite
Photo: Courtesy of The Harry S. Truman Library and Museum
Rockwell’s Illustration “Before the Shot,” published cover
March 15, 1958 / 1950sBefore the Shot, Norman Rockwell, 1958 Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, March 15, 1958 Norman Rockwell Museum Digital Collections ©1958 SEPS: Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
NASA is established
August 8, 1958 / 1950sThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was created in response to the Soviet Union’s satellite, Sputnik
President Eisenhower’s nomination to appoint, T. Keith Glennan, of Ohio to be Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
Photo: Creative Commons
Angelo Roncalli is elected pope and takes the name John XXIII
1958 / 1950sThe Microchip is invented
1958 / 1950s
Rockwell’s Illustration “The Runaway,” published cover
September 20, 1958 / 1950sThe Runaway, Norman Rockwell. 1958. Oil on canvas, 35 3/4″ x 33 1/2′” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, September 20, 1958 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1958 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell appears CBS TV show
February 6, 1959 / 1950sEdward R. Murrow’s Person to Person
Rockwell becomes the first inductee to the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame
1959 / 1950s
50 STATES
March 4, 1959 12:00 am / 1950sAlaska becomes the 49th State and Hawaii becomes the 50th
Photo: Public Domain
NASA introduces America’s first astronauts to the world
1959 / 1950s
Rockwell’s “Triple Self-Portrait,” published cover
February 13, 1960 / 1960sTriple Self-Portrait, Norman Rockwell. 1960. Oil on canvas, 44 ½ x 34 ¾” Cover lllustration for The Saturday Evening Post, February 13, 1960 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1960 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell’s “Portrait of Mary Barstow Rockwell”
1960 / 1960sPortrait of Mary Barstow Rockwell, Norman Rockwell. 1951
Charcoal on paper, Portrait; 1950, C. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
Rockwell’s autobiography is published
1960 / 1960sMy Adventures as an Illustrator – Norman Rockwell
Rockwell’s “Portrait of John F. Kennedy,” published cover
October 29, 1960 / 1960sPortrait of John F. Kennedy, Norman Rockwell. 1960. Oil on canvas, 16” x 12” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, November 5, 1960 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1960 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
John F. Kennedy is elected president
November 8, 1960 / 1960sOne of the closest elections in U.S. history.
Photo: Courtesy of John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum
Rockwell’s “The Golden Rule,” published cover
April 1, 1961 / 1960sGolden Rule, Norman Rockwell. 1961 Oil on canvas, 44 ½” x 39 ½” Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, April 1, 1961 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1961 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
The first man in space – Yuri Gagarin
April 12, 1961 / 1960sPhoto: Courtesy of Archive image from of the Huntsville Times
John F. Kennedy establishes the Peace Corps
1961 / 1960sConstruction of the Berlin Wall begins
1961 / 1960s
Rockwell’s Illustration “The Connoisseur,” published cover
January 13, 1962 / 1960sThe Connoisseur, Norman Rockwell. 1961. Oil on canvas, 37 3/4 x 31 ½” inches Cover illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, January 13, 1962 Private Collection ©1962 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Rockwell’s Illustration “Lincoln for the Defense,” published
February 10, 1962 / 1960sLincoln for the Defense (Abe Lincoln), Norman Rockwell. 1962. Oil on canvas, 49 ¾ x 17 ½” Story illustration for The Saturday Evening Post, February 10, 1962 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum ©1962 SEPS: Licensed by Curtis Publishing, Indianapolis, IN
Women of the Riveters iconic era – building America
1962 / 1960sWomen working on a plane in the Army Air Corps
Photo: Creative Commons
Norman Rockwell creates mural for Berkshire Life Insurance Company
Rockwell’s “Pittsfield Main Street”
1963 / 1960sPittsfield Main Street, Norman Rockwell. 1963. Mural 6 x 17.5′. Mural for Berkshire Life Insurance Company; 1963.
Oral Polio Vaccine
1963 / 1960sThe nation is encouraged to take the Polio Vaccine, with national marketing campaign supporting it
Photo: Public Domain
Civil Rights March
August 8, 1963 / 1960sA defining moment in the Civil Rights movement – a quarter of a million Americans gather in Washington D.C.
Civil Rights March – Photograph of a young woman with a banner
– Washington, D.C.
Photo: Creative Commons
“I have a dream”
August 28, 1963 / 1960sMartin Luther King, Jr. gives famous “I have a dream” speech
Washington D.C. – on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in
Rockwell’s career transitions
1963 / 1960sNorman Rockwell leaves the Saturday Evening Post & moves to Look magazine, painting about civil rights, social hardship, and the exploration of space.
President John F. Kennedy is assassinated
November 22, 1963 / 1960sJust 3 years into his presidency, JFK was assassinated, as he rode in a motorcade – Dallas, Texas.
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credit: Abbie Rowe. White House Photographs. John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, Boston
Rockwells travel to Russia
December 20, 1963 / 1960s
“The Problem We All Live With,” Rockwell’s story illustration
January 14, 1964 / 1960sThe Problem We All Live With, Norman Rockwell. 1963 Oil on canvas, 36 x 58” Story illustration for Look, January 14, 1964 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing Company, Niles, IL
Rockwell illustrates “Poor Richard’s Almanacks”
1964 / 1960sRockwell Illustrates a Lincoln Savings ad
1964 / 1960sLincoln the Railsplitter
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is signed into law
1964 / 1960sPresident Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with Martin Luther King, Jr. amongst the many guest present.
Photo: Public Domain
“Portrait of Lyndon B. Johnson”
October 20, 1964 / 1960sPortrait of Lyndon B. Johnson, Norman Rockwell. 1964. Oil on canvas, 27” x 22” Unpublished. From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing Company, Niles, IL
“Bloody Sunday”
March 7, 1965 12:00 am / 1960sAlabama police attack marchers – demonstration for their right to vote
Photo: Public Domain
“Murder in Mississippi (Southern Justice)”
June 29, 1965 / 1960sMurder in Mississippi (study), Norman Rockwell. 1965 Oil on board, 15 x 12 ¾” Story illustration for Look, June 29, 1965 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum Licensed by Norman Rockwell Licensing Company, Niles, IL
Voting Rights Act
August 6, 1965 / 1960sAfrican Americans are guaranteed the right to vote
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credit: President Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Rosa Parks
Rockwell creates a poster and series of portraits for the movie “Stagecoach”
1966 / 1960sStagecoach Portraits, Norman Rockwell. 1965 Oil on canvas, 20 x 16″ Norman Rockwell Art Collection Trust
NYC Subway Strike paralyzes the City
1966 / 1960sConstruction work begins on the twin towers for the World Trade Center
The World Trade Center, was built on “Radio Row” in Manhattan, New York – designed by US architect Minoru Yamasaki
Photo: Public Domain
“The Peace Corps”
June 14, 1966 / 1960sThe Peace Corps (J.F.K.’s Bold Legacy), Norman Rockwell. 1966. Oil on canvas, 45 ½ x 36 ½” Story illustration for Look, June 14, 1966 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. ©Norman Rockwell Family Agency
“The Saturday People”
1966 / 1960sThe Saturday People, Norman Rockwell. 1966. Oil on canvas, 24 ½” x 41 ½” Story illustration for McCall’s, October 1966. From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. Norman Rockwell Paintings Trust at Old Corner House. ©Norman Rockwell Family Agency. All rights reserved.
“United States Space Ship on the Moon”
January 10, 1967 / 1960sRockwell’s Illustration in Look
Rockwell publishes a childrens’ book
1967 / 1960sWillie Was Different
Israel and Egypt – the “Six-Day War”
1967 / 1960sA pre-emptive air strike by Israel destroys almost all Egypt’s aircraft and launches the Six-Day War
Photo: Creative Common
“New Kids in the Neighborhood”
May 16, 1967 / 1960sNew Kids in the Neighborhood, Norman Rockwell. 1967 Oil on canvas, 36 ½” x 57 ½” Story illustration for Look, May 16, 1967 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
Rockwell’s “Stockbridge Main Street”
1967 / 1960sStockbridge Mainstreet at Christmas (Home for Christmas), Norman Rockwell. 1967. Oil on canvas, 26 ½ x 95 ½” Story illustration for “Home for Christmas” McCall’s, December 1967. From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
“Portrait of Richard Nixon”
March 5, 1968 / 1960sPortrait of Richard M. Nixon, Norman Rockwell. 1968. Oil on canvas, 22” x 14 1/8” Story illustration for Look, March 5, 1968 From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
April 9, 1968 / 1960sGarment workers huddled together listening to Dr. King’s funeral service
Photo: Creative Commons
“Portrait of Ronald Reagan”
July 23, 1968 / 1960sWhat About Ronald Reagan?, Norman Rockwell. 1968 Oil on canvas board, 26.75 x 21.75″ Story illustration for Look; 23 July 1968. ©Norman Rockwell Family Agency
Rockwell’s first solo exhibit is held in the Bernard Danenberg Gallery
1968 / 1960s
Richard Nixon becomes president
January 20, 1969 / 1960s37th President of the United States – Richard M. Nixon
Photo: Public Domain
Old Corner House opens to public featuring 35 paintings loaded by Rockwell
May 31, 1969 / 1960s© Norman Rockwell Family Agency
“Apollo & Beyond (Apollo II Space Team)”
July 15, 1969 / 1960sApollo and Beyond, Norman Rockwell. 1969 Oil on canvas on panel, 28.5 x 66″ Story illustration for Look, 15 July 1969. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
Man on the moon
July 21, 1969 / 1960sNeil Armstrong – the first person to walk on the moon
Photo: Public Domain
Woodstock
August 15, 1969 / 1960s“Three days of peace and music” – thousands gather in the Catskill Mountains for the Woodstock Festival
“The Final Impossibility: Man’s Tracks on the Moon”
December 30, 1969 / 1960sThe Final Impossibility: Man’s Tracks on the Moon (Two Men on the Moon) Norman Rockwell. 1969. Story illustration for Look, December 30, 1969. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
The First Earth Day
April 22, 1970 / 1970sThe Iroquois Native Americans understand the symbiotic relationship between man and the earth and how to preserve its integrity.
Photo: Courtesy of Library of Congress
Photo Credit: “Iroquois Indians,” ca. 1914
Kent State University
May 4, 1970 / 1970sFour students are killed by National Guards during an anti-Vietnam War demonstration at Kent State University in Ohio
“Uneasy Christmas in the Birthplace of Peace”
December 26, 1970 / 1970sChristmas Eve in Bethlehem, Norman Rockwell. 1970. Oil on canvas, 33” x 51” Story illustration for Look, December 29, 1970. From the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
“Gee, Thanks Brooks!”
1971 / 1970sGee, Thanks Brooks!, Norman Rockwell. 1971. Oil on canvas, 37 x 27″ Advertisement for ATO, Inc. 1971. Private Collection
Voting Age Lowered to 18 in the United States and United Kingdom
1971 / 1970s
“Springtime in Stockbridge”
June 1, 1971 / 1970sSpringtime in Stockbridge, Norman Rockwell. 1971 Oil on canvas, 32” x 68” Story illustration for Look, June 1, 1971 Norman Rockwell Museum Collections. © Norman Rockwell Family Agency
Walt Disney World Resort opens in Florida
October 1, 1971 / 1970sPhoto: Creative Common
Norman Rockwell: a 60-Year Retrospective opens at the Brooklyn Museum
March 22, 1972 / 1970s
Electronic Digital Watches
1972 / 1970sThe Hamilton Pulsar P1 – The first electronic digital watch to reach the market for retail at $2,100
Photo: Creative Commons
Photo Credit: A Pulsar LED watch (1976)
Watergate Scandal
June 17, 1972 / 1970sFive burglars are arrested breaking into the Democratic National Committee HQ at the Watergate office building in Washington
71-day siege – AIM
February 27, 1973 / 1970sActivists of the American Indian Movement (AIM) survive a ten-week siege at Wounded Knee, winning international attention
- – Wounded Knee, South Dakota
- Photo: Public Domain
“From Concord to Tranquility”
1973 / 1970sFrom Concord to Tranquility, Norman Rockwell. 1971. Oil on canvas, Boy Scouts of America, 1973. Collection of the National Scouting Museum of the Boy Scouts of America, Inc.
Rockwell leaves his personal collection of art in trust to the Norman Rockwell Museum
1973 / 1970s
Nixon is pardoned
September 8, 1973 / 1970sPresident Ford pardons ex-president Nixon for his part in the Watergate affair, thus removing the possibility of criminal charges
Photo: Public Domain
The Terracotta Army
1974 / 1970sMore than 7000 life-size terracotta solders are unearthed at Xi’an, placed to guard the tomb of the third century BC Chinese emperor Shi Huangdi
Photo: Creative Commons
Rockwell paints portraits of numerous celebrities
1974 / 1970sPortraits include John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, & Arnold Palmer
Microsoft
April 4, 1975 / 1970sBill Gates and Paul Allen create the company Microsoft
Photo: Public Domain
Vietnam War – ENDS
1975 / 1970sAmerican and Vietnamese civilians in U.S. helicopter evacuations, termed “Operation Frequent Wind”
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell places his studio in trust to Norman Rockwell Museum
1976 / 1970s
“Soweto Uprising”
1976 / 1970sHundreds of deaths and casualties result from police firing on a demonstration by schoolchildren in the black township of Soweto
Photo: Fair Use
(photo by Sam Nzima became an icon of the Soweto uprising)
Rockwell’s last cover
1976 / 1970sLiberty Bell (Celebration), Norman Rockwell, 1976. Oil on canvas, 45″ x 33″. Cover illustration for American Artist, July 1976. Collection of Billboard Publications.
Rockwell awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Ford
1977 / 1970s
“Star Wars”
1977 / 1970sGeorge Lucas writes and directs a science fantasy, Star Wars, launching a narrative that will be expanded into further films
Photo: Public Domain
President Carter signs the ERA
October 20, 1978 / 1970sThe Extension of Equal Rights Amendment – equal rights for all citizens, regardless of sex
Photo: Creative Common
Photo Credit: Jimmy Carter Signing Extension of Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) Ratification
Norman Rockwell dies at home
November 3, 1978 / 1970sNorman Rockwell’s funeral
November 11, 1978 / 1970sFuneral held at St. Paul’s Church, and Norman is buried in Stockbridge, Massachusetts Cemetery
First female Prime Minister
1979 / 1970sThe Conservative party wins the general election and Margaret Thatcher becomes Britain’s first female prime minister
Photo: Creative Commons
China’s Population Plan
1979 / 1970sChina institutes the one child per family rule
Photo: Creative Common
Photo Credit: Mother and son in Jiayuguan, China
Microsoft & IBM
1980 / 1980sMicrosoft wins the contract to provide the operating system of the IBM personal computer
The first Compact Disc (CD)
1980 / 1980sJames T. Russell presented the first compact disk (CD) to Sony
Iraq-Iran, War
September 22, 1980 / 1980sWar breaks out between Iraq and Iran
Photo: Creative Commons
Sandra Day O’Connor is Sworn in as Supreme Court Justice
September 25, 1981 / 1980sPhoto: Creative Commons
Photo Credit: Sandra Day O’Connor, Justice Warren Burger, Her Husband John O’Connor Looks On,
The Saudi fundamentalis
1982 / 1980sOsama bin Laden joins the mujaheddin in their fight against the Soviet occupiers of Afghanistan
Israeli invasion of Lebanon
1982 / 1980sPhoto: Creative Common
Bob Hawke is Australia’s prime minister after a Labor victory in the election
1983 / 1980sPhoto: Creative Common
Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI)
1983 / 1980sPresident Reagan proposes a Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) against nuclear attack
Photo: Public Domain
The CIA covertly arranges for mines to be laid in Nicaragua’s harbours
1984 / 1980s
President Reagan
November 6, 1984 / 1980sPresident Ronald Reagan is elected for a second presidential term, defeating the Democrat Walter Mondale
Photo: Public Domain
Mikhail Gorbachev
1985 / 1980sNew Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev brings glasnost (‘openness’) and perestroika (‘reform’) to the USSR
Photo: Creative Commons
Live Aid Concert
July 13, 1985 / 1980sLive Aid, an all-day concert for famine relief in Africa, is held simultaneously in London and Philadelphia
Photo: Creative Commons
Challenger explosion
January 28, 1986 / 1980sThe US Space shuttle Challenger explodes with seven on board less than two minutes after lift-off
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credit: crew: (front row) Michael J. Smith, Dick Scobee, Ronald McNair; (back row) Ellison Onizuka, Christa McAuliffe, Gregory Jarvis, Judith Resnik
Yoweri Museveni
1986 / 1980sThe guerrilla leader Yoweri Museveni takes Kampala and becomes president of Uganda
Iran-Contra affair
1987 / 1980sThe US Congress begins an investigation of the Iran-Contra affair, eventually clearing President Reagan of direct involvement
Photo: Public Domain
Photo Credits: President Ronald Reagan, Caspar Weinberger, George Shultz, Ed Meese, and Don Regan in the Oval Office
Angola and South African
1988 / 1980sA cease-fire withdraws Cuban troops from Angola and South African forces from Angola and Namibia
British physicist Stephen Hawking
1988 / 1980sExplains the cosmos for the general reader in A Brief History of Time: from the Big Bang to Black Holes
Photo: Creative Common
George Herbert Walker Bush
January 20, 1989 / 1980sGeorge Herbert Walker Bush becomes President
(January 20, 1989 – January 20, 1993)
Photo: Public Domain
The Berlin Wall is coming down
1989 / 1980sDeconstruction of the Berlin Wall from 1990 – 1992
It will will no longer divide
Photo: Creative Common
Photo Credit: image taken in 1986 by Thierry Noir at Bethaniendamm in Berlin-Kreuzberg.
President George H. W. Bush Signs the ADA
July 26, 1990 / 1990sThe American’s with Disabilities Act bars discrimination against Americans with disabilities – this enables people with disabilities access to jobs, transportation, and public places, without restrictions due to disability
Photo: Creative Common
Photo Credit: President George Bush, Evan Kemp, Chairman, Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, Justin Dart, Chairman, President’s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities, Rev. Harold Wilke and Swift Parrino, Chairperson, National Council on Disability
The Gulf War
1991 / 1990sThe Gulf War begins when Iraq fails to meet the UN deadline for withdrawal from Kuwait
Photo: Public Domain
Algeria is plunged into a brutal civil war between a military junta and Muslim terrorists
1992 / 1990s
Norman Rockwell Museum opens new building in Stockbridge
January 1, 1993 / 1990s
President Bill Clinton
January 20, 1993 / 1990sBill Clinton – 43rd President
(January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001)
Photo: Public Domain
Rockwell’s Studio moved to new Museum grounds in Stockbridge
March 29, 1993 / 1990s
Big storage made smaller
1994 / 1990sCompact Flash made flash data storage possible
Photo: Creative Common
The DVD
1995 / 1990sThe DVD became the next generation of disk storage
Photo: Public Domain
Oklahoma City bombing
1996 / 1990sA massive bomb destroys federal buildings in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people
Photo: Public Domain
“I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings”
June 4, 1997 / 1990sMaya Angelou is a celebrated and inspirational author and poet
Performing in New Orleans at the Essence Music Festival
Photo: Courtesy of the History Channel
Good Friday Agreement
1998 / 1990sA proposed referendum on northern Irish issues is accepted by all the relevant political parties in what becomes known as the “Good Friday Agreement”
Photo: Creative Common
Photo Credit: Parliament Buildings in Belfast, seat of the Northern Ireland Assembly
The USB stick plugged into computers for portable storage
1999 / 1990s
Norman Rockwell: Pictures for the American People launches at the High Museum of Art
November 6, 1999 / 1990s
George W. Bush – elected President
January 20, 2001 / 2000sPresident George W. Bush
(January 20, 2001 – January 20, 2009)
Photo: Public Domain
9 / 11
September 9, 2001 / 2000sSeptember 11 or 9/11- a day the nation will never forget
Photo: Creative Common
The new Blu-Ray allowed for more data storage
2003 / 2000s
American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell launches at Akron Art Museum
November 10, 2007 / 2000s
Barack Obama becomes presiden
January 20, 2009 / 2000s44th President of the United States – President Obama
(January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017)
Photo: Public Domain
Norman Rockwell: Behind the Camera launches at Norman Rockwell Museum
November 7, 2009 / 2000sRockwell’s “Problem We All Live with,” installed in Oval Office
July 25, 2011 / 2000sDuring Obama Presidency, President Barack Obama, Ruby Bridges, and representatives of the Norman Rockwell Museum view Rockwell’s The Problem We All Live With. (It is hanging in a West Wing hallway near the Oval Office)
Rockwell United Nations Exhibition
June 20, 2015 / 2000s
Donald Trump assumes office
January 20, 2017 / 2000sDonald Trump is elected President
(January 20, 2017 – Current)
Photo: Public Domain
Women’s March
January 21, 2017 / 2000sA protest that reached around the world
A protest for: human rights, women’s rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, racial equality, freedom of religion, and workers’ rights
Photo: Creative Common
The Cloud
2017 / 2000sThe rise of Cloud Storage systems, which saves data on third-party hard drives.
March for Our Lives
March 24, 2018 / 2000sA student-led demonstration for stronger gun control laws
Photo: Public Domain
