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 1942:
First Christian Church
Background music: Glenn Miller, "American
Patrol"
The year was 1942—a time unlike almost
any other in U.S. history. The vicious surprise attack on Pearl
Harbor had suddenly drawn the country into a global war. In Columbus,
the dedication of the First Christian Church took place on May
31st. Designed by Finnish architect Eliel Saarinen, it marked
the beginning of a series of bold architectural departures that
would eventually distinguish Columbus from other cities in the
midwest.
The President was Franklin D. Roosevelt,
the cost of a first class stamp was three cents, and the minimum
wage was 30 cents an hour. Construction of the Pentagon was just
nearing completion. With a more urgent desire to stay in touch
and receive news, more and more people began to have telephones
in their homes, and radio receivers became even more commonplace.
Popular songs from the early 1940s included "White Christmas"
and "Chattanooga Choo-Choo," the very first gold record.
Dick Clark was 10 years old, Elvis Presley was a 5 year old in
Memphis, Tennessee, and in Liverpool, England, on June 18th, Paul
McCartney was born.
Some new items in the early 1940s included
the aerosol spray can, Cheerios®, M&M® candies, the
flashbulb, the first electronic calculator, RADAR, and the jet plane.
After the war's end, a jubilant nation celebrated
as thousands of men and women returned from overseas. In the years
to follow, the so-called Baby Boom would bring millions of children
into big cities and small towns all across America. As families
and children grew, so did the need for buildings and schools to
accommodate them. In Columbus, this need would give birth to a
dream, and create an opportunity to build a city unlike any other.
More about 1940s life in the United States
"Deep in the Heart of Texas" by the Glenn Miller Orchestra,
and "The Boogie-Woogie Bugle Boy" by the Andrews Sisters.
dances like the Lindy, the Conga-Line, and the Kangaroo Jump; slumber
parties for teen-aged girls.
The Grapes of Wrath, Citizen Kane, The Philadelphia Story,
Walt Disney's animated classics Pinocchio, Dumbo,
Bambi, and Fantasia.
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