My Look Back: 1942

Jane Russell in 1942 posing by the beach
 Photo by Eliot Elisofon from LIFE Photo Archive

Summer is swiftly on it's way and for many of us that means vacations to the beach.  This weekend I'm also thinking about Memorial Day and all that it means to me.  Which brings me to this look back at 1942.  I have family who served in Vietnam and most recently one of my youngest cousins packed up and joined the army.  Needless to say I honor our service men and women and here is a little list of trivia I found when I took a look back at the year 1942.

• The first American forces land in Europe by way of Northern Ireland.
• Muhammad Ali, Manolo Blahnik, Isabel Allende, Jimi Hendrix, Sandra Dee, and Martin Scorsese are born.
• The FCC's minimum programming time of 15 hours per week for a TV station is reduced to 4 hours a week (who knew there was a minimum??).
• Archie Comics makes its debut.
• Instead of 3 time zones, Mexico goes to having 2 time zones.
• Bing Crosby records the album White Christmas.
• Anne Frank begins writing her diary and she goes into hiding at the age of 13.
• Little Golden Books commences publishing.
• The cost of a first class stamp is .03 cents and the unemployment rate in the United States is 4.7%.
• Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman premieres.
• The first "gold record" emerges when RCA Victor sprays Glen Miller's millionth copy sold of Chattanooga Choo Choo gold.
• The 14th Academy Awards are held in Los Angeles.  Best Picture goes to How Green Was My Valley starring Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon.  It beats out The Maltese Falcon, Suspicion, Citizen Kane and Sergeant York.