The TV series “Gunsmoke” ran from September 10, 1955 to March 31, 1975 on
CBS with 635 total episodes. The first twelve seasons aired Saturdays at 10:00,
seasons thirteen through sixteen aired Mondays at 7:30 and the last four seasons
aired Mondays at 8:00. It is the longest running, prime time series of the 20th
century. Today, it still has the highest number of scripted episodes for any, U.S. primetime, commercial live-action television series. The series began on radio,
aired from April 26, 1952 until June 18, 1961 on CBS. It starred William Conrad
as the main character, Marshal Matt Dillon.

Introduction of the first episode of “Gunsmoke” by John Wayne

"You Can’t Hurry Love" by The Supremes was honored by inclusion
in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s  permanent collection of 500
Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.

 
A young Jose Feliciano with his first guitar

José Montserrate Feliciano García is a Puerto Rican singer,skillful guitarist and
composer known for many international hits including the 1970 holiday single 
“Feliz Navidad”. Feliciano holds the distinction of being one of the few singers
to have enjoyed success both in Spanish language music and in English
language rock and roll. He won five consecutive awards for best pop
guitarist from Guitar Player magazine and was voted in jazz, classic
and rock fields. 

On September 9, 1942, a Japanese submarine was spotted cruising in an easterly direction raising its periscope occasionally as it neared the Oregon Coastline. Based
on the Sub was a small two passenger float plane (above). It’s mission; a test run to
start a devastating forest fire by dropping two 176 pound incendiary bombs. If they
were successful, Japan had hopes of attacking the eastern end of the Panama
Canal to slow down shipping from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

This event, which caused no damage, marked the only time during World War ll that
an enemy plane had dropped bombs on the U.S. mainland. A major fire had been
averted due to the fact the coastal fog, mist and heavy doses of Oregon rain made
the forests so wet they simply didn’t catch fire.

Fifty years later on 1992, the the Japanese pilot, Nobuo Fujita who survived the war, returned to Oregon to help dedicate a historical plaque (below) at the exact spot
where his two bombs had impacted. The elderly pilot then donated his ceremonial
sward as a gesture of peace and closure of the bombings of Oregon on that day
in 1942. Fujita would return to Brookings 3 more times before his death in 1997,
and the following year his daughter buried some of his ashes at the site of his
famous bombing.

Warrant Officer Nobuo Fujita

Fujita is shown with his Yokosuka E14Y (Glen) float plane prior to his flight.

The Memorial Plaque located in Brookings, Oregon at the site of the 1942
bombing

In their first year, Swanson & Sons sold over 10 million TV dinners. The 98-cent
meals included turkey, corn bread dressing, gravy, peas, and sweet potatoes.