On July 14th, 1946, at the dawn of the post-World War II baby
boom, Dr. Benjamin Spock published The Common Sense
Book of Baby and Child Care. It would become a foundational
work on the topic of parenting, transforming how generations
of children were raised.

The book, which has sold more than 50 million copies and
been translated into more than 50 languages, stands as one
of the best-selling nonfiction works of the 20th century.

The book’s premise told mothers, "You know more than you
think you do."

Benjamin McLane Spock (May 2, 1903 – March 15, 1998)

Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013)

Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the
age of twelve. She rose to prominence as one of the most popular
"Mouseketeers" on the original Mickey Mouse Club. As a teenager,
she transitioned to a successful career as a singer with the pop singles
"O Dio Mio," "Tall Paul" and "Pineapple Princess", as well as establishing
herself as a film actress, popularizing the successful "Beach Party" genre
alongside co-star Frankie Avalon during the mid-1960s.

In 1992, Funicello announced that she had been diagnosed with multiple
sclerosis. She died of complications from the disease at age 70.

      1963

Anna Marie "Patty" Duke (December 14, 1946 – March 29, 2016)

Patty Duke, the teen who won an Oscar for The Miracle Worker (1962) and
later played "identical cousins" in her own TV sitcom on ABC, has died. She
passed away early this morning. A representatives statement said the cause
of death was sepsis from a ruptured intestine.

 
Original air dates:September 18, 1963, to April 27, 1966

Dr. Benjamin Spock’s book The Common Sense Book of Baby and Child Care
became a bestseller, selling more than 50 million copies by 1998. It has been
translated into 39 languages. Spock later wrote three more books on the
subject of parenting.

Pediatrician Benjamin McLane Spock and little friend