2. This film, starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood, won 3 Academy Awards.
3. In 1947, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
4. This player broke the modern color barrier in major league baseball when he stepped onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Name the player AND his number.
5. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1947: Art Garfunkel, Kevin Kline, Michael McKean, Richard Dreyfuss, or Albert Brooks?
6. what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1947 to the nearest dime?
7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1947?
8. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1947?
9. How much did a pound of bacon cost in 1947?
10. What was the first television station west of the Mississippi River?
11. The most famous diary in the world was first published in the Netherlands in 1947. Name that book.
12. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1947?
13. How many people lived in the United States in 1947?
14. What quiz show, hosted by Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio, and later on television?
15. This Disney Character first appeared in Dell Comics Four Color #178.
Hint: He is very wealthy.
16. Hurley Smith was granted a US patent (#2417786) for this clothing accessory, best known to be worn by white-collar workers and nerds.
17. Tennessee Williams’s play A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Jessica Tandy, premiered at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway. Who played Stanley Kowalski in the stage show?
18. Who was the President of the United States in 1947?
19. Starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, the fifth “Road To…” film was released. Name that road movie
20. Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour co-starred in a 1947 romantic comedy in which Bing Crosby only made a cameo appearance. Name that film.
21. On December 27, 1947, NBC produced a cowboy and puppet-hosted TV show that ran until 1960. Based on the name of this children’s television show, what time is it?
22. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has maintained this symbol since 1947, representing the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe.
23. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1947?
24. Which of the Axis powers was the first to regain its sovereignty with the withdrawal of Allied Troops in 1947?
25. Who won the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award in 1947?
26. Some would say that this American Thoroughbred champion racehorse was the greatest of all time, but he died in 1947 at the age of 30. Name that horse.
27. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1947?
28. Born in 1947, Donald Brian Roeser, better known as Buck Dharma, was one of the founding members of what American rock group just a few decades later?
Hint One: Biggest hit was Burnin’ For You
Hint Two: It needs more cowbell
29. This good-looking gentleman was one of the original outlandish wrestling stars and first appeared on television in 1947.
30. Name the small American town best known as the location of an Alien Spaceship crash in 1947.
31. In 1947, Edwin Land demonstrated his invention to the Optical Society of America. What was his invention?
32. Starting in Chicago, this children’s show, featuring a woman and two puppets, went nationwide on NBC. Name that show.
33. Who was the American Vice-President in 1947?
34. In 1947, a moth was discovered stuck in a relay in the Harvard Mark II electromechanical computer. This was, literally, the first what?
35. Purchased in Germany, John C. Hennessy, Jr. brought what vehicle, the first in America, to the United States?
36. This popular children’s book, the second of several Margaret Wise Brown with illustrations by Clement Hurd, was published.
37. This 1947 comedy, starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, was remade in 2013 with Ben Stiller in the lead role.
38. Who won the 1947 World Series?
39. True or False? Several years after Captain America, comic book storytellers Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created the first Romance comic book, Young Romance.
40. United States Air Force test pilot Captain Chuck Yeager flew a rocket plane faster than the speed of sound. What was the name of the aircraft?
41. This theater-based annual award ceremony was first held in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.
42. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1947?
43. Still popular today, this weekly news magazine began to be published in Hamburg, Germany
44. These ancient texts were found on the northern shore of a large salt lake in the Middle East’s West Bank.
45. This television news/interview program debuted on November 6, 1947, on NBC.
46. An aspiring actress named Elizabeth Short was murdered in Los Angeles. What nickname did the press give her murder?
47. This A-List pianist, singer-songwriter, and composer was born on March 24, 1947, in Pinner, Middlesex, England.
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. What is Elton John’s Real name?
2. The United States Navy Office of Naval Research used these simple but effective devices for high-altitude atmospheric research in the late 1940s and 1950s.
3. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1947?
4. It was #1 on the charts for six weeks in 1947, and it was Tex Williams and his band’s only Top Ten hit.
HINT: The surgeon general would disapprove.
5. Who were the 1947 NFL Champions?
6. Who was the Pope in 1947?
7. What was the first pinball machine to include flippers?
8. Evelyn McHale, 23, was an American bookkeeper whose sudden death was photographed and dubbed “the most beautiful suicide”. At what famous New York City location did she die?
9. Who were the 1947 NBA Champions?
10. Debuting on NBC, this was the first televised game show for children…
The Answers:
47 Trivia Answers for 1947 History
1. What was the highest-grossing film of 1947? Welcome Stranger
2. This film, starring Maureen O’Hara, John Payne, and Natalie Wood, won 3 Academy Awards. Miracle on 34th Street
3. In 1947, what was the average life expectancy in the United States?
Men – 64.4 years, Women – 69.7 years.
4. This player broke the modern color barrier in major league baseball when he stepped onto Ebbets Field in Brooklyn to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Name the player AND his number.
Jackie Robinson #42.
5. Which celebrity was NOT born in 1947: Art Garfunkel, Kevin Kline, Michael McKean, Richard Dreyfuss, or Albert Brooks?
Art Garfunkel (born November 5, 1941)
6. what was the average movie theater ticket price in 1947 to the nearest dime?
40 cents
7. What was the Biggest Number One Song of 1947? Near You – Francis Craig
8. How much did a Loaf of Bread cost in 1947?
13 cents
9. How much did a pound of bacon cost in 1947?
78 cents
10. What was the first television station west of the Mississippi River?
KTLA in Los Angeles.
11. The most famous diary in the world was first published in the Netherlands in 1947. Name that book. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
12. Who won the Stanley Cup in 1947?
In 1947, The Toronto Maple Leafs won over the Montreal Canadiens (4 games to 2)
13. How many people lived in the United States in 1947?
The population was an estimated 144,126,071 people.
14. What quiz show, hosted by Groucho Marx, premiered on ABC Radio, and later on television? You Bet Your Life
15. This Disney Character first appeared in Dell Comics Four Color #178.
Hint: He is very wealthy.
Scrooge McDuck
16. Hurley Smith was granted a US patent (#2417786) for this clothing accessory, which is best known to be worn by white-collar workers and nerds.
The Pocket Protector.
17. Tennessee Williams’s play A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Jessica Tandy, premiered at the Ethel Barrymore Theatre on Broadway. Who played Stanley Kowalski in the stage show?
Marlon Brando
18. Who was the President of the United States in 1947?
Harry S. Truman (April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1953)
19. Starring Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Dorothy Lamour, the fifth “Road To…” film was released. Name that road movie. Road To Rio
20. Bob Hope and Dorothy Lamour co-starred in a 1947 romantic comedy in which Bing Crosby only made a cameo appearance. Name that film. My Favorite Brunette
21. On December 27, 1947, NBC produced a cowboy and puppet-hosted TV show that ran until 1960. Based on the name of this children’s television show, what time is it? It’s Howdy Doody Time
22. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists has maintained this symbol since 1947, representing the likelihood of a man-made global catastrophe.
Doomsday Clock
23. What was the Bestselling Fiction Book in 1947? The Miracle of the Bells by Russell Janney
24. Which of the Axis powers was the first to regain its sovereignty with the withdrawal of Allied Troops in 1947?
Italy
25. Who won the Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award in 1947?
Jackie Robinson
26. Some would say that this American Thoroughbred champion racehorse was the greatest of all time, but he died in 1947 at the age of 30. Name that horse.
Man ‘o War
27. How much did a gallon of gas cost in 1947?
$0.23 per gallon
28. Born in 1947, Donald Brian Roeser, better known as Buck Dharma, was one of the founding members of what American rock group just a few decades later?
Hint One: Biggest hit was Burnin’ For You
Hint Two: It needs more cowbell
Blue Öyster Cult
29. This good-looking gentleman was one of the original outlandish wrestling stars and first appeared on television in 1947.
Gorgeous George
30. Name the small American town best known as the location of an Alien Spaceship crash in 1947.
Roswell, New Mexico.
31. In 1947, Edwin Land demonstrated his invention to the Optical Society of America. What was his invention?
The first “instant camera” – his Polaroid Land Camera.
32. Starting in Chicago, this children’s show, featuring a woman and two puppets, went nationwide on NBC. Name that show.
Kukla, Fran, and Ollie.
33. Who was the American Vice-President in 1947?
The office of vice president was vacant from April 12, 1945 – January 20, 1949
34. In 1947, a moth was discovered stuck in a relay in the Harvard Mark II electromechanical computer. This was, literally, the first what?
Computer Bug
35. Purchased in Germany, John C. Hennessy, Jr. brought what vehicle, the first in America, to the United States?
His Volkswagen Beetle
36. This popular children’s book, the second of several Margaret Wise Brown with illustrations by Clement Hurd, was published. Goodnight Moon
37. This 1947 comedy, starring Danny Kaye and Virginia Mayo, was remade in 2013 with Ben Stiller in the lead role. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
38. Who won the 1947 World Series?
In 1947, The New York Yankees won, beating the Brooklyn Dodgers (4 games to 3)
39. True or False? Several years after Captain America, comic book storytellers Joe Simon and Jack Kirby created the first Romance comic book, Young Romance.
True. It eventually ran for 208 issues.
40. United States Air Force test pilot Captain Chuck Yeager flew a rocket plane faster than the speed of sound. What was the name of the aircraft?
Bell X-1 (nicknamed ‘Glamorous Glennis’)
41. This theater-based annual award ceremony was first held in the Grand Ballroom of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.
The Tony Awards
42. Who was the Time Magazine Man of the Year in 1947?
George Marshall
43. Still popular today, this weekly news magazine began to be published in Hamburg, Germany. Der Spiegel
44. These ancient texts were found on the northern shore of a large salt lake in the Middle East’s West Bank.
Dead Sea Scrolls
45. This television news/interview program debuted on November 6, 1947, on NBC. Meet the Press
46. An aspiring actress named Elizabeth Short was murdered in Los Angeles. What nickname did the press give her murder? The Black Dahlia. It is still unsolved.
47. This A-List pianist, singer-songwriter, and composer was born on March 24, 1947, in Pinner, Middlesex, England.
Elton John
Trivia Team Bonus Questions:
1. What is Elton John’s Real name?
Reginald Dwight
2. The United States Navy Office of Naval Research used these simple but effective devices for high-altitude atmospheric research in the late 1940s and 1950s.
Skyhook balloons.
3. What Horse won the Kentucky Derby in 1947?
Jet Pilot
4. It was #1 on the charts for six weeks in 1947, and it was the only Top Ten Hit for Tex Williams and his band.
HINT: The surgeon general would disapprove.
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)
5. Who were the 1947 NFL Champions?
Chicago Cardinals
6. Who was the Pope in 1947?
Pope Pius XII, March 2, 1939 – October 9, 1958
7. What was the first pinball machine to include flippers?
The Humpty Dumpty pinball machine by Gottlieb.
8. Evelyn McHale, 23, was an American bookkeeper whose sudden death was photographed and dubbed “the most beautiful suicide”. At what famous New York City location did she die?
She committed suicide by jumping off the Empire State Building.
9. Who were the 1947 NBA Champions?
For the 1946-47 Season, Champion Philadelphia Warriors won 4 games to 1 over the Chicago Stags
10. Debuting on NBC, this was the first televised game show for children… Juvenile Jury
World Changing Event: The first general-purpose computer, the almost 30-ton ENIAC ), contained 18,000 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, and 10,000 capacitors.
Influential Songs include Heartaches by Ted Weems, and This Land Is Your Land by Woody Guthrie.
The Movies to Watch include Miracle on 34th Street, Gentleman’s Agreement, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, My Favorite Brunette, Possessed, The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer and The Ghost and Mrs. Muir
The Most Famous Person in the World was probably Bob Hope
Notable books include Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams
Price of Flexible Flyer Sled in 1947: $8.95
The Funny Guy was Bob Hope
The Conversation: Was it aliens or a government weather balloon that
crashed in Roswell, New Mexico?
Top Ten Baby Names of 1947
Linda, Mary, Patricia, Barbara, Sandra, James, Robert, John, William, Richard
Fashion Icons and Sex Symbols
Ava Gardner, Gene Tierney, Dorothy Dandridge, Rita Hayworth, Lauren Bacall, Lana Turner, Betty Grable
Entertainment History: The Oscar
The 19th Academy Awards took place on March 13, 1947, at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. The host for the evening was Jack Benny. The Best Years of Our Lives, a film about servicemen trying to adjust to civilian life after World War II, was the big winner, scooping up seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director for William Wyler, and Best Actor for Fredric March. Harold Russell, a non-professional actor who lost both hands during WWII, received two Oscars for the same role in the film—a Best Supporting Actor award and a special Oscar for “bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans.” For music lovers, Song of the South won for Best Original Song with Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah. The eligibility for these awards covered films released between December 1, 1945, and December 31, 1946. Trivia alert: This was the first year the Academy Awards were televised—though only to audiences in and around Los Angeles.
“The Quote”
“I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” from A Streetcar Named Desire.
Time Magazine’s Man of the Year
George Marshall
Miss America
Barbara Walker (Memphis, TN)
The Biggest Pop Artists of 1947 include
The Andrews Sisters, Count Basie and His Orchestra, Tex Beneke, Les Brown and His Orchestra, Frankie Carle and His Orchestra, Buddy Clark, Nat ‘King’ Cole, Perry Como, Bing Crosby, Vic Damone, Arthur Godfrey, Harmonicats, Phil Harris, Dick Haymes, Woody Herman and His Orchestra, Eddy Howard, Red Ingle and the Natural Seven, Harry James and His Orchestra, Louis Jordan, Sammy Kaye, Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, Frankie Laine, Peggy Lee, Guy Lombardo, and His Royal Canadians, Johnny Mercer, Vaughn Monroe, Pied Pipers, Alvino Rey, and His Orchestra, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, The Three Suns, Martha Tilton, Ted Weems, and His Orchestra, Margaret Whiting, Tex Williams
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson was the first African American player to play in Major League Baseball and broke the color barrier in a sport that had been segregated for more than 50 years.
Robinson was born Jackie Roosevelt Robinson on January 31, 1919, in Cairo, Georgia. Jackie’s father left his family when Jackie was only two years old, and Jackie grew up with a mother whose parents were both former slaves.
Jackie had one brother who died at age three from spinal meningitis. His older sister Daisy took care of Jackie and his younger brother Mack. Jackie Robinson attended the University of California, Los Angeles, on a football scholarship but was drafted into the army in 1942. Jackie served in the military for two years before being discharged in 1944.
Jackie started playing baseball while serving in the army, and after being discharged, he played for the Negro League’s Kansas City Monarchs. Jackie was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1945 and played for their minor league team, the Montreal Royals. Jackie made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on April 15, 1947. Jackie Robinson was a six-time all-star and won Rookie of the Year in 1947. He also won the National League MVP award in 1949. Jackie Robinson retired from baseball in 1957 and died on October 24, 1972.
He is remembered as a civil rights pioneer who helped break the color barrier in Major League Baseball. Jackie’s number 42 was retired by Commissioner Bud Selig in 1997 to honor Jackie’s legacy and his contributions to baseball and civil rights. Jackie Robinson was a great role model for kids and adults and will always be remembered as one of the most influential figures in sports history.
The Disaster
In 1947, the SS Grandcamp docked and loaded with over 7,000 tons of ammonium nitrate, exploded in the Port of Texas City, killing 581 and injuring over 5,000. The explosion was equivalent to 3.2 kilotons of TNT, making it one of the largest non-nuclear explosions in history.
1947 Pop Culture Facts & History
Thor Heyerdahl undertook his Kon-Tiki expedition in 1947, in which he sailed 8,000 km (5,000 mi) across the Pacific Ocean in a hand-built raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands to prove the Ancients could have accomplished this too.
The first animals in space were fruit flies, launched in a V-2 rocket by the United States in 1947. The fruit flies were recovered alive.
The United States’ “constitutionally mandated presidential address” changed names. From 1790 through 1946, it “was formally known as the Annual Message.” Since 1947, we call it “the State of the Union Address”.
Major League Baseball allowed black players, starting with Jackie Robinson.
Wataru Misaka was the first person of Asian descent to be drafted into the NBA (known as BAA at the time).
Princeton was the last Ivy League college to admit a black student in 1947. That was 90 years after Yale admitted its first black student in 1857.
The Superman radio show did a series called “Clan of the Fiery Cross,” in which they exposed many of the KKK’s most guarded secrets. Membership dwindled in the months after the show.
Meet the Press is the longest-running TV show in history. It began broadcasting in November 1947.
Before The Flintstones, the first couple shown in a bed was from a sitcom called Mary Kay and Johnny (1947).
Every California license plate since 1947 has been made in the infamous Folsom State Prison, where inmates produce 45,000-50,000 plates daily.
The two-term limit for the U.S. Presidency only came into effect in 1947, following Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four election wins. Before then, it was only a tradition to serve two terms, following the unofficial precedent set by George Washington.
The British used 6800 tons of surplus WW2 explosives to destroy military infrastructure on the tiny island of Heligoland. The loss of the island was considered acceptable. The explosion resulted in one of the largest single non-nuclear detonations recorded.
The first course in entrepreneurship was offered at the Harvard Business School in 1947 by Myles Mace.
1980s sitcom Mr. Belvedere was based on a 1947 novel that became a 1948 movie called Sitting Pretty. The movie spawned two sequels and earned the actor who played Mr. Belvedere an Academy Award nomination.
When Linda McCartney was four years old, her lawyer’s father asked a client (Jack Lawrence) to write a song named after her. Linda was recorded by Ray Noble and Buddy Clark and hit #1 in May 1947. The song was re-recorded in 1963, reaching #28 on Billboard, by Jan and Dean.
Prince Philip was not allowed to invite his three sisters to his wedding to Princess (now Queen) Elizabeth in 1947 because they were all married to German noblemen, which would have been considered inappropriate in postwar Britain. When Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip in 1947, their wedding cake was 9 feet tall, and she had to save up post-war clothing ration coupons to pay for her wedding dress. Fun Fact: Queen Elizabeth II and her husband, Prince Philip, started dating when he was 18 and she was 13.
Suicide: Evelyn McHale’s note read, “He is much better off without me … I wouldn’t make a good wife for anybody,” then she jumped to her death from atop the Empire State Building, landing on a United Nations vehicle. Visual artist Andy Warhol later used the photo in one of his paintings entitled Suicide.
Chung Ju-Yung, the founder of Hyundai, originally wanted to become a school teacher, but his family’s dire financial situation made him unable to get higher education. Instead, he ran away from his family to Seoul, where he started the Hyundai construction company in 1947.
The Air Force, the Department of Defense, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, the National Security Council, and the CIA were all founded by The National Security Act of 1947, two weeks after the Roswell Incident.
A UFO may have crash-landed in Roswell, New Mexico. The United States Air Force and military have denied this ever happened but have released several hole-filled stories about whatever did happen there*.
*Unrelated? Project Mogul was a US Air Force secret project to detect nuclear tests acoustically with microphones mounted on high-altitude balloons. When one such balloon crashed in Roswell, NM, in 1947, they covered it up by saying it was a weather balloon.
On July 10, 1947, Idaho Senator Glen Taylor said: “I almost wish the flying saucers would turn out to be spaceships from another planet because the possibility of hostility would unify the people of the earth as nothing else could.”
A British South American Airways flight usually flew over the Andes Mountains, about 4 minutes from landing, but it sent a Morse Code message ‘STENDEC’ three consecutive times, then vanished; the wreckage was found in 1998 on Mount Tupungato. To this day, what ‘STENDEC’ meant is a mystery.
The Transistor was invented by John Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley. It was later presented to the world in 1948.
The Howdy Doody Show appeared on NBC and ran until 1960. Host Buffalo Bob Smith was from Buffalo, New York. Howdy Doody had/has a freckle for every state in the United States. (that would be 50 today) The Howdy Doody Show was the first television show targeted towards children.
After the murder of Elizabeth Short (better known as the Black Dahlia), reporters from the Los Angeles Examiner called her mother, telling her that her daughter had won a beauty contest; once they pried enough personal information for their story, they informed her that her daughter had been murdered.
Bing Crosby’s recording of White Christmas was so popular that he had to re-record it in 1947 using the same musicians and backup singers in the 1942 original master because it had become damaged due to its frequent use. There was no digital recording in the 1940s.
Chuck Yeager became the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound, piloting a Bell XS-1.
Meredith Baxter Birney and Michael Gross, who played the parents on Family Ties, were born on the same day, June 21, 1947.
The first Cannes Film Festival was held in Cannes, France.
The term “bug” for a software malfunction was traced back to a moth stuck in the system at Harvard. The term had been used for errors in products before that as well.
The Christmas tree in London’s Trafalgar Square has been given by the country of Norway every year since 1947. It is a token of appreciation for the friendship of the British people during World War II.
Mikhail Kalashnikov presented his invention, the Avtomat Kalashnikova Obrazets 1947, better known as the AK-47.
The first person to be blacklisted from the film industry was a man named Dalton Trumbo because of his link to Communism in 1947.
After World War II, Americans craving a front yard and home of their own began moving out of the crowded cities and into the suburbs. The first and most famous suburb, Levittown, opened in New York this year and was named after Levitt and Sons, the construction firm that built the suburb. Scientists theorize suburbanization caused Americans to become dependent on automobiles, an increase in air pollution, dependence on foreign oil, and a rising obesity rate.
The ZIKA virus was discovered in the Zika forest of Uganda in 1947.
Doomsday Clock
Seven minutes to midnight, according to the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists.
1947: As the Bulletin evolves from a newsletter into a magazine, the Clock appears on the cover for the first time. It symbolizes the urgency of the nuclear dangers that the magazine’s founders–and the broader scientific community–are trying to convey to the public and political leaders around the world.
1st Appearances & 1947’s Most Popular Christmas Gifts, Toys and Presents
Wham-O introduced its first product – a slingshot. The company name came from the sound of a slingshot hitting a target.
Nobel Prize Winners
Physics – Edward Victor Appleton
Chemistry – Sir Robert Robinson
Medicine – Carl Ferdinand Cori, Gerty Cori, Bernardo Houssay
Literature – André Gide
Peace – The Friends Service Council (UK) and The American Friends Service Committee (USA), on behalf of the Religious Society of Friends
Popular and Best-selling Books From 1947
A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams B.F.’s Daughter by John P. Marquand The Diary of a Young Girl (aka The Diary of Anne Frank) by Anne Frank East Side, West Side by Marcia Davenport Gentleman’s Agreement by Laura Z. Hobson Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown House Divided by Ben Ames Williams Kingsblood Royal by Sinclair Lewis Lydia Bailey by Kenneth Roberts The Miracle of the Bells by Russell Janney The Moneyman by Thomas B. Costain Prince of Foxes by Samuel Shellabarger The Vixens by Frank Yerby The Wayward Bus by John Steinbeck
Best Film Oscar Winner
The Best Years of Our Lives (presented in 1947)
Sports
World Series Champions: New York Yankees
NFL Champions: Chicago Cardinals
NBA Champions: Philadelphia Warriors
Stanley Cup Champs: Toronto Maple Leafs
U.S. Open Golf Lew Worsham
U.S. Tennis: (Men/Ladies) Jack Kramer/Pauline Betz
Wimbledon (Men/Women): Jack Kramer/Margaret Osbourne
NCAA Football Champions: Notre Dame
NCAA Basketball Champions: Holy Cross
Kentucky Derby: Jet Pilot
The Pentagon Becomes Headquarters for the US Department of Defense
During World War II, the United States needed a centralized location to house its growing military establishment. In response, the construction of the Pentagon began on September 11, 1941, and was completed on January 15, 1943. The massive five-sided building in Arlington, Virginia, was designed to accommodate the War Department and various military branches.
Details: On August 15, 1947, the Pentagon officially became the headquarters for the newly established United States Department of Defense. The Department of Defense was created through the National Security Act of 1947, which unified the War Department, Navy Department, and Air Force under a single department overseen by the Secretary of Defense. With its unique design and massive scale, the Pentagon was well-suited to house the newly combined department, serving as a symbol of American military power.
Effects on Pop Culture:
The Pentagon has become synonymous with American military power and is often referenced in movies, television shows, and literature that deal with military themes or government conspiracy theories.
The building’s unique design and scale have made it an iconic landmark, frequently appearing in news coverage and documentaries.
Tours of the Pentagon have become a popular attraction for tourists visiting the Washington, D.C., area, further embedding the building in popular culture.
Prominent People and Countries Involved:
United States: The country that built and houses the Pentagon as the headquarters for its Department of Defense.
George Bergstrom and David J. Witmer: The architects responsible for designing the Pentagon.
President Harry S. Truman: The U.S. president signed the National Security Act of 1947, establishing the Department of Defense and designating the Pentagon as its headquarters.
The Pentagon became the headquarters for the United States Department of Defense on August 15, 1947, after the unification of the military branches under the National Security Act. The building’s unique design and massive scale have made it an iconic symbol of American military power, with its presence in movies, television shows, and literature reflecting its significance in popular culture. The Pentagon continues to serve as a central location for the organization and coordination of U.S. military efforts worldwide.
This Land Is Your Land
Woody Guthrie wrote This Land Is Your Land in 1940 as a response to Irving Berlin’s God Bless America. Initially titled God Bless America for Me, the song carried Guthrie’s socialist ideals and criticism of inequality. It wasn’t officially published until 1945 in a small mimeographed booklet. By the 1960s, it was a staple in American school music programs. In 2002, the song was added to the Library of Congress’s National Recording Registry, cementing its status as an enduring American folk classic.
Dinah Shore
The Anniversary Song
Originally composed as Waves of the Danube by Iosif Ivanovici in 1880, the melody gained new life when Al Jolson and Saul Chaplin added English lyrics in 1946. Popularized by Dinah Shore, the song became a romantic hit, often played at weddings. Despite frequent confusion, it is not related to The Anniversary Waltz.
Frank Sinatra
Always
Written by Irving Berlin in 1925 as a gift to his wife, Always is a timeless romantic ballad about undying love. Berlin gave all the royalties to his wife as part of the gift. Frank Sinatra’s 1947 recording returned the song to the public eye, making it a hit for a new generation.
Dick Haymes
How Are Things in Glocca Morra
This wistful ballad comes from the Broadway musical Finian’s Rainbow (1947). The song expresses Sharon’s longing for her Irish homeland and became a standout piece from the show. Finian’s Rainbow tells the whimsical story of an Irishman and his daughter trying to bury stolen leprechaun gold near Fort Knox, only to be pursued by the leprechaun himself.
Bing Crosby
The Whiffenpoof Song
This Yale University anthem, written in 1909 by Tod Galloway and Meade Minnigerode, was popularized by Rudy Vallée in the 1920s. Bing Crosby’s 1947 rendition brought the acapella classic to wider audiences. It has since become a cultural touchstone, appearing in films and television shows.
Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters
There’s No Business Like Show Business This Irving Berlin composition became the anthem for entertainers everywhere, first performed by Ethel Merman in Annie Get Your Gun (1946). Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters recorded a popular version in 1947, extending its reach beyond the stage. The song later served as the title for a 1954 movie musical starring Ethel Merman, Marilyn Monroe, and Donald O’Connor.
Billie Holiday
Easy Living
Written in 1937 by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin, Easy Living became a jazz standard through Billie Holiday’s emotional 1947 recording. The song captures themes of love and devotion, showcasing Holiday’s unparalleled ability to infuse her performances with deep feelings.
Peggy Lee
Golden Earrings
Written by Jay Livingston, Ray Evans, and Victor Young for the 1947 film Golden Earrings, this haunting tune was performed by Peggy Lee and became a top-charting hit. The mysterious and romantic melody captured audiences, solidifying Lee’s star power.
Vaughn Monroe
Ballerina
Written by Carl Sigman and Sidney Keith Russell, Ballerina became a major hit for Vaughn Monroe in 1947. Its poignant lyrics tell the story of a ballerina who dances her way to stardom but loses herself along the way. Monroe’s baritone delivery made the song a classic.
Dinah Shore
You Do
Written by Mack Gordon and Josef Myrow for the 1947 film Mother Wore Tights, You Do was performed by Dinah Shore and became a chart-topping hit. The song’s sentimental lyrics and Shore’s warm delivery made it a favorite in post-war America.
Top Artists and Songs 1947
Al Jolson
Anniversary Song
Andrews Sisters and Danny Kaye
Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)
Andrews Sisters
Near You
Art Lund
Mam’selle
Arthur Godfrey
Too Fat Polka (I Don’t Want Her You can Have Her She’s Too Fat For Me)
Benny Goodman
A Gal in Calico
Betty Hutton
I Wish I Didn’t Love You So
Bill Wills and his Texas Playboys
Sugar Moon
Bill Monroe
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters
There’s No Business Like Show Business!
Bing Crosby
Anniversary Song
The Wiffenpoof Song
Blue Barron
You Were Only Fooling
Buddy Clark
I’ll Dance At Your Wedding
Peg O’ My Heart
Claude Thornhill and his Orchestra
A Sunday Kind of Love
Count Basie
Open the Door, Richard!
Dick Farney
Copacabana
I Wish I Didn’t Love You So
Marina
Dick Haymes
How Are Things In Glocca Morra
I Wish I Didn’t Love You So
Mam’selle
Dinah Shore
Anniversary Song
(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons
Dizzy Gillespie
Manteca
Dorothy Shay
Feudin’ and Fightin’
Dusty Fletcher
Open the Door, Richard
Eddie Arnold
I’ll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)
I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder
Eddie Vinson
Old Maid Boogie
Francis Craig Orchestra
Near You
Frank Sinatra
Always
Mam’selle
Time After Time
Frankie Laine
That’s My Desire
Freddy Martin
Managua, Nicaragua
Guy Lombardo
Anniversary Song
Managua, Nicaragua
Hank Williams
Move It On Over
Hoagy Carmichael
Huggin And Chalkin
Jack McVea and his Band
Open The Door, Richard!
James Baskett
Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah
Jerry Murad’s Harmonicats
Peg O’ My Heart
Jo Stafford
Serenade Of The Bells
Julia Lee and Her Boy Friends
38. (Opportunity Knocks But Once) Snatch and Grab It
Lester Young
Jumpin’ With Symphony
Louis Jordan and his Tympany Five
Ain’t Nobody Here But Us Chickens
Boogie Woogie Blue Plate
Open The Door, Richard!
Texas and Pacific
Louis Prima
Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)
Mahalia Jackson
Move On Up A Little Higher
Margaret Whiting
Guilty
Merle Travis
So Round, So Firm, So Fully packed
Nat ‘King’ Cole
There! I’ve Said It Again
Paul Weston
Linda
Peggy Lee
Golden Earrings
Perry Como
Ch-Baba Chi-Baba )My Bambino Goes To Sleep)
I Wonder Who’s Kissing Her Now
When You Were Sweet Sixteen
Ray Noble
Linda
Red Foley
New Pretty Blonde (Jole Blon)
Red Ingle and The Natural Seven
Temptation (Tim-Tayshun)
Sammy Kaye
Serenade of the Bells
That’s My Desire
Savannah Churchill and The Sentimentalists
I Wanna Be Loved (But Only By You)
T-Bone Walker Quintet
Stormy Monday
Ted Weems
Heartaches
Tex Williams and the Western Caravan
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)
The Charioteers
Open The Door, Richard!
The Mills Brothers
Across The Alley From The Alamo
The Three Flames
Open The Door, Richard!
The Three Suns
Peg O My Heart
Vaughn Monroe
Ballerina
I Wish I Didn’t Love You So
The Best Years of Our Lives scooped up the Best Picture award.
Fredric March garnered Best Actor for the same film, while Olivia de Havilland was named Best Actress for To Each His Own.
Directing & Screenplay:
William Wyler took home the Best Director trophy for The Best Years of Our Lives.
The Best Original Screenplay went to The Seventh Veil.
Additional Info:
Harold Russell, a non-professional actor, won Best Supporting Actor for The Best Years of Our Lives and also received an Honorary Oscar for bringing hope and courage to fellow veterans.
Anne Baxter clinched Best Supporting Actress for The Razor’s Edge.
This was the first time since the 2nd Academy Awards that every category had at most 5 nominations.
The “Academy Award of Merit” is what the Oscar statue is officially called.
Homer Parrish won a special award and Best Supporting actor, making him the first actor to win 2 Oscars for the same performance.
1947 Oscar Nominees and Winners
Best Motion Picture:
The Best Years of Our Lives – Samuel Goldwyn for RKO Radio Pictures (WINNER)
Henry V – Laurence Olivier for United Artists
It’s a Wonderful Life – Frank Capra for RKO Radio Pictures
The Razor’s Edge – Darryl F. Zanuck for 20th Century Fox
The Yearling – Sidney Franklin for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Best Director:
William Wyler – The Best Years of Our Lives (WINNER)
David Lean – Brief Encounter
Frank Capra – It’s a Wonderful Life
Robert Siodmak – The Killers
Clarence Brown – The Yearling
Best Actor:
Fredric March – The Best Years of Our Lives as Platoon Sergeant Al Stephenson (WINNER)
Laurence Olivier – Henry V as King Henry V of England
Larry Parks – The Jolson Story as Al Jolson
Gregory Peck – The Yearling as Ezra “Penny” Baxter
James Stewart – It’s a Wonderful Life as George Bailey
Best Actress:
Olivia de Havilland – To Each His Own as Miss Josephine “Jody” Norris (WINNER)
Celia Johnson – Brief Encounter as Laura Jesson
Jennifer Jones – Duel in the Sun as Pearl Chavez
Rosalind Russell – Sister Kenny as Elizabeth Kenny
Jane Wyman – The Yearling as Ora Baxter
Best Supporting Actor:
Harold Russell – The Best Years of Our Lives as Petty Officer 2nd Class Homer Parrish (WINNER)
Charles Coburn – The Green Years as Alexander Gow
William Demarest – The Jolson Story as Steve Martin
Claude Rains – Notorious as Alexander Sebastian
Clifton Webb – The Razor’s Edge as Elliott Templeton
Best Supporting Actress:
Anne Baxter – The Razor’s Edge as Sophie MacDonald (WINNER)
Ethel Barrymore – The Spiral Staircase as Mrs Warren
Lillian Gish – Duel in the Sun as Laura Belle McCanles
Flora Robson – Saratoga Trunk as Angelique Buiton
Gale Sondergaard – Anna and the King of Siam as Lady Thiang
Best Original Screenplay:
The Seventh Veil – Muriel Box and Sydney Box (WINNER)
The Blue Dahlia – Raymond Chandler
Children of Paradise – Jacques Prévert
Notorious – Ben Hecht
Road to Utopia – Norman Panama and Melvin Frank
Best Screenplay:
The Best Years of Our Lives – Robert E. Sherwood from Glory For Me by MacKinlay Kantor (WINNER)
Anna and the King of Siam – Sally Benson and Talbot Jennings from Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret Landon
Brief Encounter – Anthony Havelock-Allan, David Lean and Ronald Neame from Still Life by Noël Coward
The Killers – Anthony Veiller from “The Killers” by Ernest Hemingway
Rome, Open City – Sergio Amidei and Federico Fellini[2] from a story by Sergio Amidei and Alberto Consiglio
Best Motion Picture Story:
Vacation From Marriage – Clemence Dane (WINNER)
The Dark Mirror – Vladimir Pozner
The Strange Love of Martha Ivers – Jack Patrick
The Stranger – Victor Trivas
To Each His Own – Charles Brackett
Best Documentary Short Subject:
Seeds of Destiny (WINNER)
Atomic Power
Life at the Zoo
Paramount News Issue #37
Traffic with the Devil
Best Short Subject – Cartoons:
The Cat Concerto – Fred Quimby (WINNER)
John Henry and the Inky Poo – George Pal
Musical Moments from Chopin – Walter Lantz
Squatter’s Rights – Walt Disney
Walky Talky Hawky – Edward Selzer
Best Live Action Short Subject, One-Reel:
Facing Your Danger – Gordon Hollingshead (WINNER)
Dive-Hi Champs – Jack Eaton
Golden Horses – Edmund Reek
Smart as a Fox – Gordon Hollingshead
Sure Cures – Pete Smith
Best Live Action Short Subject, Two-Reel:
A Boy and His Dog – Gordon Hollingshead (WINNER)
College Queen – George B. Templeton
Hiss and Yell – Jules White
The Luckiest Guy in the World – Jerry Bresler
Best Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture:
The Best Years of Our Lives – Hugo Friedhofer (WINNER)
Anna and the King of Siam – Bernard Herrmann
Henry V – William Walton
Humoresque – Franz Waxman
The Killers – Miklós Rózsa
Best Scoring of a Musical Picture:
The Jolson Story – Morris Stoloff (WINNER)
Blue Skies – Robert Emmett Dolan
Centennial Summer – Alfred Newman
The Harvey Girls – Lennie Hayton
Night and Day – Ray Heindorf and Max Steiner
Best Original Song:
“On the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe” from The Harvey Girls – Music by Harry Warren; Lyrics by Johnny Mercer (WINNER)
“All Through the Day” from Centennial Summer – Music by Jerome Kern (posthumous nomination); Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
“I Can’t Begin to Tell You” from The Dolly Sisters – Music by James V. Monaco (posthumous nomination); Lyrics by Mack Gordon
“Ole Buttermilk Sky” from Canyon Passage – Music by Hoagy Carmichael; Lyrics by Jack Brooks
“You Keep Coming Back Like a Song” from Blue Skies – Music and Lyrics by Irving Berlin
Best Sound Recording:
The Jolson Story – John P. Livadary (WINNER)
The Best Years of Our Lives – Gordon E. Sawyer
It’s a Wonderful Life – John O. Aalberg
Best Art Direction – Interior Decoration, Black-and-White:
Anna and the King of Siam – Art Direction: Lyle R. Wheeler and William S. Darling; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little and Frank E. Hughes (WINNER)
Kitty – Art Direction: Hans Dreier and Walter Tyler; Interior Decoration: Samuel M. Comer and Ray Moyer
The Razor’s Edge – Art Direction: Richard Day and Nathan H. Juran; Interior Decoration: Thomas Little and Paul S. Fox
Best Art Direction – Interior Decoration, Color:
The Yearling – Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons and Paul Groesse; Interior Decoration: Edwin B. Willis
Caesar and Cleopatra – Art Direction and Interior Decoration: John Bryan
Henry V – Art Direction and Interior Decoration: Paul Sheriff and Carmen Dillon
Best Cinematography, Black-and-White:
Anna and the King of Siam – Arthur Miller (WINNER)
The Green Years – George J. Folsey
Best Cinematography, Color:
The Yearling – Charles Rosher, Leonard Smith and Arthur Arling (WINNER)
The Jolson Story – Joseph Walker
Best Film Editing:
The Best Years of Our Lives – Daniel Mandell (WINNER)
It’s a Wonderful Life – William Hornbeck
The Jolson Story – William Lyon
The Killers – Arthur Hilton
The Yearling – Harold F. Kress
Best Special Effects:
Blithe Spirit – Tom Howard (WINNER)
A Stolen Life – William C. McGann; Special Audible Effects: Nathan Levinson
Academy Honorary Awards:
Laurence Olivier “for his outstanding achievement as actor, producer and director in bringing Henry V to the screen.”
Harold Russell “for bringing hope and courage to his fellow veterans through his appearance in The Best Years of Our Lives”
Ernst Lubitsch “for his distinguished contributions to the art of the motion picture.”
