The 1950s Images

The 1950s Images

Two World Leaders

Eisenhower and Khrushchev pose at Camp David during the Soviet leader's 1959 visit to America.

Elvis Arrives

Elvis Presley excites crowds at a fair in his hometown, Tupelo, Mississippi, in 1956.

A Taste of Freedom

In 1956, Hungarian nationalists, encouraged by the United States, revolted against Soviet domination, pulling down a statue of dictator Joseph Stalin. The rebellion was quickly crushed by Soviet tanks and troops.

The U-2

Flying at an altitude of 15 miles, this fast, light spy plane carried high-tech cameras for recording images on the grounds. When the Soviets shot one down in 1960, Eisenhower's hope of a significant Cold War breakthrough evaporated.

Nixon in Venezuela

A mob in Caracas vented their anger against the U.S. by attacking Vice President Nixon's motorcade in 1958. They smashed the windows of his limo and almost overturned it before he escaped.