Henkels & McCoy Timeline: 1958

1958

BENCHMARK
After 35 years of operating as a partnership, Henkels & McCoy becomes an incorporated company in June of this year. Photo: Three of the four partners, prior to incorporation. Left to right: Louis McCloskey, John B. Henkels, Jr., and Arthur C. (Buck) Faust. Not shown is Andrew Lewis.

It’s a very busy year: Henkels & McCoy performs telephone work in far flung places such as Bermuda, Newfoundland and Morocco... In addition, Henkels & McCoy launches a full service industrial group and refurbishes a property for use by the International Paper Company, and expands operations into new territory: Kentucky... A US Air Force contract calls for Henkels & McCoy to handle telephone maintenance at bases in 16 states... The Elkhart, Indiana offices are expanded, and the company payroll now totals over 1,200 men and women.

January 31
First successful launch of American satellite occurs as Explorer I is sent into orbit.

March 17
Vanguard I satellite launched by United States.

March 26
United States Army launches Explorer III.

March 27
Nikita Khrushchev (left) is named new Premier of Soviet Union.

May 13
US and Canada sign to North American Aerospace Defense Command agreement. The alliance will be known as NORAD.

May 13
Vice President Richard Nixon’s car comes under attack by anti-American demonstrators in Venezuela.

July 7
Alaska Statehood Act signed by President Eisenhower.

July 26
Explorer IV is launched, continuing the Explorer program.

July 29
NASA officially created by Act of Congress.

October 1
A-OK. NASA becomes operational.

October 11
NASA sends lunar probe Pioneer I into space.

October 28
Pope John XXIII elected.

December 28
Baltimore Colts defeat the NY Giants 23-17 in the NFL's first sudden-death overtime Championship game.

Also in 1958:
The telephone modem is invented. Digital modems developed from the military's need to transmit data for North American Air Defense (NORAD) during the Cold War. A modem sends and receives data between two computers. The word "modem" stands for modulate/demodulate.

The Hoola Hoop is introduced and sells an amazing 20 million units within four months of introduction.

The last Packards roll off the auto assembly line.

Goodbye. Bizarro, the backward, anti-Superman makes his fractured debut in the comic books (left). Me so happy. Hello.

What's On TV?
Marshal Matt Dillon carves another notch on his six-shooter for CBS. The Number One show for the second year running is Gunsmoke, pardner. Matt, Doc, Miss Kitty and Deputy Chester will clean up Dodge -- and the ratings -- for the rest of the decade. Horse Operas dominate the top of the network schedules with Wagon Train, Have Gun Will travel, and The Rifleman runners-up at numbers two, three and four respectively.

Births
Ron Reagan, son of future President Ronald Reagan
Madonna, pop diva
Prince Albert of Monaco
Prince, the pop star, of Michigan
Michael Jackson, the prince of pop

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