World History
1952

Korean War continues to rage

Queen Elizabeth II is crowned in England

The Honeymooners debuts on television

1953

Joseph Stalin dies

NY Yankees beat Brooklyn Dodgers in World Series

Playboy first hits magazine stands

1954

Dien Bien Phu, a French stronghold in Vietnam, falls to the Viet Minh forces

Brown vs. Board of Education court decision finds discrimination in schools illegal

"Lord of the Flies" is published

1955

US population nearing 166 million people

James Dean dies in car accident at age 26

Cost of a first-class stamp .03 cents

1956

Suez Crisis occurs, bringing world to higher tension

Hungarian uprising crushed by Soviet forces

"The Searchers" is produced

1957

Sputnik, the worlds first artificial satellite, is launched by Soviet Union

The "Little Rock Nine" successfully attempt to integrate into an Arkansas high school

"West Side Story" begins on Broadway

1958

First successful U.S. satellite, Explorer I, is launched

Elvis Presley inducted into US Army

"Vertigo" is released in theaters

1959

Fidel Castro takes hold of power after coup in Cuba

"Gigi" wins 1959 Academy Award for best picture

Alaska and Hawaii become US states

1960

Francis Gary Powers incident occurs when his U-2 spy plane is shot down over Soviet Union

Adolf Eichmann captured, tried in Israeli court for Nazi war crimes during World War II

John F. Kennedy wins presidential election

1961

Berlin Wall erected to prevent East Berliners from escaping communist system to West Berlin.

OPEC formally organized

Alan Shepard becomes first American in space

1962

Cuban Missile Crisis, arguably the peak of world nuclear tension during the cold war, occurs in October

U.S. life expectancy: 70.1 years

Johnny Carson begins hosting "The Tonight Show"

1963

President Kennedy assassinated in Dallas during November

"Beatlemania" takes hold in US

MLK's "I have a dream" speech given in Washington D.C.

1964

Massive earthquake rocks Anchorage, Alaska

Gulf of Tonkin resolution is passed, officially beginning large-scale U.S. involvement in Vietnam

"Dr. Strangelove" debuts in theatres

1965

The Beach Boys land a hit with "California Girls"

Malcolm X is assassinated

Worlds Fair opens in Queens, NY

1966

250,000 U.S. troops in Vietnam

"Star Trek" debuts on television

Walt Disney dies


Strategic Air Command History
1952

January
Official SAC insignia adapted after contest won by Staff Sgt. from Fairchild AFB submits winning design

B-29s of 98th and 307th Bomb Wings continue to support UN operations in Korea

Five total heavy bomb wings equipped with B-36s

1953

Hostilities cease in Korea, B-29s during war drop 167,000 tons of bombs

First B-47 bomb wing deployment by 306th Bomb Wing from MacDill AFB, Florida to England

First B-47 participation in SAC bombing competition, whose winner receives the Fairchild Trophy. B-47s fair badly against B-36s, B-50s and B-29s

1954

30 SAC bases exist at end of December within the United States

142,000 air-refueling hookups occur via KC-97 tanker support

Last B-29s retired (by 307th Bomb Wing)

1955

SAC possesses 3,068 tactical aircraft at end of the year including 1,086 B-47s, 568 F-84 fighters and 18 B-52s

First B-52s accepted by SAC

Encouraging Snark missile tests paves the way for SAC deployment

1956

Last B-47 was delivered to Schilling AFB, Kansas

Operations Power House and Road Block, 1,000 aircraft exercises, test SAC bomber combat mission effectiveness

All 28 Medium bomb wings of SAC equipped or equipping with B-47s

217,279 personnel are assigned to SAC at end of the year

1957

SAC alert program initiated with 1/3rd of bomber forces set on high readiness 24 hours a day

SAC relocates to new headquarters building (constructed with underground command post) at Offutt AFB

First KC-135 delivered to command

1958

SAC reorganizes command in order to support 1/3rd bomber alert program, re-designating many squadrons and wings

First Atlas and Titan missile wings activated

"Peace is our profession" is formally adapted by command

1959

Numbered air forces are re-aligned meaning several bases and wings shift to either 8th, 2nd or 15th Air Force Strategic Air Command

Last B-36 bomber is retired from active service

First Atlas missile placed on alert at Vandenburg AFB, California

1960

Total SAC assets listed at $14,152,248,000

First B-58 delivered to SAC

B-47 dispersal program tested

1961

50% ground alert program initiated meaning half of SAC bombers are ready for instant action

First year of "Looking Glass", an airborne command post mission that would have an EC-135 aircraft in the air constantly until 1991 to guard against surprise attack

Ballistic Missile Early Warning System becomes operational

1962

Last B-52 bomber delivered to SAC

First Minuteman missiles become operational

There are 880 B-47s, 639 B-52s and 76 B-58s in SAC service

1963

As SAC becomes more and more a mixture of bombers and missiles,  wings reorganize to reflect changes

Titan II missile force completely operational

Blue Scout Jr. rocket program, the Emergency Rocket Communications System, declared operational at various sites in Nebraska

1964

ICBM alert force for the first time equals bomber alert force, for remainder of Cold War missiles outnumber bombers

Secretary of Defense McNamara announces phase out of all B-47s and first generation missiles (Atlas, Titan-I) by 1966

Atlas-D missiles phased out

1965

Remaining Atlas and Titan-I missiles phase out of service

First Arc Light B-52 bombing mission conducted over Vietnam

114 B-47s remain in service, there are 821 Minuteman missiles in service

1966

Last B-47 bombers phased out of service

First SR-71 Blackbird delivered to command

SAC assets consist of $18,477,079,000

Palomares incident occurs when a B-52 crashes inadvertently releasing four thermonuclear bombs, successful search occurs
Lincoln AFB History

1952

October 21st 1952
4120th Air Base Group activated to re-activate Lincoln AFB

1953

Construction begins on new hangars, other buildings at base.

1954

Feburary 1st 1954
Lincoln AFB formally activated, 98th Air Base Group in charge

December 7th 1954
First B-47 arrives at Lincoln

1955

June
98th Bomb Wing declared combat ready

6950 Air Force personnel now residing in city of Lincoln

1956

April
307th Bomb Wing declared combat ready, one of last SAC wings to be provided B-47s

1957

Ground alert duty begins at Lincoln

1958
Two squadrons added to bomb wings, the 415th and 425th, to include alert duty

1959
Lincoln AFB and 818th Air Division transfer to 2nd Air Force SAC

Missile silo construction planned at Lincoln

1960
Silo construction begins

Lincoln's bomber alert facility opens

1961

551st SMS activates

818th Air Division changes name to 818th Strategic Aerospace Division

1962

Lincoln bombers disperse, Atlas missiles go on alert during Cuban Crisis

4362nd PACCS squadron established

1963

98th Air-Refueling Squadron departs Lincoln, last of KC-97s

1964

November - McNamara announces closure of Lincoln AFB by 1966

98th Bomb Wing becomes 98th Strategic Aerospace Wing

"Major Meeks" B-47 crash incident

1965

818th SAD and 307th Bomb Wing deactivate in March

551st SMS deactivates in June

Last nuclear weapons removed from Lincoln in November

Last B-47 departs Lincoln on December 7, 1965

1966

February
Jet Scoop base paper publishes final edition

June 25th 1966
Lincoln AFB officially closes