Lyle Lawrence Carringer

1891 - 1976

Story

Timeline

Map

Modoc War

Blue Jeans

The Long Depression

Telephone

Southern Pacific Railroad

Time Zones

Tournament of Roses

Stanford Founded

Professional Football

Plessy v. Ferguson

College Basketball

Marconi Invents Radio

Spanish American War

Wright Brothers

Pacific Coast League

Ford Motors

The Call of the Wild

First Radio Broadcast

1906 S.F. Earthquake

Titanic Sinks

Lincoln Highway

World War I

National Park Service

Lyle Joins the U.S. Marines

Flu Pandemic

1918 Rose Bowl

18th Amendment

19th Amendment

First Public Radio Broadcast

Rose Bowl Stadium

Hollywood Sign

Scopes Monkey Trial

Penicillin

Herbert Hoover

Great Depression

Empire State Building

New Deal

Dust Bowl

Amelia Earhart

Grapes of Wrath

World War II

Holocaust

Pearl Harbor

Atomic Bomb

General Patton

McCarthyism

Korean War

Polio Vaccine

Brown v. Board of Education

Disneyland

Vietnam War

Cuban Missile Crisis

Columbus Day Windstorm

Alcatraz Closes

JFK Assassination

Civil Rights Act

Black Panther Party

MLK Assassination

Woodstock

Moon Landing

Laguna Fire

Egg McMuffin

Watergate Scandal

Mt. St. Helens

Ronald Reagan

1870

1900

1930

1960

1990

Childbirth
Childhood
Clothing
Commerce
Communication
Diet
Education
Entertainment
Holidays
Household
Hygiene
Jim Crow Laws
Marriage
Medicine
Military
Politics
Religion
Transportation

added:

Lyle is born in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States

The first game of professional football is played

Plessy v. Ferguson case legalizes separate facilities for blacks and whites across the U.S.

The first intercollegiate basketball game is played between the Cal and Stanford women's teams

Guglielmo Marconi invents radio

The United States declares war with Spain in the Caribbean

Lyle's future wife, Emily Kemp Auble, is born 7 years after Lyle.

The Wright brothers fly the first heavier-than-air aircraft

The Pacific Coast League founded

The new Ford Motor Company makes the first widely affordable car

San Francisco native Jack London publishes his most famous novel

The first radio broadcast is sent from Massachusetts

An 8.0 earthquake hits San Francisco

The RMS Titanic sinks after hitting an iceberg in the north Atlantic Ocean

America's first transcontinental highway is built

The Great War in Europe eventually pulls in American involvement

President Wilson creates a new agency to protect America's parks

Lyle Joins the U.S. Marines

Virus spreads around the world

Camp Lewis faces Mare Island in 1918 Rose Bowl

On 19 June 1918, Lyle marries Emily Kemp Auble.

On 31 July 1919, Lyle's daughter, Betty, is born when Lyle is 27 years old.

The 18th Amendment prohibits alcohol production in the United States

Women in the U.S. are granted the right to vote with the 19th Amendment.

Listeners tune in to public radio

The Rose Bowl Stadium is completed, becoming one of the largest and most famous venues in sports

The Hollywood sign becomes an iconic American symbol

John T. Scopes is accused of teaching evolution in a public school

Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin and revolutionizes the medical world

Herbert Hoover is inaugurated as the 31st President

The Great Depression strikes California, leading to the worst economic crisis in the state's history

The Empire State Building is constructed in New York City.

President Roosevelt passes New Deal programs to help revitalize the economy

Farmers abandon their lands after the Dust Bowl destroys crops and enhances economic strain caused by the Great Depression

Amelia Earhart disappears over the Pacific Ocean.

John Steinbeck's most famous book is published, selling over 430,000 copies within the first year

Impact of World War II reaches the West Coast

Over 11 million people are killed by the Nazis in organized genocide

Japanese planes attack Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii, killing 2,400 Americans

Mother dies

The U.S. drops the first atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

A Californian, one of America's greatest generals dies after a car crash

Father dies

U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy heads an aggressive campaign against American citizens with supposed Communist sympathies

America deploys troops to South Korea to stop the halt of the North Korean army

Polio Vaccine is presented to the public

Brown v. Board of Education desegregated all public schools in America.

Disneyland opens to the public in Anaheim, CA

California becomes a center for soldiers and refugees during the Vietnam War

The Soviet Union attempts to transfer nuclear weapons to Cuba

Winds ravage Puget Sound

The famous Alcatraz Prison closes due to high operating costs

President John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas.

The Civil Rights Act outlaws racial discrimination of African-American people in employment and education

The Black Panther Party becomes a Marxist revolutionary group, bringing an interior threat to America's government

Civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. assassinated in Memphis

Thousands traveled to upstate New York for the Woodstock Music and Art Festival.

American astronaut Neil Armstrong becomes first man to walk on the moon

Over 175,000 acres and 382 homes are burned in San Diego County in what would be the biggest wildfire of its time

McDonald's Egg McMuffin becomes a popular breakfast item for people across the globe

Watergate Scandal

Lyle dies

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Lyle born, 1891

Lyle was born on 2 November 1891, in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States. His mother was Abbie Ardell Smith and was 29 years old when Lyle was born. His father was Henry Austin Carringer and was 38 years old at the time.

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California, 1891

Situated on the Pacific Coast, California was a very different place in the first and second halves of the 19th century. While some settlers made the trek west to seek religious and economic freedom in the early 1800s, it was the famous gold rush of 1849 (and the region's official statehood a year later) that opened the world's eyes to California's resource-rich mountains and fertile farmlands. Over time, Lyle and his friends and family would have seen the state's population increase from 90,000 in the middle of the century to more than 3 million by 1900.

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Professional Football, 1892

In 1892, when Lyle was 0, the first professional American football game was played. Purely an amateur sport up to this point, the game between the Allegheny Athletic Association and the Pittsburgh Athletic Club saw the two clubs reach out to top college players to join their teams for a Columbus Day match-up. William "Pudge" Heffelfinger, a star at Yale, was paid $500 to travel to Pittsburgh and play for the Allegheny squad—making him the first known football player to be paid in the U.S. By the early 20th century, the first professional leagues would form, and American football would soon become one of the most popular sports in the country.

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Childbirth

Medical technology across the United States had advanced considerably from decades past, but living out West, Lyle's mother still faced considerable risks and challenges throughout her pregnancy and the birthing process. While giving birth to one healthy child was difficult enough, the average American mother gave birth to six children over her life. The majority of these births still occurred in the home, often with only a family member of midwife available to assist. For fortunate families, a doctor or midwife would come to the home prepared with forceps, chloroform (used as anesthesia), and tools for laceration repair. But even with these new tools, many infants still passed away during or immediately after birth.

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Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896

Lyle was 4 when the case of Plessy v. Ferguson was heard before the United States Supreme Court. Addressing the discrimination still faced by African-Americans in a post-slavery America, the Court's eventual ruling established the precedent of "separate but equal." This upheld the legality of having separate, segregated facilities and institutions for whites and blacks, be it water fountains or school systems. Plessy's defeat led to increased discussion over civil rights in America, but blacks would still face the obstacles of legal segregation for decades to come.

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College Basketball, 1896

When Lyle was 4, the first intercollegiate basketball game was played in San Francisco between the women's teams at the University of California and Stanford University. This was merely five years after the recognized invention of the game by James Neismith in 1891, and the game was far from headline news. Still, with worries about the female players receiving insults and jeers from male spectators, men were not allowed to watch the UC vs. Stanford contest. The game—which featured a wildly different set of rules than modern basketball, including no dribbling—saw Stanford take the victory 2 to 1. With basketball gaining more attention throughout America, this intercollegiate game paved the way for California and other states to increase the availability of basketball in their area, leading to a new form of entertainment and competition for millions of future athletes.

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Childhood

A fancy board for Fox and Geese

During Lyle's childhood, there were often greater expectations for what a young person could contribute to the family farm or business than in the classroom. Society expected children to help with basic cooking, cleaning, field work, or any other task that needed doing. Even though parents began having fewer children, many young people still forsook education in order to contribute more to their family's well-being.

Beginning in the late 1840s, many single men came to California in hopes of striking it rich with gold, keeping the percentage of children in the region relatively low. As more families made the trek west, however, the growth of new communities brought with it the rapid construction of schoolhouses up and down the coast. Children, especially the eldest, were still expected to take on great responsibility within the home. As the 19th century drew to a close, however, there was also a greater emphasis on attending school and developing a wider spectrum of knowledge and skills, specifically for wealthier white males.

When not in school, and not working in the factories or at home, children would often entertain themselves. Baseball was a popular pastime for boys starting in the mid 1800s, as were sprint races and wrestling. Games such as table-top ninepins were also favored among boys and girls, alike; as well as Fox and Geese, a board-and-peg game where players attempt to capture and block one another's pieces; and Gracies, a two-player stick-and-hoop game.

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Marconi Invents Radio, 1897

Marconi demonstrating the radio

Following in the tradition of dozens of Italian scientists and inventors, Guglielmo Marconi began studying at the Livorno Technical Institute in 1894. Focusing his efforts on understanding radio waves, he had patented a basic system of wireless telegraphy—the radio—by 1897. Marconi's first radio waves were initially short, averaging only a mile and a half long. But in 1901, he was able to receive a wireless transmission from across the Atlantic, and kept refining his technology until he could transmit from Nova Scotia to Ireland. He received the Nobel Prize in physics in 1909. In 1912, the Titanic famously signaled for help using Marconi's invention.

Even after his initial successes, Marconi continued to study and develop his science, assisting in the creation of the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) and the development of radar technology. But Marconi would remain most well-known for inventing the radio, bringing increased enjoyment, safety, and information to Lyle's neighbors and relatives. Many members of Lyle's community soon could not imagine their lives without the existence of radio.

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Spanish American War, 1898

A battle of the Spanish-American War

During Lyle's lifetime, the United States began to establish itself as a world power, and began to intervene in international affairs in places like the Philippines, Hawaii, and Cuba. Unfortunately for U.S. foreign relations, this caused a lot of tension, resulting in several conflicts including the Spanish-American War of 1898. Americans around Lyle were shocked to read the sensational news articles detailing the alleged Spanish attack on the U.S.S. Maine in Cuba. Although only a few thousand Americans died in the war, the U.S. established itself as a major player on the world stage. Many people around Lyle learned about the war through "yellow journalism," or newspaper articles that contained exaggerated information to promote the war and sell copies.

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Education

During the 1800s, formal education opportunities for Lyle and other children expanded a great deal throughout the United States, and especially in California, where cities were still adapting to the mid-century population boom. The first public school in California opened in 1850, in San Francisco. The state placed an emphasis on quality education early on, and by 1874 elementary education was compulsory throughout California. The state provided aid to the ever-growing localities, and school boards were organized in each community. One-room schoolhouses (with one teacher for all grades) prevailed in small towns, with roughly 200,000 in use throughout the United States during Lyle's life. One-room schoolhouses made sense during this time, due to a mostly rural population. Children would need to walk to school or ride a horse-drawn school wagon, so every small community or village would need its own school. This would begin to change as the 19th century progressed, with more states offering free public education. School consolidation became a popular trend during the period, as school systems felt they could offer better quality structures, teachers, and opportunities for students by combining existing resources. This worked well for the more densely populated regions in the North. The one-room schoolhouse continued to dominate in the rest of the country, including California, until the end of the nineteenth century. Despite the improvements, boys were still encouraged to attend school more than girls, and African-Americans and other minority groups were still segregated and unable to gain the same advantages. Minority schools were typically inferior to those for white students, both structurally and in learning materials. Minority children also usually had to walk longer distances to reach their school, as there were fewer locations open to them. Those lucky enough to continue their education at an institution of higher learning had a number of respected institutions in the Golden State itself. These included the University of San Francisco and the University of Southern California, among others. The first woman's college didn't open in California until the 1920s.

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Emily Kemp Auble born, 1899

Lyle's future wife, Emily Kemp Auble, was born 7 years after Lyle. Emily was born in Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States.

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Wright Brothers, 1903

When Lyle was 11 years old, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully designed and flew the world's first heavier-than-air, human-piloted aircraft. That initial flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, lasted less than a minute and didn't actually gain much public attention. By 1905, though, Lyle's local newspaper would follow the Wright Brothers closely as their increasingly sustained flights became a national sensation. Within a few short decades, the modern airplane would completely revolutionize travel for people all over the world.

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Pacific Coast League, 1903

The Oakland Oaks traveling to play the Sacramento Senators, 1903

In 1902, when Lyle was 11, the baseball fans in his family were delighted to hear of the founding of the Pacific Coast League. The new organization was considered an "outlaw" league by the National Association, as it welcomed players who had been blacklisted at the national level. Due to the region's mild weather, the baseball season could begin as early as February. Over the course of 200 games, the Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Oaks, Portland Beavers, Sacramento Senators, San Francisco Seals, and Seattle Indians battled for the league championship.

More than fifty years after its founding, the league would go into decline as the first Major League Baseball teams arrived on the West Coast. It would survive into the 21st century as a minor league, continuing to thrill sports fans as it had since Lyle's day.

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Ford Motors, 1903

Ford Motor Company

In June of 1903, when Lyle was 11, Henry Ford changed transportation forever by founding the Ford Motor Company in Dearborn, Michigan. In its early years, the company revolutionized manufacturing with its improved version of the assembly line, which had been patented by Ransom Olds of the Oldsmobile company a few years prior. Ford's version of the assembly line used an innovative conveyor system, in which the chassis of the car were towed by a rope from station to station, making production quicker and more efficient. Ford also set a precedent by providing a decent wage for his workers—$5 for a 9-hour day. The introduction of the Model T a few years later allowed millions of middle-class Americans to affordable automobiles.

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The Call of the Wild, 1903

When Lyle was 11, the California-based writer Jack London published his most famous book, The Call of the Wild. The story first appeared in the Saturday Evening Post—a weekly American magazine—in sections, and told of the kidnapping of Buck, a St. Bernard-Scotch Collie, and his journey through Alaska during the Yukon Gold Rush. It became an instant hit, and was soon published as a novel. Even after London's death, The Call of the Wild remained immensely popular; the book was compiled into new editions, translated into over 40 languages, and sold millions of copies. The book not only brought entertainment to London's fellow Californians like Lyle, but also brought a new sense of wonder to the last American frontier.

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Hygiene

Cosmetic powders became popular in the early 20th century

In the early 1900s, reformers in Lyle's community began programs to educate immigrants and the poor on hygiene and cleanliness. Advertisements also promoted indoor plumbing, which was now available to the middle class. By the middle of the century, most people Lyle knew had their own bathrooms, toilets, and sinks, although a few continued to use outhouses in rural areas. Mass-produced soaps, deodorants, hair products, and dental floss flooded the market, as Lyle's family now bathed multiple times a week and brushed their teeth daily. Toothpastes were sold in tubes instead of jars, and included fluoride to help prevent tooth decay. Combined with the construction of new, advanced sewer systems in major cities, this increase in personal hygiene completely changed the scent of urban areas and drastically reduced the spread of disease.

During World War I, surgeons began to use highly-absorbent cellucotton in place of surgical cotton when treating battle wounds. After the war, cellucotton was repurposed and rebranded as Kotex sanitary napkins, helping to improve feminine hygiene during menstruation. Additionally, as dress hems and sleeves became shorter, the women in Lyle's family were advised to shave their legs and underarms as a necessary part of personal hygiene.

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Clothing

Women's hats from the 1930s

1900s formal wear for men

Early 1900s formalwear for women

Throughout Lyle's life, fashion and clothing changed constantly. At the turn of the century, many Californians, especially women, looked to the clothing styles of Paris for inspiration. With the explosive popularity of Hollywood, however, California soon became one of the world's leaders in fashion, often inventing new ideas that would spread across the nation through advertisements, films, and the rise of celebrity tabloids. Many newer options of clothing were available for both men and women, ranging anywhere from denim jeans and t-shirts to three-piece suits made from natural fibers such as cotton, wool, and silk. Men and women could dress appropriately for any occasion, whether it be a trip to the beach or a formal party. For women, flapper dresses—low waisted garments that were often black, beaded, and fringed—along with shorter hair showed Western contempt towards conservative clothing and the sexual norms of society, a recurring theme in California fashion as the 20th Century progressed. However, it was still considered necessary and proper to dress nicely when going out in public. Whether going to work, attending a ballgame, or just running errands in town, it was still common for men to wear jackets, ties, and either bowler, boater, or homburg hats, while women would often wear dresses, wide-brimmed or summer hats, and a variety of slippers or boots in public. With the advent of the electric washing machine, washing clothes became much quicker and more efficient. Both men and women were able to take advantage of the wider variety of fashions available to them, leading to constantly changing styles in California.

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First Radio Broadcast, 1906

Reginald Fessenden

On Christmas Eve of 1906, the Canadian inventor Reginald Fessenden successfully executed the first radio broadcast—a Christmas concert sent out from a radio tower in Massachusetts to crews aboard United Fruit Company ships in the Atlantic Ocean. This was a major milestone in communication, and made news around the world. Soon, people like 14 year-old Lyle would be able to enjoy this new technology for communication, news, and entertainment.

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1906 S.F. Earthquake, 1906

Rubble from the earthquake

At 5:15 A.M. on April 18, 1906, when Lyle was 14, an earthquake sized at 8.0 on the Richter scale hit San Francisco. Lasting only about a minute, the tremors could be felt from Southern Oregon to Los Angeles and even to parts of Nevada. Along with the considerable structural damage from the quake itself, massive fires broke out in the city, lasting for several days. In the aftermath, over 3,000 people were dead and over 80% of the city had burned to the ground. Between 227,000 and 300,000 of Lyle's fellow Californians were left homeless, with many forced to sleep in tents in the city park and wait in long lines for food. Others did their cooking in the streets to prevent the risk of additional fires breaking out. Fortunately, with an inspired rebuilding effort, San Francisco recovered quickly and re-established itself as one of the great American cities of the 20th century.

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Religion

While the earliest settlers to North America came seeking religious freedom, Lyle was among one of the first generations to see that vision realized. Across the continent, immigrants from all over the world attended their own houses of worship and lived and worked relatively peacefully with people of completely different faiths. Christianity was still the dominant religion in America, with most of the population identifying with a sect of Protestantism, and a smaller group attending Catholic churches. But Lyle would have also lived among Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and other religious groups. Urban areas, such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, were often the most religiously diverse. While those communities continued to serve as centers of religious tolerance, tensions remained between the disparate groups. Those tensions often resulted in stereotypes, labeling, and misinformation.

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Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow laws in action: a segregated water fountain

In the wake of the Civil War, segregation legislation known as "Jim Crow" laws arose in Lyle's state and others throughout the South. Nicknamed the "Jim Crow" laws after the stage name of a white minstrel performer who appeared in blackface, the legislation was intended to keep newly freed slaves separate from established white society. As a result, African Americans in Lyle's community were forced to use separate bathrooms, drink from designated water fountains, follow strict rules of etiquette, eat at different restaurants, and, perhaps most critically, attend separate — and severely underfunded — schools. Controversial legislation and rampant racism also inhibited many African Americans from fully participating in the political sphere through a variety of means, including poll taxes and literacy tests; this was done despite the granting of suffrage to African American men through the 14th and 15th Amendments. Although some people in Lyle's community felt that these laws were unconstitutional or unfair, they would remain in place until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and '60s.

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Marriage

A 1920s bride

Within California's diverse cultural and ethnic population, couples around Lyle often dated during their early twenties and married within a couple of years. Arranged marriages were mostly a thing of the past, especially as women's rights movements gave women far greater say in who they could date and choose to spend their lives with. Wedding ceremonies were still most commonly held in churches, but many couples in Lyle's community opted for less conventional, secular locations, such as parks, hotels, or at home with family. Honeymoon trips following the wedding ceremony were common, with some couples traveling to romantic destinations within the region (from San Diego to the Redwoods) and others leaving the state for destinations further east or out of the country.

The average married couple had three to four children. Domesticity was the order of the day, which meant the father went out to work while the mother stayed at home to care for the children and the household. However, with global events such as two world wars and the Great Depression, some began to postpone marriage and having children due to economic restraints. Some couples shared rooms and homes in order to split the rent and save a little bit of money. Many women and children were also compelled to go to work so they could help their husbands and fathers provide for the family. Divorce was unusual in the early part of the century, but as cultural mores changed, legal separation became more common in Lyle's community as he got older.

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Diet

Lyle's fellow Californians had access to a wide variety of new foods in the early 20th century. Although meat, potatoes and locally raised crops still constituted a large portion of their daily diets, more diverse foods—such as those prepared by the state's substantial Mexican and Chinese populations—were widely available, as well. New techniques in canning, packaging, and transporting foods allowed Lyle's friends and neighbors to experience different types of domestic and international cuisine. The technological advancements also helped food prices. In 1914, the average American family spent around 60% of their income on food. However, by 1937 only 35% of a family's income went towards the grocery bill.

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Medicine

A boy getting vaccinated

During the 1900s, Lyle benefited from advanced medical knowledge and evolved technologies that dramatically improved upon those from centuries before. Lyle's friends and neighbors had access to many new vaccines that virtually eliminated diseases like diphtheria, tetanus, smallpox, and measles. Hospital visits at institutions such as Dignity Health in Los Angeles or the State Marine Hospital in San Francisco nearly replaced house calls from doctors, making everything from giving birth to surgery far safer for those who lived close enough. Mental health was now viewed as a medical issue, and special institutions were built to house those with both physical and mental disabilities and illnesses. The approach to mental illness, however, was sometimes harsh, with treatments like electro-shock therapy gaining favor toward the middle of the century.

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Titanic Sinks, 1912

On the night of April 14, 1912, when Lyle was 20, the RMS Titanic sank into the North Atlantic Ocean. Many people read about this tragic accident in the newspaper in the days and weeks following the crash. The Titanic had been sailing at full speed when the crew saw an iceberg, but were unable to turn before it hit the boat's starboard (right) side. The crash and subsequent sinking killed more than 1,500 people and shocked American and European citizens, who believed the Titanic to be unsinkable. The lack of sufficient lifeboats also angered many people and prompted the establishment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, which to this day governs maritime safety. It also led to the establishment of the International Ice Patrol, which watches the frigid seas for potentially dangerous icebergs.

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Military

A tank at the entrance to Camp Roberts

Fueled by two World Wars, the United States military underwent drastic changes during Lyle's lifetime. The military was divided into the Navy, Army, Air Force, and Marines. Many of Lyle's neighbors willingly volunteered for one of these branches, especially after national tragedies like Pearl Harbor. However, the World Wars also saw millions of white men between ages 18 and 37 drafted into military service. Some restrictions were set in place based on race, although the U.S. Marine Corps would finally allow African-Americans to join in 1942. Around that time, enlisted soldiers received about $71 per month, while officers earned $203.

Soldiers from Lyle's state preparing for deployment could be sent to California's Camp Fremont, which prepared soldiers for WWI, and its WWII successor at Camp Roberts. A soldier's training now included the use of motor vehicles, tanks, and machine guns and defense against chemical weapons. On the battlefield, these men wore cotton or wool olive "drab" underclothing, thick socks, shirts, trousers that ended at the calf, leggings, and hobnail shoes. They were also issued hats for different occasions: a pinched, round, brown campaign hat; an overseas cap; and a battle helmet. In addition to wristwatches, compasses, and handkerchiefs, soldiers carried dog tags and gas masks for the first time.

As male workers left for the front, women in Lyle's community took over their factory jobs, producing or repairing many essential items from airplanes to bombs. In 1943, the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) was created, followed by the U.S. Navy Women’s Reserve (WAVES), U.S. Coast Guard Women’s Reserve (SPARS), Marine Corps Women’s Reserve, and Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASPS). Families on the home front rationed goods such as gas, food, and clothing to save supplies for soldiers. Advertisements encouraging Lyle's neighbors to make such sacrifices flooded newspapers, magazines, and the radio. Propaganda films spread patriotism and called for even more recruits.

During peacetime, many veterans still suffered with both the physical and emotional scars of combat. Proper care wasn't always available to these vets, despite the many thousands dealing with "shellshock," a condition later renamed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Lyle's community would struggle for years to help soldiers return to civilian life as the nation celebrated their accomplishments and mourned the troops it had lost.

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Lincoln Highway, 1913

When Lyle was 21, the Lincoln Highway—America's first transcontinental highway for automobiles—was constructed. Beginning in Times Square in New York City and ending in Lincoln Park in San Francisco, the highway took a direct route of 3,389 miles, and crossed states such as New Jersey, Ohio, Nebraska, and Utah. Before the highway existed, people mostly traveled by rail because roads outside of towns and cities were often in terrible condition. With the introduction of this highway, Lyle's car-owning friends and family no longer had to worry about train schedules. The highway's booming popularity enticed restaurants, shops and hotels to establish themselves all along the road. The Lincoln Highway revolutionized continental transportation and afforded many Americans the opportunity to travel, explore, and enjoy America's rich land from the comfort of their very own automobile.

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World War I, 1914 - 1918

When Lyle was 22 years old, The Great War (later known as World War I) began in Europe. The combination of old military battle tactics and new elements like the machine gun and chemical weapons led to extremely brutal battles between the Allied Powers (including Britain, France, and Russia) and the Central Powers (led by Germany and Austria-Hungary). In the United States, many people were firmly against their nation becoming involved in a war centered around seemingly unrelated events overseas.

Once American soldiers finally did enter the fray in 1917, patriotism and anti-German sentiments ruled the day. In Lyle's state of California, men between the ages of 21 and 31 rallied and either volunteered or registered for the draft, departing for training in either San Diego or Washington, leaving their loved ones behind. With the men fighting in Europe, American women and minority citizens took over critical factory jobs to keep the country running and the war effort well supplied. More than 110,000 American lives were lost in World War I, and many of Lyle's fellow Californians were among them.

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National Park Service, 1916

An early poster from the National Park Service

Lyle was 24 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a bill that created the National Park Service, a new government agency dedicated to the protection and conservation of America's most historic and scenic places. While the idea of conservation wasn't new in the U.S., the job of protecting large, established parks like Yellowstone had generally been left to the military. Now, within a year, Yellowstone and countless other popular destinations would fall under the control of the NPS, ensuring that Lyle and future generations could see America's history and beauty protected.

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Holidays

A 1922 float from the Rose Bowl Parade

Lyle's fellow Californians enjoyed their holidays in a variety of ways. Many holidays were considered family events, while others were times for social gatherings and get-togethers. New Year's was a popular holiday, with cities showing extravagant fireworks displays and friends and families throwing parties. One of the biggest events on New Years Day was the Rose Parade, as thousands of people flocked to Pasadena from across the state and the country to witness the parade and the Rose Bowl football game.

Other popular holidays included Independence Day, Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. For most Californians, the biggest holiday of the year was Christmas. Unlike the Eastern states, which encountered freezing weather and harsh snowstorms, winters in California were often mild and pleasant. Even so, families enjoyed staying in and decorating Christmas trees, singing carols, and of course, giving gifts.

Although the majority of Californians celebrated Christian religious holidays in one form or another, the region was also home to growing numbers of Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, and other faiths. Every spring, Jewish communities celebrated Passover, which commemorated the story of the Exodus in the Bible, through readings from the Torah and a meal. Muslims celebrated the prophet Muhammad's initial revelations of the Quran through Ramadan, a one-month long celebration usually in late spring, that used daytime fasts to promote self-reflection and practice restraint.

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Lyle Joins the U.S. Marines, 1917

Lyle L. Carringer, USMC

As the United States edged closer to entering World War I in Europe, Lyle chose to enlist in the United States Marine Reserves in 1917. He received basic training in San Diego, and then was assigned to PX duty in Balboa Park in San Diego where there was a recruiting station.

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Entertainment

The 1951 Rose Bowl included the "California Golden Bears" team

As standards of living began to improve in California during the first half of the 20th century, Californians began to have more time and money to spend on leisure activities and entertainment. The growth of the film industry drew more families to the cinema. As the film industry began to move away from New York City and establish itself in Hollywood, the influx of stars led to an ongoing fascination with film and celebrity in California. One up-and-coming California filmmaker during this era was animator Walt Disney, who launched his empire with the creation of some of the first feature-length animated films, and iconic characters such as Mickey Mouse.

Sporting events were always big draws in the United States during Lyle's life, particularly baseball and football. For decades, California was home to many baseball teams in the popular Pacific Coast League, but by the 1950s, the Major League's Dodgers and Giants had made waves by relocating to L.A. and San Francisco, as well. Pro football, meanwhile, was largely trumped by the college ranks, as schools like USC and the University of California-Berkeley drew huge crowds to their Saturday contests. By the 1920s, many families could enjoy those games—and many other forms of entertainment— in their own living rooms, as radio broadcasts delivered news programs, live theater productions, music, and comedy to millions of listeners.

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Flu Pandemic, 1918

Soldiers with the Spanish Flu in a hospital ward

A terrible flu pandemic struck the United States and the entire world when Lyle was 26. The Spanish Flu of 1918 infected over a third of the world's population and killed more than 650,000 Americans alone, as the medical community desperately searched for better treatments or a vaccine. (Although it became known as the "Spanish Flu," it is believed to have originated in Kansas, where it spread quickly through army facilities, and then around the globe.) Many public gathering spots like theaters, saloons, sports arenas, and shops were temporarily closed, and some people in Lyle's community resorted to wearing masks any time they went into town. Hospitals and funeral parlors were overwhelmed, leaving many poor Americans to bury their own loved ones. With World War I raging at the same time, it made for a very challenging period for just about everyone.

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1918 Rose Bowl, 1918

Dick Romney

As World War I continued to rage in Europe, football kept spirits high in Lyle's state. Most college athletes had joined the war effort, and many schools had scaled back their athletics departments to funnel their energy into more "patriotic" activities. However, the White House believed that some fun and games were still necessary to keeping up public morale. The military also considered football to be excellent training for the battlefield. With these rationales in mind, the Mare Island Marines (of California) and the Camp Lewis 91st Division (from Lyle's home state of Washington) were invited to play in the 1918 Rose Bowl Game. The teams were composed of former college athletes, all-star players, and members of the military.

On New Year's Day, 1918, a crowd of 42,000 gathered in Pasadena, CA, to watch the two teams go head-to-head. A field goal in the second quarter put the Marines on the board, but a touchdown by Dick Romney gave Camp Lewis seven points. The Marines stayed strong, scoring another field goal and a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The final score stood at 19 to 7, and the Mare Island Marines were declared the victors. World War I would continue for several more months, but Lyle's community could always look back to the joy of the game to escape the uncertainty of wartime life.

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Marries Emily Kemp Auble, 1918

On 19 June 1918, Lyle was 26 when he married Emily Kemp Auble who was 18 at the time. They were married in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States.

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Daughter Betty born, 1919

On 31 July 1919, Lyle's daughter, Betty, was born when Lyle was 27 years old. The family was living in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States at the time.

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Household

An old fashioned coal stove

Throughout Lyle's life, many improvements were developed in the average Californian home. Instead of building their own furniture, people around Lyle bought items that were mass-produced and could be purchased cheaply. In other words, many Californians were now becoming consumers rather than producers.

Mass production also allowed for a variety of styles. Beds began to change to standardized sizes, including the twin, queen, and king size beds still produced today. In some families, this meant everyone had their own bed for the first time, even children. Coal burning stoves were prevalent in California, but central heating furnaces were gaining in popularity. Now people in Lyle's community did not have to spend the winter in the front room huddled by the stove or the fireplace.

The advent of air conditioning also provided respite from the California heat, at least for those who could afford the expensive units of the time. Houses were generally more spacious than before, with separate rooms for the kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, and living space.

Indoor plumbing was a welcome addition to the household during the period, although some rural homes still had outhouses. Carpets, whether woven at home or shipped from far away lands, were a popular form of decor, with the added bonus of keeping the home warm in winter and protecting bare feet on chilly spring mornings. Homes wired with electricity were increasingly introduced in the '20s and '30s, illuminating city apartment complexes and small town farmhouses alike.

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18th Amendment, 1920

Prohibition Agents destroying barrels of alcohol

In 1920, when Lyle was 28, Congress passed the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, prohibiting Americans from manufacturing or selling liquor. The movement to ban alcohol was sparked by increased interest in temperance due to religious movements in the 1800s and early 1900s, as well as a temporary prohibition enacted during World War I to free up additional grain for food supplies. Supporters of the amendment hoped it would reduce crime rates and stimulate the national economy. Unsurprisingly, it had the opposite effect. Many Americans discreetly brewed and distributed their own alcohol, making bootlegging and smuggling lucrative businesses. In the end, Prohibition hindered the economy by demolishing thousands of jobs, and in 1933, 13 years after its introduction, it was repealed by the 21st Amendment.

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19th Amendment, 1920

Governor Gardner, of Missouri, ratifying the 19th amendment

Governor Roberts of Tennessee ratifying the 19th amendment.

When Lyle was 28 years old, the United States Congress passed the 19th Amendment, prohibiting any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote based on gender. Women had been fighting for expanded rights, including the right to vote, since the early 1800s, but didn't achieve this key goal until 1920. Now, in the years to come, Lyle's female friends and neighbors could finally have an equal say in the important political issues that affected their lives.

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First Public Radio Broadcast, 1920

Woman tuning a radio, 1923

Lyle was 29 years old when the first public radio broadcast aired. Up to this point, radios had only been used for one-on-one communication, although a number of ham radio enthusiasts had organized groups for small transmissions. The equipment was often bulky and required constant attention in order to make sure that it ran correctly. Following WWI, technological advancement had made radio more practical, but it still remained a plaything in the eyes of much of the public.

In 1920, the Pittsburgh company Westinghouse (one of the largest radio manufacturers in the nation) devised a plan to sell more radios. They decided to make a broadcasting transmitter that would allow radio owners throughout the region to tune in for different programs. To make this dream a reality, they hired Dr. Frank Conrad — a local ham radio operator who often played records over the air for his friends and listeners — to set up a broadcasting channel, KDKA. November 2, 1920, the day of the presidential election, was to be the first day of programing.

Listeners in the area who tuned in that day heard a reading of the results of the presidential election, where Harding decisively defeated Cox. The broadcast, although heard by only a small group of people, was a stunning success and caused radio mania to grip the nation. Radio sales soon exploded throughout America, and there was a rush to open up and register commercial radio stations in most major cities. The Age of Radio had truly begun.

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Rose Bowl Stadium, 1922

With the rapidly growing popularity of Pasadena's annual Rose Parade and Tournament of Roses football game, a new venue was constructed and opened in 1922 to allow for bigger crowds at the event. Costing a little more than $272,000, the horseshoe-shaped stadium—eventually known simply as the Rose Bowl—could house 57,000 football fans, and it became a popular destination for many of Lyle's friends and neighbors.

Meanwhile, the annual New Year's Day football game played here, the Rose Bowl Game, became a bigger and grander spectacle. The profits derived from visitors and spectators would lead to a number of renovations, and the Rose Bowl stadium eventually would house more than 92,000 fans, becoming one of the largest and most famous sports venues in America.

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Hollywood Sign, 1923

When Lyle was 31, the Hollywood sign was constructed atop Mount Lee in the Hollywood Hills of Los Angeles. Originally built as part of a short term ad campaign for a new real estate development, the $21,000, 50-foot-high sign initially spelled out "Hollywoodland," and had 4,000 20-watt light bulbs that lit up the sign across the valley below. After Hollywood's emergence as the international center of the movie industry in the 1920s, the sign remained in the hills as an iconic symbol, and the "land" portion was eventually removed in the 1940s. The Hollywood sign would survive decades of deterioration and vandalism to remain one of the most recognized images in America.

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Transportation

The Pacific Coast Highway

Over the course of Lyle's lifetime, the means of transportation available in America changed immensely. Automobiles gradually became more affordable to people from all walks of life. Accordingly, a wider network of roads were built across the state of California, including the famous Pacific Coast Highway (aka Highway 1). These roads joined the railroads, Pacific Ocean waterways, and numerous rivers like the Sacramento and San Joaquin as arteries for California industry and travel. In San Francisco, the famous cable cars proved to be efficient for urban mass transit. Similarly, airplane travel—which was only even invented by the Wright brothers in 1903—literally took off during Lyle's life. At first, only the wealthy could afford to fly, but soon, safer commercial jets began transporting thousands of people to locations all over the country and abroad, all at speeds never before imaginable.

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Scopes Monkey Trial, 1925

Anti-evolution supporters near the trial

William Jennings Bryan

John Thomas Scopes

At age 33, people in Lyle's community and across the country were captivated by what was known as the "Scopes Monkey Trial." In Tennessee, a substitute teacher named John T. Scopes was accused of illegally teaching evolution in a public school. The famous attorney Clarence Darrow spoke on behalf of Scopes, while former Presidential candidate William Jennings Bryant served as the prosecutor and advocate of fundamentalist Christian beliefs. Reporters swarmed the tiny town, allowing people near Lyle to follow the proceedings by newspaper. Scopes was found guilty, but the case served an important role in separating church and state in schools across the country.

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Communication

A rotary style telephone

Communication technology rapidly evolved in California during the first half of the 20th century, allowing Lyle access to more information than his forebearers. At the dawn of the century, people like Lyle could use telephones to communicate with family and friends instantly, even from hundreds of miles away. In the 1920s, Californian society embraced radio as one of the first forms of mass-communication. Traditional music and the latest popular trends— like jazz — were played on stations around the state. During the Great Depression, people would gather around radios to hear and take comfort in Franklin Delano Roosevelt's "Fireside Chats." The use of radios and wide circulating newspapers like the Los Angeles Times enabled Californians to keep up on local, national, and global news. With literacy peaking at near 95% by the middle of the century, libraries, book shops, and newspaper stands were also widely frequented. Increasingly well designed and affordable typewriters made it far easier to write up a letter or document, and the expanding U.S. Postal Service could deliver mail to loved ones or business partners in record fast time.

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Penicillin, 1928

Alexander Fleming

In 1928, when Lyle was 36, scientist Alexander Fleming's petri dish started to grow mold, and a fortuitous lack of cleanliness led to the accidental discovery of the bacteria that facilitated the invention of Penicillin. Penicillin revolutionized the medical world by saving lives and reducing the number of amputations during World War II by halting infections. Fleming's invention meant that many of Lyle's friends and neighbors, who would have otherwise died of infection, came home alive from World War II. During the first five months of 1943, citizens only had access to 400 million units of penicillin, but by the end of World War II, U.S. companies made 650 billion units a month.

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Herbert Hoover, 1929

When Lyle was 37, California's own Herbert Hoover was inaugurated as the 31st President of the United States. Although not native to California, Hoover became the Republican nominee from the state and was largely known for his humanitarian efforts during and after World War I. Many Californians were excited and proud after hearing that Hoover had won by a landslide, and were thrilled that their state's representative held the highest political office in the nation. However, the stock market crash the following November and the ensuing Great Depression led many Americans to harbor strong resentment towards Hoover, making his one-term presidency one of the least celebrated of the 20th century.

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Great Depression, 1929 - 1940

Californians in line waiting for relief checks

When Lyle was 37 years old, the Great Depression struck the people of California, bringing in the worst economic crisis in the state's history. Businesses and banks closed to the public, investors lost their fortunes, income dropped, and thousands lost their homes and livelihood. Unemployment soared to 28% in 1932, and a record 20% of the population was dependent on public support and relief. Many lived in "Pipe-Cities"—towns of thousands of unemployed workers and families who took shelter inside of concrete pipes and survived on discarded vegetables. To make matters worse, the Dust Bowl in the central U.S. brought over 200,000 people to California with hopes of beginning anew. However, wages were low and work was scarce for both Californians and immigrants. Xenophobia was soon rampant, with specific discrimination leveled towards the state's Filipino and Mexican populations over the belief that they were stealing American jobs. Over 100,000 Mexicans were deported, and the government even paid immigrants to return to their homeland.

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Empire State Building, 1931

When Lyle was 39, the Empire State Building was completed. This iconic structure stood as the world's tallest skyscraper for 40 years and represented the economic strength and wealth of the United States. Lyle would have likely heard about the completion of this building by radio. Despite the looming cloud of the Great Depression, the Empire State Building gave Lyle and people around him hope that America would soon find a way out of its economic crisis.

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Commerce

A sample war bond

During the early 20th century, many Californians around Lyle purchased the bulk of their goods at small, locally-owned shops in both small towns and large cities. As larger department stores like Macy's and Sears grew in popularity, national chains began gaining more of a foothold throughout the country and eventually permeated California.

Although industrialization was rapidly progressing throughout the state, agriculture and farming still played a central role in California's economy. In fact, the increased production of crops such as wheat, cotton, potatoes, and oranges eventually made California the nation's leading agricultural state. The rising prominence of Hollywood also helped its economy, as the film and fashion industries became new symbols of American prosperity. When thousands of workers traveled west to find work during the Great Depression, California's reputation to the rest of America was clearer than ever — a place of hope and financial opportunity.

With this economic power came a greater reliance on financial institutions like the Bank of America and Security Pacific. Coins and paper money were still commonly used, but personal checks were also more widely accepted than in the past. Like most Californians, Lyle paid sales taxes on many goods, as well as federal income taxes. During the war, some Californians purchased war bonds to support the war effort financially.

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Politics

During Lyle's lifetime, people participated in government more than ever before. The increased popularity of first radio, then television, allowed those around Lyle to follow up to the minute political developments in Washington D.C. and around the world. With women earning the right to vote earlier in the century, an entire half of the population was also making its voices heard and changing the way politicians campaigned. Over the span of just two decades, Americans like Lyle faced the domestic crisis of the Great Depression, the sweeping changes of President Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, the massive death tolls of World War II and the Korean War, and the beginning of a new rivalry with the rising Soviet Union.

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New Deal, 1933 - 1938

A New Deal poster

When Lyle was 41 years old, America was plunged into economic turmoil with the onset of the Great Depression. In response to the struggling economy, President Franklin D. Roosevelt passed a series of acts and federal programs known as the New Deal. These programs included the Civilian Conservation Corps, which helped develop national parks and forests across the country and provided jobs for young men, as well as the Works Progress Administration, which employed thousands of Americans in public projects such as bridges, schools, and parks. These programs, although controversial at the time, provided employment and economic relief for many of the people around Lyle.

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Dust Bowl, 1934

Supplementing the disaster of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl ripped through Colorado, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas when Lyle was in his 40s. After decades of farming practices that damaged the land, a period of severe drought and high winds ripped the top soil from previously fertile farms, creating "black blizzards" that reached all the way to the east coast and often reduced visibility to around three feet. 250,000 farmers were forced to abandon their lands and become migrant workers on farms in places like California. Many who stayed behind suffered severe illnesses or death from breathing in silt particles.

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Amelia Earhart, 1937

In 1932, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to fly solo in an airplane across the Atlantic Ocean. Just fives years later, when Lyle was in his 40s, Earhart disappeared during an attempted solo flight over the Pacific Ocean. Her life and accomplishments tremendously motivated women and young girls of the time, who regarded her as a strong independent influence. Though no one knows exactly what happened to Earhart, many people have proposed theories regarding her fate, ranging from mechanical failure to alien abduction.

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Grapes of Wrath, 1939

When Lyle was 47, the celebrated writer John Steinbeck—a native Californian—published arguably his most famous book, The Grapes of Wrath. Written about a family migrating west to California during the Great Depression, the book quickly became a hit and a cultural phenomenon, selling over 430,000 copies within the first year of its publishing, and eventually earning Steinbeck both the Pulitzer Prize and Nobel Prize for literature. Steinbeck wrote many other great works throughout his life, including Of Mice and Men and East of Eden, but his ability to capture the desperation of the Dust Bowl era in The Grapes of Wrath left an indelible impression matched by few other efforts in American literature.

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World War II, 1939 - 1945

Eastine Cowner works on a ship under construction at Richmond, California

When Lyle was 47 years old, World War II began in Europe, only 21 years after the end of the first World War. It would become one of the most destructive conflicts in recorded history, with the U.S. eventually joining the Allied Forces (fighting alongside countries like the Soviet Union and Great Britain) to stop the rise of Nazi Germany, fascists in Italy, and the Empire of Japan. With fronts in both Europe and the Pacific, casualties were high on both sides. An estimated 50 million people died - around 2.5 percent of the world's population at the time.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, some people in Lyle's community feared that the Japanese would invade the American mainland next. Some also worried that the substantial Japanese-American population in California was providing secret intelligence to Japan. Due to this paranoia and increasing security concerns, the U.S. government forced more than 110,000 Japanese-Americans to leave their jobs and homes to enter internment camps, which were very uncomfortable and surrounded by armed guards and barbed wire. While many Americans supported this policy, history would prove it to be a very dark chapter in the country's history.

At the same time, California became a prime training ground for enlisted soldiers during the war, as more than 140 war bases were built. Shipyards were also built along the California coast, providing many of America's ships and planes for the war effort.

With many men fighting overseas, women, African-Americans, and new immigrants joined the workforce in greater numbers, granting them unprecedented opportunity to earn good money while becoming an essential part of the war effort. Rationing and scrap drives were also promoted by celebrities and encouraged as a way for anyone of the homefront to be patriotic and help the boys overseas.

During the war, few Americans were aware of the atrocities of the Holocaust occurring in Europe, as the full scope of the Nazi extermination of Jews and other minorities in concentration camps only became clear in the years that followed. Countless immigrant families in the U.S. would be directly affected by it, however.

In the end, the Allied Forces were triumphant in the war, as Germany's surrender (following the suicide of Adolf Hitler) was eventually followed by the surrender of Japan. There was great rejoicing across the country and much of the world as peace was finally achieved. The price had been extremely high, however. Japan's surrender had come only after President Harry Truman's decision to use the atomic bomb for the first time, killing thousands of civilians in the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The controversy and pain from these and hundreds of other attacks and battles from the six-year war would create deep scars—literal and figurative—that would stay with many members of Lyle's generation.

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Holocaust, 1941 - 1945

Holocaust survivors in 1945

When Lyle was 49 years old, Adolf Hitler and the Nazis expanded on their already discriminatory laws by placing Jews, gay men and women, disabled people, and other "undesirable" groups in concentration camps across Europe. Over 11 million people, 6 million of whom were Jewish, died at the hands of the Nazis in the genocide. Those who weren't killed in the camps suffered terrible atrocities (including starvation and hard labor) and witnessed the deaths of loved ones. Jews and targeted groups in Nazi-controlled countries were forced to go into hiding or flee Europe to avoid meeting the same fate as many of their friends and family. Meanwhile, many families in these countries who weren't targeted by the Nazi government watched in fear as their friends and neighbors were persecuted or shipped away to camps, and some attempted, at great personal risk, to hide families or smuggle them out of the country.

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Pearl Harbor, 1941

Pearl Harbor Bombing

Pearl Harbor

"We interrupt this program to bring you a special news bulletin. The Japanese have attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, by air." Lyle and Americans all across the country heard these words interrupting their favorite radio programs on December 7, 1941. As World War II raged in Europe, Americans had remained mostly isolated from the events. That all changed when Lyle was 50, as hundreds of Japanese bombers swarmed the Pearl Harbor naval base in Hawaii, destroying eight battleships and nearly 200 airplanes, and killing over 2,400 Americans. This catastrophic attack was a stunning, defining moment for Lyle and the country as a whole, as the U.S. was finally catapulted into the worldwide conflict.

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Mother dies, 1944

Lyle's mother Abbie Ardell Smith passed away in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States at the age of 81. Lyle was 52.

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Atomic Bomb, 1945

Aftermath

Flight crew

Mushroom cloud

While Lyle was caught up in the unique mix of pride and despair that was World War II, he and his family had no idea that the United States government was on the verge of developing an atomic bomb to help the Allies' cause. The top secret research operation, known as the "Manhattan Project," culminated with the devastating bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, ultimately bringing the war to an end.

Almost immediately after the bombs were dropped, 53 year-old Lyle and millions of other Americans huddled around their radios to hear the details. Though some questioned whether the ends justified the means, many of the people in Lyle's life were simply relieved to know that a victory and peace were finally in sight.

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General Patton, 1945

When Lyle was 54, Americans were stunned by the news that General George Patton, a hero of World War II, had died while attempting to recover from a car crash in Heidelberg, Germany. Although known for his hot temper, many regarded Patton—a southern California native—as a key factor in the Allied victory. He had led his army in a successful campaign in Sicily, and also led the American invasion past Normandy to Germany, eventually helping to free Germany from Nazi occupation. His loss was mourned by many people in his hometown of San Gabriel and across the country.

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Father dies, 1946

Lyle's father Henry Austin Carringer passed away in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States at the age of 93. Lyle was 55.

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McCarthyism, 1950 - 1954

The execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg

Senator Joseph McCarthy

While Lyle was in his 50s, McCarthyism ran rampant across the United States. Started by Wisconsin senator Joseph McCarthy around 1950, McCarthyism is the name commonly given to this period of communist "witch-hunts" in which thousands of American government workers, soldiers, and entertainment figures were wrongly accused of being Communist sympathizers. During Lyle's life, many Americans lived in fear of a nuclear attack by the communist Soviet Union, and McCarthyism thrived on this fear. Eventually, Lyle's friends and neighbors heard about the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg, who were put to death for conspiring to share atomic secrets with the Soviet Union. The highly-publicized images of the Rosenberg's young, now-orphaned children, as well as accusations of antisemitism, caused the American public to start to rethink their support of Joseph McCarthy.

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Korean War, 1950

U.S. Air Force attacking North Korean railroads

Lyle lived during a time when Cold War fears ran rampant across the United States and around the world. Across the ocean, Communist countries ruled much of Asia, and Americans around Lyle worried they would expand their borders. In response to these fears, American troops were sent to Korea to prevent the communist government of North Korea from crossing the 38th parallel into South Korea. By law, the men in Lyle's community between the ages of 18 and 26 needed to register for the draft, and by the war's end, over 1 million American men had been drafted and even more volunteered. The war lasted 3 years and cost tens of thousands of American lives, and ultimately ended in a stalemate and a permanent division between North and South Korea.

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Polio Vaccine, 1953

Lyle was 61 years old when Jonas Salk developed the first successful polio vaccine—offering real hope to thousands of people affected by the disease across the globe. The shot originally consisted of an injected dose of inactive poliovirus. After repeated testing, the successful results created a media sensation, but rather than seeking to monetize his invention, Salk considered the vaccine a public service that should be available to everyone. As a result, this once deadly disease—which had killed 44,893 people in the United States, UK, and Canada in 1949 alone—was nearly eradicated over the next two decades.

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Brown v. Board of Education, 1954

Protests in favor of racial segregation

Ever since the Civil War, integration of black people into white society was a very divisive issue in America. Blacks and whites generally lived in different parts of town, went to different schools, and participated in different activities. While African Americans were legally considered to be "separate but equal," their isolated facilities were rarely equal to those of whites. In 1954, Oliver Brown sued the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas for not allowing his black daughter to attend a white school near their house. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Brown, leading to the eventual desegregation of all public schools. While this landmark decision was a step forward for African-Americans, 62 year-old Lyle and those around him witnessed white resistance to school desegregation, which often resulted in bitter defiance and violence.

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Disneyland, 1955

An aerial view of Disneyland

When Lyle was 63, Disneyland was opened to the public in Anaheim, California. A 17 million dollar venture, this fantasy land amusement park was constructed in a just a year's time under the watchful eye of studio director Walt Disney. A parade and dedication was done to commemorate the new park in the summer of 1955. However, opening day was a catastrophe. 6,000 people were invited by Disney to attend the festivities, but counterfeit tickets brought some 22,000 extra people, leading to massive congestion and traffic. On top of that, attendees had to contend with blistering temperatures, failing water fountains (thanks to a plumber's strike), a food shortage, and a gas leak—which stopped some rides from working. Even the pavement wasn't fully dry, leading to the shoes of park goers getting stuck in the wet concrete. Despite these setbacks, Disneyland quickly proved to be a major success. The park, fueling the imaginations and dreams of adults and children alike, would later open associated locations in Florida, France, Japan, and China, connecting millions with the popular characters of the Disney film and television empire.

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Vietnam War, 1960 - 1975

When Lyle was 68 years old, the Vietnam War broke out against the communist forces of North Vietnam. California became a central location for receiving, training, and sending troops to and from Vietnam due to the many war bases that were established across the state during World War II. However, many Californians opposed the war, and protests broke out in places such as Berkeley and San Francisco. Almost 10% of the 58,000 Americans who died in Vietnam hailed from California, giving it the highest death toll of any state. As the conflict drew to a close, California also became a central location for refugees of the war, bringing many southeastern Asians into the Golden State.

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Cuban Missile Crisis, 1962

Soviet Freighter during the crisis

Peace protests during the crisis

The Cold War spanned the period between 1947 and 1991 when tension plagued the relationship between the Soviet Union and the United States. When Lyle was in his 70s, U.S. intelligence services discovered that the Soviet Union was sending nuclear weapons to Cuba. Many Americans were frightened because it allowed the Soviets to have nuclear weapons close enough to easily strike United States soil. President Kennedy set up a naval blockade that stopped Soviet ships from delivering nuclear weapons to Cuba. For 13 days, Lyle and the world watched Soviet ships draw closer to the blockade. During this time, both adults and children in the United States were learning about the possibility of a nuclear attack, as well as techniques like "duck and cover" to save oneself in the event of a bombing (though it is now understood that many of these techniques would not have worked). After 13 long, tense days, the standoff ended after peace talks between the United States and the Soviet Union, where the USSR agreed to dismantle their weapons already held in Cuba. Americans and people across the globe breathed a sigh of relief as the potential disaster was thwarted.

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Columbus Day Windstorm, 1962

A home destroyed by the storm in Netburg, Oregon

On October 12, 1962, when Lyle was 70, a massive windstorm struck the Puget Sound, causing major damage in both Oregon and Washington. It would prove to be the strongest climate event to ever hit the Pacific Northwest.

The storm began as Tropical Storm Freda, before weakening as it moved into the North Pacific. It hit the Aleutian Islands, where it veered south and picked up strength once again. It first struck San Francisco, where it caused Game 6 of the World Series to be postponed, killed 17 people, and then made its way north.

Winds registering at 140 mph buffeted central Oregon. Portland was hit with 120 mph gusts, uprooting trees and taking down power lines. Many office workers were trapped in the city as the storm made it impossible to drive home. Roofs were ripped from homes and windows shattered, creating more flying debris.

In Washington, power was knocked out in all of Tacoma; in Seattle, the World's Fair grounds were closed. One seven-year-old boy, Charles Brammer of Spanaway, received the fright of his life when he and his mother saw what they thought was a dog running in circles in a nearby field. As the creature approached they realized it was an escaped lion. It attacked the boy, and his mother charged at it and began beating it with her shoe, driving the creature off and letting her son to escape.

In the end, Lyle's friends and neighbors heard reports of the final destruction: fifty people were killed, 150 families lost their homes, and over $150 million in damage was done.

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Alcatraz Closes, 1963

Located on an island a mile and a half from San Francisco, Alcatraz Prison, nicknamed "The Rock," had a reputation for housing the most notorious criminals in America, including Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly. By the early '60s, however, when Lyle was 71, the prison was closed down due to high maintenance costs created by its unusual island location. Prisoners were transported to other facilities across the nation, while the building itself would soon reopen as a popular tourist attraction. Both visitors and locals, alike, enjoyed hearing tales of the prison from which no one could escape, along with anecdotes about the many famous convicts who'd served time behind its walls.

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JFK Assassination, 1963

November 22nd, 1963, marked one of the darkest hours in American history, as President John F. Kennedy was killed by an assassin's bullet while riding in a motorcade with his wife in Dallas, Texas. The tragedy stunned the entire nation, and brought life to a standstill in 72 year-old Lyle's community. Millions were glued to their televisions as news of the President's death, followed by the arrest of suspected gunman Lee Harvey Oswald, dominated the airwaves. The events became even more surreal when Oswald himself was murdered on live television two days later by Dallas nightclub owner Jack Ruby. For many Americans who'd gravitated toward Kennedy as a beacon of hope, the aftermath of his death brought about not just sadness, but fear and dread about the vulnerability of the country as a whole.

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Civil Rights Act, 1964

Throughout Lyle's life, and after the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans were forced to confront the realities of racial discrimination. In the years and months leading up to the passage of the act, race-based inequality garnered massive media attention with sit-ins and violent riots unleashed all across America. In response to the call for legal action, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed all racial discrimination in employment, education, and all public places. Though racial tension and violent clashes continued in the towns and cities around Lyle, the Civil Rights Act started to push Americans to act fairly and responsibly towards each other.

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Black Panther Party, 1966 - 1980

Formed in Oakland, California, when Lyle was in his 70s, the Black Panther Party began as an effort to protect African-American neighborhoods from police brutality. Jump started by student activists Huey Newton and Bobby Seale at Merritt College, the party would evolve into a Marxist revolutionary group intent on the arming of African Americans and freedom from the injustices of "White America". Government agencies such as the FBI called the growing group a threat to national security, especially after the Black Panther Party marched into the capital building in Sacramento armed with guns, demanding their freedom to bear arms and exemption from the draft. The party was motivated by more than revolution, however. They helped feed almost 10,000 children breakfast each day through their "Free Breakfast for Children" program and also participated in education, transportation, and giving shoes to the poor. Still, the party's ties to violence eventually brought a series of high profile confrontations and arrests, leading to its eventual dissolution. The Black Panther Party continued to inspire other groups across the globe, such as the Polynesian Panthers in New Zealand, the Dalit Panthers in India, and the Yellow Panthers in Vietnam.

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MLK Assassination, 1968

The Lorraine Motel

Martin Luther King Jr.

Early on the morning of April 4, 1968, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot while standing on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. The bullet went through his jaw and severed his spinal cord, and King was pronounced dead immediately upon arrival at a Memphis hospital. James Earl Ray, an escaped convict and outspoken racist, was later convicted of the murder.

Lyle was 76 at the time of King's death, and shock spread throughout his community and the entire country. Millions mourned the loss of the Civil Rights leader and worried about what his death would mean for the future of the movement. Ultimately, King's empowering speeches, encouragement of non-violent protests, and dream of racial equality would influence Americans for generations to come.

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Woodstock, 1969

Woodstock

In 1969, when Lyle was 77, the hippie movement was a growing force among young people in the United States, with many in Lyle's community identifying with the movement's opposition to the Vietnam War, promotion of "free love," and experimentation with cannabis, LSD, and other drugs. The Woodstock Music and Art Fair— held that summer on a mud-covered farm in upstate New York— promoted these same ideals, attracting an estimated 500,000 attendees and major performers like Jimi Hendrix, The Who, Janis Joplin, and the Grateful Dead.

Lasting three days, the peaceful but drug-filled and disorganized event came to represent much of what people both appreciated and disliked about the hippies. It also may have helped introduce Lyle and others to some of the era's most influential songwriters and musicians.

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Moon Landing, 1969

On July 21, 1969, when Lyle was 77 years old, millions of television viewers from around the world saw American astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin take mankind's first steps on the moon. Cheering at this historical achievement, the world listened in awe as Armstrong delivered his famous quote, "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Beyond the sense of wonder, Lyle—as an American—likely felt some pride on this day, as the U.S. had beaten its fierce Soviet rivals in the race to the moon.

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Laguna Fire, 1970

When Lyle was 78, the Laguna Fire broke out in San Diego County. Caused by strong winds and downed power lines, the fire spread rapidly, covering over 30 miles within the first day. Firefighters were called from all over the area, but by the time the fire was eventually put down, a great deal of damage had been done. The blaze burned 175,425 acres of land, destroyed 382 homes and over 1,000 other structures, and claimed the lives of eight people. By the end, the communities of Harbison Canyon and Crest had been nearly destroyed. Many of the people in Lyle's neighborhood were distraught at the news and saddened as many of their fellow Californians struggled to rebuild.

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Egg McMuffin, 1972

When Lyle was in his 80s, breakfast was usually a sit-down meal, consisting of a variety of foods like cereal, eggs, and bacon. When he was 80, however, a McDonalds franchise owner in Southern California named Herb Peterson created the first "Egg McMuffin." This cheap breakfast sandwich quickly became so popular, it was eventually responsible for one third of all McDonalds' total profits. The success of the McMuffin inspired other franchises to create breakfast items, encouraging many people to break tradition and get their breakfast on the go.

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Watergate Scandal, 1972

Richard Nixon

The Watergate Complex

When he was an 80 year old, Lyle lived through one of the biggest presidential scandals in U.S. history: Watergate. In 1972, President Richard Nixon was tied to a crime where former CIA and FBI agents broke into the Democratic Party offices, listened to phone calls, and stole private papers. Instead of facing impeachment, President Nixon resigned from office in 1974 and Gerald Ford became president. Seeing this corruption in their highest elected official, many Americans around Lyle had a hard time regaining confidence in their government.

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Lyle dies, 1976

Lyle died when he was 85 years old in San Diego, San Diego, California, United States.

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