Looking at both the official UN encyclopedia and a website listing UN milestones year by year, I have decided I want to marked the following 10 facts as memory book markers in history for the years 1951 - 1960. You may consult my more detailed personal notes in preparing this lesson if you wish at the bottom of this blog.
HISTORICAL SYNOPSIS:
In 1951: Russia (the USSR) was protesting the legitimacy of the UN military action in South Korea because the People's Republic of China was not represented on the Security Counsel and Russia was boycotting the U.N. because of it. At the same time, China participated with military support on the North Korean side of the conflict, leading me to think of this year as the year of the BEAR TRAP. There were lots of literal military traps in battles all that year on the Korean Peninsula and Russia is often referred to as the great Bear the way the U.S. is referred to as the Giant (often sleeping).
In 1952: The whole year is spent in a series of inconclusive battles on the Korean Peninsula, link a tug of war in chess leading only to a stale mate with two kings still standing neither defeated nor victorious on the chess board. My icon is a Chess Board with only Two Kings on it.
In 1953: The contestants in Korea finally agree to a cease fire, which makes me think of a GUN HOLSTER, since one doesn't shoot a holstered gun.
In 1954: The US proposes the creation of a International Atomic Agency to "bank" all fissionable material to restrict the use of such material for peaceful purposes. Russia, however, never agrees to this strong regulation plan leading later to a weaker version of the idea. The Icon I like to think of for this idea is a piggy bank (preferably orange to match our decade theme) with a nuclear warning sign on it looking something like this:
In 1955: UN adopts resolution for observers move into to Suez to see if Egyptian and Israeli skirmishes can be put to an end; the first real peacekeepers from the UN follow a year later. I imagine the Icon for this event to be BLUE HELMETS with LIGHTNING ROD LIKE ANTENNA on top for communication and observation purposes, and to ground the Zeus-like bolds of anger flashing around the Suez (which is Zeus spelled backwards).
In 1956: Tunisia joins Morocco in achieving it's independence from France, leaving only Algeria in the Maghreb of North West Africa under French rule. At the same time, all the African and Asian members of the UN filed a complaint against France for human rights abuses in North Africa. I imagine a Camel with two humps for Morocco and Tunisia standing on its hind legs dancing for joy in newly found freedom.
In 1957: The USSR and the US compromise on Atomic Energy Regulation at set up the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) reporting to the UN on international atomic transfers rather than banking all atomic material. This makes me think of a devilish looking Star Wars like electric boxes like R2D2, but with two horn like coils sticking up out of it's head. This is kind of what I picture, but more robotic and weirdly alive like:
In 1958: The UN adopts four conventions on the LAW OF THE SEA. The bottom line is that countries own much mineral rights for the continental shelves extending off of their shore lines, but they don't control all of the rights of passage in the waters above to the same extent nor do they control all the fishing rights completely. This makes me think of a bookshelf with an Aquarium on it where passerby can cool himself with the water and/or eat the goldfish in the fish tank, but he can't take the bookshelf.
In 1959: The UN moves toward establishing a committee on the peaceful uses of outer space after the USSR send Sputnik into space as the first artificial satellite. The icon for this year is definitely Sputnik:
In 1960: The largest number of new members join the UN ever, 17 countries total, 16 of which are from Africa. Since there is a magazine called 17, I think of a Double-Cover Magazine with the National Geographic on one side and Seventeen on the other side.
MEMORIZATION:
I've decided I'm going to begin and each decade with a colored Elephant named El for our +50 (+L in Roman Numerals) cue card to the memory. To build a background stage rhythm into the stories, I'll continually rotate through the classically elements of Land, Water, Fire, and Air to create natural scene by scene blocking of images. Here's how it works with 1951 through 1960.
Big Orange Mommy Elephant with her feet planted firmly on the ground is looking for baby Dumbo flying around.
1st (1951) She finds a BEAR TRAP on the ground chained up to the bottom of a tree and carefully breaks the chain and moves the trap to...
(#2 - 1952) ... A CHESS BOARD sitting on top of a rock with a light switch in the middle that two kings on opposite side of the board are trying to pull in one way or the other to get the electric current to flow to one king's side. When the black king pulls harder and the switch moves to his side, a light bulb appears above his head, but when the white king pulls harder and the switch moves to his side the light disappears over the black king's head and appears over the white king's head (think Alice and Wonderland type scenarios). Mama Orange Elephant puts a stop to this by dropping the Bear Trap on the board short circuiting the light switch and holding the game in a perpetual stale mate...
(#3 1953) ... The Kings get tired of pulling on the rope now for nothing so they hop over to their STOOLS to sit on behind either end of the chess board and they pull their vice grips that they held onto the rope with in GUN HOLSTER on their sides to rest in their cease-fire...
(4, 5, & 6 merge fire water themes this time)
(#4 1954) ... Then, an Orange Glowing Radioactive live PIGGY BANK pulls up in a battery operated go-cart (a little car of sorts with 4 wheels), and he looks around to see why the chess board short circuited and disrupted his power grid. He dumps a bucket of water from his go-cart on the board to see if it is still a live outlet and sure enough he gets a big zap!
(#5 1955) ... This also causes the chess board and the bear trap to melt down and transform into a BLUE HELMET with a Silver Lightning-Rod like Antenna on the top that is giving off little Zeus-like lightning bolts or signals. The Orange Piggy Bank person puts a thick black rubber glove on to pick it put, and then he puts it on his head and jumps on a raft in a canal to float downstream and show his friend the camel.
(#6 1956) ... Then down the canal ahead of him he see's his friend the TWO HUMP CAMEL jumping up and down firing two pistols in the air in celebration of new freedom, but not knowing this, the Piggy Bank Pig freaks out, grows wings and flies away, ditching his raft in the canal...
(#7 1957) ... up on top of a wind blows desert hill, he sees another ORANGE Camel with One hump who has two dice bells hanging on his neck blowing loudly in the wind while he strains to stay upright with a giant ELECTRIC TRANSFORMER strapped to his back. The Piggy Bank notes the irony of the Camel having both a lot of energy left (on his back) and at the same time not a lot of energy left (in the weary look on his face).
(# 8 1958) ... Finally the wind and sand stop blowing, and as the flying pig watches circling in the air above, the Camel puts on Roller skates, races down the hill, and comes to a screeching halt in front of a bookshelf by the side of the road that has a goldfish in a fishbowl on it. He quickly sucks up all the water and gobbles up the goldfish as well, and then he knees down for a nap.
(# 9 1959) ... A Cat then comes hurling out of the sky hanging on for dear life to a crash landing SPUTNIK that skids across the sand when a lands coming to a halt on the side of the mountain. The exhausted fat orange cat then collapses in a cap nap next to the still sleeping one Hump Camel.
(# 10 1960) ... still circling and in awe of all of this, the flying piggy bank then see's Dumbo swoop in through the air in a mail person's uniform with two magazine to deliver, 17 for the fat cat and National Geographic for the Camel. He rubber bands them to two bowling pins and drops them over the sleeping animals like smart missiles that land standing straight up on the ground next to the cat and the camel. Then the piggy bank remembers Dumbo's mom is looking for him, so he tells him, and they fly back to the jungle to catch up with is mother.
EXTRA SOURCE NOTES for dedicated FACT FINDERS:
51 -- Bear Trap -- The Russian Bear protested legality, their were traps for everyone in every direction, for Generals, States, and Koreans.
52 -- 2 Kings on a Chess Board (China & the US) -- Year of Stalemate
53 - Gun Holster for the cease-fire and armistice
54 - Nuclear Piggy Bank
In September 1954, the United States proposed to the General Assembly the creation of an international agency to take control of fissile material, which could be used either for nuclear power or for nuclear weapons. This agency would establish a kind of "nuclear bank."
Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold wrote: The Assembly ... supported the early establishment of an international atomic agency in relationship with the United Nations.
1955 -- Security Counsel adopted a resolution calling for the separation of Egyptian and Israeli forces along their boarder near the SUEZ CANAL and for free movement for UN Observers in the area.
The Security Council met on 8 September to
consider how to bring the hostilities to an end
and prevent further incidents in the Gaza area.
The majority of the members stressed the advisability
of refraining from introducing into the
debate the question of responsibility for the recent
deplorable incidents, and emphasized the
necessity of enforcing the suggestions of the
Chief of Staff. After the parties concerned had
expressed their views, the Council unanimously
adopted a draft resolution presented by France,
the United Kingdom and the United States
which, among other things, endorsed the suggestions
of the Chief of Staff concerning the
separation of the armed forces of both parties,
declared that freedom of movement must be
afforded to United Nations Observers in the
area, and called upon the parties to co-operate
with the Chief of Staff in achieving those ends.
consider how to bring the hostilities to an end
and prevent further incidents in the Gaza area.
The majority of the members stressed the advisability
of refraining from introducing into the
debate the question of responsibility for the recent
deplorable incidents, and emphasized the
necessity of enforcing the suggestions of the
Chief of Staff. After the parties concerned had
expressed their views, the Council unanimously
adopted a draft resolution presented by France,
the United Kingdom and the United States
which, among other things, endorsed the suggestions
of the Chief of Staff concerning the
separation of the armed forces of both parties,
declared that freedom of movement must be
afforded to United Nations Observers in the
area, and called upon the parties to co-operate
with the Chief of Staff in achieving those ends.
56 - BLUE & WHITE HELMETS with Lightning Rods on top -- first UN peace keeping force at Suez Canal
56 - A pair of Camel's one with two humps with no burden, the other with one hump and a big burden.
Tunisia achieved it's Independence from France, while African and Asian members of the UN filed a complaint against France for human rights violations in it's one remaining North African Colony of Algeria.
57 - An Electric Transformer Box (looks like a gray trash can devil or star wars robot)
The IAEA was established as an autonomous organization on 29 July 1957. Though established independently of theUnited Nations through its own international treaty, the IAEA Statute,[1] the IAEA reports to both the UN General Assembly and Security Council.
By November 1954, it had become clear that the Soviet Union would reject any international custody of fissile material, but that a clearing house for nuclear transactions might be possible. From August 8 to August 20, 1955, theUnited Nations held the International Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy in Geneva, Switzerland. During 1956, an IAEA Statute Conference was held to draft the founding documents for the IAEA, and the IAEA Statute was completed at a conference in 1957.
58 - An Aquarium on a Bookshelf: Law of the Sea
Four conventions, an optional protocol and nine
resolutions, ranging over most major aspects of
maritime legislation, were adopted by the United
Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, held
in Geneva from 24 February to 28 April 1958.
resolutions, ranging over most major aspects of
maritime legislation, were adopted by the United
Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea, held
in Geneva from 24 February to 28 April 1958.
The Convention on the Territorial Sea and
the Contiguous Zone was adopted on 27 April
1953, by a vote of 61 to 0, with 2 abstentions.
Consisting of 32 articles, it dealt with the baselines
from which the territorial sea of a coastal
State is measured, both in normal cases and in
special cases, such as bays, roadsteads and
islands. It also dealt with the delineation between
the territorial seas of adjacent or opposite
States.
the Contiguous Zone was adopted on 27 April
1953, by a vote of 61 to 0, with 2 abstentions.
Consisting of 32 articles, it dealt with the baselines
from which the territorial sea of a coastal
State is measured, both in normal cases and in
special cases, such as bays, roadsteads and
islands. It also dealt with the delineation between
the territorial seas of adjacent or opposite
States.
CONVENTION ON THE
CONTINENTAL SHELF
The Convention on the Continental Shelf,
consisting of 15 articles, was adopted on 26
April by a vote of 57 to 3, with 8 abstentions.
It embodied a concept new in international law,
which had never before formed the basis of a
multi-national treaty. The continental shelf is,
in effect, the extension into the high sea of the
sea-bed and sub-soil of the territorial sea and
was defined in the Convention as extending to
a depth of 200 metres or, beyond that limit, to
a depth allowing for the exploitation of natural
resources. Similar criteria were applied to the
continental shelf of islands.
The Convention gave to coastal States exclusive
rights to the exploitation of mineral and
other non-living resources of the shelf, as well
as to sedentary species of living organisms (such
as pearl-bearing oysters).
However, the Convention specified that these
rights should not affect the superjacent waters
—that is, the waters above the continental shelf
—which continued to be regarded as high seas.
CONTINENTAL SHELF
The Convention on the Continental Shelf,
consisting of 15 articles, was adopted on 26
April by a vote of 57 to 3, with 8 abstentions.
It embodied a concept new in international law,
which had never before formed the basis of a
multi-national treaty. The continental shelf is,
in effect, the extension into the high sea of the
sea-bed and sub-soil of the territorial sea and
was defined in the Convention as extending to
a depth of 200 metres or, beyond that limit, to
a depth allowing for the exploitation of natural
resources. Similar criteria were applied to the
continental shelf of islands.
The Convention gave to coastal States exclusive
rights to the exploitation of mineral and
other non-living resources of the shelf, as well
as to sedentary species of living organisms (such
as pearl-bearing oysters).
However, the Convention specified that these
rights should not affect the superjacent waters
—that is, the waters above the continental shelf
—which continued to be regarded as high seas.
59 - Sputnik
CONSIDERATION BY
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
At the Assembly's fourteenth session, later in
1959, the Ad Hoc Committee's report was taken
up in the First (Political and Security) Committee,
which discussed it on 11 and 12 December
1959. On 11 December, a two-part draft
resolution was submitted by Brazil, Czechoslovakia,
France, India, Japan, Poland, Romania,
Sweden, the USSR, the United Arab Republic,
the United Kingdom and the United States.
By the first part of this 12-power draft, the
General Assembly, recognizing the common interest
of mankind in furthering the peaceful use
of outer space and the great importance of
international co-operation in this field, would
establish a Committee on the Peaceful Uses of
Outer Space
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
At the Assembly's fourteenth session, later in
1959, the Ad Hoc Committee's report was taken
up in the First (Political and Security) Committee,
which discussed it on 11 and 12 December
1959. On 11 December, a two-part draft
resolution was submitted by Brazil, Czechoslovakia,
France, India, Japan, Poland, Romania,
Sweden, the USSR, the United Arab Republic,
the United Kingdom and the United States.
By the first part of this 12-power draft, the
General Assembly, recognizing the common interest
of mankind in furthering the peaceful use
of outer space and the great importance of
international co-operation in this field, would
establish a Committee on the Peaceful Uses of
Outer Space
60 - National Geographic Magazine & 17
September 196017 newly independent States, 16 from Africa, join the UN -the biggest increase in membership in any one year. |
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