Authority Is Given To Print Postage Stamps
1954
USA
Eisenhower amends EO 10289 to impose a tax on anyone in the Canal Zone who dealt narcotics. Authority is given to print postage stamps.
1958
USA
The American Express Company issued a charge card for travel and entertainment which was accepted at participating restaurant, hotel and airline merchants.
1959
Hawaii
Hawaii became the 50th of the United States.
USA
Bank of America issued the BankAmericard within California which was the first universal credit card with widespread merchant acceptance.
1960
US National debt $290,216,815,241.
USA
1963
USA
On June 4, John F. Kennedy issued presidential order EO 11110, amending EO 10289 to allow issuance of Silver Certificates.
Editors Note: There are two conflicting theories concerning President Kennedy and his issuance of money. One claim he by-passed the powerful Federal Reserve System and issued debt free money. The other claim is that he merely gave away the nation's silver reserves.
President john F, Kennedy was assassinated on Nov 22, 1963.
Vietnam
The US military had 16,500 "advisors" in Vietnam. In 1964 two US Navy destroyers "mistakenly" reported they had been attacked by North Vietnamese torpedo boats in the Gulf of Tonkin. President Lyndon Johnson used the supposed attack to pass the "Tonkin Gulf Resolution" which allowed him to take "all measures necessary" and it was on. By 1965 200,000 American troops were fighting in Vietnam and by 1968 there were 540,000 troops in Vietnam. In 1975 the last US soldiers left. Over the course of the 30 years 57,000 American soldiers were killed and 3,000,000 Vietnamese. The Vietnam war finally ended in 1975.
1966
USA
A group of 14 US banks formed Interlink, a new bankcard processing association with the ability to exchange information on credit card transactions.
1967
USA
The IMF approves a plan to create SDRs (Special Drawing Rights)-a new international reserve asset-to support fixed exchange rates. Plan is implemented in 1969, in First Amendment of IMF Articles of Agreement.
Four California banks formed the Western States Bankcard Association and introduced the MasterCharge program (which was later renamed MasterCard in 1979) to compete with the BankAmericard (later renamed Visa in 1976) program.
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