August 20: ON THIS DAY in 1953, Russian H-bomb stirs new arms race
ON THIS DAY IN 1953, the Eagle reported, “Washington, Aug. 20 (UP) – Official confirmation that Russia has exploded an H-bomb today swept the world into a deadly new lap of the atomic arms race and brought Congressional demands for stepped up U.S. defenses. Chairman Lewis L. Strauss of the Atomic Energy Commission announced shortly after midnight that the United States detected an atomic explosion in Russia on Aug. 12 … Strauss made it clear that the United States was far ahead of Russia in developing the awesome H-bomb, which may release up to 1,000 times as much destructive force as an atomic bomb.”
The Eagle also reported, “Bloomington, Ind., Aug. 20 (UP) — Prof. Alfred C. Kinsey, the sex scientist, today disclosed his long-awaited findings on the sexual behavior of American women. He and three associates scientifically questioned 5,940 women and found their sexual powers to be equal to those of men. However, moral and social pressures and the woman-ignorance of most men frequently prevent full realization.” A sidebar featured the reactions of a number of Hollywood actresses to the report. Zsa Zsa Gabor “cabled her reaction to the book from Paris, saying: ‘Shame on Dr. Kinsey. He should have talked to me and gotten the truth.’”
* * *