Christmas Through the Years in Chicago

The war in Europe is only months old, and German civilians are feeling the effects. New transportation systems are on the drawing board for Los Angeles and Chicago. Hollywood is out with two of the most vaunted motion pictures of the 20th century.

A partial government shutdown makes for a dismal Christmas for thousands of federal workers; the ownership of the Bears and the city of Chicago were at-odds over plans for renovating Soldier Field, so some other proposals were flying about; a new musical about the original Christmas Tree Ship was on stage; and the American Journal of Psychoanalysis was out with an unflattering report about the main character in a beloved Christmas movie.

Fury over a Chicago police shooting; an immigrant restaurant owner gets community support and good news from the government; electronic gifts were ubiquitous in 2015; so was Adele with a blockbuster album.

The biggest shopping season since the start of the Great Depression, a small town in New Jersey prepares for "the trial of the century," the Denver Zephyr, Shirley Temple and Buck Rogers of the 25th Century!

Midnight mass at a cathedral in the war zone as the US halts the Battle of the Bulge; a famous bandleader is missing over the English Channel, and warnings about getting the snow and ice off Chicago sidewalks.

A Christmas horror because of the practice of using  lighted candles to decorate Christmas trees; the fifth year of Prohibition, but not a lot of people seem to notice; Rhapsody in Blue and other popular music of the day

This a broadcast from 2004; there was controversy over a James Baldwin book, a visit to skid row, and Elvis, the Beatles and the Supremes!

Mayor Daley files petitions for a sixth term in office; closing arguments are underway in the Watergate coverup trial, and the Whip Inflation Now program.

   Mayor Washington plays Santa Claus for hospitalized children; a two-week long teachers' strike ends; the Cubs are in court over an issue that cost them home field advantage in the baseball playoffs; Cabbage Patch dolls and those new IBM "PC"s might have been Christmas gifts...
    The Christmas book Season of Joy is still available. Contact benesjim35@gmail.com for details...
 
 
 

Unusually warm weather, a thermal inversion and a new law resulted in hundreds of emergency calls to the Chicago Fire Department. Kenny G was out with a best-selling holiday album called "Miracles," and a Chicago army sergeant actually did enjoy a miracle on Christmas.