Vermont history from 1950-1999
What historic events happened in the end of the 20th century?
September 9, 1951
The change to dial telephones from those which were hand cranked began in Burlington, Vermont.
June 11, 1954
Vermont senator Ralph Flanders began his successful campaign to censure Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin. McCarthy had been the leader of public hearings that set out to accuse Americans in government of having communist sympathies. McCarthy accused people without enough evidence, violating their rights to a fair trial under the Constitution.
November 2, 1954
Consuelo Northrop Bailey was the first woman elected lieutenant governor of any state in the United States. In 1953 she was the first woman elected speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives; at that time, there were fifty-two women in the Vermont legislature, more than any state had ever had. During her career, Consuelo Northrop Bailey ran for office twenty-four times and won twenty-four times.
March 23, 1961
The Morgan horse became the Vermont state animal. The Morgan horse is used for sport and work.
July 5, 1961
Robert Frost became Vermont's first Poet Laureate. A Poet Laureate is a special honor that a state or the nation gives to a poet. Though Frost was born in California, he made Vermont his home. He owned several farms across the state and spent much of his time in Ripton.
Robert Frost in Ripton (video)
March 23, 1968
Vermont passed a law banning billboards. Many Vermonters thought these large advertising signs cluttered the countryside and blocked mountain views.
April 4, 1970
On this date the Vermont legislature passed a piece of legislation designed to protect the state's scenic landscape. Act 250, as the Land Use and Development Law was called, was the first legislation of its kind to be passed anywhere in the United States.
April 18, 1970
Vermonters picked up trash on the first Green Up Day. Governor Deane C. Davis came up with the idea in 1969. This has become a state tradition. Green Up Day is now held on the first Saturday in May.
August 13, 1977
Vermont Public Radio broadcasts for the first time. VPR is the first public radio station in the state. Their studios were in the historic Windsor House, a former hotel in Windsor, VT.
May 5, 1978
Ben & Jerry's opened their first ice cream shop in Burlington. On their one-year anniversary they hosted their first ever free cone day in Vermont. Ben & Jerry’s now has ice cream shops across the United States and the world.
July 1, 1978
The honeybee became the Vermont state insect. Honeybees are important pollinators. A pollinator is an animal that transports pollen. Honeybees also produce honey, a food many Vermonters enjoy.
December 20, 1980
The Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe burned to the ground. The lodge was owned by the Trapp Family Singers, the same family made famous from books and movies like the Sound of Music. A new hotel was opened after the fire.
June 2, 1981
A Vermont company earned a US patent for the Jogbra. The Jogbra is the invention of Hinda Schreiber, Eugenie Lindahl, and Polly Smith. They wanted to make women runners more comfortable by creating a new type of underwear.
April 22, 1983
Milk became the Vermont state beverage. Milk is collected from many farm animals in Vermont, including sheep, cow, and goats. Since the 1900's, milk produced from cows has become an important staple in Vermont, from the many dairy farms across the state.
November 6, 1984
Madeleine Kunin was elected the first woman governor in the history of the state of Vermont. She was reelected two years later by a slim margin when she ran against Peter Smith and Bernie Sanders.
March 27, 1985
The Tunbridge soil series became the state soil. Tunbridge soil is found in all but one Vermont county. The soil is often found in forests and promotes healthy tree growth. When settlers first came to Vermont, much of the land was heavily forested. Farmers cleared many of the trees to create fields for growing crops.
April 29, 1986
The Vermont Senate adopted a resolution encouraging "serious scientific inquiry into the existence of any unusual animal in Lake Champlain, especially … the one commonly known as 'Champ.'"
July 1, 1987
The monarch butterfly became the Vermont state butterfly. Monarch butterflies travel thousands of miles, migrating back and forth between New England and Mexico.
November 18, 1989
The Montshire Museum of Science had its grand opening in Norwich. The Montshire is a museum that shows people how cool science is. The museum started in Hanover, New Hampshire before moving to Vermont.
December 3, 1990
Governor Madeleine Kunin appointed Denise R. Johnson to the Vermont Supreme Court. Johnson was the first woman to be a Justice on this court. Since her appointment, other women have joined the Supreme Court. Johnson served until 2011 when she stepped down.
March 11, 1992
An ice jam caused the Winooski River to flood Montpelier. The water rose fast. Flooding lasted for 12 hours. The high water damaged many homes and businesses. The city closed for three days as people cleaned up.
May 28, 1992
Three types of stones became Vermont's state stones. Marble, granite, and slate are all stones quarried across the state of Vermont. Each stone has been used to build famous statues and buildings, including some in Washington, D.C.!
June 6, 1993
The Charlotte Whale became the state marine fossil. The Charlotte Whale is a fossil of a beluga whale, an animal that still survives in artic waters today! The fossil was discovered in Charlotte in 1849 when railroad workers uncovered it while excavating for Vermont's first railroad.
September 19, 1995
The very first Walmart in Vermont opened in Bennington. Some Vermonters did not want a new building to be built for the store. Walmart placed their store in a building already in town.
Copy and paste this citation to show where you did your research.
Vermont Historical Society. "Vermont history from 1950-1999." Vermont History Explorer. Accessed December 5, 2023. https://blog.vermonthistoryexplorer.org/timeline1950-1999