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Energy and Buildings in the 20th Century 

 

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Milestone Buildings of the 20th Century

1950-1959

1955
McDonald's "Golden Arches" Drive-In Restaurant
Des Plaines, IL

Now restored as a museum, this was the first global image for "fast food" and America's car-oriented lifestyle.

 1955 McDonald's "Golden Arches" Drive-In Restaurant, Des Plaines, IL

Technologies, Innovations, and Quality of Life
1951   Color television introduced in U.S.
1952   Drywall invented (paper faced gypsum plaster sheets)
1953   Photovoltaics-solar conversion directly into electricity - invented by Bell Labs
1953   The gene chemical DNA is discovered
1958   First U.S. satellite to orbit the Earth


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