
1936
l to r: Pauline Metras, Suzanne Metras, Roger Tremblay, Arthur Metras
photos belonging to Jeannette Lippe Tremblay

1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA

The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.
1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.

1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.

June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.
1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.

1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam

The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.

1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)
1986 - January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger accident - The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members.

1989 - The World Wide Web is invented at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, UK)
2001 - September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Coordinated terrorist attacks by the extremist group al-Qaeda on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, leading to significant changes in U.S. domestic and foreign policy, including the War on Terror.
Obituary
Centreville, VA/ Southbridge...Suzanne M. Metras, 76, of Centreville, VA died at home Sept. 16, 2011. She is survived by her sister Pauline E. Metras of Southbridge, a sister-in-law Ann (DiFederico) Metras of Sturbridge, 2 nephews Michael and his wife Barbara Metras of Willimantic, CT, Stephen and his wife Joan Metras of Charlton, and 2 nieces Paula Metras of Sturbridge, and Nancy Tothill and her husband David of Center Barnstead, NH, and several grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by a brother Arthur Metras of Sturbridge who died in 2007.
She was born in Southbridge, daughter of Louis R. and L. Exena (Tremblay) Metras. She graduated from the former Mary E. Wells High School (1953) and Worcester State College (1957.) Suzanne worked as a secretary/ translator for the US State Department, retiring many years ago, and had also worked for the Central Intelligence Agency.
She was very active in numerous bowling leagues in her local area.
The funeral will be Monday,
Death — 201116 September 2011
Centreville, Virginia, USA
She died at the age of 76.
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