Amadeo Picerno (1908 - 1982)

Refresh this page to see various historical events that occurred during Amadeo's lifetime.

In 1908, in the year that Amadeo Picerno was born, Henry Ford developed the first Model T automobile, often called the Tin Lizzy or flivver. Produced from 1908 through 1927, it first sold for $850 - which made it affordable for every middle class family. Previously, cars were the province of the upper class and the introduction of the Model T and its availability changed U.S. culture. Within days of its release, over 15,000 cars had been ordered.

In 1916, when he was only 8 years old, the U.S. National Park Service - part of the Department of the Interior - was created by an act of Congress in August. The Park Service was charged with the dual role of "preserving the ecological and historical integrity of the places entrusted to its management while also making them available and accessible for public use and enjoyment". The resources managed by the National Park Service have often been referred to as the "crown jewels" of the United States.

In 1924, he was 16 years old when J. Edgar Hoover, at the age of 29, was appointed the sixth director of the Bureau of Investigation by Calvin Coolidge (which later became the Federal Bureau of Investigation). The Bureau had approximately 650 employees, including 441 Special Agents. A former employee of the Justice Department, Hoover accepted his new position on the proviso that the bureau was to be completely divorced from politics and that the director report only to the attorney general.

In 1957, at the age of 49 years old, Amadeo was alive when on October 4th, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, the first man made earth-orbiting satellite - and triggered the Space Race. Sputnik I was only 23 inches in diameter and had no tracking equipment, only 4 antennas, but it had a big impact.

In 1982, in the year of Amadeo Picerno's passing, on June 30th, time ran out on the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA). The Amendment had only received 35 of the necessary 38 state ratifications. First sent to the states in 1972, the Amendment stated that "Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex".