To understand the 1953 raid on polygamous families living in Short Creek, we have to go back even further and understand where the community of Short Creek came from, and the theological controversies that led fundamentalist Mormon families to settle there.

The Korean War tends to be one of America’s more forgotten conflicts, but as the fighting waged during the early 1950s it would have several impacts on the state. And it was a Marine veteran from Tucson whose story made sure Korean veterans had access to the same benefits as all other servicemen.

After more than two decades of radio, television took off in Phoenix in 1949. And just five years later, an Arizona TV icon would first walk in front of the camera, kicking off a 35-year career of making children laugh.

Along with its population explosion, Arizona in the 1950s dealt with the proliferation of cars on its roads and highways. As part of its efforts to keep up, the state would upgrade one particular highway that became a paved connection between the Valley of the Sun and the Rim country to the north.

The 1950s was a period of explosive growth and development for Arizona, especially for Phoenix, which not only rapidly expanded its population, but city boundaries and economy. But the unsung hero of this development was the one thing that makes the desert a tolerable place to live - air conditioning.

The Central Arizona Project became a reality within our lifetimes and today delivers water to Maricopa and Pinal counties. But the genesis for such an idea actually goes back nearly a century. And the real fight to get the thing built would start in the latter end of the 1940s, as Carl Hayden made it his mission to bring Colorado River water to central Arizona.

In 1946, organized labor in Arizona managed a critical victory against Phelps Dodge in Clifton-Morenci. Oddly enough, that same year, unions would be dealt an existential loss as voters enshrined right to work in the state constitution.

Starting in 1942, Phoenix’s leading businessmen and citizens decided that something had to be done about local government. Their efforts over the next seven years would completely revamp how the state capital was governed, and also help kick off the political career of one of the most famous of all Arizonans.

Following the end of the war, Black, Mexican and Amerindian veterans returned home to find that, despite being treated as fully American during their service, the nation tried to treat them as second-class citizens. It didn’t take too long for these veterans to decide they were not going to tolerate that.

Arizona celebrated V-E and V-J Day along with the rest of the country. But as the veterans started coming home, it was an Arizona senator who helped lead the charge to make sure there was a place for them.