Timeline Saturday 1 January 1949

Events on Saturday 1 January 1949 4

• 1949 – 1967 Childhood in Kobe Grew up in Kobe, a cosmopolitan port city where he was exposed to Western culture through imported books and records. His parents encouraged reading, though he rejected the classic Japanese works they taught and devoured American paperbacks instead.
• 1949 Emigrated to the United States The Springer family immigrated to the United States, settling in the Kew Gardens neighbourhood of Queens, New York.
• 1949 – 1951 Featured Vocalist with Cugat Hired by Xavier Cugat as his featured vocalist after he saw her perform on Vincent Lopez's television show. Despite being 32 years her senior, Cugat made her his star attraction.
• 1949 – 1951 Newark Arts High School Attended Newark Arts High School, where he took up clarinet and then tenor saxophone. Created his own comic book called Other Worlds, reflecting his lifelong love of science fiction.