Robert Charles THURSTON

(b. 13 October 1926 , Natick, Massachusetts, USA d. 28 August 1992 , Natick, Massachusetts, USA )

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THURSTON Family Tree – Connecting the Past to the Present!

What started out as our family is now your’s too!

Robert Charles THURSTON was born 13 October 1926 in Natick, Massachusetts, USA

Robert Charles THURSTON was the child of Bertram Edward THURSTON and Alida L TRACY

Spouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):

Robert Charles married Jean ARNOLD 7 December 1946 in Winchester, New Hampshire, USA . The couple had (at least) 1 child.
They divorced. Jean ARNOLD was born 27 January 1921 in Adams, Massachusetts, USA. Jean died 23 September 1994 in Adams, Massachusetts, USA. Jean was the child of Robert T ARNOLD and Elsie Rosetta CARD.

Robert Charles THURSTON died 28 August 1992 in Natick, Massachusetts, USA.
Details of the family tree of Robert appear below.

A Glimpse into the Everyday Life of the Average American Man in the Mid-1900s

Family and Children of Robert Charles THURSTON

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Robert Charles THURSTON married

Jean ARNOLD-- Date: 7 December 1946 Place: Winchester, New Hampshire, USA
Jean ARNOLD was the child of Robert T ARNOLD and Elsie Rosetta CARD

Name: Jean Arnold
Gender: Female
Race: White
Marriage Age: 24
Record Type: Marriage
Birth Year: abt 1922
Birth Place: Adams, Massachusetts
Marriage Date: 7 Dec 1946
Marriage Place: Winchester, New Hampshire, USA
Father: Robert T Arnold
Mother: Elsie R Card
Spouse: Robert Charles Thurston

Ancestry,com. New Hampshire, U.S., Marriage and Divorce Records, 1659-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.

Name: Jean Arnold
Marriage Date: 15 Jan 1947
Event Type: Marriage
Marriage Place: Conway, Carroll, New Hampshire
Birth Date: abt 1923
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Father's Name: Robert T Arnold
Mother's Name: Elsie R Card
Spouse Name: Robert Charles Thurston
Spouse Age: 20
Spouse Gender: Male
Spouse Father's Name: Bertram E Thurston
Spouse Mother's Name: Alida L Tracy
FHL Film Number: 2294253

Ancestry.com. New Hampshire, U.S., Marriage Records Index, 1637-1947 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

Hmmm... Looks like they divorced in 1969 after she had already married Douglas Plunkett.

Name: Jean Thurston
Record Type: Plaintiff
Divorce Date: 12 Nov 1969
Divorce Place: Washoe, Nevada, USA
Spouse: Robert C Thurston
Control Certificate Number: 92680
Court Code: 2

Ancestry.com. Nevada, U.S., Divorce Index, 1968-2015 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2007.

Children of Robert Charles THURSTON and Jean ARNOLD:

Living (b., d. , )

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Discovering the Ancestry of Robert Charles THURSTON: Events, Photos & Historical Records

Birth
Name: Robert Charles Thurston
Birth Date: 1926
Birth Place: Natick, Massachusetts, USA
Volume Number: 56
Page Number: 179
Index Volume Number: 125
Reference Number: F63.M362 v.125

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Birth Index, 1860-1970 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013.
ancestry.com

1927 - The aerosol can is invented (Erik Rotheim, Norway)

1927 - April 7 – Bell Telephone Co. transmits an image of Herbert Hoover (then the Secretary of Commerce), which becomes the first successful long distance demonstration of television

1928 - Sliced bread (bread slicing machine) is invented by Otto Frederick Rohwedder (United States)

1929 - Herbert Hoover becomes President of the United States

1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)

1930 - Scotch tape is invented (Richard Drew (3M), United States)

In 1930, on February 18, Pluto was discovered by astronomer Clyde Tombaugh at the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, marking a significant milestone in the study of our solar system.

1931 - The paper towel is invented (Arthur Scott, United States)

1931 - March 3 – The Star-Spangled Banner is adopted as the United States National anthem.

1933 - Franklin D. Roosevelt becomes President of the United States

1933 - December 5 – The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution is passed, repealing Prohibition

1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)

1935 - The snowmobile was invented by Joseph Bombardier (Quebec, Canada)

1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law

1938 - The ballpoint pen is invented (Lazlo Biro, Hungary)

1938-1944 - Sunscreen is invented (Franz Greiter, Switzerland and Benjamin Green, United States)

1938 - October 27 - Du Pont announces a name for its new synthetic yarn: nylon.

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

1941 - December 8 - (the day after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor) United States declares war on Japan (WW2)

World War II Draft Registration
Name: Robert Charles Thurston
Race: White
Age: 18
Birth Date: 13 Oct 1926
Birth Place: Natick, Massachusetts
Residence Place: Natick, Middlesex, Massachusetts
Registration Date: 13 Oct 1944
Registration Place: Natick, Massachusetts, USA
Weight: 165
Complexion: Ruddy
Eye Color: Brown
Hair Color: Brown
Height: 5'' 8 1/ 2'
Next of Kin: Alida L Thurston
Household Members:
Name Relationship
Robert Charles Thurston
FamilySearch.org. U.S. World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1940-1947.
The Draft

1944 - D-Day, which occurred on June 6, 1944, was a pivotal World War II operation where Allied forces launched a massive invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Known as Operation Overlord, it involved over 156,000 troops from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and other Allied nations. The operation aimed to liberate Western Europe from Nazi German control. The landings marked the beginning of the end for Nazi Germany, leading to the eventual Allied victory in Europe.

1945 - The atomic bomb is invented (J. Robert Oppenheimer, et al., United States)

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.

1945 - Military Enlistment
Name: Robert C Thurston
Race: White
Marital status: Single, without dependents (Single)
Rank: Private
Birth Year: 1926
Nativity State or Country: Massachusetts
Citizenship: Citizen
Residence: Middlesex, Massachusetts
Education: 4 years of high school
Civil Occupation: Gardeners and grounds keepers, parks, cemetaries, etc.
Enlistment Date: 13 Sep 1945
Enlistment Place: Fort Banks Boston, Massachusetts
Service Number: 31504704
Branch: No branch assignment
Component: Selectees (Enlisted Men)
Source: Civil Life
Height: 00
Weight: 000
World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946
Against All Odds: A True Story of Ultimate Courage and Survival in World War II

Hospital Admission
Name: Robert C Thurston
Gender: Male
Race: White (includes Mexican) (White)
Rank: Enlisted Man (includes Aviation Cadet or Student)
Admission Age: 19
Birth Date: abt 1926
Admission Date: Nov 1945
Admission Place: Ft. McClellan, Alabama
Discharge Date: Dec 1945
Discharge Place: Regional Hospital
Military Branch: Infantry, General or Unspecified
Diagnosis: Diagnosis: Acne vulgaris
Type of Injury: InjuryType: Disease; InjuryType2: Not a traumatism
Type of Discharge: Disposition: Discharged or Retired for Disability, Line of Duty, No; FinalResult: Discharge/ retirement: med reasons--but not for any residual condition w/ a code
Length of service: 1-3 mo.
Service Number: 31504704
Notes: None

Ancestry.com. U.S., World War II Hospital Admission Card Files, 1942-1954 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2019.
ancestry.com

Military Service
Name: Robert Thurston
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 13 Oct 1926
Death Date: 28 Aug 1992
Cause of Death: Natural
SSN: 020206418
Branch 1: ARMY
Enlistment Date 1: 13 Sep 1945
Release Date 1: 20 Dec 1945

Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.
ancestry.com

1945 - Harry S. Truman becomes President of the United States

1945 - On September 2, 1945, World War II officially ended with the formal surrender of Japan. The surrender ceremony took place aboard the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, where Japanese officials signed the Instrument of Surrender in the presence of Allied representatives, including General Douglas MacArthur and Admiral Chester Nimitz.

1946 Marriage / Partner
Robert Charles THURSTON and Jean ARNOLD 7 December 1946, Winchester, New Hampshire, USA (Ashuelot)

He was 20 years old.

1948 - Velcro is invented (George de Mestral, Switzerland)

1950 - June 25 - Korean War begins when North Korean forces invade South Korea.

1953 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes President of the United States

1953 - On July 27, 1953, the Korean War ended with the signing of an armistice agreement at Panmunjom. This ceasefire halted the conflict between North Korea, supported by China and the Soviet Union, and South Korea, backed by United Nations forces primarily from the United States. The agreement established the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) near the 38th parallel, effectively maintaining the pre-war boundary and creating a buffer zone between the two Koreas.

1961 - John F. Kennedy becomes President of the United States

1961 - Vietnam War officially begins with 900 military advisors landing in Saigon.

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.

In 1963, on November 22, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a motorcade through Dealey Plaza. The assassination shocked the nation and the world, leading to widespread mourning and a period of intense national introspection. Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States shortly after Kennedy's death. The assassination sparked numerous conspiracy theories and investigations, with the Warren Commission ultimately concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination. Kennedy's death had a profound impact on American politics and society, marking the end of an era often referred to as 'Camelot.'

1968 - The ATM is invented (Don Wetzel, United States)

1969 - Richard M. Nixon becomes President of the United States

1969 - July 20 - Apollo 11 - Man lands on the moon

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.

1974 - Gerald R. Ford becomes President of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon.

1977 - Jimmy Carter becomes President of the United States

The 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in Washington State occurred on May 18, triggered by a 5.1 magnitude earthquake. It caused the largest landslide in recorded history, followed by a massive lateral blast. The eruption killed 57 people, destroyed 250 homes, and spread ash across the U.S.

1981 - Ronald Reagan becomes President of the United States

1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)

1982 - The camcorder is invented (Sony Corp., Japan)

1983 - The laptop computer is invented (Radio Shack Corp., United States)

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)

1989 - George H. W. Bush becomes President of the United States

Death
Name: Robert C Thurston
Certificate: 041385
Death Place: Natick
Death Date: 28 Aug 1992
Birth Place: Massachusetts
Birth Date: 13 Oct 1926

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Death Index, 1970-2003 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005.
ancestry.com

Added: 2/15/2021 5:58:22 PM - Updated: 8/8/2025 1:35:06 PM