Jet-age firsts, a split-window dream car, and a basement workbench Christmas to end the day.

Evening, friend. Jack Reynolds checking in.

December 20 always makes me think of the moment folks realized the world was getting smaller, and faster, all at once.

Stick close for that jet-age lift off and the Corvette we all stared at like it was a movie star, my brother would have circled it twice in a brochure. Then we will end with a quiet little reader memory from a basement workbench that feels like home.

Brings it all back, doesn’t it?

On December 20, 1957, the Boeing 707, the first widely successful commercial jetliner, lifted off in its maiden flight. I remember my dad saying jet travel would change the world. It could fly faster and farther than old prop planes, and Pan Am put it into service the next year. Click to see how this bird ushered in the jet age. Learn more.

This 1963 Corvette split-window coupe in Riverside Red was the kind of car that made you stop mid-sentence. New, the coupe listed around $4,257, now nice ones can bring about $118,000 at auction. That one-year split rear glass still looks sharp. Click for the photos, specs, and the sale result.

That old general store on Weston Common looks like it smells of pine boards and penny candy. The building dates back to 1828, and by 1959 it was already a local landmark. The Ortons opened the Vermont Country Store in 1946, and it is still drawing visitors now. Click for the big photo, then trace the exact spot on the map.

“Please don’t squeeze the Charmin!” was a grocery aisle warning every kid remembered. Those Mr. Whipple ads ran from 1964 to 1985, and Dick Wilson made more than 500 of them. My mom used to laugh when he caught folks red-handed. Click to watch the full spot and see who sneaks a squeeze.

William Shatner steered “Star Trek” back in 1966, and by 2025 he is still at the wheel. He is building a new book that invites fans to submit their own stories after preordering by December 31, 2025, and his long-running charity horse show has raised millions. Click to see how the book works and how folks can be part of it.

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Tonight’s ‘Your Memory’ comes from Gary in Iowa, thinking back to December of 1971, when his dad let him use the basement workbench. They cut little wooden stars, brushed on glue, and shook silver glitter like it was snow. Gary says the old radio played softly the whole time. That is the kind of calm a home ought to have, am I right?

Tonight’s Quote comes from Johnny Carson, who kept it plain: “My success just evolved from working hard at the business at hand each day.” That is the kind of line my dad lived by. Carson held late night for 30 years and still made it feel neighborly. You can learn more about him here. Want the fuller story behind that steady grin?

See you tomorrow. Same time, same station.

– Jack

Images are AI-generated or sourced from public-domain archives. Reader photos used with permission.