In the year 1949, the last time NU won a bowl game…

Prior to Tuesday afternoon’s Gator Bowl win over Mississippi State, Northwestern hadn’t won a bowl game since beating Cal in the 1949 Rose Bowl. Sixty-four years and nine bowl defeats later, the run of futility is no more. Jump inside for a look at what was going on in the world in 1949, the last time Northwestern had won a bowl game.

All information courtesy of www.thepeoplehistory.com:

PRICES
Average wage per year: $2,950
Average cost of new house: $7,450
Gallon of gas: 17 cents
Minimum hourly wage: 70 cents/hour
Average cost of new car: $1,420

EVENTS
Soviet Union tests its first atomic bomb
RCA perfects a system for broadcasting color television
First Polaroid Camera sold for $89.95
The Emmy Awards aired its first awards show
First Volkswagen Beetle is sold in US

TECHNOLOGY
The first automatic street lights are installed in New Milford, Connecticut.

POLITICS
Harry Truman is President

BIRTHS
Jeff Bridges
John Belushi
Bruce Springsteen
Meryl Streep
Sigourney Weaver

And here are some tweets:

Northwestern got the 1st bowl win since 1949!!! Congrats fellas! @T_rumpy32 @TRESseason @coachfitz51 @CarpeD_em—
tyrell sutton (@AllOfASutton22) January 01, 2013

Way to start of 2013! #northwestern—
tyrell sutton (@AllOfASutton22) January 01, 2013

Congrats to my Northwestern Wildcats!—
Corey Wootton (@CoreyWootton) January 01, 2013

Congrats to Pat Fitzgerald & #Northwestern. Strong effort to snap the bowl skid. erased the "lingering negative". 10 W's and 3 close L's.—
Chris Fowler (@cbfowler) January 01, 2013

Wow, Northwestern won a bowl game. Maybe the Mayans were off by a few days.—
Jim Polzin (@JimPolzinWSJ) January 01, 2013

Congrats to Northwestern, winning one for Mike Adamle and Darnell Autry and Mike Kafka. And my wife (class of 87.)—
Pat Forde (@YahooForde) January 01, 2013

The bowl drought is over, Baby!!! Northwestern beats Miss St…maybe the Cubs are next!—
Michael Wilbon (@RealMikeWilbon) January 01, 2013