1949. Even Danny, the car salesman in Toyota's 1980's "the car that sells itself" advertisement campaign, would be overwhelmed by the self-selling quality of the Levitt & Sons house. On Aug. 15, 1949, for example, five Levitt & Sons salesmen sold six hundred and fifty houses in five hours - each man selling an average of 26 houses per hour!

1951: Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Southard moved into the last Levitt & Sons house built in Levittown - a ranch house on ironically-named Tardy Lane.

Want to learn more about Levittown history? Since 1988 the Levittown Historical Society has been dedicated to preserving the legacy of William J. Levitt, and the world-famous suburban town he and his family founded for homecoming GIs (and its "sister cities" throughout the globe), and the rural communities of Jerusalem and Island Trees that preceded it. To this end, the Society maintains a museum at the Levittown Memorial Education Center, manages educational programs under the auspices of the Levittown School District, and participates in various community events. For more information call 735-9060 or visit www.levittownhistoricalsociety.org.