January 4: Joan appears on the television show "General Electric Theater" in the episode "And One Was Loyal."
January 8: Joan, Alfred, the twins and Betty Barker return to Manhattan, New York following an extended vacation in Puerto Rico with Alfred's daughter Sally, and son-in-law, John.
January 10: Betty Barker and the twins travel from Manhattan, New York to Los Angeles, California.
Late January: Joan and Alfred travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to dedicate a Pepsi-Cola bottling plant.
January 30: Joan accompanies Alfred to a Pepsi-Cola plant dedication ceremony in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
February: Joan contemplates making a film in England.
Mid-February: Joan and Alfred vacation in Jamaica.
Mid-February: Joan and Alfred pose for a photo shoot for photographer Richard Avedon. The photo shoot is shot with color film and is intended for a series of print ads and promotions for Pepsi-Cola.
February 26: Joan and Alfred return to America from their vacation in Jamaica.
Early March: Joan and Alfred begin a six-week "Ad-o-roma" tour across America to attend various business conferences and to conduct a total of nine separate meetings with regional Pepsi-Cola bottlers. The cities include: San Francisco, California; Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois, Dallas, Texas; Albany, New York; Charlotte, North Carolina and Washington, D.C.
Early March: Joan and Alfred travel to San Francisco, California for a business conference and regional meetings with west coast Pepsi-Cola bottlers that begin on March 5th. During their time in San Francisco, they stay at the Fairmount Hotel. Betty Barker and the twins travel from Los Angeles to join Joan and Alfred in San Francisco for the weekend of March 6th - March 9th.
March 19: Joan and Alfred arrive in Atlanta, Georgia for two days of Pepsi-Cola business meetings.
March 21: Joan and Alfred travel from Atlanta, Georgia to Los Angeles, California.
March 23: Joan's masseur, Gunnar Ohberg, surprises her with a birthday gift of a bottle of 1952 Crystal Brut Champagne, which he delivers to Joan at her Bristol Avenue house.
March 29: Joan spends Easter in Los Angeles, California with her daughters Cathy and Cindy, who are home from school for the last week of March.
March 30: Joan and Alfred travel from Los Angeles, California to Chicago, Illinois for a Pepsi-Cola marketing meetings.
April 1: Joan and Alfred travel from Chicago, Illinois to Dallas, Texas.
Early April: Joan and Alfred travel to Albany, New York.
April 13: Joan and Alfred attend a regional Pepsi-Cola bottler's meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina.
April 15: Joan and Alfred arrive in Washington, D.C. to attend a Pepsi-Cola bottler's meeting.
April 17: Joan and Alfred, as representatives for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, present Massachusetts Senator John F. Kennedy with an award in recognition of his service to Multiple Sclerosis.
April 19: Alfred Steele passes away suddenly of a heart attack in the early morning hours. Joan awakes to find Alfred dead on the floor next to his bed.
On this morning, Joan and Alfred had planned to leave for Jamaica on a 10-day vacation and celebration in honor of Alfred's approaching 58th birthday on April 24th.
April 22: Joan attends the funeral service for her late husband, Alfred Steele. The funeral service is held at St. Thomas Church on west 53rd Street in Manhattan, New York. A reported 1,200 people attend the service. Following the service, Steele is interred in the Ferncliff Mausoleum in Hartsdale, New York.
April 28: Alfred Steele's will is submitted for probate at the New York surrogate's court.
April 29: Joan is appointed to Pepsi-Cola's board of directors. The appointment becomes official at the company's annual stockholder's meeting on May 6th.
May 6: Joan attends the annual Pepsi-Cola stockholder's meeting in Wilmington, Delaware. This is Joan's first stockholder's meeting since being appointed to the board of directors of the company.
The company's board of directors vote to abolish the position of "Chairman of The Board," the position held by Alfred Steele prior to his death. With abolishing the position, the company reverts to its prior practice of the company's president also serving as the head of the board. Herbert L. Barnet, the company's existing president, is named chief executive officer.
May 19: Joan attends a Pepsi-Cola plant dedication ceremony in Louisville, Kentucky.
May 20: Joan travels by plane from Kansas City, Missouri to Omaha, Nebraska.
May 21: Joan attends a Pepsi-Cola plant dedication ceremony in Omaha, Nebraska. The dedication begins at 11:00 am.
In the evening, Joan is schedule to attend Multiple Sclerosis Hope Trust fund campaign. However, Joan is forced to cancel due to suffering from a mild case of the flu; symptoms of which had started during the afternoon.
May 22: Joan is a guest at the Strategic Air Command at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska.
May 24: Joan arrives, via train, at Union Station in Los Angeles, California. Joan is greeted at the station by her daughters, Cathy and Cindy.
May 25: Joan reports to the Twentieth Century Fox lot to begin preparations for "The Best of Everything."
May 26: Joan reports to the Twentieth Century Fox lot for wardrobe and hair tests for the film "The Best of Everything."
May 28: Joan signs her contract for the film "The Best of Everything."
June: Joan begins filming "The Best of Everything."
June 1: "The Los Angeles Examiner" reports that Joan is financially devastated following the death of Alfred Steele, and quotes Joan as having said she has "not a sou to her name." Joan quickly responds to the report, claiming that is not true.
June 12: Joan's daughters Cathy and Cindy arrives at the Bristol Avenue house following their dismissal from boarding school for summer vacation.
July 12: Joan acts as hostess for the United Jewish Appeal banquet in Las Vegas, Nevada.
July 18: Joan travels to Manhattan, New York from Los Angeles, California upon the completion of her scenes in "The Best of Everything."
Late July: Joan entertains 35 Nigerian delegates in her 2 East 70th Street apartment on behalf of Pepsi-Cola.
Late July: Joan travels to Los Angeles, California.
Mid-September: Joan travels from Los Angles, California to Manhattan, New York.
Late September: Joan travels from Manhattan, New York to Chicago, Illinois. While in Chicago, Joan meets with fashion columnist Peg Zwecker.
Late September: Joan is guest of honor at a Pepsi-Cola luncheon in Chicago, Illinois.
October 13: Joan travels to Los Angeles, California.
October: Joan films her guest appearance for the television show "Zane Gray Theater" episode "Rebel Range."
October: Joan attends a Pepsi-Cola plant dedication ceremony in Bangor, Maine.
October 20: Joan attends a Washington Board of Trade dinner at the Statler Hotel in Washington, D.C. During the dinner, Joan, along with 187 other women, are granted memberships.
October 29: Joan has a cocktail date with New York friends Paulette and Erick Newman.
November or December: Joan travels to Canada.
Early December: Joan travels to Palm Beach, Florida. During her visit, she accidentally trips and breaks two bones in her ankle.
Early December: Joan travels to Miami, Florida for the Israel Bond Drive. During her visit in Miami, Joan stays at the Fontainebleau Hotel.
December 3: Joan appears on "Zane Grey Theater," in the episode "Rebel Range."
December 5: Joan attends the Diplomatic Ball in the grand ballroom of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida. Also attending the ball are actors Dennis James and Charlton Heston, television show host Johnny Carson and actress Stella Stevens.
Mid-December: Joan and her daughter, Cathy and Cindy, celebrate the holidays in the Carolinas. According to Joan, she went quail and dove shooting during the trip.