When I was 12 it was 1958. My dominant memory was my horrific surgery on my left foot to remove a bleeding tumor (hemangioma) that I had from birth. It took forever to heal properly... sigh.

I remember M & M's in the hospital, being in terrible pain, and listening to Johnny Mathis on the radio: A new type of radio called "transitor" which ran on batteries! It was red and made by Zenith. My dad loved this little 4x 8in new marvel and let me use it in the hospital.(which was a week)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=no_ILta9iEk&feature=fvst

No TV in hospitals back then. But the girl I shared the room with had rheumatic fever and had been there for weeks! Her parents had a little black and white TV and we watched it some together.

I don't recall much from that year 1958-- it was a major recession in the auto industry, my father was out of work, and things were pretty tense with both my parents, etc. I did my usual "hide in my room and do art work", since I couldn't get around much with my foot etc.