You should check your homes electrical service panel to see if you have a FPE or Federal Pacific Electrical Panel. Houses built between 1950 and through 1980's could have these panels installed AND they can be an electrical fire risk. Some insurance companies will not cover homes if they have FPE panels. Circuit breakers, found in these panels did not have official Underwriter Laboratory inspection. The breakers, which protect electrical circuits from current overload, were faulty and many homes have caught fire because of these panels.
If your panel has a tag that says, "Federal Pacific" or "Stab-Lok" printed on it, you should contact an electrician ASAP and have them evaluate and replace.