Year 1955 in History

"The Bob Cummings Show" premieres on NBC (later moves to CBS)

Bhutan issues its first postage stamps

The first postage stamps of Bhutan were issued in 1962, the same year that the first motorable road was opened.

Marian Anderson is the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera, singing the role of Ulric

Marian Anderson is the first African American to perform with the New York Metropolitan Opera, singing the role of Ulrica in Giuseppe Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera"

American film director Stanley Kubrick (26) weds second wife, Austrian theatrical designer Ruth Sobotka (29); divorce in

American film director Stanley Kubrick (26) weds second wife, Austrian theatrical designer Ruth Sobotka (29); divorce in 1957

"The Millionaire" TV series premieres on CBS

American golfer Mike Souchak sets a PGA 72-hole record of 257, which remains unbroken until 2001

Erotic writer Anaïs Nin marries actor Rupert Pole at Quartzsite, Arizona, while still married to her first husband

American musician Ray Charles (24) weds Della Beatrice Howard

Chartered Air India plane "Kashmir Princess" is bombed and crashes into the South China Sea in a failed assassination at

Chartered Air India plane "Kashmir Princess" is bombed and crashes into the South China Sea in a failed assassination attempt on Zhou Enlai by a Kuomintang secret agent

"Marty" directed by Delbert Mann and starring Ernest Borgnine and Betsy Blair, premieres in New York (Best Picture 1956)

West Germany is granted full sovereignty by its three occupying powers

West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990.

Warsaw Pact is signed by the Soviet Union, Albania, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Poland and Romania

The Warsaw Pact (WP), formally the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance (TFCMA), was a collective defense treaty signed in Warsaw, Poland, between the Soviet Union and seven other...

Variety TV show "The Johnny Carson Show" debuts on CBS TV

The Johnny Carson Show is a 1955–56 half-hour primetime television variety show starring Johnny Carson. While working as a staff writer on The Red Skelton Show, local Los Angeles television comedian...

Bill Haley & His Comets' "Rock Around the Clock" tops the Billboard chart as one of the best-selling singles ever

Eighteen Nobel laureates sign the Mainau Declaration against nuclear weapons, later co-signed by 34 more laureates

Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, the precursor to Sony, begins selling its first transistor radios in Japan

Actress Elizabeth Montgomery (22) divorces socialite Frederick Gallatin Cammann after more than a year of marriage

16th Venice Film Festival: "Ordet" directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer wins Golden Lion

American "Untamed Youth" actress Mamie Van Doren (24) weds American trumpeter and actor Ray Anthony (33); divorce 1961

Country music radio show "Grand Ole Opry" is first broadcast on television in a live hour-long show by ABC

The Grand Ole Opry is a regular live country-music radio broadcast originating from Nashville, Tennessee, on WSM, held between two and five nights per week, depending on the time of year.

"Rebel Without a Cause", directed by Nicholas Ray, starring James Dean and Natalie Wood, is released

Rebel Without a Cause is a 1955 American coming-of-age melodrama film, directed by Nicholas Ray.

British conductor Leopold Stokowski (73) divorces third and final wife, American heiress Gloria Vanderbilt (31), after 1

British conductor Leopold Stokowski (73) divorces third and final wife, American heiress Gloria Vanderbilt (31), after 10-1/2 years of marriage

The rebuilt Vienna State Opera reopens after being destroyed in World War II with Ludwig van Beethoven's "Fidelio"

The Vienna State Opera is a historic opera house and opera company based in Vienna, Austria. The 1,709-seat Renaissance Revival venue was the first major building on the Vienna Ring Road.

RCA Records makes its best investment, paying $35,000 to Sun Records for Elvis Presley's contract

Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to move to the back of a bus and give up her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery

Rosa Parks is arrested for refusing to move to the back of a bus and give up her seat to a white passenger in Montgomery, Alabama

"Folsom Prison Blues" single released by Johnny Cash (Billboard Song of the Year 1968)

"Folsom Prison Blues" is a song by American singer-songwriter Johnny Cash, based on material composed by Gordon Jenkins.

American actor Gregory Peck (39) divorces Finnish-American real estate broker Greta Kukkonen (44) after 13 years of marr

American actor Gregory Peck (39) divorces Finnish-American real estate broker Greta Kukkonen (44) after 13 years of marriage

"Ordet", directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer, starring Henrik Malberg, Emil Hass Christensen, is released

Ordet is a 1955 Danish drama film, written and directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer. It is based on a play by Kaj Munk, a Danish Lutheran priest, first performed in 1932.

Heitor Villa-Lobos' 8th Symphony premieres by the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by the composer, in Carnegie Hall, N

Heitor Villa-Lobos' 8th Symphony premieres by the Philadelphia Orchestra, conducted by the composer, in Carnegie Hall, New York City

1st official act of Princess Beatrice, launches tanker Vasum

Dmitri Shostakovich's "From Jewish Folk Poetry" premieres in Leningrad

Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich (25 September [O.S. 12 September] 1906 – 9 August 1975) was a Soviet composer and pianist who became internationally known after the premiere of his First Symphony in...

US submarine Nautilus begins first nuclear-powered test voyage

Battle of Yijiangshan Islands between Chinese National Revolutionary Army and the People's Liberation Army

Express train travelling from York to Bristol derails, killing 14 and injuring many other passengers

Photography exhibition "The Family of Man" curated by Edward Steichen opens at MOMA, New York, "greatest photographic en

Photography exhibition "The Family of Man" curated by Edward Steichen opens at MOMA, New York, "greatest photographic enterprise ever undertaken"

American alpine skier Jill Kinmont hits a tree & breaks her back in Snow Cup Ski Race

NFL Draft: George Shaw from University of Oregon first pick by Baltimore Colts

The 1955 NFL draft was held January 27–28, 1955 at the Warwick Hotel in New York City. This was the ninth year that the first overall pick was a bonus pick determined by lottery.

John Williams Cox buys Yankee Stadium, sells grounds to Knights of Columbus, later leaves structure to Rice University (

John Williams Cox buys Yankee Stadium, sells grounds to Knights of Columbus, later leaves structure to Rice University (1962)

RCA demonstrates 1st music synthesizer

H. C. Hansen appointed premier of Denmark

1st presidential news conference on network TV-Eisenhower on ABC

Dutch 2nd Chamber accepts crematory law

The US Navy evacuate 1000s from Tachen Islands in the Pacific

McGuire Sisters' "Sincerely" single goes to No. 1 and stays No. 1 for 10 weeks

Israel acquires 4 of 7 Dead Sea scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls, in the narrow sense identical with the Qumran Caves Scrolls, are a set of ancient Jewish manuscripts from the Second Temple period.

WFLA (now WXFL) TV channel 8 in Tampa-St Petersburg, Florida (NBC) begins

First pilot plant to produce synthetic man-made diamonds is announced

Baghdad Pact signed, making Turkey & Iraq a defense alliance

South East Asia Collective Defense Treaty goes into effect

British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal sets sail

Edgar Faure forms French government

Legislative elections were held in France on 2 January 1956 to elect the third National Assembly of the Fourth Republic. The elections were held using party-list proportional representation.

Pact of Baghdad signed between Iraq & Turkey

1st aviator to bail out at supersonic speed-GF Smith

Israeli assault on Gaza, kills 48

High school honors student Claudette Colvin (15) arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to move from her seat to t

High school honors student Claudette Colvin (15) arrested in Montgomery, Alabama for refusing to move from her seat to the back of the bus; juvenile court later finds her guilty of assault, and places her on indefinite probation [1]

1st radio facsimile transmission sent across the continent

Bir BSD Mahendra succeeds Tribhubana as king of Nepal

Prince Mahemdra becomes king of Nepal

Dutch 2nd Chamber requires TV licenses

Josephine Kroesen appointed as 1st Dutch female judge

Ichirō Hatojama recognized as premier of Japan

KXTV TV channel 10 in Sacramento, CA (CBS) begins broadcasting

Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus advocates for Cyprus to join Greece

Cyprus, officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea, located off the coast of the Levant in West Asia.

1st seagoing oil drill rig placed in service

East Germany granted full sovereignty by occupying power, USSR

East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR), was a country in Central Europe from its formation on 7 October 1949 until its reunification with West Germany (Federal Republic of...

"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" version recorded by Bill Hayes becomes the #1 record in US

"The Ballad of Davy Crockett" is a song with music by George Bruns and lyrics by Thomas W. Blackburn.

9th Tony Awards: "The Desperate Hours" (play) & "The Pajama Game" (musical) win

The 9th Annual Tony Awards, presented by the American Theatre Wing, took place at the Plaza Hotel Grand Ballroom on March 27, 1955. It was broadcast on radio by the National Broadcasting Company.

NZ cricket all out for 26 v England at Eden Park

Eden Park is a sports venue in Auckland, New Zealand. It is located three kilometres southwest of the Auckland CBD, on the boundary between the suburbs of Mount Eden and Kingsland.

Linguist Yuri Knorosov defends his master's thesis in Moscow, expanding on his new phonetic method to decipher the Mayan

Linguist Yuri Knorosov defends his master's thesis in Moscow, expanding on his new phonetic method to decipher the Mayan script (first announced in article Soviet Ethnology 1952) [1]

Merger of Chase National Bank (3rd largest bank) and Bank of the Manhattan Company (15th largest bank) forms Chase Manha

Merger of Chase National Bank (3rd largest bank) and Bank of the Manhattan Company (15th largest bank) forms Chase Manhattan

Armed military action taken against bureaucratic strike in Amsterdam

Baltimore Orioles pull their 1st triple play (3-6-2 vs KC Athletics)

British government signs military treaty with Iraq

The Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), formerly known as the Middle East Treaty Organization (METO) and also known as the Baghdad Pact, was a military alliance of the Cold War.

US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

The Nevada National Security Sites (N2S2 or NNSS), popularized as the Nevada Test Site (NTS) until 2010, is a reservation of the United States Department of Energy located in the southeastern portion...

US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

Ruth Ellis shoots jilting lover David Blakely (last woman to be executed in the UK)

1st game in KC, KC A's beat Detroit Tigers, 6-2

20.33" (51.64 cm) of rainfall, Axis, Alabama (then state record, eclipsed in 1997)

1st "Walk"/"Don't Walk" lighted street signals installed

The German automaker Volkswagen, after six years of selling cars in the United States, founds Volkswagen of America in E

The German automaker Volkswagen, after six years of selling cars in the United States, founds Volkswagen of America in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey to standardize its dealer and service network

Brooklyn Dodgers win, then record 10th straight game to begin a season

The 2020 Los Angeles Dodgers season was the 131st season for the franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB), and their 63rd season in Los Angeles, California.

KC Athletic's 1st game, beat Tigers 6-2

Conference of Bandung against colonialism and for self determination, ends

Colonialism is the practice of extending and maintaining political, social, economic, and cultural domination over a territory and its people by another people in pursuit of interests defined in an...

WBIQ TV channel 10 in Birmingham, Alabama (PBS) begins broadcasting

Giovanni Gronchi elected third President of Italy

Giovanni Leone was an Italian politician, jurist and university professor who was the president of Italy from 1971 to 1978.

Cuban bandleader Pérez Prado's mambo version of "Cherry Pink & Apple Blossom White" goes #1 for 10 weeks

India proposal to discrimination against Dalits or "Untouchables" punishable

Indian parliament accepts Hindu divorce

The Hindu Marriage Act (HMA) is an act of the Parliament of India enacted in 1955.

West Germany joins NATO

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is an international military alliance consisting of 32 member states from Europe and North America.

USSR signs peace treaty with France & Great Britain

German Federal Republic (West Germany) joins NATO

West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990.

8th Cannes Film Festival: "Marty" directed by Delbert Mann wins Palme d'Or

Marty is a 1955 American romantic drama film directed by Delbert Mann in his directorial debut.

Israel attacks Gaza

Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia.

Chicago Cub Sam "Toothpick" Jones is 1st African-American to pitch a no-hitter, winning 4-0 over Pittsburgh Pirates, at

Chicago Cub Sam "Toothpick" Jones is 1st African-American to pitch a no-hitter, winning 4-0 over Pittsburgh Pirates, at Wrigley Field, Chicago

US performs nuclear test at Pacific Ocean

Austrian State Treaty: US, Britain, France and the Soviet Union restore Austria's independence

King Baudouin of Belgium visits Congo

Baudouin (US: ; 7 September 1930 – 31 July 1993) was King of the Belgians from 17 July 1951 until his death in 1993.

Dutch government of Willem Drees resigns

Willem Drees Sr. (5 July 1886 – 14 May 1988) was a Dutch politician of the Social Democratic Workers' Party (SDAP) and later co-founder of the Labour Party (PvdA) and historian who served as Prime...

28.7 cm rain falls at Lake Maloya New Mexico (state record)

Atkinson & Depeiaza make 347 stand for 7th wkt WI v Australia

Argentine parliament accepts separation of church and state

The separation of church and state is a philosophical and jurisprudential concept for defining political distance in the relationship between religious organizations and the state.

1st transcontinental round-trip solo flight-sunrise to sunset

Oldest man to drive in the Grand Prix (aged 55) finishes 6th

Series of 19 twisters destroy Udall, Kansas and most of Blackwell, Oklahoma

"The Red Buttons Show", last airs on NBC-TV

Henry Bolte becomes Premier of the state of Victoria

Sir Henry Edward Bolte GCMG (20 May 1908 – 4 January 1990) was an Australian politician who served as the 38th premier of Victoria from 1955 to 1972.

Jordan government of Tewfik Abdul Huda resigns

KMVT TV channel 11 in Twin Falls, ID (CBS/NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting

Construction begins on Soviet cosmodrome launch facilities

Tunisian nationalist leader Habib Bourguiba returns to Tunisia after imprisonment and exile in France

Habib Bourguiba (3 August 1903 – 6 April 2000) was a Tunisian politician and statesman who served as the prime minister of the Kingdom of Tunisia from 1956 to 1957, and then as the first president of...

The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations between both countries, discontinued

The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations between both countries, discontinued since 1948.

KLFY TV channel 10 in Lafayette, LA (CBS) begins broadcasting

"$64,000 Question" hosted by Hal March, premieres on CBS TV

The $64,000 Question is an American game show broadcast in primetime on CBS-TV from 1955 to 1958, which became embroiled in the 1950s quiz show scandals.

Temperature reaches 100°F in Seattle, Washington, the then hottest day on record; surpassed in 2009

First separation of a virus into component parts is reported

1st magnesium jet airplane flies

Monitor (full weekend program) begins on NBC radio network

The National Broadcasting Company's NBC Radio Network (also known as the NBC Red Network from 1927 to 1942) was an American commercial radio network which was in continuous operation from 1926...

Chile becomes a signatory to the Buenos Aires copyright treaty

Australia score 8-758 v West Indies at Kingston, their best ever

Freedom Charter signed in South Africa

"Julius LaRosa Show" debuts on CBS-TV

Argentine state of siege ends

KOTA TV channel 3 in Rapid City, SD (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting

"Lawrence Welk Show" premieres on ABC

Six week old British dock strike ends as London dockers return to work

Congress authorizes all US currency to say "In God We Trust"

"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the official motto of the United States, the U.S. state of Florida, and the nation of Nicaragua (Spanish: En Dios confiamos).

Christian Democratic Party forms in Argentina

Beaux Arts Trio (Menahem Pressler, piano; Daniel Guilet, violin;Bernard Greenhouse, cello) make their debut at the Berks

Beaux Arts Trio (Menahem Pressler, piano; Daniel Guilet, violin;Bernard Greenhouse, cello) make their debut at the Berkshire Music Festival (now Tanglewood Music Center), Lenox, Massachusetts, United States

Two killed and many dazed by lightning strikes at Ascot racecourse in England

Arco, Idaho, becomes 1st US city lit by nuclear power

1st electric power generated from atomic energy sold commercially

Balclutha ties up at Pier 43 in San Francisco and becomes a floating museum

USS Seawolf launches as the first submarine powered by a liquid metal-cooled nuclear reactor

Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3 to complete a team record 11-game winning streak; longest win-st

Philadelphia Phillies beat the St. Louis Cardinals, 5-3 to complete a team record 11-game winning streak; longest win-streak since 1892

English speed ace Donald Campbell drives Bluebird K7 to a new water speed record at Ullswater in the English Lake Distri

English speed ace Donald Campbell drives Bluebird K7 to a new water speed record at Ullswater in the English Lake District, becoming the first boat to surpass 200 mph at 202.32 mph (325.60 km/h)

Ali Sastroamidjojo resigns from the government in Indonesia

Last day as Test cricket umpire for Frank Chester

Austria regains full independence after four-power occupation since WWII

The Union Mundial pro Interlingua is founded at the first Interlingua congress in Tours, France

Smokey Burgess hits three home runs to help Pirates defeat Reds 16-5

KRNT (now KCCI) TV channel 8 in Des Moines, Iowa (CBS) broadcasts for the first time

Des Moines is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is the county seat of Polk County with parts extending into Warren County.

First microgravity research begins

USSR performs a nuclear test

Belgian middle-distance runner Roger Moens breaks Rudolf Harbig's long-standing 800 m world record (1:45.7) in Oslo, Nor

Belgian middle-distance runner Roger Moens breaks Rudolf Harbig's long-standing 800 m world record (1:45.7) in Oslo, Norway

Bar-Ilan University is founded in Israel

Bar-Ilan University (BIU, Hebrew: אוניברסיטת בר-אילן, Universitat Bar-Ilan) is a public research university in the Tel Aviv District city of Ramat Gan, Israel.

Indonesian government of Harahap forms

The Burhanuddin Harahap Cabinet (Indonesian: Kabinet Burhanuddin Harahap) was an Indonesian cabinet, named after the prime minister, that served from 12 August 1955 until 24 March 1956.

22nd NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 30, Cleveland 27 (75,000 attendees)

Hurricane Connie dissipates after killing 77 people on the US Eastern Seaboard and Mid-Atlantic states

Fiat Motors orders the first private atomic reactor

Hurricane Diane follows Hurricane Connie and floods the Connecticut River, killing 190 people and causing $1.8 billion i

Hurricane Diane follows Hurricane Connie and floods the Connecticut River, killing 190 people and causing $1.8 billion in damage

46.1 cm rainfall in Westfield, Massachusetts (state record)

32.4 cm of rainfall in Burlington, Connecticut (state record)

Archbishop Makarios of Cyprus petitions the UN for the Cypriot right to self-determination

"Pather Panchali," an Indian film directed by Satyajit Ray and starring Subir Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee, and Karuna Banerj

"Pather Panchali," an Indian film directed by Satyajit Ray and starring Subir Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee, and Karuna Banerjee, is released

Guinness Book of World Records is first published

Guinness World Records, known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as The Guinness Book of Records and in previous United States editions as The Guinness Book of World Records, is a British...

Sandy Koufax fans 14 Reds as both teams combine for a record 23 strikeouts

Sanford Koufax (né Braun; born December 30, 1935), nicknamed "the Left Arm of God", is an American former baseball player.

First sun-powered automobile is demonstrated in Chicago, Illinois

2 Egyptian fighters shot down over Israel

KCRA TV channel 3 in Sacramento, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting

KTBS TV channel 3 in Shreveport, LA (ABC) begins broadcasting

Dodger Don Newcombe hits a National League pitcher record seventh home run of the season

The 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers season was the 66th season for the Brooklyn Dodgers franchise in the MLB. The Dodgers finally fulfilled the promise of many previous Dodger teams.

J. van Tilburg is appointed governor of Suriname

Jan van Tilburg (16 June 1900 – 21 October 1977) was a Dutch politician for the Labour Party who was a member of the Senate between 1951 and 1955 and Governor of Suriname between 1956 and 1962.

New York Yankee Whitey Ford becomes the fifth MLB pitcher to hurl consecutive one-hitters

Earliest clinching of an NL pennant by the Brooklyn Dodgers

The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division.

Don Zimmer hits the 4,000th home run for the Dodgers

"Gunsmoke" premieres on CBS TV starring James Arness

Gunsmoke is an American radio and television Western drama series created by director Norman Macdonnell and writer John Meston.

Dedication of the first temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Europe, the Bern Switzerland Temple

KNTV TV Channel 11 in San Jose, CA (NBC) begins broadcasting

Swiss inventor George de Mestral is granted a patent for what would become known as Velcro

WCTV TV channel 6 in Tallahassee-Thomasville, Florida (CBS) begins

Bauer and Berra hit home runs in the 9th, beating the Red Sox 5-4 and taking over first

Yankee Mickey Mantle pulls a hamstring muscle while running out a bunt

Future MLB Hall of Famer Baltimore Oriole Brooks Robinson goes 2-4 in his first game

Willie Mays ties Joe Adcock's record with his 9th career home run at Ebbets Field

Cubs slugger Ernie Banks hits record 5th grand slam of season

Willie Mays (Giants) homers off Vern Law (Pirates) in both games of a doubleheader and becomes the 7th player to reach 5

Willie Mays (Giants) homers off Vern Law (Pirates) in both games of a doubleheader and becomes the 7th player to reach 50 home runs in a season

New York Stock Exchange experiences its worst price decline since 1929

WITN TV channel 7 in Washington, NC (NBC) begins broadcasting

Ali Sastroamidjojo's PNI wins the election in Indonesia

Baltimore Colts fullback Alan Ameche becomes the first rookie in NFL history to top 100 yards rushing in his first two g

Baltimore Colts fullback Alan Ameche becomes the first rookie in NFL history to top 100 yards rushing in his first two games, totaling 153 against the Detroit Lions after 194 yards in his debut vs. the Chicago Bears

"Alfred Hitchcock Presents" premieres on CBS television in the US

Alfred Hitchcock Presents is an American television anthology series created, hosted and produced by Alfred Hitchcock, airing on CBS and NBC, alternately, between 1955 and 1965.

"The Mickey Mouse Club" television series premieres

The Mickey Mouse Club is an American variety television show that aired intermittently from 1955 to 1996 and briefly returned to social media in 2017.

Rev Sun Young Moon leaves prison in Seoul

Aircraft carrier USS Saratoga is launched in Brooklyn

USS Saratoga (CV CVB-60) was the second of four Forrestal-class supercarriers built for the United States Navy in the 1950s. Saratoga was the sixth U.S.

World's most powerful aircraft carrier, USS Saratoga, launched

1st edition of L'express publishes in Paris

Lee Meriwether joins Today Show panel

Buganda Agreement between Andrew Cohen, Governor of the Uganda Protectorate, and Mutesa II, Kabaka of Buganda

Sir Edward Frederick William David Walugembe Mutebi Luwangula Mutesa II (19 November 1924 – 21 November 1969) was a Ugandan royal and statesman who served as the first president of Uganda from 1962...

WWNY TV channel 7 in Carthage-Watertown, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting

Dominican Professional Baseball League moves to winter play for first time

The Mexican Baseball League (Spanish: Liga Mexicana de Béisbol, or LMB, lit. 'Mexican Baseball League') is a professional baseball league in Mexico.

Austria resumes its sovereignty for the first time since German occupation of 1938 after departure of last Allied occupa

Austria resumes its sovereignty for the first time since German occupation of 1938 after departure of last Allied occupation forces

Branch Rickey steps down as GM of the Pirates

British troops occupy Saudi Arabian oil field at Boeraimi

Egypt and Saudi Arabia sign defense treaty

Belgium signs an accord for a 5-day work week (45 hours)

Businessman and horse breeder William Woodward Jr. is shot dead by his wife, Ann Cromwell, after she mistook him for an

Businessman and horse breeder William Woodward Jr. is shot dead by his wife, Ann Cromwell, after she mistook him for an intruder

Bernardus Johannes Alfrink is installed as Archbishop of Utrecht

Bernardus Johannes Alfrink (5 July 1900 – 17 December 1987) was a Dutch Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.

Time bomb aboard United DC-6 kills 44 above Longmont, Colorado

United Air Lines Flight 629, registration N37559 and dubbed Mainliner Denver, was a Douglas DC-6B aircraft that was blown up on November 1, 1955, by a dynamite bomb placed in the checked luggage.

Date returned to in "Back to the Future" by Marty McFly

Martin Seamus "Marty" McFly is a fictional character and the protagonist of the Back to the Future franchise.

USSR performs nuclear test at the Semipalatinsk Test Site in northeast Kazakhstan

Supreme Court of Baltimore bans segregation in public recreational areas

Michael Gazzo's "Hatful of Rain" premieres in NYC

1st West German officers sworn in

1st live telecast from non-contiguous foreign country-Havana Cuba

Poland & Yugoslavia sign trade agreement

Sultan Sidi Mohammed Ben Yussuph V returns to Morocco

The Bell X-2 rocket plane has its first powered flight, reaching Mach 0.992 at Edwards Air Force Base

KXMB TV channel 12 in Bismarck, North Dakota (CBS/ABC) begins broadcasting

Kripal Singh scores 100 on Test Cricket debut, India v NZ

The New Zealand national cricket team toured India in 1955–56 season. The teams played five Tests. India won the series 2–0 with three Tests drawn.

Britain transfers the Cocos (Keeling) Islands in the Indian Ocean to Australia

The Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Cocos Islands Malay: Pulu Kokos [Keeling]), officially the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands (Cocos Islands Malay: Pulu Kokos [Keeling]), are an Australian external...

1st test flight of Fokker's F-27 Friendship

Walter Piston's 6th Symphony, composed to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Boston Symphony, premieres, led by Charles Mu

Walter Piston's 6th Symphony, composed to mark the 75th Anniversary of the Boston Symphony, premieres, led by Charles Munch

Emergency crisis proclaimed in Cyprus

The Cyprus Emergency was a conflict fought in British Cyprus between April 1955 and March 1959. The National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA), a Greek Cypriot guerrilla organisation fighting...

NFL Draft: Gary Glick from University of Colorado A&M first pick by Pittsburgh Steelers

Gary Galen Glick (May 14, 1930 – February 11, 2015) was an American professional football safety, cornerback and placekicker who played six seasons in the National Football League (NFL) before he...

Thriller novel "The Talented Mr. Ripley" by Patricia Highsmith is published in the US

The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1955 psychological thriller novel by Patricia Highsmith.

KTVE TV channel 10 in Monroe-El Dorado, LA (NBC) begins broadcasting

American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) merge to form the AFL-CIO, with Ge

American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) merge to form the AFL-CIO, with George Meany as President

Thornton Wilder's play "The Matchmaker" premieres on Broadway in NYC

New York psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers wins the top prize of $64,000 on the TV game show "The $64,000 Question" with h

New York psychologist Dr. Joyce Brothers wins the top prize of $64,000 on the TV game show "The $64,000 Question" with her expert knowledge of boxing, a subject she initially knew little about

21st Heisman Trophy Award: Howard Cassady, Ohio State (HB)

Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella wins his 3rd MVP Award

16 countries join the United Nations, including Austria, Finland, Italy, and Spain

Cardiff is proclaimed the capital city of Wales

The current capital of Wales is Cardiff. Historically, Wales did not have a definite capital. In 1955, the Minister for Welsh Affairs informally proclaimed Cardiff to be the capital of Wales.

RKO is 1st to announce sale of its film library to TV

Famous Births

Rowan Atkinson is born

Rowan Atkinson, English actor and comedian, known for english actor and comedian, was born on 1955-01-06. Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is an English actor, comedian and writer.

Kevin Costner is born

Kevin Costner, American actor and filmmaker, known for american actor and filmmaker, was born on 1955-01-18. Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor and filmmaker.

Tōru Iwatani is born

Tōru Iwatani, Japanese video game designer, known for japanese video game designer, was born on 1955-01-25.

Eddie Van Halen is born

Eddie Van Halen, American musician, known for american rock guitarist, was born on 1955-01-26. Edward Lodewijk Van Halen]; January 26, 1955 – October 6, 2020) was an American musician.

Eugene Jarvis is born

Eugene Jarvis, American video game designer, known for american video game designer, was born on 1955-01-27.

Nicolas Sarkozy is born

Curtis Strange is born

Virginia Ruzici is born

John Grisham is born

John Grisham writer and lawyer, known for american writer and lawyer, was born on 1955-02-08. John Ray Grisham Jr.

Matt Groening is born

Matt Groening, American cartoonist and animator, known for american cartoonist and animator, was born on 1955-02-15. Matthew Abram Groening is an American cartoonist and animator.

Mo Yan is born

Mo Yan, Chinese author, known for chinese author, was born on 1955-02-17. Guan Moye (simplified Chinese: 管谟业; traditional Chinese: 管謨業; pinyin: Guǎn Móyè; born 5 March 1955), better known by the pen…

John Travolta is born

John Travolta, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1955-02-18. John Joseph Travolta is an American actor.

Patty Hearst is born

Patty Hearst, American kidnapping victim and actress, known for american kidnapping victim and actress, was born on 1955-02-20.

Viktor Yushchenko is born

Steve Jobs is born

Steve Jobs, American businessman and inventor, known for american businessman and inventor, was born on 1955-02-24.

Sid Meier is born

Sid Meier game programmer and designer, known for american game programmer and designer, was born on 1955-02-24. Sidney K.

Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is born

Gilbert Gottfried is born

Gilbert Gottfried, American comedian, known for american comedian, was born on 1955-02-28. Gilbert Jeremy Gottfried (February 28, 1955 – April 12, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian and actor.

Moses Malone is born

Moses Malone athlete, known for american basketball player, was born on 1955-03-23. Moses Eugene Malone Sr.

Jackie Chan is born

Jackie Chan hong kong actor and martial artist, known for hong kong actor and martial artist, was born on 1955-04-07.

Dennis Quaid is born

Dennis Quaid, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1955-04-09. Dennis William Quaid is an American actor.

Michael Moore is born

Michael Moore, American filmmaker and author, known for american filmmaker and author, was born on 1955-04-23. Michael Francis Moore is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, and author.

Jerry Seinfeld is born

Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian and actor, known for american comedian and actor, was born on 1955-04-29.

Jane Campion is born

Jane Campion, New Zealand zealand filmmaker, known for new zealand filmmaker, was born on 1955-04-30. Dame Elizabeth Jane Campion is a New Zealand filmmaker.

Willie Randolph is born

Willie Randolph, American athlete, known for american baseball player and coach, was born on 1955-07-06.

Andre Dawson is born

Andre Dawson, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1955-07-10.

Angela Merkel is born

François Hollande is born

George Galloway is born

George Galloway, British politician, broadcaster, and writer, known for british politician, broadcaster, and writer, was born on 1955-08-16.

James Cameron is born

James Cameron, Canadian filmmaker and deep-sea explorer, known for canadian filmmaker and deep-sea explorer, was born on 1955-08-16.

Elvis Costello is born

Elvis Costello, English musician, known for english singer-songwriter, was born on 1955-08-25.

Alexander Lukashenko is born

Andrej Babiš is born

Abdul Qadir is born

Lloyd Blankfein is born

Lloyd Blankfein, American investment banker, known for american investment banker, was born on 1955-09-20.

Al Sharpton is born

Al Sharpton baptist minister, activist and talk show host, known for american baptist minister, activist and talk show host, was born on 1955-10-03. Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr.

Juliane Koepcke is born

David Lee Roth is born

David Lee Roth, American musician, known for american rock singer, was born on 1955-10-10. David Lee Roth known as "Diamond Dave" is an American rock singer.

Ang Lee is born

Ang Lee, Chinese taiwanese filmmaker, known for taiwanese filmmaker, was born on 1955-10-23. Ang Lee is a Taiwanese filmmaker.

Malcolm Turnbull is born

Mike Eruzione is born

Mike Eruzione, American athlete, known for american ice hockey player, was born on 1955-10-25. Michael Anthony "Rizzo" Eruzione is an American former ice hockey player.

Bernard Hinault is born

Bernard Hinault, French athlete, known for french cyclist, was born on 1955-11-14. Bernard Hinault (pronounced [bɛʁ.naʁ i.no]; born 14 November 1954) is a French former professional road cyclist.

Chris Evert is born

Chris Evert, American athlete, known for american former tennis player, was born on 1955-12-21. Christine Marie Evert is an American former professional tennis player.

Annie Lennox is born

Annie Lennox, Scottish musician, known for scottish musician, was born on 1955-12-25. Ann Lennox is a Scottish singer-songwriter, political activist and philanthropist.

Ozzie Smith is born

Ozzie Smith, American athlete, known for american professional baseball player, was born on 1955-12-26. Osborne Earl Smith is an American former professional baseball player.

Liu Xiaobo is born

Liu Xiaobo, Chinese human rights activist, known for chinese human rights activist, was born on 1955-12-28.

Denzel Washington is born

Denzel Washington actor, known for american actor, was born on 1955-12-28. Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, producer, director, and Pentecostal minister.

Rodney Brooks is born

Frank Bainimarama is born

Condoleezza Rice is born

Condoleezza Rice, American diplomat and political scientist, known for american diplomat and political scientist, was born on 1955-11-14.

Notable Deaths

Alexander Fleming dies

Alexander Fleming, Scottish physician and microbiologist, known for scottish physician and microbiologist, died on 1955-03-11.

Tommy Burns dies

Alberto Ascari dies

Alberto Ascari, Italian racing driver, known for italian racing driver, died on 1955-05-26.

Emmett Till dies

Emmett Till, American lynching victim, known for american lynching victim, died on 1955-08-28.