1955

Events in 1955 61

• 1867 – 1955 Cy Young (1867-1955) Died 4 November 1955, aged 88 Cy Young was an American baseball pitcher who won a record 511 games over a 22-year major league career. Major League Baseball's annual award for the best pitcher in each league was named in his honor the year after his death. He died at his farm in Newcomerstown, Ohio.
• 1868 – 1955 Paul Claudel (1868-1955) Died 23 February 1955, aged 86 Paul Claudel was a French poet, playwright and diplomat whose Catholic-inspired dramas influenced twentieth-century French theater. He served as a career diplomat, including as ambassador to the United States and Japan. He died in Paris.
• 1874 – 1955 Egas Moniz Nobel in Medicine The first Portuguese person to win a Nobel Prize, awarded for the development of cerebral angiography.
• 1875 – 1955 Thomas Mann German novelist Mann wrote The Magic Mountain, exploring intellectual life, illness, and European culture.
• 1877 – 1955 Alben Barkley (1877-1955) Died 30 April 1955, aged 77 Alben Barkley served as Vice President of the United States under Harry Truman from 1949 to 1953. He collapsed and died of a heart attack while delivering a speech at Washington and Lee University. He was previously a longtime US Senator from Kentucky.
• 1879 – 1955 Albert Einstein Relativity Pioneer The physicist who developed the theory of relativity, fundamentally changing our understanding of space and time.
• 1881 – 1955 Alexander Fleming Discovery of Penicillin Physician who discovered the first antibiotic substance.
• 1883 – 1955 Maurice Utrillo (1883-1955) Died 5 November 1955, aged 71 Maurice Utrillo was a French painter best known for his depictions of Montmartre street scenes. Largely self-taught, he became one of the most successful painters of the Montmartre school despite lifelong struggles with alcoholism. He died in Dax, France.
• 1885 – 1955 Theda Bara (1885-1955) Died 7 April 1955, aged 69 Theda Bara was an American silent film actress and one of the earliest sex symbols of the movie industry, celebrated for vamp roles such as in the 1917 film Cleopatra. Most of her films are now lost. She died of cancer in Los Angeles.
• 1896 – 1955 Robert E. Sherwood (1896-1955) Died 14 November 1955, aged 59 Robert E. Sherwood was an American playwright and screenwriter who won four Pulitzer Prizes and an Academy Award. He wrote speeches for President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II. He died in New York City.
• 1900 – 1955 Yves Tanguy (1900-1955) Died 15 January 1955, aged 55 Yves Tanguy was a French-American surrealist painter known for his dreamlike, biomorphic landscapes. He emigrated to the United States in 1939 and became a naturalized citizen. He died in Woodbury, Connecticut, following a stroke.
• 1909 – 1955 Carmen Miranda (1909-1955) Died 5 August 1955, aged 46 Carmen Miranda was a Portuguese-born Brazilian singer and actress famed for her flamboyant fruit-hat costumes in Hollywood films. She became one of the highest-paid entertainers in the United States during the 1940s. She died of a heart attack in Beverly Hills shortly after a live television performance.
• 1918 – 1955 Alberto Ascari The Ciccio Two-time World Champion and Ferrari’s first great champion.
• 1920 – 1955 Charlie Parker (1920-1955) Died 12 March 1955, aged 34 Charlie Parker was an American saxophonist and composer who helped pioneer bebop jazz. Known as "Bird," he transformed jazz improvisation through his virtuosic technique and harmonic innovation. He died in New York City after years of ill health worsened by drug addiction.
• 1923 – 1955 Robert Woodruff era Transforms Coca-Cola into a global brand Robert W. Woodruff became president of Coca-Cola in 1923 and led the company for over three decades. He introduced six-bottle cartons, vending machines and coolers, supplied Coca-Cola to every US soldier in WWII for 5 cents regardless of cost, and began international expansion.
• 1931 – 1955 James Dean (1931-1955) Died 30 September 1955, aged 24 James Dean was an American actor known for his roles in East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause. He died in a car crash near Cholame, California, while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder. His death shortly before Rebel Without a Cause's release cemented his status as a cultural icon.
• 1955 – present Alpine French sports and rally brand Alpine became famous for lightweight sports cars and rally success, particularly through the iconic Alpine A110. The company later returned as Renault’s performance-focused sports brand.
• 1955 Disneyland opens Disneyland opens Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California on 17 July 1955, built in a year on former orange groves. The opening day was a shambles of counterfeit tickets, melting asphalt and broken drinking fountains, remembered inside the company as Black Sunday. The park drew a million visitors within seven weeks and created the modern theme park.
• 1955 – 1970 Evidence for dark matter Most of the universe's mass is invisible Fritz Zwicky first noted evidence for missing mass in galaxy clusters (1933). Vera Rubin and Kent Ford's galaxy rotation measurements in the 1960s-70s conclusively showed that galaxies contain far more mass than can be seen — dark matter must exist. It comprises approximately 27% of the universe's total energy content and its nature remains one of the greatest unsolved problems in physics.
• 1955 MiG-21 prototypes first fly Ye-2 and Ye-4 The first MiG-21 prototypes fly, testing swept and delta wings. The delta wing wins, giving the fighter its distinctive shape.
• 1955 – present Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-21 The most-produced supersonic jet The most-produced supersonic jet aircraft in history, with more than 11,000 built and flown by some sixty air forces on four continents.
• 1955 – 1980 Parliament American funk band George Clinton's funk collective, twin of Funkadelic — Mothership Connection, Give Up the Funk and Flash Light.
• 1955 – 1975 Vietnam War US involvement The Vietnam War saw US forces fighting communist North Vietnam. After 58,000 American deaths, the US withdrew in 1973 and Saigon fell in 1975.
• 1955 USS Nautilus gets underway on nuclear power World's first nuclear-powered submarine begins operational service The USS Nautilus signaled "Underway on nuclear power" as it left port in Groton, Connecticut, becoming the world's first vessel to operate under nuclear propulsion. The submarine could remain submerged far longer than any diesel-electric predecessor. Its success launched the era of nuclear-powered naval vessels.
• 1955 – 2020 Eddie Van Halen (1955-2020) Died 6 October 2020, aged 65 Eddie Van Halen was the virtuoso guitarist and co-founder of the rock band Van Halen, celebrated for his innovative tapping technique. He died of cancer on 6 October 2020.
• 1955 – 2011 Steve Jobs Apple co-founder Steve Jobs co-founded Apple and pioneered personal computing and the smartphone era with the Mac, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.
• 1955 Bo Diddley releases Bo Diddley The Bo Diddley beat His debut single introduces the beat — number one R&B.
• 1955 1955 World Snooker Championship Fred Davis Title 7 Winner: Fred Davis; Runner-up: John Pulman. Score: 37–34.
• 1955 Charlie Parker dies in New York Aged 34 The doctor guesses his age at 50 to 60.
• 1955 Fats Domino releases Ain't That a Shame Crossover hit His first pop top-ten, covered by Pat Boone.
• 1955 Cyprus Emergency begins EOKA launches armed campaign against British rule The Greek Cypriot organization EOKA began a guerrilla campaign against British colonial rule in Cyprus, seeking union with Greece. The uprising led Britain to declare a state of emergency and deploy thousands of troops. The conflict continued until Cyprus gained independence in 1960.
• 1955 Winston Churchill resigns as Prime Minister Anthony Eden succeeds Churchill as UK premier Winston Churchill resigned as British Prime Minister due to declining health, ending his second and final term. Anthony Eden succeeded him the same day. Churchill remained a member of Parliament until 1964.
• 1955 Salk polio vaccine declared safe and effective Field trial results announced, launching mass vaccination Researchers announced that Jonas Salk's polio vaccine, tested in a massive field trial of over a million children, was safe and effective. Mass vaccination campaigns followed almost immediately across the United States and beyond. Polio cases in the country fell dramatically within a few years.
• 1955 First McDonald's franchise opens Ray Kroc opens a franchised restaurant in Des Plaines, Illinois Businessman Ray Kroc opened his first McDonald's franchise location in Des Plaines, Illinois, after partnering with the McDonald brothers. Kroc later bought out the brothers and built the chain into a global fast-food empire. The Des Plaines store became the template for McDonald's rapid international expansion.
• 1955 Bandung Conference Asian and African nations meet to promote decolonization and cooperation Representatives of 29 Asian and African nations met in Bandung, Indonesia, to discuss decolonization, economic cooperation, and opposition to colonialism. The conference laid groundwork for the Non-Aligned Movement founded in 1961. Leaders including Sukarno, Nehru, and Zhou Enlai attended.
• 1955 West Germany joins NATO Bonn regains sovereignty and joins the Western military alliance Following the Bonn-Paris conventions, West Germany formally regained full sovereignty and was admitted to NATO on May 9, 1955. The move prompted the Soviet Union to form the rival Warsaw Pact days later. It marked West Germany's integration into the Western bloc during the Cold War.
• 1955 Warsaw Pact signed Soviet-led military alliance formed in response to NATO The Soviet Union and seven Eastern European communist states signed the Warsaw Pact in response to West Germany's admission to NATO. The treaty formalized Soviet military dominance over its allies for the rest of the Cold War. It remained in force until dissolved in 1991.
• 1955 Austrian State Treaty signed Allied occupation ends and Austria regains independence The Austrian State Treaty, signed by the Soviet Union, United States, Britain and France, ended the decade-long Allied occupation of Austria. Austria regained full sovereignty in exchange for declaring permanent neutrality. The treaty is regarded as a foundation of modern Austrian statehood.
• 1955 – 2017 Bill Paxton (1955-2017) Died 25 February 2017, aged 61 American actor known for roles in Aliens, Titanic, Twister, and the television series Big Love. He was one of few actors to appear in films depicting the destruction of the Titanic, the Alamo, and the White House. He died of complications following heart surgery.
• 1955 – present Tim Berners-Lee World Wide Web Invention of the Web in 1989 while working at CERN.
• 1955 Le Mans motor racing disaster Wreckage kills 83 spectators at the 24 Hours of Le Mans During the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a car driven by Pierre Levegh collided with another vehicle and disintegrated, sending debris into the crowd. Eighty-three spectators and Levegh were killed in the worst accident in motorsport history. The disaster led several countries to temporarily ban motor racing and prompted lasting safety reforms.
• 1955 Chuck Berry releases Maybellene First hit A country fiddle tune turned rock and roll, his first hit.
• 1955 – 2023 Li Keqiang (1955-2023) Died 27 October 2023, aged 68 Chinese politician who served as premier from 2013 to 2023, the country's second-ranking leader for a decade.
• 1955 – 2026 Lindsey Graham (1955-2026) Died 11 July 2026, aged 71 American Republican senator for South Carolina from 2003 until his death, a leading Senate voice on defence and foreign affairs.
• 1955 Ruth Ellis executed Last woman hanged in the United Kingdom Ruth Ellis was hanged at Holloway Prison for the murder of her lover, David Blakely, becoming the last woman executed in the United Kingdom. Her case fueled public debate over capital punishment and contributed to its eventual abolition in Britain. The abolition of the death penalty for murder followed a decade later.
• 1955 Geneva Summit First Cold War summit between US, Soviet, British and French leaders Leaders of the United States, Soviet Union, Britain and France met in Geneva for the first major East-West summit since the start of the Cold War. Eisenhower and Khrushchev discussed German reunification and disarmament without reaching binding agreements. The meeting briefly eased tensions in what became known as the "Spirit of Geneva."
• 1955 Murder of Emmett Till Lynching of a Black teenager galvanizes the civil rights movement Fourteen-year-old Emmett Till was abducted and murdered in Money, Mississippi, after being accused of offending a white woman in her family's store. His mother's decision to hold an open-casket funeral exposed the brutality of the killing to a national audience. The all-white jury's acquittal of his killers helped spark the civil rights movement.
• 1955 Lolita published Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel appears in Paris Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita was published by Olympia Press in Paris after being rejected by American publishers over its subject matter. The book later became a bestseller and a landmark of twentieth-century literature. It was not published in the United States until 1958.
• 1955 Velcro patented George de Mestral's hook-and-loop fastener receives a US patent Swiss engineer George de Mestral was granted a United States patent for Velcro, a hook-and-loop fastener he developed after studying how burrs stuck to his dog's fur. The invention became widely used in clothing, aerospace, and countless consumer products. De Mestral had first patented the design in Switzerland in 1951.
• 1955 Little Richard records Tutti Frutti J&M Studio, New Orleans A wild, cleaned-up club song that becomes a rock and roll landmark.
• 1955 Revolución Libertadora overthrows Perón Military coup ends Juan Perón's presidency in Argentina A military and civilian uprising known as the Revolución Libertadora forced President Juan Perón from power and into exile. The coup ended Perón's nearly decade-long rule and ushered in years of political instability in Argentina. Perón would not return to the presidency until 1973.
• 1955 John Coltrane joins the Miles Davis Quintet First great quintet Joins Miles Davis' band, with Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones.
• 1955 – present Bill Gates Microsoft founder Bill Gates co-founded Microsoft and helped bring personal computers to the masses, later becoming one of history's greatest philanthropists.
• 1955 United Airlines Flight 629 bombing A bomb planted by a passengers son to collect life insurance destroys the airliner over Colorado, killing all 44 on board.
• 1955 Bundeswehr founded West Germanys new armed forces are established with the first 101 volunteers, ten years after the end of the Second World War.
• 1955 Sultan Mohammed V returns to Morocco The exiled sultan returns from Madagascar via France. Morocco became independent in March 1956.
• 1955 Soviet Union tests RDS-37 The first Soviet two-stage thermonuclear bomb is air-dropped at Semipalatinsk, yielding about 1.6 megatons.
• 1955 ICC bans segregation on interstate transport The Interstate Commerce Commission rules that racial segregation on interstate buses and trains is illegal, days before the Montgomery bus boycott.
• 1955 AFL and CIO merge Rival labor federations unite to form the AFL-CIO The American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations merged to form the AFL-CIO, ending a two-decade rivalry between the two labor federations. George Meany became the combined organization's first president. The merger created the largest labor federation in United States history.
• 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott begins African Americans boycott segregated buses after Rosa Parks's arrest On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. Local Black leaders, including Martin Luther King Jr., organized a boycott of the city's buses that began four days later and lasted over a year. The boycott became a landmark of the American civil rights movement.
• 1955 – 2017 Liu Xiaobo (1955-2017) Died 13 July 2017, aged 61 Chinese writer and human rights activist who won the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize while imprisoned for co-authoring a manifesto calling for political reform. He died in Chinese custody from liver cancer, having never been permitted to leave the country to receive treatment abroad. He was the first Nobel Peace laureate to die in state custody since 1938.