If you were born in 1954, you share a birth year with Veteran’s Day, the solar battery, the Mercedes 300SL Gullwing, Burger King, Sports Illustrated, TV dinners, and more. In this year, more women were entering the workforce, and Do It Yourself projects were rising in popularity.
Interesting Statistics from 1954
- U.S. population: 163.03 million
- Worldwide population: 4.38 billion
- Life expectancy: 69.6 years
- Price of gas: 21 cents
- Price of a new house: $10,250
- Annual wage: $4,100
Top News in 1954
- Brown v. Board of Education declares segregation in schools to be unconstitutional.
- Mass vaccination against Polio begins.
- The Communist Party is outlawed in the U.S. through the Communist Control Act.
If You Were Born in 1954, Your Parents Witnessed These Historic Events
- Senator Joseph McCarthy is condemned by the senate.
- The first nuclear power plant opens near Moscow.
- Elvis Presley releases his first single.
- “The Lone Ranger,” a popular and long-running television show, ends.
- The Guatemalan government is overthrown with the help of the CIA.
- The Southeast Asian Treaty Organization is formed.
- A kidney transplant is conducted successfully for the first time.
- Ellis Island closes itself to immigration.
- Operation Castle begins on the Bikini Atoll.
- World leaders meet in the Geneva Conference to finalize the Korean armistice.
- Social Security comes into being.
- President Eisenhower describes the “Domino Theory” for the first time.
1954 Pop Culture
Sports
- 1954 World Series: New York Giants defeat Cleveland Indians 4-0.
- 1954 NFL Championship: Cleveland Browns defeat Detroit Lions 56–10.
- 1954 NBA Championship: Minneapolis Lakers defeat Syracuse Nationals 4-3.
- 1954 Stanley Cup: Detroit Red Wings defeat Montreal Canadiens 4-3.
Arts
- Top-grossing movies in 1954: “White Christmas,” “The Caine Mutiny,” “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea”
- Top singles in 1954: “Little Things Mean a Lot,” “Wanted,” “Hey There”
- Top books in 1954: “Not as a Stranger,” “The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version,” “Lord of the Flies,” “The Lord of the Rings”
Who Else Was Born in 1954?
- Oprah Winfrey
- Jackie Chan
- John Travolta
- Denzel Washington
- Ruby Bridges
- Howard Stern
- Jerry Seinfeld
Who Died in 1954?
- Lionel Barrymore
- Henri Matisse
- Johnny Ace