If you were born in 1955, you were born in the same year as Disneyland, The Mickey Mouse Club, the McDonalds franchise, the hovercraft, the television series “Gunsmoke,” The Guinness Book of World Records, and more. Most families in the U.S. now own cars by this year, and Rock and Roll becomes wildly popular.
Interesting Statistics from 1955
- U.S. population: 165.93 million
- Worldwide population: 4.38 billion
- Life expectancy: 69.6 years
- Price of gas: 23 cents
- Price of a new house: $10,950
- Annual wage: $4,130
Top News in 1955
- Rosa Parks is arrested for not changing her bus seat. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. leads the boycotting of that bus.
- The Interstate Commerce Commission orders its busses and trains to end segregation.
- The Vietnam Conflict, also known as the Second Indochina War, begins.
If You Were Born in 1955, Your Parents Witnessed These Historic Events
- The first artificial diamond is created.
- Kermit the Frog makes his debut.
- The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, makes its first voyage.
- The Baghdad Pact is made and the Central or Middle East Treaty Organization is made in response to NATO.
- The Warsaw Pact is signed in response to NATO.
- West Germany joins NATO.
- “Peter Pan” is broadcast on television and receives the greatest viewership seen up to this time.
- The 14-year-old Emmett Till is lynched and those responsible are acquitted.
1955 Pop Culture
Sports
- 1955 World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers defeat New York Yankees 4-3.
- 1955 NFL Championship: Cleveland Browns defeat Los Angeles Rams 38–14.
- 1955 NBA Championship: Syracuse Nationals defeat Fort Wayne Pistons 4-3.
- 1955 Stanley Cup: Detroit Red Wings defeat Montreal Canadiens 4-3.
Arts
- Top-grossing movies in 1955: “Cinerama Holiday,” “Mister Roberts,” “Battle Cry”
- Top singles in 1955: “Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White,” “Rock Around the Clock,” “The Yellow Rose of Texas”
- Top books in 1955: “Marjorie Morningstar,” “Gift from the Sea,” “Lolita,” “The Strange Career of Jim Crow”
Who Else Was Born in 1955?
- Kris Jenner
- Bill Gates
- Rowan Atkinson
- Steve Jobs
- Bill Nye
- Howie Mandel
- Whoopi Goldberg
- Yo-Yo Ma
Who Died in 1955?
- Albert Einstein
- Alexander Fleming
- Thomas Mann
- Charlie Parker