1954

1954 (MCMLIV) was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar.

Events

January

January 1 - Soviet Union no longer demands war reparations from East Germany
January 12 - Large-scale avalanches in Austria - over 20 dead
January 14 - The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator Corporation forming the American Motors Corporation
January 14 - Marilyn Monroe weds Joe DiMaggio.
January 15 - Mau Mau leader Waruhiu Itote is captured in Kenya
January 17 - In Yugoslavia, Milovan Djilas, Tito's second-in-command, is relieved of his duties
January 20 - The National Negro Network is established with 40 charter member radio stations
January 21 - The first nuclear-powered submarine, the USS Nautilus, is launched in Groton, Connecticut, by First Lady of the United States Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower.
January 25 - The foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union meet at the Berlin Conference.
January 26 - Milpitas, California was incorporated as a city.

February

February 3 - Queen Elizabeth II is the first reigning monarch to visit Australia
February 10 - President Dwight Eisenhower warns against United States intervention in Vietnam
February 18 - The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles, California.
February 23 - The first mass vaccination of children against polio begins in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
February 25 - Lt. Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser is made premier of Egypt.

March

March 1 - Nuclear testing: Officials announce that an American hydrogen bomb test had been conducted on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
March 1 - Four Puerto Ricans open fire on United States House of Representatives and wound five. Security guards apprehend them.
March 8 - PR Newswire founded in New York by Herb Muschel.
March 9 - Edward Murrow and Fred W. Friendly produce a 30-minute See It Now special entitled "A Report on Senator Joseph McCarthy".
March 12 - Finland and Germany officially end the state of war.
March 13 - French troops begin battle against Vietminh in Dien Bien Phu.
March 19 - Joey Giardello knocks out Willie Tory in round seven at Madison Square Garden in the first televised prize boxing fight shown in color.
March 22 - The London bullion market reopens (it was closed in 1939).
March 23 - Viet Minh capture the main airstrip of Dien Bien Phu - French forces are partially isolated.
March 25 - RCA manufactures first color TV set (12" screen; price: $1,000).
March 25 - Soviet Union recognizes sovereignty of East Germany but Soviet troops remain in the country.
March 29 - C-47 with Genevieve de Galard on board is incapacitated on Dien Bien Phu runway.
March 30 - Canada's first subway opens in Toronto.

April

April 1 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
April 3 - Vladimir Petrov defects from the Soviet Union and asks to seek political asylum in Australia.
April 7 - Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his "domino theory" speech during a news conference.
April 12 - Original recording of "Rock Around the Clock" by Bill Haley and the Comets.
April 14 - Aneurin Bevan resigns from the UK Labour shadow cabinet.
April 22 - Senator Joseph McCarthy begins hearings investigating the United States Army for being "soft" on Communism.

May

May 1 - Taku (city in Japan) founded
May 6 - Roger Bannister runs the first four minute mile
May 7 - Construction started on Michigan's Mackinac Bridge.
May 7 - Vietnam War: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends in a French defeat (the battle began on March 13).
May 14 - Boeing 707 released after about two years of development.
May 17 - United States Supreme Court hands down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas 347 US 483 1954
May 17 - Petrov Royal Commission in Australia begins its inqury
May 20 - Chiang Kai-shek is reelected president of the Republic of China by the National Assembly.
May 20 - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty launches Belarusian language programming (see also Piotra Sych).
May 29 - Robert Menzies Government re-elected for 4th term in Australia.

June

June 1 - Radio station Sender Freies Berlin begins broadcasting
June 7 - Mathematician Alan Turing commits suicide.
June 9 - McCarthyism: Joseph Welch, special counsel for the United States Army, lashes out at Senator Joseph McCarthy during hearings on whether Communism has infiltrated the Army
June 14 - On United States Flag Day, the words "under God" added to the Pledge of Allegiance
June 15 - UEFA (the Union of European Football Associations) is formed in Basel, Switzerland
June 17 - Military coup in Guatemala
June 18 - Pierre Mendès-France becomes prime minister of France
June 19 - The last regular-service streetcar operated by Twin City Rapid Transit runs in Minneapolis.
June 27 - Guatemalan President Jacobo Arbenz Guzmán steps down in a CIA-sponsored military coup–Operation PBSUCCESS–triggering a bloody civil war that would continue for more than 35 years.
June 27 - The world's first atomic power station opened at Obninsk, near Moscow.

July-August

July 3 - Food rationing ends in Britain
July 4 - End of rationing of meat ends all the food rationing in Britain
July 4 - West Germany beat Hungary 3-2 to win the 1954 FIFA World Cup
July 5 - Andhra Pradesh High Court is established.
July 7 - In Memphis, Tennessee, WHBQ becomes the first radio station to air an Elvis Presley record
July 15 - Maiden flight of Boeing 707
July 21 - First Indochina War: The Geneva Conference partitions Vietnam into North Vietnam and South Vietnam
July 28 - Foundation of the Situationist International.
July 31 - First ascent of K2, by an Italian expedition.
August - First flight of a B-52 Stratofortress.
August 6 - Emilie Dionne, one of the Dionne Quintuplets, dies of asphyxiation

following a epileptic seizure at Sainte Agathe, Quebec.

August 16 - Volume 1, Issue 1 of Sports Illustrated is published
August 24 - President of Brazil, Getulio Vargas, commits suicide; he's been accused of conspiracy to murder an air force officer.

September-October

September 3 - The last new episode of The Lone Ranger is aired on radio after 2,956 episodes over a period of 21 years
September 6 - SEATO treaty signed in Manila, Philippines KOVR went on the air.
September 8 - The Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) is established in Bangkok, Thailand
September 9 - An earthquake centered on the city of Oleansville in Algeria - 1500 dead and thousands homeless
September 11 - First Miss America Pageant broadcast on television
September 14 - USSR tests nuclear weapon
September 30 - USS Nautilus, 1st atomic-powered vessel (submarine), commissioned by the US Navy
October 11 - Vietnam War: The Viet Minh takes control of North Vietnam.
October 18 - Texas Instruments announces the worldwide first Transistor radio.
October 20 - Dock workers' strike expands in England
October 23 - West Germany joins NATO
October 26 - Member of Muslim Brotherhood Abdul Munim Abdul Rauf tries to kill Gamal Abdal Nasser
October 31 - Algerian War of Independence: The Algerian National Liberation Front begins a revolt against French rule.

November-December

November - The main immigration port-of-entry in New York Harbor at Ellis Island closes.
November 1 - The FLN attacks Representative and public buildings of the france colonial power.
November 2 - Dock workers' strike in England ends
November 3 - The first in the Godzilla series of films is released in Japan.
November 10 - US President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicates the USMC War Memorial (Iwo Jima memorial) in Arlington National Cemetery
November 13 - Don Estes invents the disrupter (a part to help combines work)
November 14 - Egyptian president Mohammed Naguib is deposed - Gamal Abdel Nasser replaces him
November 23 - The Dow Jones Industrial Average closes at an all-time high of 382.74. More significantly, this is the first time the Dow has surpassed its 1929 peak level reached just before that year's crash.
November 30 - In Sylacauga, Alabama, a 4 kg meteorite crashes through the roof of a house and hits Ann Hodges, badly bruising her, in the first documented case of an object from outer space hitting a person.
December 2 - Red Scare: The United States Senate votes 67 to 22 to condemn Joseph McCarthy for "conduct that tends to bring the Senate into dishonor and disrepute."
December 24 - Laos becomes independent.

unknown dates

The first organ transplants are done in Boston and Paris.
Battle of Dien Bien Phu between French and Viet Minh forces in Indochina
The Boy Scouts of America desegregates on the basis of race.
Stop signs are changed from black-on-yellow to white-on-red
Gerbils (Meriones Unguiculatus), brought to the United States by Dr. Victor Schwentker.
Unification Church founded.
Case of Lothar Malskat, who had admitted that he had painted the frescoes in Marienkirche himself, goes into trial
The TV Dinner is introduced by American, Gerry Thomas.
Foundation of Université de Sherbrooke

Births

January

January 2 - Henry Bonilla, American politician
January 4 - Dave "The Devilfish" Ulliott, English professional poker player
January 6 - Anthony Minghella, British film director
January 12 - Howard Stern, American radio host
January 14 - Tom Cheney, American cartoonist
January 17 - Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., son of Robert F Kennedy
January 22 - Peter Pilz, Austrian politician
January 23 - Franco De Vita, Venezuelan singer and songwriter
January 29 - Oprah Winfrey, American actress, talk show hostess, producer, and publisher
January 29 - Yukinobu Hoshino, Japanese cartoonist

February

February 1 - Bill Mumy, American actor and musician
February 2 - Christie Brinkley, American model
February 6 - Argusto Emfazie, American occultist and author
February 12 - Philip Zimmermann, American cryptographer
February 13 - Donnie Moore, baseball player (d. 1989)
February 15 - Matt Groening, American cartoonist
February 18 - John Travolta, American actor
February 19 - Socrates, Brazilian footballer
February 20 - Anthony Stewart Head, English actor
February 20 - Patty Hearst, American heiress and kidnapping victim
February 23 - Viktor Yushchenko, President of Ukraine
February 25 - John Doe, American musician

March-April

March 1 - Ron Howard, American actor, director, producer
March 4 - Catherine O'Hara, Canadian actress
March 8 - David Wilkie, Scottish swimmer
March 9 - Bobby Sands, Irish Republican, Long Kesh hunger striker
March 13 - The Baroness Amos, British politician
March 15 - Craig Wasson, American actor
March 16 - Nancy Wilson, American singer, musician, and actress
March 17 - Lesley-Anne Down, British actress
March 24 - Robert Carradine, American actor
March 26 - Kazuhiko Inoue, Japanese seiyu (voice actor)
March 29 - Karen Ann Quinlan, American right-to-die cause célèbre (d. 1985)
April 7 - Jackie Chan, Hong Kong-born actor
April 7 - Tony Dorsett, American football player
April 8 - John Schneider, American actor ("Dukes of Hazzard")
April 9 - Dennis Quaid, American actor
April 10 - Anacani, Mexican-born American singer The Lawrence Welk Show
April 10 - Peter MacNicol, American actor
April 15 - Seka, American actress
April 16 - Ellen Barkin, American Actress
April 17 - Riccardo Patrese, Italian race car driver
April 18 - Rick Moranis, Canadian actor and comedian
April 28 - Robert Sargent Shriver III, son of Eunice Kennedy Shriver
April 29 - Jerry Seinfeld, American comedian

May-June

May 1 - Archie Norman, British politician and businessman
May 5 - Dave Spector, American television personality and commentator
May 7 - Philippe Geluck, Belgian cartoonist
May 7 - Amy Heckerling, American film director
May 8 - David Keith, American actor
May 19 - Phil Rudd, Australian drummer (AC/DC)
June 9 - John Hagelin, American physicist and U.S. Presidential candidate
June 9 - Elizabeth May, Former executive director of Sierra Club of Canada
June 15 - James Belushi, American actor
June 20 - Michael Anthony, American Bassist and Founding member of the hard rock group Van Halen
June 20 - Ilan Ramon, Israeli Air Force, Israel first astronaut (d. 2003)
June 22 - Freddie Prinze, American actor and comedian (d. 1977)
June 26 - Steve Barton, American actor (d. 2001)
June 27 - Ron Kirk, Mayor of Dallas, Texas
June 28 - Ava Barber, country singer The Lawrence Welk Show
June 30 - Pierre Charles, Prime Minister of Dominica (d. 2004)

July-August

July 5 - John Wright, New Zealand cricket captains
July 10 - Neil Tennant, British musician
July 13 - Sezen Aksu, Popular Turkish female singer
July 17 - Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany
July 25 - Walter Payton, American football player (d. 1999)
August 1 - Michael J. Badnarik, software engineer and U.S. Presidential candidate
August 2 - Sammy McIlroy, Northern Irish footballer and football manager
August 11 - Joe Jackson, British singer
August 12 - Sam J. Jones, American actor
August 13 - Nico Assumpção, Brazilian bass player
August 14 - Mark Fidrych, baseball player
August 16 - James Cameron, Canadian-born film director
August 20 - Al Roker, American television broadcaster
August 21 - Ivan Stang, American author and publisher
August 23 - Charles Busch, American director, writer, actor and drag queen
August 25 - Elvis Costello, British singer
August 26 - Pauline Hanson, Australian politician

September-October

September 3 - Luis Murillo, Ecuadorian musician
September 13 - Steve Kilbey, Australian musician
September 17 - Joël-François Durand, French composer
September 21 - Shinzo Abe, Japanese politician
September 23 - Charlie Barnett, American actor (d. 1996)
September 26 - Kevin Kennedy, baseball manager and television host
September 30 - Barry Williams, American actor
October 1 - Martin Strel, Slovenian swimmer
October 3 - Dennis Eckersley, Major League Baseball player
October 3 - Stevie Ray Vaughan, American musician (d. 1990)
October 3 - Al Sharpton, American politician and minister
October 9 - Scott Bakula, American television actor
October 10 - David Lee Roth, American singer
October 13 - Mordechai Vanunu, Israeli nuclear technician
October 15 - Peter Bakowski, Australian poet
October 23 - Ang Lee, Taiwanese film director
October 24 - Mike Rounds, Governor of South Dakota

November-December

November 2 - Pat Croce, American entrepreneur
November 3 - Brigitte Lin, Actress
November 3 - Adam Ant, English singer
November 3 - Kathy Kinney, American actress and comedienne
November 6 - Catherine Crier, American television journalist
November 7 - Kamal Haasan, Indian actor
November 8 - Michael D. Brown, U.S. Undersecretary of Emergency Preparedness and Response
November 13 - Chris Noth, American actor
November 14 - Condoleezza Rice, U.S. Secretary of State
November 14 - Yanni, Greek musician
November 14 - Willie Hernández, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player
November 15 - Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of Poland
November 16 - Bruce Edwards, golf caddy (d. 2004)
November 23 - Bruce Hornsby, American singer
November 27 - Patricia McPherson, American actress
December 1 - Bob Goen, American television personality and game show host
December 2 - Dan Butler, American actor
December 2 - Stone Phillips, American television journalist
December 7 - Mark Hofmann, American forger and murderer
December 11 - Jermaine Jackson, American singer
December 14 - Ib Andersen, Danish dancer
December 14 - Alan Kulwicki, American race car driver (d. 1993)
December 20 - Michael Badalucco, American actor
December 21 - Chris Evert, American tennis player
December 25 - Annie Lennox, English singer
December 26 - Susan Butcher, American dog-sled racer
December 28 - Denzel Washington, American actor

Unknown dates

Nenad Prokic, Serbian playwright

Deaths

January-June

January 18 - Sydney Greenstreet, English actor (b. 1879)
January 31 - Edwin Armstrong, Electrical Engineer (b. 1890)
February 12 - Dziga Vertov, Russian filmmaker (b. 1896)
March 7 - Otto Diels, German chemist, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1876)
March 31 - Edwin Howard Armstrong, American electrical engineer and inventor (b. 1890)
May 6 - B.C. Forbes, Scottish-born publisher (b. 1880)
May 19 - Charles Ives, American composer (b. 1874)
May 25 - Robert Capa, Hungarian-born photojournalist (b. 1913)
April 10 - Auguste Lumière, French inventor (b. 1862)
April 28 - Léon Jouhaux, French labor leader, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1879)
June 7 - Alan Turing, British mathematician (b. 1912)

Gourt Home::Gourt :: 1954

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July-August

September-October

November-December

unknown dates

Births

January

February

March-April

May-June

July-August

September-October

November-December

Unknown dates

Deaths

January-June

July-December

Nobel prizes

Fields Medalists