This page offers an insight into life in 1953 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1953.
The year 1953 began on a Thursday. It was not a leap year.
1953 In The News
31st January – North Sea floods killed around 2500 people.
6th March– Georgy Malenkov became leader of the Soviet Union after the death of Joseph Stalin
2nd May– Hussein bin Talal became King of Jordan.
29th May– Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first men to reach summit of Mount Everest
2nd June– Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in Westminster Abbey.
27th July– The Korean War ended.
Life in 1953 – Prices
Average house:
UK – £1,891; USA – $9,550
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.20; USA – $0.22
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.03; USA – $0.16
Gold per ounce:
UK – $34.84, USA – $38.75
Life in 1953 – Population
World: – 2,681,061,586
Australia: – 8,857,924
Canada: – 15,183,375
China: – 584,191,360
India: – 389,691,328
Soviet Union: 107,302,808
United States: – 158,956,000
United Kingdom: – 50,593,000
Life in 1953 – Music
Best Selling Single:
UK – I Believe – Frankie Lane
USA – The Song from Moulin Rouge – Percy Faith
AUS – The Song from Moulin Rouge – Percy Faith
CAN – No data – Charts began 1964
Best Selling Album:
UK – No data – Charts began 1956
USA – Music for Lovers Only – Jackie Gleason
AUS – No data – Charts began 1966
CAN – No data – Charts began 1968
Popular Artists:
Tony Bennett, Frankie Lane, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr
On the Bookshelves
Books Published in 1953:
Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury
The Crucible – Arthur Miller
The Silver Chair – CS Lewis
Nine Stories – J D Salinger
Childhood’s End – Arthur C Clarke
At the Movies
1953 Top Movies (USA box office figures):
1. The Robe – $17.5 million
2. From Here to Eternity – $12.2 million
3. Shane – $8 million 4. How to Marry a Millionaire – $7.3 million
5. Peter Pan – $6 million
Life in 1953 – World Leaders
Australia Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
Canada Prime Minister – Louis St Laurent
China President – Mao Zedong
India Prime Minister – Jawaharlal Nehru
Soviet Union Leader – Joseph Stalin to 5th March; Georgy Malenkov to 8th September; Nikita Khruschchev from 8th September
United States President – Dwight Eisenhower
United Kingdom Prime Minister – Winston Churchill
Born in 1953
26th February – Michael Bolton (Singer)
23rd March – Chaka Khan (Actor)
19th April – Ruby Wax (Comedian)
6th May – Tony Blair (UK Prime Minister)
15th May – Mike Oldfield (Musician)
16th May – Pierce Brosnan (Actor)
Died in 1953
1st January – Hank Williams (Musician)
5th March – Joseph Stalin (leader of Soviet Union)
19th June – Julius and Ethel Rosenberg (Communist spies – executed)
28th September – Edwin Hubble (Astronomer)
27th November – Eugene O’Meill (Author)
1953 Sport Highlights
Football – Blackpool won the FA Cup
Tennis – Maureen Connolly won the Australian Open, the French Open, the US Championship and Wimbledon
Cycling – Louison Bobet (FRA) won the Tour de France
Golf – Ben Hogan won the US Open, and the British Open
Baseball – New York Yankees won the World Series
Horse Racing –Knock Hard won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Dark Star won the Kentucky Derby
Christmas Wishlist
Matchbox Cars
Mr Potato Head
Pull along toys
Dinky Cars
Junior tool kit
Paper dolls
What Was New?
Double helix of DNA discovered
Radial tyres invented
Colour TV first broadcast
Black box flight recorder
First published 2020; updated and republished Mar 23 2022 @ 8:33 pm – Updated –