This page offers an insight into life in 1955 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1955.
The year 1955 began on a Saturday. It was not a leap year. 1955 saw the beginning of Civil Rights protests in the United States.
1955 In The News
5th April – Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister of Britain.
9th May– West Germany joined NATO
17th July– Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be executed in the UK.
3rd October– ABC TV’s Mickey Mouse Club began.
1st December– Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat.
Life in 1955 – Prices
Average house:
UK – £1,900; USA – $10,950
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.20; USA – $0.23
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.03; USA – $0.18
Gold per ounce:
UK – $35.03, USA – $35.25
Life in 1955 – Population
World: – 2,781,208,965
Australia: – 9,277,087
Canada: – 16,050,356
China: – 606,729,664
India: – 404,267,584
Soviet Union: 111,125,496
United States: – 165,068,992
United Kingdom: – 50,946,000
Life in 1955 – Music
Best Selling Single:
UK – Rose Marie – Slim Whitman
USA – Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White – Perez Prado
AUS – Hold My Hand – Don Cornell and Nat King Cole
CAN – No data – Charts began 1964
Best Selling Album:
UK – No data – Charts began 1956
USA – Love Me or Leave Me – Doris Day
AUS – No data – Charts began 1966
CAN – No data – Charts began 1968
Popular Artists:
Pat Boone, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Fats Domino, Bill Haley and his Comets, Dinah Shore, Frank Sinatra
On the Bookshelves
Books Published in 1955:
Lolita – Vladimir Nabokov
The Return of the King (Lord of the Rings 3) – J.R.R. Tolkein
The Magician’s Nephew – C.S. Lewis
Harold and the Purple Crayon – Crockett Johnson
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof – Tennessee Williams
At the Movies
1955 Top Movies (USA box office figures):
1. Cinerama Holiday – $10 million
2. Mister Roberts – $8.5 million
3. Battle Cry – $8.1 million
4. Oklahoma – $7.1 million
5. Guys and Dolls – $6.9 million
Life in 1955 – 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 – Nikita Khruschchev
United States President – Dwight Eisenhower
United Kingdom Prime Minister – Winston Churchill to 7th April, Anthony Eden from 7th April
Born in 1955
18th January – Kevin Costner (Actor, director)
24th February – Steve Jobs (Businessman, founder of Apple)
19th March – Bruce Willis (Actor)
8th June – Tim Berners-Lee (Computer Scientist)
21st June – Michel Platini (Footballer)
28th October – Bill Gates (Businessman, founder of Microsoft)
Died in 1955
11th March – Alexander Fleming (Scientist)
18th April – Albert Einstein (Physicist)
10th May – Tommy Burns (Boxer)
5th August – Carmen Mirander (Singer/ Actress)
30th September – James Dean (Actor)
1955 Sport Highlights
Football – Newcastle United won the FA Cup
Cycling – Louison Bobet (FRA) won the Tour de France
Golf – Peter Thomson won the British Open, Jack Fleck won the US Open
Motor Racing – Juan Manuel Fangio was Formula One winner for the third time
Baseball – Brooklyn Dodgers won the World Series
Horse Racing –Gay Donald won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Swaps won the Kentucky Derby
Christmas Wishlist
Hot Wheels toy cars
Paper dolls
Mr Potato Head
Pull along toys
Matchbox Cars
Gumby toys
What Was New?
Home microwave oven produced
Tetracycline (antibiotic) developed
Disneyland California opened
First published 2020; updated and republished Mar 23 2022 @ 20:50 am – Updated –
