Year 1955 Fun Facts, Trivia, and History Events

This quick read presents a collection of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1955. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, historic firsts, entertainment news, and much more.

Take a journey through history in just minutes.

1. In 1955, Americans were buying houses in the suburbs and were also purchasing new cars, televisions, and refrigerators. Fast food and TV dinners were all the rage, and Coca-Cola was now being sold in cans. Rocking around the clock with Elvis, playing the card game canasta, and watching The $64,000 Question on television had also become popular pastimes.
2. Dwight D. Eisenhower was the president of the United States, and Richard M. Nixon was the nation’s vice president.
3. Unemployment averaged 4.2%, inflation was -0.37%, and the average household income was $4,130.00.
4. The average cost of a new home was $10,950.00, the average price of a new car was $1,900.00, and a gallon of gas averaged 23 cents.
5. In the marketplace, a five-pound bag of flour cost 54 cents, butter was 71 cents a pound, and a dozen eggs was 61 cents. A McDonald’s cheeseburger cost 19 cents, an alarm clock was $1.59, and a black and white TV retailed at $99.95.
6. On January 19, President Eisenhower presided over the first televised presidential news conference, which took place in the Indian Treaty Room at the White House.
7. On February 9, the two U.S. trade unions—the American Federation of Labor (AFL) and the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO)—merged into the AFL-CIO.
8. On March 7, at the 7th Primetime Emmy Awards, Make Room for Daddy (ABC) won an Emmy for Best Situation Comedy, and The United States Steel Hour (ABC) won an Emmy for Best Dramatic Program.
9. On March 30, at the 27th Academy Awards, On the Waterfront won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Film Editing, and Best Original Score.
10. On April 12, the polio vaccine, developed and tested by Jonas Salk, was given full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Soon after, a nationwide inoculation campaign began.
11. On April 13, 20.33 inches of rain fell in Axis, Alabama, setting a state record.
12. On April 15, Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's restaurant franchise in Des Plaines, Illinois.
13. On May 5, the Federal Republic of West Germany became a sovereign state. According to the New World Encyclopedia, the British, French, and U.S. militaries remained in West Germany, just as the Soviet army remained in East Germany.
14. On May 14, the Soviet Union and seven socialist republics of Central and Eastern Europe signed the Warsaw Pact, a mutual defense treaty. NATO explains that “The Warsaw Pact embodied what was referred to as the Eastern Bloc, while NATO and its member countries represented the Western Bloc. NATO and the Warsaw Pact were ideologically opposed and, over time, built up their defenses by starting an arms race that lasted throughout the Cold War.”
15. On May 25, a series of twisters destroyed most of Udall, Kansas, and Blackwell, Oklahoma.
16. On June 9, the temperature hit 100°F in Seattle, Washington, making it the hottest day on record there up until then.
17. On June 27, Illinois enacted the first seat belt legislation for automobiles. The law did not require cars to have seat belts but stipulated that automobiles must be made “seat belt-ready.”
18. On June 30, the ever-popular late-night talk show, The Johnny Carson Show, premiered on CBS. The program was “a traditional potpourri of comedy, music, dance, skits, and monologues.”
19. On July 11, President Eisenhower signed legislation requiring that “In God We Trust” appear on all U.S. currency.
20. On July 17, Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California. History.com tells us that “the $17 million theme park was built on 160 acres of former orange groves and soon brought in staggering profits.”
21. On July 17, Arco, Idaho, became the first city in the world to be lit by nuclear power.
22. On August 7, Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, the precursor to Sony, began selling their first transistor radios in Japan.
23. On August 12, President Eisenhower raised the minimum wage from 75 cents to $1 an hour.
24. On November 22, RCA Records paid $35,000 to Sun Records for Elvis Presley's contract.
25. On December 1, Rosa Parks was arrested in Montgomery, Alabama, for refusing to move to the back of a bus and give her seat to a white passenger. As a result, Martin Luther King, Jr., led a 381-day Black boycott of the Montgomery bus system.
26. In 1955, home economists at the Campbell Soup Company developed the recipe for the green bean casserole, which is still one of the company’s most popular recipes.
27. Best-selling book: Marjorie Morningstar by Herman Wouk
28. Popular films: Blackboard Jungle, Diabolique, East of Eden, Guys and Dolls, and Summertime
29. Most popular TV programs: The $64,000 Question (CBS), I Love Lucy (CBS), and The Ed Sullivan Show (CBS)
30. Most popular soap operas: Search for Tomorrow, The Guiding Light, and Love of Life
31. Beloved music artists and groups included Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry, Don Cornell, the Four Aces, and Frank Sinatra.
32. Popular songs: Cherry Pink and Apple Blossom White (Perez Prado), Rock Around the Clock (Bill Haley & His Comets), and The Yellow Rose of Texas (Mitch Miller)
33. The Johnny Carson Show, Gunsmoke, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The $64,000 Question, The Lawrence Welk Show, Captain Kangaroo, and The Mickey Mouse Club all premiered on network television.
34. Car and Driver magazine, the Village Voice, and The Guinness Book of World Records all began publishing.
35. In 1955, Bill Gates, Bill Paxton, Bruce Willis, Jeff Daniels, Kevin Costner, Mark Thompson, Moses Malone, Steve Jobs, Whoopi Goldberg, and Yolanda King were all born.
36. Here are some sports facts from 1955: The Cleveland Browns were the NFL champs, the Detroit Red Wings clinched the Stanley Cup, and the Brooklyn Dodgers won the World Series.
37. Finally, Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella won his 3rd MVP Award, and MLB legend Stan Musial hit his 300th career home run.

References:

1. https://popculturemadness.com/what-happened-in-1955/
2. https://www.infoplease.com/year/1955
3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1955_in_the_United_States
4. https://www.history.com/a-year-in-history/1955
5. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1955
6. https://www.mclib.info/Research/Local-History-Genealogy/Historic-Prices
7. https://fortune.com/ranking/fortune500/
8. https://www.thefamouspeople.com/died-1955.php#:~:text=Discover%20the%20most%20famous%20people,Shemp%20Howard%20and%20many%20more.
9. https://www.famousbirthdays.com/year/1955.html
10. https://www.imdb.com/list/ls059265944/
11. https://www.musicoutfitters.com/topsongs/1955.htm
12. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/yearonlytimeline-1951-1975.html

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor