1954 Events January events January 14 - The Hudson Motor Car Company merges with Nash-Kelvinator forming the American Motors Corporation January 14 - Marilyn Monroe weds Joe DiMaggio. January 15 - Mau Mau leader Waruhiu Itote is captured in Kenya 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 Mrs. Dwight D. Eisenhower. January 25 - The foreign ministers of the United States, Britain, France and the Soviet Union meet at the Berlin Conference. February events 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 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 events March 1 - Nuclear testing: Officials announce that an American hydrogen bomb test had been conducted on Bikini Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. March 8 - PR Newswire founded in New York by Herb Muschel. 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 gold market reopens (it was closed in 1939). March 23 - Vietminh capture the main airstrip of Dien Bien Phu - French forces are partially isolated 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 events April 1 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado April 7 - Dwight D. Eisenhower gives his"domino theory" speech during a news conference April 14 - Aneurin Bevan resigns from the Labour shadow cabinet April 22 - Senator Joseph McCarthy begins hearings investigating the United States Army for being "soft" on Communism. May events 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 17 - US Supreme Court hands down its decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas 347 US 483 1954 May 20 - Chiang Kai-shek is reelected president of the Republic of China by the National Assembly. June events 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 15 - UEFA (the Union des Associations Européennes de Football) is formed in Basle, Switzerland. June 18 - Pierre Mendes-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 Obnisnsk, near Moscow. July events July 3 - End of rationing of meat ends all the food rationing in Britain July 7 - In Memphis, Tennessee, WHBQ becomes the first radio station to air an Elvis Presley record 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 events 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 events 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 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 24 - Temple of Mithras found in London September 30 - USS Nautilus, 1st atomic-powered vessel (submarine), commissioned by the US Navy September 30 - Rev. Ernest Gentile, and his wife Joy, found Gospel Temple in Spokane, WA, which later becomes Rock of Ages Christian Fellowship. October events October 11 - Vietnam War: The Viet Minh takes control of North Vietnam. October 18 - Texas Instruments announces the worldwide first Transistor radio. 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 events November - The main immigration port-of-entry in New York Harbor at Ellis Island closes. 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 30 - In Sylacauga, Alabama, a 4 kg sulfide meteorite crashes through a roof and hits Ann Hodges in her living room after bouncing off her radio, giving her a bad bruise (this is the first known modern case of a human being hit by a space rock). December events 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. Undated Battle of Dien Bien Phu between French and Viet Minh forces in Indochina 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. Births January births January 2 - Henry Bonilla, American politician January 6 - Anthony Minghella, director January 12 - Howard Stern, "shock-jock" radio host January 22 - Peter Pilz, Austrian politician January 29 - Oprah Winfrey, actress, talk show host, producer, publisher January 29 - Yukinobu Hoshino, Japanese mangaka February births February 1 - Bill Mumy, actor, musician February 2 - Christie Brinkley, model February 6 - Argusto Emfazie, occultist, author February 12 - Philip Zimmermann, American cryptographer February 15 - Matt Groening, cartoonist February 18 - John Travolta, actor February 19 - Socrates, football player February 20 - Anthony Stewart Head, actor February 20 - Patty Hearst, socialite February 25 - John Doe, musician February 26 - Michael Bolton, singer March births March 1 - Ron Howard, actor, director, producer March 4 - Catherine O'Hara, actress March 13 - The Baroness Amos, British politician, first black woman in the UK Cabinet March 16 - Nancy Wilson (guitarist), band founder, singer, actress March 17 - Lesley-Anne Down, actress March 24 - Robert Carradine, actor April births April 7 - Jackie Chan, actor April 7 - Tony Dorsett, American football star April 9 - Dennis Quaid, actor April 10 - Peter MacNicol, actor April 17 - Riccardo Patrese, Italian racing driver April 18 - Rick Moranis, actor, comedian April 29 - Jerry Seinfeld, comedian May births May 7 - Amy Heckerling, director May 8 - David Keith, actor June births June 9 - John Hagelin, physicist and United States Natural Law Party Presidential candidate. June 22 - Freddie Prinze, actor/comedian (d. 1977) June 26 - Steve Barton, actor June 27 - Ron Kirk, former mayor of Dallas, Texas July births July 10 - Neil Tennant, British musician August births August 1 - Michael J. Badnarik, Software engineer and United States Libertarian Party Presidential candidate. August 11 - Joe Jackson, British singer August 14 - Mark Fidrych, baseball pitcher August 16 - James Cameron, film director August 20 - Al Roker, television broadcaster August 26 - Pauline Hanson, politician September births September 13 - Steve Kilbey, Australian musician September 23 - Cherie Booth QC, wife of British Prime Minister Tony Blair September 26 - Kevin Kennedy, baseball manager, television host September 30 - Barry Williams, actor October births October 1 - Martin Strel, Slovene ultra marathon swimmer October 3 - Dennis Eckersley, baseball pitcher October 9 - Scott Bakula, American television actor November births November 14 - Condoleezza Rice, US National Security Advisor (2001-present) November 15 - Aleksander Kwasniewski, President of Poland December births December 2 - Dan Butler, actor December 14 - Alan Kulwicki, NASCAR driver (d. 1993) December 20 - Michael Badalucco, actor (The Practice) December 26 - Susan Butcher, American dog-sled racing champion Deaths January deaths January 18 - Sydney Greenstreet, actor February deaths February 12 - Dziga Vertov, filmmaker May deaths May 6 - B.C. Forbes, financial publisher May 19 - Charles Ives, American composer June deaths June 7 - Alan Turing, mathematician July deaths July 11 - Henry Valentine Knaggs, physician and author July 13 - Frida Kahlo, Mexican painter July 29 - Coen de Koning, Dutch speed skater August deaths August 24 - Getúlio Vargas, Brazilian president September September 21 - Kokichi Mikimoto, pearl farm pioneer October deaths November 3 - Henri Matisse, painter November 29 - Enrico Fermi, physicist November 29 - Dink Johnson, jazz musician (b. 1892) November 30 - Wilhelm Furtwängler, conductor Nobel Prizes Physics - Max Born, - Walther Bothe Chemistry - Linus Carl Pauling Medicine - John Franklin Enders, Thomas Huckle Weller, Frederick Chapman Robbins Literature - Ernest Miller Hemingway Peace - The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Heads of state in 1954 President Dwight Eisenhower - United States Lt. Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser - Egypt Chiang Kai-shek - China President Getúlio Vargas - Brazil Prime Minister Louis Saint-Laurent - Canada ast:1954 Most Popular Articles: Music    Musical Instruments    Guitar    Classical Music    History    Music Definition    Country Music    Rock Music    Pop Music    Hip Hop    Rap    DJ    Video Games    Casino Games    Poker    Blackjack    Casinos    Real Estate    Loan    Auction    eBay    Marketing    Search Engine Optimization    File Sharing    MP3    Music Industry    Kazaa    Internet    Supermodel    Fashion    Fashion Designers    Erotica    Modeling    Clothing    Boots    Shoes    Diamond Engagement Rings    Diamond    Rugs    Gospel Music    Affiliate    E-Commerce    Radio This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License at http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html You may copy and modify it as long as the entire work (including additions) remains under this license. You must provide a link to http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html To view or edit this article at Wikipedia go to http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/1954