World Events in 1955
Warsaw Pact formed
The Soviet Union and seven Eastern European satellite states signed the Warsaw Pact on 14 May 1955, creating a military alliance to counter NATO. The pact formalised Soviet control over Eastern European armed forces. It would endure until 1991.
Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott
On 1 December 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Her arrest sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a 381-day protest led by the young Martin Luther King Jr. It became a pivotal moment in the American civil rights movement.
West Germany joins NATO
The Federal Republic of Germany formally joined NATO on 9 May 1955, just ten years after the end of World War II. The move was deeply controversial and provoked the formation of the Warsaw Pact. It cemented the division of Germany into East and West.
Bandung Conference
Twenty-nine Asian and African nations met in Bandung, Indonesia to promote Afro-Asian cooperation and oppose colonialism. The conference was a landmark in the emergence of the Non-Aligned Movement. Leaders including Nehru, Nasser, and Sukarno attended.
Churchill resigns as Prime Minister
Winston Churchill, aged 80 and in declining health, resigned as Prime Minister on 5 April 1955. He was succeeded by his long-patient Foreign Secretary, Anthony Eden. Churchill remained as an MP until 1964.
Music in 1955
"Rose Marie"
Slim Whitman
The American country singer's operatic yodelling style made 'Rose Marie' a surprise smash in Britain, where it spent 11 consecutive weeks at number one — a record that stood for over 36 years.
"Rock Around the Clock"
Bill Haley & His Comets
Originally released in 1954, it became a phenomenon after featuring in the film Blackboard Jungle and topped the Billboard chart for eight weeks. It is widely regarded as the song that launched the rock and roll era.
#1 Film of 1955
Lady and the Tramp
Box Office: $93 million (worldwide)
Disney's romantic animated classic was the highest-grossing film of 1955 and the first animated feature filmed in CinemaScope widescreen. The spaghetti-sharing scene became one of cinema's most iconic moments.
Born in 1955
Steve Jobs
Co-founder of Apple Inc. who transformed personal computing and mobile technology
Bill Gates
Co-founder of Microsoft and one of the world's greatest philanthropists
Rowan Atkinson
Comedian and actor known for Blackadder and Mr. Bean
Bruce Willis
Actor known for Die Hard, Pulp Fiction, and The Sixth Sense
Billy Bob Thornton
Actor, screenwriter, and director known for Sling Blade and Fargo
Lost in 1955
Albert Einstein
Theoretical physicist who developed the theory of relativity
Age 76
James Dean
Film actor and cultural icon of teenage rebellion
Age 24
Alexander Fleming
Discoverer of penicillin, Nobel Prize winner
Age 73
Charlie Parker
Pioneering jazz saxophonist and bebop innovator
Age 34
Technology in 1955
Commercial television arrived in Britain with the launch of ITV, transforming the media landscape. The first nuclear-powered submarine, USS Nautilus, was fully operational. Transistor technology was making electronics smaller. The polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk was declared safe and effective, leading to mass vaccinations.
- ● Jonas Salk's polio vaccine declared safe and effective
- ● ITV launches as Britain's first commercial television channel
- ● The hovercraft is patented by Christopher Cockerell
- ● Velcro receives its trademark patent in the United States
Cost of Living in 1955
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £2,000 | $9,000 |
| Average salary | £500/year | $3,850/year |
| Pint of milk | 3½d | $0.23 |
| Loaf of bread | 5d | $0.18 |
| Dozen eggs | 3s 2d | $0.61 |
| Pint of beer | 1s 3d | $0.40 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | 3s 8d | $0.29 |
| Cinema ticket | 2s 0d | $0.55 |
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The Zeitgeist of 1955
Rock and roll burst into the mainstream and moral panic followed. Bill Haley's 'Rock Around the Clock' caused riots in cinemas showing Blackboard Jungle. James Dean embodied teenage rebellion in Rebel Without a Cause before dying in a car crash at 24. ITV launched in Britain, breaking the BBC's monopoly, and commercial television began to reshape popular culture. Teddy Boy culture alarmed the older generation.
In the News in 1955
ITV launched on 22 September, breaking the BBC's television monopoly in Britain. Ruth Ellis became the last woman to be hanged in Britain. Winston Churchill resigned as Prime Minister, replaced by Anthony Eden. Disneyland opened in Anaheim, California.