Information for the Year 1954

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  • Nasser becomes premier of Egypt (April 17).
  • Geneva Conference is convened to bring peace to Vietnam (April to July). The country is divided at the 17th parallel, pending democratic elections.
  • Dien Bien Phu, French military outpost in Vietnam, falls to Viet Minh army (May 7).
  • Eight-nation Southeast Asia Collective Defense Treaty (establishing SEATO) signed at Manila (Sept. 8).
  • Paris agreements grant West Germany sovereignty and admittance to NATO and Western European Union (Oct. 23; effective May, 1955).
  • Algerian War of Independence against France begins (Oct. 31).
  • Population:  2.728 billion
  • Nobel Peace Prize:  Office of U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
  • Army v. McCarthy inquiry (Apr. 22–June 17); Senate votes in Dec. to condemn Sen. McCarthy for misconduct.
  • Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka the Supreme Court unanimously bans racial segregation in public schools (May 17).
  • President:  Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Vice President:  Richard M. Nixon
  • Population:   163,025,854
  • Life expectancy:  69.6 years
  • US GDP (1998 dollars):  $381.3 billion
  • Federal spending:   $70.86 billion
  • Federal debt:  $270.8 billion
  • Median Household Income(current dollars):  $4,167
  • Consumer Price Index:  26.9
  • Unemployment:   2.9%
  • Cost of a first-class stamp:  $0.03
  • Super Bowl  The first Super Bowl was not played until the year 1967.
  • World Series of Baseball  NY Giants defeated Cleveland.
  • National Basketball Association Championship  Minneapolis Lakers defeated Syracuse
  • National Hockey League Stanley Cup  Detroit Red Wings defeated the Montreal Canadians
  • Women Wimbledon Tennis  Maureen Connolly defeated L. Brough (6-2 7-5)
  • Men Wimbledon Tennis   Jaroslav Drobny defeated K. Rosewall (13-11 4-6 6-2 9-7)
  • Kentucky Derby Horse Race Champion   Determine
  • National College Athletic Association Basketball Championship  La Salle defeated Bradley (SCORE 92-76)
  • National College Athletic Association Football Champions  Ohio State (RECORD 10-0-0) and UCLA (RECORD 9-0-0)
  • World Cup Soccer  W. Germany defeated Hungary
  • The World Series is broadcast in color for the first time.
  • The revenue for television broadcasters finally surpasses that of radio broadcasters. Gross revenue for television is $593 million.
  • Loretta Young abandons Hollywood for her stylish debut on the small screen.
  • Robert Joffrey Ballet debuts.
  • Academy Award, Best Picture:  From Here to Eternity
  • Grammy Award - Record of the Year  The first Grammy Awards were not until 1959
  • Emmy Award - Best Television Comedy  I Love Lucy - CBS
  • Miss America:  Neva Evelyn Margaret Ay (Pennsylvania)
  • First children receive Dr. Jonas Salk's polio vaccine.
  • The USS Nautilus, the first atomic submarine, is commissioned at Groton, Connecticut.
  • Boeing tests the 707, the first jet-powered transport plane.

 

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