- January 29
- First movie in Cinemascope (The Robe) premieres. [1]
- February 5
- RKO Radio Pictures releases Disney's animated feature film Peter Pan to US theaters. The film is adapted from the play by Sir James M. Barrie. [6]
- In Los Angeles, California, the 5th Annual Emmy Awards are presented, hosted by Art Linkletter.
- Best Actor: Thomas Mitchell
- Best Actress: Helen Hayes
- Best Audience Participation, Quiz or Panel Program: What's My Line?
- Best Children's Program: Time for Beany
- Best Comedian: Jimmy Durante
- Best Comedienne: Lucille Ball
- Best Dramatic Show: Robert Montgomery Presents
- Best Mystery, Action or Adventure Program: Dragnet
- Best Public Affairs Program: See It Now
- Best Situation Comedy: I Love Lucy
- Best Variety Program: Your Show of Shows
- Most Outstanding Personality: Fulton J. Sheen.
[1] [168]
- February 6
- US controls on wages and some consumer goods are lifted. [1]
- February 9
- General Walter Bedell Smith ends his term as fourth director of the American Central Intelligence Agency. Allen W Dulles becomes acting director. [1]
- February 11
- US President Dwight Eisenhower refuses clemency appeal for Rosenberg couple. [1]
- February 18
- Premiere of first 3-D feature film - Bwana Devil (New York City, New York). [1]
- February 19
- Georgia state approves first American literature censorship board. [1]
- February 20
- US Court of Appeals rules that Organized Baseball is a sport and not a business, affirming the 25-year-old Supreme Court ruling. [1]
- February 26
- Allen W Dulles is promoted from deputy to 5th director of US Central Intelligence Agency. [1]
- February 28
- Cambridge University scientists James D. Watson and Frances H.C. Crick announce that they have determined the double-helix structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), the molecule containing human genes. [1] [129] [226]
- March 8
- US Census indicates 239,000 farmers gave up farming in last two years. [1]
- March 11
- An American B-47 accidentally drops a nuclear bomb on South Carolina, the bomb doesn't go off due to six safety catches. [1]
- March 17
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- March 19
- 25th Academy Awards: Greatest Show on Earth, Gary Cooper and Shirley Booth win (first time televised). [1]
- March 24
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site. [1]
- March 26
- Dr Jonas Salk announces new vaccine to prevent polio [myelitis]. [1] [5]
- March 27
- 21 die in a train crash in Conneaut, Ohio, USA. [1]
- March 28
- 7th Tony Awards: Crucible and Wonderful Town win. [1]
- March 31
- US Department of Health, Education and Welfare established. [1]
- April 10
- House of Wax, first 3-D movie, is released (New York City, New York). [1]
- April 23
- General Charles P Cabell, US Air Force, becomes deputy director of US Central Intelligence Agency. [1]
- May 3
- Westchester conference of American Library Association proclaims "Freedom to Read". [1]
- May 11
- Tornado kills 114 in Waco, Texas, USA (US$39 million damage). [1]
- Winston Churchill criticizes John Foster Dulles' domino theory. [1]
- May 19
- Nuclear explosion in Nevada (fall-out in Saint George, Utah). [1]
- May 22
- US President Dwight Eisenhower signs Offshore Oil Bill. [1]
- May 23
- US schools first use Cliff's Notes. [1]
- May 25
- At the Nevada Test Site, the U.S. conducts its first and only nuclear artillery test. [1] [5]
- First non-commercial educational television station-Houston, Texas, USA. [1]
- May 28
- Premiere of first animated 3-D cartoon in Technicolor: Melody. [1]
- June 7
- First color network telecast in compatible color, Boston, Massachusetts, USA. [1]
- June 8
- Cluster of six tornadoes touch down in Flint, Michigan, USA killing 113. [1]
- Segregated lunch counters in DC forbidden by Supreme Court. [1]
- June 9
- Tornado strikes Worcester, Massachusetts, USA, destroying Assumption College, killing 100. [1]
- June 18
- US Air Force C124 Globemaster crashes near Tokyo, Japan, killing 129 servicemen. [1]
- June 19
- Albert W Dent is elected president of National Health Council. [1]
- June 30
- The first production Corvette rolls off the assembly line at Chevrolet Plant Number 35, near Flint, Michigan, USA. The Corvette is the first dream-car to become a production model, and first series-production car with a fiberglass body. [8]
- July 9
- First helicopter passenger service (New York City). [1]
- July 14
- First American national monument dedicated to a Negro-George Washington Carver. [1]
- July 25
- New York City Transit Authority raises transit fare from 10 to 15 cents, and debuts transit tokens. [1] [458.40]
- July 27
- Armistice signed ending Korean War. During the fighting, 54,000 American soldiers were killed. [1] [35]
- August 1
- California introduces sales tax (for education). [1]
- August 5
- Operation "Big Switch": Korean War prisoners exchanged at Panmunjom. [1]
- August 7
- Eastern Airlines enters the jet age, uses Electra prop-jet. [1]
- August 8
- US and South Korea initial a mutual security pact. [1]
- August 13
- US President Dwight Eisenhower establishes Government Contract Compliance Committee. [1]
- August 21
- Marion Carl in Douglas Skyrocket reaches record altitude 25,370m. [1]
- September 5
- First privately operated atomic reactor-Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. [1]
- September 21
- Allied forces form West Germany. [1]
- September 28
- At the General Motors Proving Grounds near Milford, Chevrolet officially unveils the Corvette to automotive press journalists. The Corvette features Powerglide two-speed automatic transmission, Polo White exterior paint, Sportsman Red interior, black canvas top, in-line six-cylinder engine, AM radio, and heater. The engine features overhead valves, cast-iron block, 235.5 cubic inch displacement, 150 horsepower, and three one-barrel carburetors. [8]
- In New York, Roy Disney meets with ABC-TV's Leonard Goldenson, to seek financing for Disneyland Park. Goldenson eagerly agrees to participate. The final agreement includes a US$500,000 investment from ABC-Paramount, guarantee for US$4.5 million line of credit, in return for 35 percent interest in Disneyland Park, and a weekly one-hour TV program with Disney films and production for TV. [6]
- October 5
- Earl Warren sworn in as 14th chief justice of the USA. [1]
- October 14
- US President Dwight Eisenhower promises to fire as Red (Communist) any federal worker taking 5th amendment. [1]
- October 19
- First jet transcontinental nonstop scheduled service. [1]
- October 30
- Dr Albert Schweitzer and General George C Marshall win Nobel Peace Prize. [1]
- November 3
- First live color coast-to-coast telecast (New York City). [1]
- November 9
- US Supreme Court rules Major League Baseball exempt from anti-trust laws. [1]
- November 20
- Scott Crossfield in Douglas Skyrocket, first to break Mach 2 (1300mph). [1]
- December 3
- US President Dwight Eisenhower criticizes Senator Joe McCarthy for saying communists are in Republican party. [1]
- December 9
- General Electric announces all Communist employees will be fired. [1]
- December 16
- First White House Press Conference (President Dwight Eisenhower and 161 reporters). [1]
- Charles E Yeager flies over 2,575 kph (1,650 mph) in Bell X-1A (first man to fly at nearly two and one-half times the speed of sound). [1]
- December 17
- US Federal Communications Commission approves RCA's black and white-compatible color TV specifications. [1]
- December 25
- The United States returns control of the Amami Islands, north of Okinawa, to Japan. [10] [323.37]
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