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December 17, 1955

December 17, 1955, was a Saturday. It was the 351st day of 1955. The decade was the fifties.

68 years, 3 months, and 11 days have passed since December 17, 1955.

The zodiac star sign for this date is Sagittarius.

Music charts

Top song: December 17, 1955

The best-selling single on December 17, 1955 was "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Play the top singles from 1955
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1955. Take a trip back to the days of Bill Hayes, Mitch Miller, The Four Aces and The Fontane Sisters.

Facts

This date occurred 24,939 days ago. Approximately 831 months have passed. It was the 351st day of 1955, in week 50. The decade was the fifties. The end of 1955 was just 14 days away. People who were born on December 17, 1955, are now 68 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. We have gone through approximately 277 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to December 17, 1955

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is December 17, 1955, and it's a Saturday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Sagittarius. The work week is over and Saturday has finally come, so people are spending time with their kids, going to bars, shopping, playing video games, and watching sports.

The Christmas season of 1955 is in full swing. People are putting up their decorations and festive songs are playing on the radio. In music, the song "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and Sir Anthony Eden is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

On television, people are watching popular shows such as "The Gene Autry Show", "The Roy Rogers Show", "The Danny Thomas Show", and "Fury". It's 1955, so radio stations and jukeboxes are playing songs from artists such as Perez Prado, Bill Haley & His Comets, Mitch Miller, Roger Williams, Les Baxter, Bill Hayes, The Four Aces, The McGuire Sisters and Pat Boone. In fashion, women are sporting chemise dresses, sheaths, sack dresses and straight-cut suits. Short boxy jackets and shift dresses are also beginning to become popular. Meanwhile, a lot of men are sporting a "Teddy Boy" style that involves leather jackets, greased-back hair, extremely narrow trousers and velvet-collared jackets. Men are also wearing formal suits as daywear.

Tailfins on cars are extremely popular at the moment. The design looks futuristic, almost like a rocket or the twin rudders on the back of an airplane. Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Adventures of Superman", "Father Knows Best", "Captain Kangaroo", and "Mighty Mouse Playhouse". Children are playing with toys such as Foto-Electric Baseball, Spinning Tops, Feed the Elephant, and Matchbox toy cars.

News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on December 17, 1955.

  • Christmas 1955.

    Christmas 1955

    The Christmas period of 1955 was in full swing by this stage. The decorations were up, festive music was playing on the radio, people were feeling stressed, retail stores were filled with shoppers, and everyone was making plans for the big day.
  • Tailfins on cars.

    Tailfins on cars

    Tailfins on cars were a popular style around this time. The design looked futuristic, almost like the twin rudders on the back of an airplane.
  • Movies from 1955.

    Movies from 1955

    The most popular movies of 1955 included Cinerama Holiday, Mister Roberts, Battle Cry, "Oklahoma!", Guys and Dolls, Lady and the Tramp, and Picnic.
  • 1955 in music.

    1955 in music

    The radio stations in 1955 were dominated by artists such as Perez Prado, Bill Haley & His Comets, Mitch Miller, Roger Williams, Les Baxter, Bill Hayes, The Four Aces, The McGuire Sisters and Pat Boone.
  • Harlow Curtice.

    Harlow Curtice

    General Motors President Harlow Curtice was named the Time Person of the Year in 1955 after his company became the first US company to earn US$1 billion in a single year.
  • Rock and roll.

    Rock and roll

    In the mid-1950s, a new music genre called "Rock and Roll" began to take off.
  • Panty raids are all the rage on college campuses.

    Panty raids are all the rage on college campuses

    Panty raids were a popular college prank at the time. Large groups of male students would "raid" the living quarters of their female counterparts and then steal their underwear as proof that the raid had been successful. These raids took place during a time when colleges had curfews and men were forbidden from entering female dormitories.
  • Poodle skirts are a thing.

    Poodle skirts are a thing

    Women and young girls were wearing wide, unrestricted felt skirts called "poodle skirts." These were solid-colored skirts that had a design or a logo. In many cases, the design was an image of a poodle or a cat.
  • Greasers.

    Greasers

    A youth subculture called "greasers" emerged during the 1950s and early 1960s. The style included greased-back hairstyles, work pants, and denim or leather jackets.
  • The Jukebox.

    The Jukebox

    The jukebox was at the height of its popularity. Teenagers and young adults would often hang out at local restaurants and diners and listen to the latest songs.
  • Men are getting "DA haircuts".

    Men are getting "DA haircuts"

    The "DA haircut" was extremely popular among men. The cut consisted of a combed-back hairstyle that was parted down the middle at the back. "DA" stood for "Duck's Ass," which is what many people liked to call the style.
  • Sock hops.

    Sock hops

    Sock hops were informal dance events for teenagers. The name originated from the fact that many of these dances required participants to remove their shoes. This is because sock hops were often held in high school gymnasiums, and the organizers didn't want scuff marks on the floors.
  • Capitalism vs Communism.

    Capitalism vs Communism

    The ideological clash between capitalism and communism heated up during the 1950s. It was during this period that a "Cold War" started between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the US, there were fears that Soviet spies had infiltrated all parts of society, including Hollywood.
  • The economy is booming.

    The economy is booming

    The world was recovering from World War II. Many countries witnessed an economic boom during this decade. Unemployment was low, consumerism increased, mortgages were cheap, and governments started to invest in infrastructure such as highways. For many, this was the "golden age" of the economy.
  • Rotary phones.

    Rotary phones

    Almost everyone had rotary phones in the 1950s. However, the heavier metal dial components were being phased out and replaced with plastic.
  • More and more people are buying television sets.

    More and more people are buying television sets

    More and more households were buying TV sets. In 1950, 20% of homes had a television. By the end of the decade, that figure had risen to 90%.
  • Polio cases are high.

    Polio cases are high

    Cases of Polio were particularly high, and outbreaks were common. In the United States, the disease peaked in 1952, with nearly 60,000 cases and 3,145 deaths. It wasn't until 1955 that a national immunization program started and cases began to drop.

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on December 17, 1955.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around December 17, 1955.

  • December 1, 1955: Activist Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to white passengers.
  • December 5, 1955: The Montgomery bus boycott begins in Montgomery, Alabama.
  • December 7, 1955: UK politics: Clement Attlee resigns as leader of the Labour Party after 20 years in charge.
  • December 10, 1955: The first episode of "Mighty Mouse Playhouse" is broadcast on CBS.
  • December 15, 1955: Johnny Cash releases his single "Folsom Prison Blues".
  • This date: December 17, 1955
  • December 26, 1955: NFL: The Cleveland Browns defeat the Los Angeles Rams 38-14 to win the 1955 NFL Championship Game.
  • January 1, 1956: 124 people are killed after a crowd crush occurs at the Yahiko Shrine in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
  • January 5, 1956: It is announced that Hollywood actress Grace Kelly is engaged to Monaco's Prince Rainier.
  • January 8, 1956: Five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States are killed by the Huaorani people of the rain forest of Ecuador.
Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on December 17, 1955, will have the star sign Sagittarius.
  • Zodiac Element: Fire.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1955 was the year of the Goat (Yin Metal).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 4.
  • Native American Zodiac: December 17, 1955 falls under the Owl.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of December will have the birthstones Tanzanite, Zircon and Turquoise.
  • Birth flower (December): The Narcissus and the Holly.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

1950s fashion

Television shows

TV series on December 17, 1955

People in December 1955 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from December 1955.

Fury
Fury
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley
The Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show
Our Miss Brooks
Our Miss Brooks
The Roy Rogers Show
The Roy Rogers Show
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
Sky King
Sky King
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
The Colgate Comedy Hour
The Colgate Comedy Hour
The Cisco Kid
The Cisco Kid
The Gene Autry Show
The Gene Autry Show
What's My Line?
What's My Line?
The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show

Cars in 1955

1955 saw the introduction of cars such as the Ford Thunderbird, the Chevrolet Task Force, the Ford Fairlane, the Pontiac Safari, the Ford Squire, and the Peugeot 403.

Cars in 1955.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in December 1955

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

Mighty Mouse Playhouse
Mighty Mouse Playhouse
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
The Mickey Mouse Club
The Mickey Mouse Club

Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best
Lassie
Lassie
Winky Dink and You
Winky Dink and You
Adventures of Superman
Adventures of Superman
Crusader Rabbit
Crusader Rabbit
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Toys

Toys in 1955

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Matchbox toy cars
Matchbox toy cars
Roy Rogers Plastic Figures
Roy Rogers Plastic Figures
Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head
Feed the Elephant
Feed the Elephant
Pitchin' Pal
Pitchin' Pal
Colorforms
Colorforms
BAS-KET Miniature Basketball
BAS-KET Miniature Basketball
Tiny Tears (doll)
Tiny Tears (doll)
Spinning Tops
Spinning Tops
Toy Guns
Toy Guns
Foto-Electric Baseball
Foto-Electric Baseball
Tonka trucks
Tonka trucks
Dimestore soldiers
Dimestore soldiers

Were you born on December 17, 1955?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1955.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out December 17, 1961, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on December 17.

Pope Francis

Pope Francis

Pope
Born on December 17, 1936
He turned 19 on this day in 1955.

Bill Pullman

Bill Pullman

Actor
Born on December 17, 1953
He turned 2 on this day in 1955.

Chuck Liddell

Chuck Liddell

MMA fighter
Born on December 17, 1969
He was born exactly 14 years after this date.

Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao

Boxer
Born on December 17, 1978
He was born exactly 23 years after this date.

Chelsea Manning

Chelsea Manning

Whistleblower
Born on December 17, 1987
She was born exactly 32 years after this date.

USA

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on December 17, 1955.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Sir Anthony Eden was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

John A. Costello was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on December 17, 1955 was most likely conceived around March 26, 1955.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on December 17, 1955 is close to September 8, 1956.

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Stats for December 17, 1955

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about December 17, 1955:

  • 24,939 days have passed since this date.
  • 3,562 weeks have passed.
  • 2,154,729,600 seconds have passed since December 17, 1955.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,513,851,200 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,111,840,473,600 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 359,121,600 times.
  • You have taken approximately 185,306,746 steps. That's roughly 82,359 miles!
  • Since this date, 25,856,755 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere!
  • How many years ago was 1955?

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