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May 20, 1954

May 20, 1954, was a Thursday. It was 70 years, 6 months, and 5 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Taurus.

On This Day

What happened on this date?

Notable events that occurred on May 20, 1954:

  • The song "Rock Around the Clock" is released by Bill Haley & His Comets.
Music charts

Top song: May 20, 1954

The best-selling single on May 20, 1954 was "Wanted" by Perry Como.

Play the top songs from 1954
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1954. Take a trip back to the days of Eddie Fisher, Doris Day, Rosemary Clooney and The Chordettes.

Facts

This date was 25,757 days ago. Approximately 859 months have passed. It was the 140th day of 1954, in week 20. The decade was the fifties. People born on this day are currently 70 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. 286 seasons of weather have come and gone since then.

Take me back to May 20, 1954

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

It is Thursday, May 20, 1954. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Taurus. The summer of 1954 has finally arrived. The weather has warmed up, and the evenings are brighter than usual. The school year is nearly finished.

In music, the song "Wanted" by Perry Como is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and Winston Churchill is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In fashion, women are sporting the popular "The New Look" by Christian Dior. This formal style includes rounded shoulders, a full-skirted silhouette and a tight waist. Meanwhile, men are beginning to follow a new "Teddy Boy" trend that involves greased-back hair, extremely narrow trousers and velvet-collared jackets.

Because it's 1954, anyone listening to a jukebox or radio station is likely to hear songs from artists such as Kitty Kallen, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, The Crew-Cuts, Jo Stafford, Eddie Fisher, The Four Knights, The Four Aces and Doris Day. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Albert Einstein and James Dean would be still alive. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "What's My Line?", "Space Patrol", "I Married Joan", and "The Danny Thomas Show".

Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "Looney Tunes", "Crusader Rabbit", "Adventures of Superman", and "Winky Dink and You". Popular toys at the moment include Tonka trucks, Spinning Tops, BAS-KET Miniature Basketball, and Feed the Elephant.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on May 20, 1954, will have the star sign Taurus.
  • Zodiac Element: Earth.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1954 was the year of the Horse (Yang Metal).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 8.
  • Native American Zodiac: May 20, 1954 falls under the Beaver.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of May will have the birthstone Emerald.
  • Birth flower (May): The Lily of the Valley and the Hawthorn.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on May 20, 1954.

  • Rock and roll.

    Rock and roll

    In the mid-1950s, a new music genre called "Rock and Roll" began to take off.
  • Movies from 1954.

    Movies from 1954

    The most popular movies of 1954 included the likes of White Christmas, The Caine Mutiny, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, The Glenn Miller Story, The Country Girl, The High and the Mighty and A Star is Born.
  • 1954 in music.

    1954 in music

    The radio stations in 1954 were dominated by artists such as Kitty Kallen, Perry Como, Rosemary Clooney, The Crew-Cuts, Jo Stafford, Eddie Fisher, The Four Knights, The Four Aces and Doris Day.
  • John Foster Dulles.

    John Foster Dulles

    US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles was named Time Person of the Year in 1954 due to his involvement in creating the Southeast Asia Treaty Organization.
  • 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 May 20, 1954.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

Notable events that happened close to May 20, 1954.

  • April 22, 1954: Live television coverage of the Army-McCarthy hearings begins.
  • April 24, 1954: Soccer: Wolverhampton Wanderers win the First Division title after beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the final game of the season.
  • April 26, 1954: Clinical trials for the first successful polio vaccine begin in Fairfax County, Virginia.
  • May 1, 1954: Soccer: A late goal from Frank Griffin helps West Brom to secure a 3-2 victory over Preston North End in the 1954 FA Cup Final.
  • May 7, 1954: French rule in Vietnam comes to an end after Viet Minh troops capture Dien Bien Phu.
  • This date: May 20, 1954
  • June 7, 1954: English mathematician Alan Turing commits suicide at the age of 41.
  • June 16, 1954: The 1954 FIFA World Cup kicks off in Switzerland.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

1950s fashion

Television shows

TV series on May 20, 1954

People in May 1954 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from May 1954.

Annie Oakley
Annie Oakley
Life with Elizabeth
Life with Elizabeth
The Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show
I Married Joan
I Married Joan
Our Miss Brooks
Our Miss Brooks
My Little Margie
My Little Margie
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

Cars in 1954

1954 saw the introduction of cars such as the Vauxhall Cresta, the Pontiac Pathfinder, the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, the AC Aceca, the Dodge C series, and the Packard Pacific.

Cars in 1954.

Children TV shows

Kids TV shows on May 20, 1954

Cartoons and TV shows that children and teenagers were watching on this day in 1954:

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

Popular toys and games in 1954

Toys and games that were popular in 1954:

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
Butch the Pup Toy
Butch the Pup Toy
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

Were you born on May 20, 1954?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1954.

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 May 20, 1960, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on May 20.

David Proval

David Proval

Actor
Born on May 20, 1942
He turned 12 on this day in 1954.

Cher

Cher

Singer
Born on May 20, 1946
She turned 8 on this day in 1954.

Busta Rhymes

Busta Rhymes

Rapper
Born on May 20, 1972
He was born exactly 18 years after this date.

Angela Goethals

Angela Goethals

Actress
Born on May 20, 1977
He was born exactly 23 years after this date.

Iker Casillas

Iker Casillas

Spanish soccer player
Born on May 20, 1981
He was born exactly 27 years after this date.

Petr Cech

Petr Cech

Czech soccer player
Born on May 20, 1982
He was born exactly 28 years after this date.

Jack Gleeson

Jack Gleeson

Actor
Born on May 20, 1992
He was born exactly 38 years after this date.

USA

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on May 20, 1954.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Éamon de Valera was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on May 20, 1954 was most likely conceived around August 27, 1953.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on May 20, 1954 is close to February 10, 1955.

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Stats for May 20, 1954

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about May 20, 1954:

  • 25,757 days have passed since this date.
  • 3,679 weeks have passed.
  • 2,225,408,400 seconds have passed since May 20, 1954.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,596,309,800 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,148,310,734,400 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 370,901,400 times.
  • You have taken approximately 191,385,122 steps. That's roughly 85,060 miles.
  • 26,704,901 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1954?

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