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October 17, 1955

October 17, 1955, was a Monday. It was 69 years, 2 months, and 5 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Libra.

Music charts

Top song: October 17, 1955

The best-selling single on October 17, 1955 was "The Yellow Rose of Texas" by Mitch Miller.

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 25,269 days ago. Approximately 842 months have passed. It was the 290th day of 1955, in week 42. The decade was the fifties. People who were born on October 17, 1955, are now 69 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. We have gone through approximately 281 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to October 17, 1955

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is October 17, 1955, and it's a Monday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Libra. The weekend has just passed, so some people are feeling a bit down. Others are tired after partying too much.

The summer is long gone. Temperatures have become much cooler, and the evenings are beginning to get darker. There is a fresh, earthy scent in the air, and fallen leaves have carpeted driveways, lawns, pathways, and sidewalks. In music, the song "The Yellow Rose of Texas" by Mitch Miller 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 Colgate Comedy Hour", "The Jack Benny Program", "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 "Looney Tunes", "Adventures of Superman", "Lassie", and "Father Knows Best".

Children are playing with toys such as Spinning Tops, Tiny Tears (doll), BAS-KET Miniature Basketball, and Pitchin' Pal.

Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on October 17, 1955, will have the star sign Libra.
  • Zodiac Element: Air.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1955 was the year of the Goat (Yin Metal).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 11.
  • Native American Zodiac: October 17, 1955 falls under the Raven.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of October will have the birthstones Tourmaline and Opal.
  • Birth flower (October): The Marigold and the Cosmos.
News

News, nostalgia, and fads

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

  • 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 October 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 October 17, 1955.

  • September 21, 1955: Boxer Rocky Marciano has his last fight in a win over Archie Moore.
  • September 24, 1955: US President Dwight Eisenhower suffers a serious heart attack while on vacation in Colorado.
  • September 30, 1955: James Dean dies in a car crash.
  • October 3, 1955: The first episode of the variety show "The Mickey Mouse Club" is aired on television.
  • October 4, 1955: Baseball: The Brooklyn Dodgers defeat the New York Yankees by 4-3 to win the 1955 World Series.
  • This date: October 17, 1955
  • October 31, 1955: Princess Margaret calls off her wedding to Peter Townsend.
  • November 1, 1955: 44 people are killed after United Air Lines Flight 629 is blown up over Longmont, Colorado.
  • November 3, 1955: The musical film "Guys and Dolls", starring Marlon Brando, Jean Simmons, Frank Sinatra, and Vivian Blaine, is released in movie theaters.
  • November 6, 1955: Golf: The United States wins the 1955 Ryder Cup at the Thunderbird Country Club in Rancho Mirage, California.
  • November 7, 1955: British Foreign Secretary Harold Macmillan exonerates former intelligence officer Kim Philby of being a Soviet spy. Nearly 8 years later, in 1963, it is revealed that he was in fact a Soviet double agent.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

1950s fashion

Television shows

TV series on October 17, 1955

People in October 1955 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from October 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

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 October 1955

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

Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
The Mickey Mouse Club
The Mickey Mouse Club
Adventures of Pow Wow
Adventures of Pow Wow

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

Were you born on October 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 October 17, 1961, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

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

Evel Knievel

Evel Knievel

Stunt performer Deceased
Born on October 17, 1938
He turned 17 on this day in 1955.

Norm Macdonald

Norm Macdonald

Comedian Deceased
Born on October 17, 1959
He was born exactly 4 years after this date.

Ziggy Marley

Ziggy Marley

Musician
Born on October 17, 1968
He was born exactly 13 years after this date.

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef Jean

Singer
Born on October 17, 1969
He was born exactly 14 years after this date.

Nancy Sullivan

Nancy Sullivan

Actress
Born on October 17, 1969
She was born exactly 14 years after this date.

Chris Kirkpatrick

Chris Kirkpatrick

NSYNC
Born on October 17, 1971
He was born exactly 16 years after this date.

Eminem

Eminem

Rap singer
Born on October 17, 1972
He was born exactly 17 years after this date.

Simon Harris

Simon Harris

Irish politician
Born on October 17, 1986
He was born exactly 31 years after this date.

Charles Oliveira

Charles Oliveira

Brazilian MMA fighter
Born on October 17, 1989
He was born exactly 34 years after this date.

USA

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on October 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 October 17, 1955 was most likely conceived around January 24, 1955.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on October 17, 1955 is close to July 9, 1956.

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Stats for October 17, 1955

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about October 17, 1955:

  • 25,269 days have passed since this date.
  • 3,609 weeks have passed.
  • 2,183,241,600 seconds have passed since October 17, 1955.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,547,115,200 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,126,552,665,600 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 363,873,600 times.
  • You have taken approximately 187,758,778 steps. That's roughly 83,448 miles.
  • 26,198,899 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
  • How many years ago was 1955?

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