U.S. Facts

• President: Dwight D. Eisenhower (R)
• Population: 160,184,000
• Life Expectancy: 68.8 years
• Unemployment: 2.9%
• Average Annual Salary: $4,200
• Minimum Wage: $0.75 per hour
• Inflation Rate: 0.87%

What Things Cost

• Automobile: $1,850
• Gasoline: $0.29 per gallon
• House: $17,500
• Bread: $0.16 per loaf
• Milk: $0.94 per gallon
• Postage Stamp: $0.03

Major U.S. Events

• Republican president, 1st in 20 yrs
• Eisenhower ends all wage, salary and price controls

Major World Events

• Stalin era ends in Soviet Union; power struggle for successor
• U.S., China, North and South Korea agree to end Korean War

January

• 68% of U.S. TV's are tuned to I Love Lucy, to see birth of Lucy's son
• Eisenhower inaugurated, w/1st national TV coverage (118 stations)

March

• Josef Stalin dies in Russia
• Georgi Malenkov is new Russian premier
• Jonas Salk announces polio vaccine

April

• Dag Hammarskjold new U.N. Secretary General
• Dept. of Health, Education, and Welfare established
• 1st issue of TV Guide published
• Ian Fleming publishes first James Bond novel

May

• Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay climb Mt. Everest (1st time ever)
• At Nevada test site, U.S. conducts first and only nuclear artillery test

June

• Elizabeth II coronation in England
• 1st Chevrolet Corvette is manufactured

July

• Armistice signed to end Korean War

August

• Soviet Union announces explosion of hydrogen bomb
• CIA helps overthrow nationalist government in Iran, returning Shah Mohamed Reza Pahlavi to throne

September

• Nikita Krushchev becomes leader of Communist Party in Russia

October

• Earl Warren becomes Chief Justice of Supreme Court

December

• 1st issue of Playboy magazine published, including nude photo of Marilyn Monroe

Top Songs

• Moulin Rouge by Percy Faith Orchestra
• Vaya Con Dios by Les Paul & Mary Ford
• How Much Is That Doggie in the Window by Patti Page
• I'm Walking Behind You by Eddie Fisher
• You, You, You by the Ames Brothers

Other New Songs

• Your Cheatin' Heart by Hank Williams
• Rags To Riches by Tony Bennett
• I Believe by Frankie Laine
• Stranger In Paradise by Tony Bennett
• Don't Let The Stars Get In Your Eyes by Perry Como

Top Movies

• From Here To Eternity
• The Robe
• Stalag 17
• Roman Holiday
• Shane

Top Books

• Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury
• Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin
• Battle Cry by Leon Uris
• Adventures of Augie March by Saul Bellow
• Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Top Radio Shows (1952-53)

• Amos 'n' Andy Show
• Jack Benny Show
• Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy
• People Are Funny
• Lux Radio Theater

Top TV Shows (1952-53)

• I Love Lucy
• Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts
• Arthur Godfrey And His Friends
• Dragnet
• Texaco Star Theater

Major League Baseball: World Series

• New York Yankees d. Brooklyn Dodgers for 5th consecutive Series win (only time in history)

Pro Football: Championship

• Detroit Lions d. Cleveland Browns

Ice Hockey: Stanley Cup

• Montreal Canadiens d. Boston Bruins

Pro Basketball: Championship

• Minneapolis Lakers d. New York Knickerbockers

NCAA Champions

• Football: Maryland Terrapins
• Basketball: Indiana Hoosiers

Other Champions

• Boxing: Rocky Marciano defends heavyweight title twice
• Golf: Ben Hogan is PGA player of the year
• Tennis: Tony Trabert and Maureen Connolly win U.S. Open
• Horse Racing: Dark Star wins Kentucky Derby
• Auto Racing: Bill Vukovich wins Indianapolis 500

Note: You may click on the images above to visit Amazon.com for souvenirs of the era

• 50% of American homes now have TV's
• Double-helical structure of DNA discovered
• Univac 1103 is 1st computer to use random access memory
• First color TV's go on sale in U.S.
• Plastic toy soldiers become popular toys
• Matchbox cars are introduced in England
• Danny's Donuts opens, later to become Denny's