This page offers an insight into life in 1954 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1954.
The year 1954 began on a Friday. It was not a leap year.
1954 In The News
14th January – Marilyn Monroe married Joe diMaggio.
17th May– Brown v Board of Education ruled segregated schools unconstitutional
4th July– Food rationing ended in Britain.
1st August– First Indochina War ended
24th December– Laos gained independence from France.
Life in 1954 – Prices
Average house:
UK – £1,863; USA – $10,250
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.20; USA – $0.21
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.03; USA – $0.17
Gold per ounce:
UK – $35.04, USA – $35.5
Life in 1954 – Population
World: – 2,729,285,853
Australia: – 9,064,017
Canada: – 15,636,245
China: – 594,724,864
India: – 396,850,752
Soviet Union: 109,208,920
United States: – 161,884,000
United Kingdom: – 50,765,000
Life in 1954 Music
Best Selling Single:
UK – Secret Love – Doris Day
USA – Little Things Mean a Lot – Kitty Kallen
AUS – The Happy Wanderer – Frank Weir
CAN – No data – Charts began 1964
Best Selling Album:
UK – No data – Charts began 1956
USA – The Glen Miller Story – Glen Miller
AUS – No data – Charts began 1966
CAN – No data – Charts began 1968
Popular Artists:
Tony Bennett, Rosemary Clooney, Nat King Cole, Perry Como, Doris Day, Kitty Kallen, Patti Page, Frank Sinatra
On the Bookshelves
Books Published in 1954:
The Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings 1) – J.R.R. Tolkein
The Two Towers (Lord of the Rings 2) – J.R.R. Tolkein
Lord of the Flies – William Golding
The Horse and His Boy – C.S. Lewis
I Am Legend and Other Stories – Richard Matheson
At the Movies
1954 Top Movies (USA box office figures):
1. White Christmas – $12 million
2. The Caine Mutiny – $8.7 million 3. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea – $8 million
4. The Glen Miller Sory – $7 million
5. The Country Girl – $6.5 million
Life in 1954 – World Leaders
Australia Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
Canada Prime Minister – Louis St Laurent
China President – Mao Zedong
India Prime Minister – Jawaharlal Nehru
Soviet Union Leader – Nikita Khruschchev
United States President – Dwight Eisenhower
United Kingdom Prime Minister – Winston Churchill
Born in 1954
29th January – Oprah Winfrey (Actress, presenter, publisher)
18th February – John Travolta (Actor)
7th April – Jackie Chan (Martial Arts)
17th July – Angela Merkel (German Chancellor)
16th August – James Cameron (Film Producer)
11th December – Jermaine Jackson (Singer)
Died in 1954
7th June – Alan Turing (Computer Scientist)
13th July – Frida Kahlo (Artist)
20th September – Washington Phillips (Singer)
15th November – Lionel Barrymore (Actor)
3rd December – Henri Matisse (Artist)
1954 Sport Highlights
Football – Germany won the World Cup
Athletics – Roger Bannister ran the first sub 4 minute mile
Cycling – Louison Bobet (FRA) won the Tour de France
Golf – Sam Snead won the Masters for the 3rd time
Baseball – New York Giants won the World Series
Horse Racing –Four Ten won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Determine won the Kentucky Derby
Christmas Wishlist
Matchbox Cars
Mr Potato Head
Pull along toys
Dinky Cars
Toy farm
Paper dolls
What Was New?
Teflon non-stick pans first produced
First kidney transplant was carried out
Solar cell invented
Automatic sliding door developed
First published 2020; updated and republished Mar 23 2022 @ 8:41 pm – Updated –