Top News Stories from 1954

World Events

World Statistics

Population: 4.378 billion
population by decade
Nobel Peace Prize: Office of U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
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U.S. Events

U.S. Statistics

Vice President: Richard M. Nixon
Population: 163,025,854
Life expectancy: 69.6 years
Homicide Rate (per 100,000): 4.8
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Economics

US GDP (1998 dollars): $381.3 billion
Federal spending: $70.86 billion
Federal debt $270.8 billion
Consumer Price Index: $26.9
Unemployment: 2.9%
Cost of a first-class stamp: $0.03

Sports

World Series
NY Giants d. Cleveland (4-0)
NBA Championship
Minneapolis Lakers d. Syracuse
Stanley Cup
Detroit d. Montreal
Wimbledon
Women: Maureen Connolly d. L. Brough (6-2 7-5)
Men: Jaroslav Drobny d. K. Rosewall (13-11 4-6 6-2 9-7)
Kentucky Derby Champion
Determine
NCAA Basketball Championship
La Salle d. Bradley
NCAA Football Champions
Ohio St. (AP, INS) (10-0-0) & UCLA (UP, FW) (9-0-0)
World Cup
W. Germany d. Hungary

Entertainment

Entertainment Awards

Pulitzer Prizes
Music: Concerto for Two Pianos and Orchestra, Quincy Porter
Drama: The Teahouse of the August Moon, John Patrick
Academy Award, Best Picture: From Here to Eternity, Buddy Adler, producer (Columbia)
Nobel Prize for Literature: Ernest Hemingway (US)
Miss America: Evelyn Margaret Ay (PA)
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Events

  • The World Series is broadcast in color for the first time.
  • The revenue for television broadcasters finally surpasses that of radio broadcasters. Gross revenue for television is $593 million.
  • Bill Haley and the Comets begin writing hit songs. As a white band using black-derived forms, they venture into rock 'n' roll.
  • Robert Joffrey Ballet debuts.

Movies

  • On the Waterfront, Rear Window, The Caine Mutiny, Sabrina, The High and the Mighty

Music

  • Pierre Boulez, Le Marteau Sans Maître (The Hammer Without a Master)

Books

Science

Nobel Prizes in Science

Chemistry: Linus C. Pauling (US), for study of forces holding together protein and other molecules
Physics: Max Born (UK), for work in quantum mechanics; and Walther Bothe (Germany), for work in cosmic radiation
Physiology or Medicine: John F. Enders, Thomas H. Weller, and Frederick C. Robbins (all US), for work with cultivation of polio virus
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Death

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