What Happened in August 1955

Historical Events

Event of Interest

Aug 4 Eisenhower authorizes $46 million for construction of CIA headquarters

34th US President & WWII General Dwight D. Eisenhower — 34th US President & WWII General
Dwight D. Eisenhower

Aug 7 Bar-Ilan University founded in Israel
Aug 7 KSTF TV channel 10 in Scottsbluff-Gering, NB (CBS/NBC) begins
Aug 7 Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, the precursor to Sony, begins selling its first transistor radios in Japan

Event of Interest

Aug 8 Fidel Castro forms the "26th of July Movement", a Cuban vanguard revolutionary organization

Cuban Revolutionary and President Fidel Castro — Cuban Revolutionary and President
Fidel Castro

Aug 8 Geneva conference held to discuss peaceful uses of atomic energy
Aug 11 Indonesia government of Harahap forms
Aug 12 22nd NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 30, Cleveland 27 (75,000)
Aug 12 US President Eisenhower raises minimum wage from 75 cents to $1 an hour

Aug 12 WPBT TV channel 2 in Miami, FL (PBS) begins broadcasting
Aug 13 Larry Doby's ends AL record of 167 errorless games in outfield
Aug 15 WXEX TV channel 8 in Richmond-Petersburg, VA (ABC) begins
Aug 15 Hurricane Connie dissipates after killing 43 in NC, SC, Virginia & Maryland
Aug 16 Fiat Motors orders 1st private atomic reactor
Aug 17 Hurricane Diane, following hurricane Connie floods Connecticut River killing 190 & doing $1.8 billion damage
Aug 18 -19] Hurricane Diane, kills 400 in US
Aug 18 46.1 cm rainfall at Westfield, Massachusetts (state record)
Aug 18 Sjukri al-Quwatli re-elected president of Syria
Aug 19 32.4 cm precipitation at Burlington, Connecticut (state record)
Aug 19 Hurricane Diane kills 200 & 1st billion $ damage storm (N.E. US)
Aug 19 US raises import duty on bicycles 50%

Event of Interest

Aug 19 WINS radio, announces it will not play "copy" white cover versions of R&B (DJs must play Fats Domino's "Ain't It A Shame," not Pat Boone's)

Aug 20 Hundreds killed in anti-French rioting in Morocco & Algeria

Event of Interest

Aug 21 Emmett Till arrives in Money, Mississippi, a week before he is murdered

Murder Victim Emmett Till — Murder Victim
Emmett Till

Aug 25 Last Soviet forces leave Austria
Aug 25 16th Venice Film Festival: "Ordet" directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer wins Golden Lion
Aug 26 1st color telecast (NBC) of a tennis match (Davis Cup)
Aug 26 "Pather Panchali", Indian film directed by Satyajit Ray, starring Subir Banerjee, Kanu Banerjee and Karuna Banerjee, is released
Aug 27 "Guinness Book of World Records" 1st published
Aug 27 Sandy Koufax fans 14 Reds, both teams combine for record 23 strikeouts
Aug 28 1st NFL preseason sudden death football, Rams beats Giants 23-17
Aug 31 1st sun-powered automobile demonstrated (Chicago, Illinois)
Aug 31 KTRE TV channel 9 begins broadcasting in Lufkin, Texas (ABC/NBC affiliate)

Famous Birthdays

Aug 1 Arun Lal, Indian cricketer (Indian batsman mid-80's), born in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Aug 1 Trevor Berbick, Jamaican professional boxer, born in Norwich, Port Antonio, Jamaica (d. 2006)
Aug 2 Jimmy Lowe, American country singer (Pirates of Ms-Fred Jake), born in Nashville, Tennessee
Aug 2 Roberta Wallach, American actress (Civil Wars), born in New York City, New York
Aug 2 Caleb Carr, American novelist and military historian, born in Manhattan, New York
Aug 2 Tim Dunigan, American actor, born in St. Louis, Missouri
Aug 3 Corey Burton, American voice actor, born in Granada Hills, Los Angeles
Aug 4 Andrew M Allen, Captain USMC/astronaut (STS 46, 62, 75), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug 4 Billy Bob Thornton, American actor (Sling Blade), born in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Aug 4 Charles D "Sam" Gemar, Yankton SD, army/astronaut (STS 38, 48, 62)
Aug 4 Alberto Gonzales, American U.S. Attorney General
Aug 5 Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda, American rock guitarist and songwriter (Twisted Sister, Scarecrow), born in NYC, New York
Aug 7 Vladimir Sorokin, Russian writer, born in Bykovo, Russia
Aug 7 Greg Nickels, American politician (Mayor of Seattle, 2002–), born in Chicago, Illinois
Aug 7 Wayne Knight, American actor, born in New York City, New York
Aug 7 Gregoris Valtinos, Greek actor and director, born in Thessaloniki, Greece
Aug 8 Ali Score, rock drummer (Flock Of Seagulls)
Aug 8 Diddú, Icelandic soprano and songwriter
Aug 8 Herbert Prohaska, Austrian footballer
Aug 8 Branscombe Richmond, American actor (Renegade, Commando), born in Los Angeles, California
Aug 9 Doug Williams, Louisiana, NFL quarterback (Tampa Bay Bucaneers, Wash Redskins)
Aug 9 John E. Sweeney, American politician
Aug 9 Peter Schmuck, American sportswriter
Aug 11 Norio Honaga, wrestler (NJPW)
Aug 11 Sylvia Hermon, British politician
Aug 11 Marc Bureau, French Canadian politician
Aug 12 Heintje, [Hendrik Simons], Dutch singer (Mama)
Aug 12 Ann M. Martin, American author

Betsy King

Aug 13 Betsy King, American golfer (6-time major winner; US Open 1989-90), born in Reading, Pennsylvania

Aug 13 Keith Ahlers, British racing driver, born in Cambridge, England
Aug 13 Hideo Fukuyama, Japanese racing driver (first Japanese to compete in NASCAR's top series), born in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan
Aug 13 Paul Greengrass, English film director (Bloody Sunday), born in Cheam, Surrey, England
Aug 15 Kenneth Carr, basketball player (Olympic gold 1976), born in Clearwater, Florida
Aug 15 Larry Mathews, actor (Ritchie-Dick Van Dyke Show), born in Burbank, California
Aug 17 Colin Moulding, English pop guitarist (XTC)
Aug 17 Kevin Welch, California, country songwriter/actor (Thing Called Love)
Aug 17 Richard Hilton, American heir
Aug 18 Taher Elgamal, Egyptian scientist, born in Cairo, Egypt
Aug 19 Peter Gallagher, American actor (Player, Summer Lovers, Dreamchild, born in Armonk, New York)
Aug 19 Ned Yost, American baseball player and manager
Aug 20 Jay Acovone, American actor (Det Rado-Hollywood Beat), born in NYC, New York
Aug 20 Ned Overend, Taipei Taiwan, cyclist (Olympics 1996)
Aug 20 Rob Wiedijk, Dutch rock vocalist (Bob Color)
Aug 22 Will Shetterly, American writer (Dogland), born in Columbia, South Carolina
Aug 22 Chiranjeevi [Konidela Siva Sankara Vara Prasad], Telugu film actor, dancer and producer, born in Mogalthur, India
Aug 24 Mike Huckabee, American politician (Governor of Arkansas (R) 1996-2007), Presidential candidate, born in Hope, Arkansas
Aug 25 Vijayakanth, Tamil actor and politician, born in Thirumangalam, India
Aug 27 Diana Scarwid, actress (Extermites, Psycho 3, Heat), born in Savannah, Georgia
Aug 27 Roderick Hopkins Davis, yachting Star class (Olympics 1996), born in Auckland, New Zealand
Aug 27 Laura Fygi, Dutch singer
Aug 27 Robert Richardson, American cinematographer
Aug 29 Diamanda Galás, Greek-American composer, born in San Diego, California
Aug 29 Frank Hoste, Belgian cyclist, born in Ghent, Belgium
Aug 30 Martin Jackson, British rocker (Swing Out Sister-Swing Out), born in Manchester, England
Aug 30 Butch [Richard Andrew] Johnson, American archer (Olympic gold 1992, 96), born in Worcester, Massachusetts
Aug 31 Edwin Corley Moses, Dayton, 400m hurdler (Olympic 2 gold/br-76, 84, 88)