FEBRUARY 17, 1955

THURSDAY
1955 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1955
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $3,716,946 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.88
Median Home Price$9,650.00
Gas Price Avg$0.29
Bread Price Avg$0.18
Movie Ticket Avg$0.58
First Class Stamp$0.04
Milk Price Avg$0.91
Top Movies From 1955
Show screen release and event cards
1 Lady and the Tramp
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Lady and the Tramp
2 Mister Roberts
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Mister Roberts
3 Battle Cry
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Battle Cry
4 Oklahoma!
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Oklahoma!
5 Guys and Dolls
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Guys and Dolls
6 Picnic
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Picnic
7 The Seven Year Itch
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The Seven Year Itch
8 Not as a Stranger
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Not as a Stranger
9 The Rose Tattoo
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The Rose Tattoo
10 To Catch a Thief
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To Catch a Thief
Bad Day at Black Rock
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Bad Day at Black Rock
The Big Combo
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The Big Combo
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
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20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Rear Window
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Rear Window
Sabrina
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Sabrina
The Country Girl
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The Country Girl
Vera Cruz
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Vera Cruz
The Bridges at Toko-Ri
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The Bridges at Toko-Ri
There's No Business Like Show Business
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There's No Business Like Show Business
Phffft
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Phffft

February 17, 1955 Trivia

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Television from this era Β· February 17, 1955

Exact-date daily brief

February 17, 1955

On February 17, 1955, Joseph P. Kelly was installed as the State Commissioner for the Bronx, a significant appointment highlighting political leadership in local governance. This day also marked a growing momentum for the Democrat...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of February 1955

Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.

1 Integrated Circuit Prototype
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Integrated Circuit Prototype
2 Artificial Intelligence Field
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Artificial Intelligence Field
3 Video Tape Recorder
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Video Tape Recorder
4 Polio Vaccine
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Polio Vaccine
5 Fast Food Assembly Line
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Fast Food Assembly Line
6 Commercial Nuclear Power Plant
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Commercial Nuclear Power Plant
7 Digital Modem
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Digital Modem
8 Hard Disk Drive
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Hard Disk Drive
9 Jet-Powered Bomber
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Jet-Powered Bomber
10 Electronic Speed Control
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Electronic Speed Control

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From February 17, 1955

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Nationwide Emergency Preparedness Test 1955. Impact: This nationwide test of hypothetical attacks on 50 cities likely made someone in a bunker somewhere invent the stress ball. Fast forward a few decades, and you're looking at the invention of fidget spinners to help people cope with imaginary threats. Fact: Did you know that hypothetically testing attacks on cities is a lot like playing chess with no pieces? It's just a lot of anxious thinking without any real consequences.
  • Headline: Truman and Acheson Endorse Stevenson. Impact: Truman and Acheson supporting Stevenson in 1956 set off a chain reaction of political endorsements that eventually led to the creation of reality TV stars attempting to run for office. Thanks, guys!. Fact: Fun fact: Political endorsements have been around since before social media influencers, which probably explains why they were so much less effective.
  • Headline: LEADER IN BRONX GETS MOTOR POST; Joseph P. Kelly Is Installed as State Commissioner --2 Deputies Named. Impact: Joseph P. Kelly getting that motor post likely inspired every ambitious young person with a dream to pursue their own slightly more important post in government, leading to a long lineage of mediocre appointments. Fact: Fun fact: Becoming a commissioner is really just adulting with a fancier title. It’s like being promoted from 'office coffee maker' to 'chief caffeination officer.'.
  • Headline: THREE BOYS SEIZED IN HARLEM KILLING. Impact: The arrest of three youth gang members in Harlem likely sparked a nationwide debate on youth crime that led to the invention of ever-more complicated laws that no one understands. Thanks for that!. Fact: Did you know that gang-related headlines are like the gossip columns of the news world? Always shocking, and yet somehow, no one is surprised anymore.
  • Headline: MATUSOW ADMITS LIE ABOUT OXNAM; Witness at Reds' Inquiry Says He Distrusted Aides of Justice Department. Impact: Matusow's admission about lying probably caused a ripple effect that made everyone in Washington more paranoid about their aides, eventually leading to the phrase β€˜trust no one’ becoming the unofficial motto of the city. Fact: Fun fact: In Washington, if you don’t have at least one scandal to your name, you’re probably just a tourist.
  • Headline: Atka Takes 6 Emperor Penguins On New-Found Antarctic Coast; THE ATKA TAKES SIX BIG PENGUINS Navy Men Get Four of a Bag of Big Birds by Tactics of Football Field. Impact: The capture of six emperor penguins by the USS Atka could have sparked a heated debate about animal rights, leading to penguin-themed protests and the eventual rise of β€˜Penguins for President’ in the 21st century. Fact: Did you know that capturing penguins is basically just an elaborate version of playing tag? Whoever can catch the most wins… and by wins, I mean gets to show off at the zoo.
  • Headline: 'RAIDING' OF A.E.C. CHARGED BY GORE; Senator Predicts Industrial Monopoly of 'Know-How' With Ex-Aides of Agency. Impact: Gore's charges about the 'raiding' of the A.E.C. probably inspired a series of workplace dramas, where former agency aides became the poster children for paranoia in the workplace. Thanks, Gore!. Fact: Did you know that workplace drama is often regarded as the second-best form of entertainment after reality TV? And yes, that includes actual raiding.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
IBM
IBM
Price in 1955
$1.46
Stored value
$205,272

IBM - If you invested $1,000 in 1955, it would be worth $205,272 today (205.3x return)

Rank #2
PFE
Pfizer
Price in 1955
$0.15
Stored value
$168,691

Pfizer - If you invested $1,000 in 1955, it would be worth $168,691 today (168.7x return)

Rank #3
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1955
$0.06
Stored value
$3,433,941

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1955, it would be worth $3,433,941 today (3433.9x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
Detective Comics #225
Detective Comics #225
$10,200
Four Color #596
Four Color #596
$4,000
The Haunt of Fear #17
The Haunt of Fear #17
$2.50
Journey into Mystery #17
Journey into Mystery #17
$3,000
Mystery in Space #1
Mystery in Space #1
$300
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Barbie
Barbie
$150.00
Play-Doh
Play-Doh
$150.00
Matchbox Cars
Matchbox Cars
$100.00
Silly Putty
Silly Putty
$50.00
Mr. Potato Head
Mr. Potato Head
$200.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
Roberto Clemente Rookie Card
Roberto Clemente Rookie Card
$250,000
Sandy Koufax Rookie Card
Sandy Koufax Rookie Card
$900,000
Harmon Killebrew Rookie Card
Harmon Killebrew Rookie Card
$3,840
1955 Topps #2 Ted Williams
1955 Topps #2 Ted Williams
$16,135
Willie Mays 1955 Topps
Willie Mays 1955 Topps
$20,000