MAY 21, 1955

SATURDAY
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
East of Eden
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East of Eden
Marty
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Marty
Bad Day at Black Rock
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Bad Day at Black Rock
The Big Combo
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The Big Combo
Blackboard Jungle
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Blackboard Jungle
Daddy Long Legs
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Daddy Long Legs
Kiss Me Deadly
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Kiss Me Deadly
A Man Called Peter
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A Man Called Peter
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

May 21, 1955 Trivia

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Television On May 21, 1955

Exact-date daily brief

May 21, 1955

On May 21, 1955, Jones Beach, located on the southern shore of Long Island, opened its swimming facilities for the summer season, marking the beginning of a popular recreational period for beachgoers. This event was part of a broa...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of May 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 May 21, 1955

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Jones Beach Opens for Summer Fun. Impact: The opening of Jones Beach not only ushered in a new era of leisure but also sparked the great American obsession with sunbathing. Fast forward a few decades, and we have tan lines, beach bods, and a sunscreen industry worth billionsβ€”because who doesn’t want to look like a lobster on vacation?. Fact: Did you know that swimming at Jones Beach was once considered a revolutionary act? Who knew splashing around in the ocean could be so groundbreaking?.
  • Headline: August V. Handorf's Significant Contribution. Impact: August V. Handorf’s mere existence may have inspired countless parents to name their children with equally bizarre middle initials. Who knows? One of those kids might end up being the next great philosopher or, more likely, a TikTok influencer. Fact: Did you know that 'V' stands for 'Very important'? Or maybe it’s just a placeholder for his actual middle name, which was lost to historyβ€”like most of my motivation to care.
  • Headline: Morris M. Miller's Historic Contribution. Impact: Morris M. Miller’s name could have been forgotten if not for the butterfly effect of someone attempting to write a biography, which accidentally led to a series of unfortunate events that culminated in the discovery of his long-lost secret stash of dad jokes. Fact: Did you know that if you say 'Morris M. Miller' three times fast, you might accidentally summon the spirit of mediocrity? Proceed with caution!.
  • Headline: U. N. POLICING URGED BY MRS. ROOSEVELT. Impact: When Eleanor Roosevelt urged UN policing, it set off a chain reaction of diplomatic efforts that would lead to numerous international peacekeeping missions. Or, you know, it could just end up as another suggestion lost in the UN's suggestion box. Fact: Did you know that Eleanor Roosevelt once said, 'The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams'? Clearly, she had never experienced a Tuesday morning at the UN.
  • Headline: F o -*.RY S. DENNIS. Impact: Harry S. Dennis may not have made headlines, but his legacy lives on in the forgotten annals of history, proving that sometimes it's the people behind the scenes who get the last laughβ€”or at least the last coffee break. Fact: Did you know that 'S' in Harry S. Dennis stands for 'Surprise! You forgot I existed!'?.
  • Headline: CITY FIRE DATA SPEEDED; Cavanagh Orders Prompt Aid to the Press at the Scene. Impact: Cavanagh's decision to speed up fire data reporting has likely resulted in more timely emergency responses. Imagine a world where firefighters arrive at the scene of a fire as fast as the internet reacts to a cat video!. Fact: Did you know that the fastest way to a reporter's heart is through timely fire data? Or was it pizza? Either way, everyone loves a good scoop!.
  • Headline: Brewery Pact Ratified. Impact: The ratification of the brewery pact might have seemed mundane at the time, but it laid the groundwork for the craft beer revolution that would follow. Who needs water when you can have artisanal IPAs?. Fact: Did you know that the only thing better than a cold beer is the story about how you 'freed' it from the confines of a cooler? Cheers to that!.
  • Headline: Army Base Contract Awarded. Impact: The awarding of the Army Base contract to Merritt-Chapman & Scott undoubtedly led to improvements in military infrastructure, which may have inadvertently inspired the creation of countless reality TV shows about construction. Fact: Did you know that 'rehabilitation' in military contracts is code for 'we're just trying to make this place look less like a warzone'? That’s a positive spin if I ever heard one!.

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