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1954 is an important year for the 50's, since many important events happened. For example in 1954 29 million U.S. households have television sets, double the number in service three years before Philadelphia Athletics move to Kansas City. While that year Davy Crockett becomes a national fad; sales of "coonskin" caps soar. Then the phrase "under God" added to the Pledge of Allegiance.

• The Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren orders the states to proceed to enforce Brown v. Board of Education that racial separation in public schools is unconstitutional. The court overturns the "separate but equal" doctrine laid down in the deliberate speed" to integrate educational facilities, but Topeka, Kan., requests time to formulate a plan for racial balance and the father of Linda Brown brought the 1951 action and brought the landmark decision.
• Elvis Presley makes his first record "58."
• The new Stratocaster electric guitar introduced by Leo Fender has three magnetic pickups for a range of tones, a vibrato tailpiece, and other features that will make it a favorite.
• Macdonald's begins the proliferation that will make it the world’s largest food-service company in the world.A Nuclear-fusion "device" exploded by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission March 1 at Bikini Atoll in the South Pacific is hundreds of times more powerful than the atom bomb which is very, very dangerous. 
• South Vietnam gains "complete independence" and a free association with France only if the terms of a treaty signed on June 4 by the French premier Joseph Laniel and South Vietnam’s Prince Bau Loa was signed.
• France appeal for U.S. attends to help her troops surrounded at Dienbienphu in Indochina. President Eisenhower declares that defeat of Communist aggression in Southeast Asia is vitally important to the United States but declines to deploy U.S. airpowers to relieve the siege.
• The IL-14 introduced in Soviet Russia replaces the IL-12 that has been the Soviet DC-3.
• A solar battery developed by Bell Laboratories makes it possible to convert sunlight directly to electric power, but solar power is far too costly to compete with other forms.
• The Nautilus launched January 21 at Groton, Conn., is the first nuclear-powered submarine.A nuclear-powered surface vessel.
• The world’s first nuclear power station begins producing electricity for Soviet industry and agriculture on June 27.It also has the power of 5,000 kilowatts.
• Sen. Joseph McCarthy conducts nationally televised inquiries into communist infiltration of the Army; his activities inspire a backlash and a condemnation by the Senate.
• Radical Puerto Rican nationalists attack House of Representatives, shooting five congressmen. 
• Dr. Jonas Salk begins inoculating schoolchildren with his polio vaccine.
• First successful Kidney transplant.
• English track star Dr. Roger Bannister runs a mile in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds May 6 at Oxford, breaking the 4-minute barrier.
• Jaroslav Drobny wins in men’s singles at Wimbledon, Maureen Connolly in women’s singles; Vic Seixas wins in men’s singles at Forest Hills, Doris Hart in women’s singles.

27th Annual Academy Awards
Best Picture: On the Waterfront
Best Actress: Grace Kelly in The Country Girl
Best Actor: Marlon Brando in On the Waterfront

Emmy Awards:
Best Drama: US Steel Hour
Best Comedy: Make Room For Daddy


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The 1950's