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  • U.S.
    1954
    Howard Hughes: The Aviator

    Total control of RKO

    U.S.
    1954

    By the end of 1954, Hughes had gained near-total control of RKO at a cost of nearly $24 million, becoming the first sole owner of a major Hollywood studio since the silent film era. Six months later, Hughes sold the studio to the General Tire and Rubber Company for $25 million. Hughes retained the rights to pictures that he had personally produced, including those made at RKO. He also retained Jane Russell's contract. For Howard Hughes, this was the virtual end of his 25-year involvement in the motion picture industry. However, his reputation as a financial wizard emerged unscathed. During that time period, RKO became known as the home of film noir classic productions thanks in part to the limited budgets required to make such films during Hughes' tenure. Hughes reportedly walked away from RKO having made $6.5 million in personal profit. According to Noah Dietrich, Hughes made a $10,000,000 profit from the sale of the theaters and made a profit of $1,000,000 from his 7-year ownership of RKO.




  • Santa Monica, California, U.S.
    1954
    John Forbes Nash Jr.: A Beautiful Mind

    Nash arrested

    Santa Monica, California, U.S.
    1954

    In Santa Monica, California in 1954, while in his 20s, Nash was arrested for indecent exposure in a sting operation targeting homosexual men.[47] Although the charges were dropped, he was stripped of his top-secret security clearance and fired from RAND Corporation, where he had worked as a consultant.




  • U.S.
    Monday Jan 4, 1954
    Frank Sinatra

    Sinatra's first album for Capitol

    U.S.
    Monday Jan 4, 1954

    Sinatra's first album for Capitol, Songs for Young Lovers, was released on January 4, 1954, and included "A Foggy Day", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "My Funny Valentine", "Violets for Your Furs" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me", songs which became staples of his later concerts.




  • Los Angeles, California, USA
    Monday Jan 4, 1954
    Marilyn Monroe

    The Suspension

    Los Angeles, California, USA
    Monday Jan 4, 1954

    When she refused to begin shooting yet another musical comedy, a film version of The Girl in Pink Tights, which was to co-star Frank Sinatra, the studio suspended her on January 4, 1954, but she reached a settlement with the studio in March: it included a new contract to be made later in the year




  • U.S.
    1954
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Domino theory

    U.S.
    1954

    In 1954, Eisenhower articulated the domino theory in his outlook towards communism in Southeast Asia and also in Central America. He believed that if the communists were allowed to prevail in Vietnam, this would cause a succession of countries to fall to communism, from Laos through Malaysia and Indonesia ultimately to India. Likewise, the fall of Guatemala would end with the fall of neighboring Mexico.




  • U.S.
    Thursday Jan 21, 1954
    Nuclear Power

    The world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine "USS Nautilus"

    U.S.
    Thursday Jan 21, 1954

    USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine and the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole. Her initial commanding officer was Eugene Parks "Dennis" Wilkinson, a widely respected naval officer who set the stage for many of the protocols of today's Nuclear Navy, and who had a storied career during military service and afterward.




  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 9, 1954
    Christopher Paul Gardner

    Birth

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 9, 1954

    Gardner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 9, 1954, to Thomas Turner and Bettye Jean Gardner. He was the second child and the only boy born to Bettye Jean. His older half-sister, Ophelia, is from a previous union. His younger sisters, Sharon and Kimberly, are children from his mother's marriage to Freddie Triplett.


  • U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 9, 1954
    Jacintha Darlene Gardner

    Jacintha Darlene Gardner's Father

    U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 9, 1954

    Gardner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 9, 1954, to Thomas Turner and Bettye Jean Gardner. Christopher Paul Gardner (born February 9, 1954) is an American businessman and motivational speaker. During the early 1980s, Gardner struggled with homelessness while raising a toddler son. He became a stockbroker and eventually founded his own brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Audrey Hepburn

    Roman Holiday success

    U.S.
    1954

    Roman Holiday was a box-office success, and Hepburn gained critical acclaim for her portrayal, unexpectedly winning an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award for Best British Actress in a Leading Role, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama in 1953 and 1954.


  • U.S.
    Apr, 1954
    Charles de Gaulle

    Gaulle argued that France must have its own nuclear arsenal

    U.S.
    Apr, 1954

    As early as April 1954 while out of power, de Gaulle argued that France must have its own nuclear arsenal; at the time nuclear weapons were seen as a national status symbol and a way of maintaining international prestige with a place at the 'top table' of the United Nations.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Audrey Hepburn

    Ondine

    U.S.
    1954

    Hepburn also returned to the stage in 1954, playing a water nymph who falls in love with a human in the fantasy play Ondine on Broadway.


  • Harlem, New York, U.S.
    May, 1954
    Malcolm X

    Leader of Temple No.7

    Harlem, New York, U.S.
    May, 1954

    He was selected to lead Temple Number 7 in Harlem.


  • Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
    Friday May 14, 1954
    Martin Luther King

    Called as Pastor

    Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
    Friday May 14, 1954

    At the age of 25 in 1954, King was called as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Ruby Bridges

    The Brown v. Board of Education decision was finalized

    U.S.
    1954

    Bridges was born during the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. Brown v. Board of Education was decided three months and twenty-two days before Bridges' birth. The famous court ruling declared the process of separating schools for black children and white children unconstitutional. Though the Brown v. Board of Education decision was finalized in 1954, southern states were extremely resistant to the decision that they must integrate for the six following years.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Eisenhower also induced Congress to create an Emergency Fund for International Affairs

    U.S.
    1954

    That year, the loss of North Vietnam to the communists and the rejection of his proposed European Defence Community (EDC) were serious defeats, but he remained optimistic in his opposition to the spread of communism, saying "Long faces don't win wars". As he had threatened the French in their rejection of EDC, he afterward moved to restore West Germany as a full NATO partner. In 1954, he also induced Congress to create an Emergency Fund for International Affairs in order to support America's use of cultural diplomacy to strengthen international relations throughout Europe during the cold war.


  • Tylertown, Mississippi, U.S.
    Wednesday Sep 8, 1954
    Ruby Bridges

    Birth

    Tylertown, Mississippi, U.S.
    Wednesday Sep 8, 1954

    Bridges was the eldest of five children born to Abon and Lucille Bridges.


  • Los Angeles , California, USA
    Oct, 1954
    Marilyn Monroe

    2nd Divorce

    Los Angeles , California, USA
    Oct, 1954

    The publicity stunt (for the The movie "Seven Year Itch") placed Monroe on international front pages, and it also marked the end of her marriage to DiMaggio, who was furious about the stunt. The union had been troubled from the start by his jealousy and controlling attitude; Spoto and Banner have also alleged that he was physically abusive. After Monroe returned to Hollywood, she hired high-profile attorney Jerry Giesler and announced in October 1954 that she was filing for divorce from DiMaggio after only nine months of marriage.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Eisenhower wanted to increase surveillance inside the Soviet Union

    U.S.
    1954

    With Eisenhower's leadership and Dulles' direction, CIA activities increased under the pretense of resisting the spread of communism in poorer countries; the CIA in part deposed the leaders of Iran in Operation Ajax, of Guatemala through Operation Pbsuccess, and possibly the newly independent Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). In 1954, Eisenhower wanted to increase surveillance inside the Soviet Union. With Dulles' recommendation, he authorized the deployment of thirty Lockheed U-2's at a cost of $35 million (equivalent to $333.22 million in 2019). The Eisenhower administration also planned the Bay of Pigs Invasion to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba, which John F. Kennedy was left to carry out.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    1954
    International Monetary Fund

    Former Czechoslovakia was expelled in 1954

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    1954

    Former Czechoslovakia was expelled in 1954 for "failing to provide required data" and was readmitted in 1990, after the Velvet Revolution.


  • New York City, New York, U.S.
    1954
    James Bond

    CBS paid Ian Fleming $1,000

    New York City, New York, U.S.
    1954

    In 1954 CBS paid Ian Fleming $1,000 ($9,520 in 2019 dollars) to adapt his novel Casino Royale into a one-hour television adventure as part of its Climax! series.


  • New York City, New York, U.S.
    Thursday Oct 21, 1954
    James Bond

    The episode aired live (CBS Series "Casino Royale")

    New York City, New York, U.S.
    Thursday Oct 21, 1954

    The episode aired live (CBS Series "Casino Royale") on 21 October 1954 and starred Barry Nelson as "Card Sense" James Bond and Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre.


  • Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
    Thursday Dec 16, 1954
    Warren Buffett

    Second Child

    Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
    Thursday Dec 16, 1954

    In December 16, 1954, Buffett and Susan Thompson had their second child, Howard Graham.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Tuesday Dec 21, 1954
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Tuesday Dec 21, 1954

    The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty with the Republic of China was signed in December 1954.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Howard Hughes: The Aviator

    Total control of RKO

    U.S.
    1954

    By the end of 1954, Hughes had gained near-total control of RKO at a cost of nearly $24 million, becoming the first sole owner of a major Hollywood studio since the silent film era. Six months later, Hughes sold the studio to the General Tire and Rubber Company for $25 million. Hughes retained the rights to pictures that he had personally produced, including those made at RKO. He also retained Jane Russell's contract. For Howard Hughes, this was the virtual end of his 25-year involvement in the motion picture industry. However, his reputation as a financial wizard emerged unscathed. During that time period, RKO became known as the home of film noir classic productions thanks in part to the limited budgets required to make such films during Hughes' tenure. Hughes reportedly walked away from RKO having made $6.5 million in personal profit. According to Noah Dietrich, Hughes made a $10,000,000 profit from the sale of the theaters and made a profit of $1,000,000 from his 7-year ownership of RKO.


  • Santa Monica, California, U.S.
    1954
    John Forbes Nash Jr.: A Beautiful Mind

    Nash arrested

    Santa Monica, California, U.S.
    1954

    In Santa Monica, California in 1954, while in his 20s, Nash was arrested for indecent exposure in a sting operation targeting homosexual men.[47] Although the charges were dropped, he was stripped of his top-secret security clearance and fired from RAND Corporation, where he had worked as a consultant.


  • U.S.
    Monday Jan 4, 1954
    Frank Sinatra

    Sinatra's first album for Capitol

    U.S.
    Monday Jan 4, 1954

    Sinatra's first album for Capitol, Songs for Young Lovers, was released on January 4, 1954, and included "A Foggy Day", "I Get a Kick Out of You", "My Funny Valentine", "Violets for Your Furs" and "They Can't Take That Away from Me", songs which became staples of his later concerts.


  • Los Angeles, California, USA
    Monday Jan 4, 1954
    Marilyn Monroe

    The Suspension

    Los Angeles, California, USA
    Monday Jan 4, 1954

    When she refused to begin shooting yet another musical comedy, a film version of The Girl in Pink Tights, which was to co-star Frank Sinatra, the studio suspended her on January 4, 1954, but she reached a settlement with the studio in March: it included a new contract to be made later in the year


  • U.S.
    1954
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Domino theory

    U.S.
    1954

    In 1954, Eisenhower articulated the domino theory in his outlook towards communism in Southeast Asia and also in Central America. He believed that if the communists were allowed to prevail in Vietnam, this would cause a succession of countries to fall to communism, from Laos through Malaysia and Indonesia ultimately to India. Likewise, the fall of Guatemala would end with the fall of neighboring Mexico.


  • U.S.
    Thursday Jan 21, 1954
    Nuclear Power

    The world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine "USS Nautilus"

    U.S.
    Thursday Jan 21, 1954

    USS Nautilus (SSN-571) was the world's first operational nuclear-powered submarine and the first submarine to complete a submerged transit of the North Pole. Her initial commanding officer was Eugene Parks "Dennis" Wilkinson, a widely respected naval officer who set the stage for many of the protocols of today's Nuclear Navy, and who had a storied career during military service and afterward.


  • Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 9, 1954
    Christopher Paul Gardner

    Birth

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin, U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 9, 1954

    Gardner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 9, 1954, to Thomas Turner and Bettye Jean Gardner. He was the second child and the only boy born to Bettye Jean. His older half-sister, Ophelia, is from a previous union. His younger sisters, Sharon and Kimberly, are children from his mother's marriage to Freddie Triplett.


  • U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 9, 1954
    Jacintha Darlene Gardner

    Jacintha Darlene Gardner's Father

    U.S.
    Tuesday Feb 9, 1954

    Gardner was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on February 9, 1954, to Thomas Turner and Bettye Jean Gardner. Christopher Paul Gardner (born February 9, 1954) is an American businessman and motivational speaker. During the early 1980s, Gardner struggled with homelessness while raising a toddler son. He became a stockbroker and eventually founded his own brokerage firm Gardner Rich & Co.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Audrey Hepburn

    Roman Holiday success

    U.S.
    1954

    Roman Holiday was a box-office success, and Hepburn gained critical acclaim for her portrayal, unexpectedly winning an Academy Award for Best Actress, a BAFTA Award for Best British Actress in a Leading Role, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Motion Picture Drama in 1953 and 1954.


  • U.S.
    Apr, 1954
    Charles de Gaulle

    Gaulle argued that France must have its own nuclear arsenal

    U.S.
    Apr, 1954

    As early as April 1954 while out of power, de Gaulle argued that France must have its own nuclear arsenal; at the time nuclear weapons were seen as a national status symbol and a way of maintaining international prestige with a place at the 'top table' of the United Nations.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Audrey Hepburn

    Ondine

    U.S.
    1954

    Hepburn also returned to the stage in 1954, playing a water nymph who falls in love with a human in the fantasy play Ondine on Broadway.


  • Harlem, New York, U.S.
    May, 1954
    Malcolm X

    Leader of Temple No.7

    Harlem, New York, U.S.
    May, 1954

    He was selected to lead Temple Number 7 in Harlem.


  • Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
    Friday May 14, 1954
    Martin Luther King

    Called as Pastor

    Montgomery, Alabama, U.S.
    Friday May 14, 1954

    At the age of 25 in 1954, King was called as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Ruby Bridges

    The Brown v. Board of Education decision was finalized

    U.S.
    1954

    Bridges was born during the middle of the Civil Rights Movement. Brown v. Board of Education was decided three months and twenty-two days before Bridges' birth. The famous court ruling declared the process of separating schools for black children and white children unconstitutional. Though the Brown v. Board of Education decision was finalized in 1954, southern states were extremely resistant to the decision that they must integrate for the six following years.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Eisenhower also induced Congress to create an Emergency Fund for International Affairs

    U.S.
    1954

    That year, the loss of North Vietnam to the communists and the rejection of his proposed European Defence Community (EDC) were serious defeats, but he remained optimistic in his opposition to the spread of communism, saying "Long faces don't win wars". As he had threatened the French in their rejection of EDC, he afterward moved to restore West Germany as a full NATO partner. In 1954, he also induced Congress to create an Emergency Fund for International Affairs in order to support America's use of cultural diplomacy to strengthen international relations throughout Europe during the cold war.


  • Tylertown, Mississippi, U.S.
    Wednesday Sep 8, 1954
    Ruby Bridges

    Birth

    Tylertown, Mississippi, U.S.
    Wednesday Sep 8, 1954

    Bridges was the eldest of five children born to Abon and Lucille Bridges.


  • Los Angeles , California, USA
    Oct, 1954
    Marilyn Monroe

    2nd Divorce

    Los Angeles , California, USA
    Oct, 1954

    The publicity stunt (for the The movie "Seven Year Itch") placed Monroe on international front pages, and it also marked the end of her marriage to DiMaggio, who was furious about the stunt. The union had been troubled from the start by his jealousy and controlling attitude; Spoto and Banner have also alleged that he was physically abusive. After Monroe returned to Hollywood, she hired high-profile attorney Jerry Giesler and announced in October 1954 that she was filing for divorce from DiMaggio after only nine months of marriage.


  • U.S.
    1954
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Eisenhower wanted to increase surveillance inside the Soviet Union

    U.S.
    1954

    With Eisenhower's leadership and Dulles' direction, CIA activities increased under the pretense of resisting the spread of communism in poorer countries; the CIA in part deposed the leaders of Iran in Operation Ajax, of Guatemala through Operation Pbsuccess, and possibly the newly independent Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). In 1954, Eisenhower wanted to increase surveillance inside the Soviet Union. With Dulles' recommendation, he authorized the deployment of thirty Lockheed U-2's at a cost of $35 million (equivalent to $333.22 million in 2019). The Eisenhower administration also planned the Bay of Pigs Invasion to overthrow Fidel Castro in Cuba, which John F. Kennedy was left to carry out.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    1954
    International Monetary Fund

    Former Czechoslovakia was expelled in 1954

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    1954

    Former Czechoslovakia was expelled in 1954 for "failing to provide required data" and was readmitted in 1990, after the Velvet Revolution.


  • New York City, New York, U.S.
    1954
    James Bond

    CBS paid Ian Fleming $1,000

    New York City, New York, U.S.
    1954

    In 1954 CBS paid Ian Fleming $1,000 ($9,520 in 2019 dollars) to adapt his novel Casino Royale into a one-hour television adventure as part of its Climax! series.


  • New York City, New York, U.S.
    Thursday Oct 21, 1954
    James Bond

    The episode aired live (CBS Series "Casino Royale")

    New York City, New York, U.S.
    Thursday Oct 21, 1954

    The episode aired live (CBS Series "Casino Royale") on 21 October 1954 and starred Barry Nelson as "Card Sense" James Bond and Peter Lorre as Le Chiffre.


  • Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
    Thursday Dec 16, 1954
    Warren Buffett

    Second Child

    Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.
    Thursday Dec 16, 1954

    In December 16, 1954, Buffett and Susan Thompson had their second child, Howard Graham.


  • Washington D.C., U.S.
    Tuesday Dec 21, 1954
    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty

    Washington D.C., U.S.
    Tuesday Dec 21, 1954

    The Sino-American Mutual Defense Treaty with the Republic of China was signed in December 1954.


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