Major Events of August 1955: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from August 1955 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

Major Events of August 1955: Key Historical Moments from the Month

01 Aug 1955 Lockheed U-2 Reconnaissance Aircraft First Flight: The Lockheed Article 001, a prototype of the legendary U-2 spy plane, completed its maiden flight in Nevada, marking a significant milestone in aerial reconnaissance technology during the Cold War era.
02 Aug 1955 Birth of John Battaglia, Convicted Murderer: John Battaglia, an American criminal who would later become notorious for his heinous crimes, was born on this date. Battaglia would eventually gain infamy for a shocking act of violence that would deeply impact his family and the broader community.
03 Aug 1955 First Consumer Microwave Oven Produced: American engineer Percy Spencer pioneered the first consumer microwave oven, revolutionizing home cooking technology and setting the stage for a major kitchen appliance transformation.
04 Aug 1955 CIA Headquarters Construction Authorized: President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially authorized $46 million in federal funding for the construction of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) headquarters in Langley, Virginia. This significant investment marked a pivotal moment in the Cold War era, signaling the growing importance of intelligence operations in national security strategy.
05 Aug 1955 Nellie Fox's Remarkable Consecutive Games Streak: Baseball legend Nellie Fox, playing for the Chicago White Sox, achieved an extraordinary feat of durability and consistency. After playing 274 consecutive games at second base, he was given a rare day off. Following this brief respite, Fox returned to the field and continued his remarkable streak, playing an additional 798 consecutive games. This incredible display of endurance and commitment highlights the resilience of players in the 1950s baseball era.
06 Aug 1955 Establishment of French Southern and Antarctic Territories: On August 6, 1955, France officially established the French Southern and Antarctic Territories (Terres australes et antarctiques françaises or TAAF), a unique overseas territory encompassing several islands and maritime regions in the southern Indian Ocean and Antarctic continent. This administrative region includes the Kerguelen Islands, Crozet Archipelago, Saint Paul and Amsterdam Islands, and a portion of Antarctica, providing France with significant strategic and scientific presence in the Southern Hemisphere.
07 Aug 1955 Sony's First Transistor Radio Launch: Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering, the precursor to Sony Corporation, begins selling its first transistor radios in Japan, marking a significant milestone in consumer electronics and portable audio technology.
08 Aug 1955 Castro Establishes Revolutionary Movement: Fidel Castro formally founded the July 26th Movement, a revolutionary political organization that would become instrumental in the Cuban Revolution, named after the date of his failed attack on the Moncada Barracks in 1953.
09 Aug 1955 X-1A Research Aircraft Engine Explosion: A critical incident occurred during a pre-flight preparation when an explosion erupted inside the rocket engine of the X-1A research aircraft while it was mounted under its B-29 mother ship, potentially jeopardizing the planned flight by test pilot Joseph A. Walker.
10 Aug 1955 Creation of the Division of Stirling in Western Australia: The Electoral Commission of Western Australia established the Division of Stirling as part of a comprehensive electoral redistribution process. This new electoral division was designed to better represent the changing population dynamics and geographic representation in the state's electoral system.
11 Aug 1955 Deadly US Air Force Aviation Accident in West Germany: On August 11, 1955, a catastrophic mid-air collision occurred during a United States Air Force training mission near Edelweiler, Stuttgart, West Germany. A formation of nine Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcars experienced a tragic incident when one aircraft with engine trouble suddenly lost altitude and then abruptly pulled upward, colliding with another C-119G. Both aircraft subsequently crashed, resulting in a devastating loss of life. The accident claimed 66 lives - all 19 people aboard one aircraft and all 47 aboard the other - making it the worst aviation accident in German history at that time and the deadliest incident involving the C-119 aircraft variant.
12 Aug 1955 Hurricane Connie Strikes North Carolina: Hurricane Connie made landfall in North Carolina as a powerful Category 3 hurricane on August 12, 1955. First detected as a tropical storm on August 3, the hurricane traveled extensively across the Atlantic, intensifying and changing course before striking the North Carolina coast, causing significant potential for coastal damage and disruption.
13 Aug 1955 Lamar Smith Civil Rights Murder: On August 13, 1955, Lamar Smith, a 63-year-old African American farmer and World War I veteran, was tragically murdered on the courthouse lawn in Brookhaven, Mississippi. He was shot and killed for courageously advocating for African Americans' voting rights during a local run-off election. His murder highlighted the extreme racial violence and systemic injustice prevalent in the Jim Crow-era South, as no one was ever prosecuted for this heinous crime.
14 Aug 1955 Herbert Putnam, Librarian of Congress, Dies: Herbert Putnam, a prominent librarian who served as the Librarian of Congress from 1899 to 1939, passed away at the age of 94. Putnam was a pioneering figure in library science, known for modernizing library practices and expanding the Library of Congress's collections and services during his four-decade tenure.
15 Aug 1955 Disneyland Records Established: Walt Disney Productions launched Disneyland Records (now Walt Disney Records) on August 15th, 1955. This pioneering music label was initially created to produce original soundtracks for Disney films and theme parks, and played a crucial role in popularizing children's music as a mainstream entertainment genre.
16 Aug 1955 Edward Makula Sets Glider Speed World Record: On August 16, 1955, aviation enthusiast Edward Makula achieved a remarkable milestone by setting a new world record glider speed of 67.304 kilometers per hour over a triangular 200-kilometer course. This achievement was the first of seven world records Makula would establish during his distinguished aviation career, highlighting the era's rapid advancements in aeronautical engineering and human performance.
17 Aug 1955 Hurricane Diane Devastates North Carolina: Hurricane Diane made landfall near Wilmington, North Carolina, causing catastrophic flooding and widespread destruction. The hurricane resulted in significant loss of life, with over 184 people killed and extensive damage to infrastructure and communities.
18 Aug 1955 First Sudanese Civil War Begins: The First Sudanese Civil War erupted on August 18, 1955, marking the start of a prolonged and devastating conflict between the northern and southern regions of Sudan that would significantly impact the country's political and social landscape.
19 Aug 1955 Hurricane Diane: Devastating Natural Disaster: Hurricane Diane struck the northeastern United States, causing catastrophic damage and significant loss of life. The hurricane resulted in 200 fatalities and became the first storm in U.S. history to cause over $1 billion in damages, marking a pivotal moment in understanding the destructive potential of tropical cyclones.
20 Aug 1955 Philippeville Massacre: Algerian Uprising: The Battle of Philippeville, also known as the Philippeville massacre or the August Offensive, began with a massive assault by several thousand civilians targeting Europeans and moderate Muslim personalities in the city of Philippeville. This event was a critical moment in the Algerian struggle for independence from French colonial rule.
21 Aug 1955 Kelly-Hopkinsville UFO Encounter: On the night of August 21, 1955, the Sutton family near Kelly, Kentucky, reported an extraordinary alleged encounter with extraterrestrial beings. The family claimed that small, metallic, humanoid creatures with large eyes and pointed ears attacked their farmhouse, leading to a prolonged confrontation that involved gunfire and intense fear. This incident became one of the most famous and well-documented UFO encounters in American folklore, attracting significant attention from UFO researchers and paranormal investigators.
22 Aug 1955 Tragic School Bus-Train Collision in Tennessee: On August 22, 1955, a devastating accident occurred in Spring City, Tennessee, when a freight train collided with a school bus, resulting in the deaths of eleven schoolchildren. The incident highlighted critical safety concerns at railroad crossings and the importance of adhering to crossing signals. The bus driver's failure to observe warning signals led to this catastrophic loss of young lives, prompting subsequent discussions about transportation safety and railroad crossing protocols.
23 Aug 1955 Westland Widgeon Helicopter's Maiden Flight: The Westland Widgeon helicopter completed its inaugural flight, marking an important milestone in British helicopter aviation technology. This event represented progress in rotary-wing aircraft design and engineering during the mid-1950s.
24 Aug 1955 Emmett Till Arrives in Mississippi: Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African American teenager from Chicago, arrives in Money, Mississippi, to visit his great uncle Moses Wright. This visit would tragically become a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, as Till would be brutally murdered just days later for allegedly whistling at a white woman.
25 Aug 1955 Soviet Withdrawal from Austria: The last Soviet occupation forces completed their withdrawal from Austria, marking the end of post-World War II military occupation and restoring full sovereignty to the Austrian state.
26 Aug 1955 Pather Panchali Film Release: Satyajit Ray's groundbreaking film 'Pather Panchali' was released in Calcutta, India. Initially receiving a lukewarm reception, the film quickly gained critical acclaim and became a landmark work in Indian cinema, establishing Ray as a pioneering filmmaker of international repute.
27 Aug 1955 Guinness Book of World Records First Published: The inaugural edition of the Guinness Book of Records was published, marking the beginning of what would become a globally recognized reference for world records and extraordinary achievements. Compiled by Norris and Ross McWhirter in London, the book quickly became a popular resource documenting human and natural world records.
28 Aug 1955 Murder of Emmett Till: Emmett Till, a 14-year-old African-American teenager, was brutally murdered in Mississippi after being falsely accused of whistling at and flirting with a white woman. This horrific hate crime became a pivotal moment in the early Civil Rights Movement, exposing the brutal racism and systemic violence against Black Americans in the mid-1950s.
29 Aug 1955 British Royal Air Force Sets World Altitude Record: On August 29, 1955, a British Royal Air Force English Electric Canberra aircraft achieved a remarkable milestone by setting a new world altitude record, reaching an impressive height of 65,876 feet (20,079 meters). This achievement demonstrated the advanced aeronautical capabilities of the British military and aerospace engineering during the mid-1950s, highlighting the ongoing technological advancements in aviation during the Cold War era.
30 Aug 1955 Tragic Train Collision Claims Lives of Cleveland Police Officers: On August 30, 1955, a devastating accident occurred when U.S. Patrolmen William Hudec and Warren Stainbrook of the Cleveland Division of Police were fatally struck by a train while driving their police ambulance. The incident highlights the inherent risks faced by first responders and the unpredictable nature of emergency response situations.
31 Aug 1955 First Solar-Powered Automobile Demonstrated: A groundbreaking moment in automotive and renewable energy history occurred in Chicago, Illinois, with the public demonstration of the first automobile powered entirely by solar energy, showcasing early innovations in sustainable transportation.