1954 Iowa gubernatorial election
The 1954 Iowa gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954. Republican nominee Leo Hoegh defeated Democratic nominee Clyde E. Herring with 51.37% of the vote.


1954 Iranian general election
Parliamentary elections were held in Iran in 1954. Political parties were banned from contesting the election, and all 136 elected MPs were independents.


1954 Iranian general election
The elections were "rigged and far from a legitimate process".


1954 Iranian general election
Upper house elections began in February while the lower house elections in provinces began at the same time. Lower house election in Tehran was held on March 9 and 10.


1954 Iranian general election, Campaign
The outlawed opposition formed by the National Front activists after 1953 coup d'état, 'National Resistance Movement' (NRM) put all its effort to campaign for its twelve candidates in Tehran, namely Ahmad Razavi, Abdollah Moazzami, Allahyar Saleh, Ali Shayegan, Kazem Hassibi, Mohammad-Ali Angaji, Mahmoud Nariman, Karim Sanjabi, Bagher Jalali Mousavi, Asghar Parsa, Ahmad Akhgar and Ahmad Zirakzadeh, of whom some were in hiding. However, they could not rely on a vast network of activists because of suffering from organizational weakness.


1954 Iranian general election, Campaign
To distribute NRM statements in Tehran, Bazargan and Bakhtiar had to take taxi and throw the paper out of the window and speak in French to conceal their identity and purpose from the driver. Bazargan organized some 2,000 nationalists to vote in Sepahsalar Mosque, however they were barred from casting their vote by the security forces, the čāqukeš led by Shaban Jafari and fascist organizations like SUMKA, who were present in the streets.


1954 Iranian general election, Media coverage, In the United States
The New York Times wrote that a voter bowed three times to the ballot box and when asked why, he said "I am merely making my obeisance to the magic box. When one drops in a ballot for Mohammad [Mosaddeq], lo, when the ballot is opened it is transformed into a vote for Fazlollah [Zahedi]".


1954 Iranian general election, Media coverage, In the United States
Item: a constituency near Kerman beat up the man Zahedi sent there to be elected; Zahedi suspended the balloting. Item: a former Iranian ambassador to the U.S. [Allahyar Saleh] announced himself as a pro-Mossadegh candidate from Kashan; Zahedi forced him to remain in Teheran. ; Item: the powerful Zolfaghari tribe in the northwest rigged the election of two pro-Mossadegh deputies; Zahedi arrested the chiefs for using "undue force" on the voters. Moral: nobody in Iran save Fazlollah Zahedi is allowed to use undue force on voters


1954 Irish Greyhound Derby
The 1954 Irish Greyhound Derby took place during July and August with the final being held at Shelbourne Park in Dublin on 7 August 1954.


1954 Irish Greyhound Derby
The winner Spanish Battleship won £500 and was trained by Tom Lynch and owned by Tim 'Chubb' O'Connor.


1954 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
The defending champion Spanish Battleship headed for Shelbourne Park following an rest because he had injured a leg during the 1954 Callanan Cup final. After the first night's racing doubts surfaced that he could successfully defend his title because he had been injured and a greyhound called Leafy Ash who had finished second in the 1954 English Greyhound Derby final recorded 29.93, in a first round win.


1954 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
However The following evening Spanish Battleship then proceeded to break the track record with a remarkable 29.50 run, which led to the Irish press stating that it was a foregone conclusion that the dog would win again. The second round win was impressive but nine spots slower than his first round win; the next best being Ollys Quare Rebel in 29.74.


1954 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
In the semi-finals Spanish Battleship equalled his own track record winning eight lengths ahead of Dignity. Aughacommon Rex beat Moyola Flash and Palm's Son defeated Olly's Quare Rebel in the remaining semi-finals.


1954 Irish Greyhound Derby, Competition Report
Spanish Battleship wrote his name into the history books as the first ever two time Irish Derby winner despite missing his break from the traps in the final. He showed enough of his renowned early pace to quickly overtake early leader Dignity and go on to win by three lengths in 29.64.


1954 Irish general election
The 1954 Irish general election was held on 18 May 1954. The newly elected members of the 15th Dáil assembled at Leinster House on 2 June when the new Taoiseach and government were appointed.


1954 Irish general election
The general election took place in 40 parliamentary constituencies throughout Ireland for 147 seats in the lower house of parliament, Dáil Éireann.


1954 Irish general election, Campaign
The general election of 1954 was caused by the loss of an overall majority for the ruling Fianna Fáil party in the Dáil. Rather than be voted down on a vote in the Dáil, Éamon de Valera decided to call a general election and let the people decide.


1954 Irish general election, Campaign
Fianna Fáil had the most to lose, their campaign concentrated on providing political stability for the next five years. They also put forward strong arguments against coalition governments. However, this would not suffice when the country's economy was worsening and unemployment and emigration were increasing.


1954 Irish general election, Campaign
On the other hand, the opposition parties of Fine Gael, the Labour Party and the other minor parties offered the electorate an alternative to three years of Fianna Fáil rule. While they could not solve the economic problems facing the country, they could provide fresh ideas.


1954 Isle of Man TT
The 1954 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy was the second race in the 1954 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season and proved highly controversial for TT Course and race changes. The 1954 Junior TT was the first race where the official race distance was reduced from 7 laps to 5 laps. The 1954 Senior TT Race was stopped at half distance due to the weather conditions on the Mountain Section of the course.


1954 Isle of Man TT
The first world championship event for the 1954 Isle of Man TT Races was the 350cc Junior TT Race. The race was led on lap 1 by Fergus Anderson from Gilera team-mate Ken Kavanagh by 10 seconds and Ray Amm riding for Norton a further 6 seconds adrift in 3rd place. On lap 2, Fergus Anderson retired at Kirk Michael with an engine problem and Ken Kavanagh retired at the pits with an engine mis-fire on lap 3. The race was then led by Ray Amm by 24 seconds from Rod Coleman riding for AJS motor-cycles. However, Ray Amm retired at Barregarrow on lap 5 allowing Rod Coleman to become the first New Zealander to win an Isle of Man TT Race at an average race speed of 91.54 mph.


1954 Isle of Man TT
The new 10 lap (107.90 miles) Sidecar TT held on the Clypse Course was led from start to finish by Eric Oliver and passenger Les Nutt riding a Norton outfit with a "dust-bin" fairing at an average speed of 68.87 mph. The Norton outfit of Bill Boddice/J.Pirie hit a bank at Creg-ny-Baa and flipped over on lap 7, but continued on to finish the race in 6th place. The winner of the 1954 Lightweight TT race, Werner Haas crashed at Governor's Bridge on lap 1 of the 1954 Ultra-Lightweight TT Race, also held on the Clypse Course. This allowed Rupert Hollaus to win the race in 1 hour, 33 minutes and 3.4 seconds at an average race speed of 69.57 mph. His victory was notable because he was one of only seven riders to have won an Isle of Man TT race in their first attempt.


1954 Isle of Man TT
In deteriorating weather conditions and with reduced visibility on the Mountain Section of the course the 1954 Senior TT Race was held after a short delay and started at midday. Despite the conditions, Geoff Duke riding the works Gilera set a time of 25 minutes and 41.0 seconds an average speed of 88.18 mph and led Ray Amm riding for Norton by 14 seconds on lap 1.


1954 Isle of Man TT
On the second lap, Geoff Duke lapped in 26 minutes and 23 seconds at an average speed of 85.84 mph and Ray Amm lapped at an average speed of 86.49 to reduce the lead to just 2 seconds. Further heavy rain and low cloud on the Mountain Section reduced speed further and the conditions caused John Grace and Ted Frend to retire at the TT Grandstand on lap 2 and Ray Amm used "feet-down" tactics on the slower corners.


1954 Isle of Man TT
The leader, Geoff Duke, decided to refuel on lap 3. Ray Amm in second place went straight through without stopping and lapped in 25 minutes and 28 seconds at an average speed of 88.93 mph and now led Geoff Duke by 32 seconds. At the Windy Corner on lap 4, the visibility was down to 20 yards and a decision was made to stop the race because of the conditions.


1954 Isle of Man TT
This allowed Ray Amm, due to refueling at the TT Grandstand on lap 4, to win the 1954 Senior TT Race in 1 hour, 42 minutes and 46.8 seconds at an average race speed of 88.12 mph. The controversial decision by race organisers to stop the 1954 Senior TT Race on lap 4, just as the weather started to improve, was protested by the Gilera management.


1954 Isle of Man TT
This was on the grounds that the works Norton team were told of the decision allowing Ray Amm to lead the race on lap 3, but the official protest was rejected by the race organisers. During lap 1 of the 1954 Senior TT Race, Simon Sandys-Winsch riding a Junior Velocette crashed at the Highlander and died in hospital a few days later.


1954 Isle of Man TT, Race results, 1954 Clubmans Senior Results
10 June 1954 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)


1954 Isle of Man TT, Race results, 1954 Clubmans Junior Results
10 June 1954 – Mountain Course (4 laps – 150.92 miles)


1954 Isle of Man TT, Race results, 1954 Isle of Man Junior TT 350cc final standings
14 June 1954  –  5 Laps (188.56 Miles) Mountain Course.


1954 Isle of Man TT, Race results, 1954 Isle of Man Lightweight TT 250cc final standings
14 June 1954  –  3 Laps (113.00 Miles) Mountain Course.


1954 Isle of Man TT, Race results, 1954 Isle of Man Ultra-Lightweight TT 125cc final standings
16 June 1954 – 10 Laps (107.90 miles) Clypse Course.


1954 Isle of Man TT, Race results, 1954 Sidecar TT final standings
16 June 1954 – 10 Laps (107.90 miles) Clypse Course.


1954 Isle of Man TT, Race results, 1954 Isle of Man Senior TT 500cc final standings
Friday 18 June 1954  –  4 Laps (150.74 Miles) Mountain Course. (Reduced Race Distance)


1954 Italian Grand Prix
The 1954 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 5 September 1954 at Monza. It was race 8 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. The 80-lap race was won by Mercedes driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from pole position. Mike Hawthorn finished second for the Ferrari team and his teammates Umberto Maglioli and José Froilán González came in third.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy
Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli reached the summit of K2 for the first time on the 1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2 but for over fifty years the 1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy dragged on concerning whether the official report written by the expedition's leader, Ardito Desio, gave a true picture of the expedition. That the climbers did indeed reach the summit was never in dispute.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy
Initially there were complaints from one of the members of the expedition, Walter Bonatti, about how he felt the report overlooked the importance of his and Amir Mahdi's roles in enabling the climb to be successful. Bonatti also complained about how he and Mahdi had been treated by the climbers who went on to reach the summit. Later Bonatti argued that the lead climbers' supplemental oxygen would not have run out before they had reached the summit, contrary to what they had stated.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy
As the years went by there was increasing support for Bonatti's claims and criticism of the Italian mountaineering authority, the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI), for its failure to deal with the matter. In 2007, after Desio had died, the CAI at last published a revised official account of the climb which generally found in favour of Bonatti's version of events. However, the CAI was then criticised for going too far in an attempt to placate Bonatti and his supporters.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Legal difficulties, 1954–1958
When Charlie Houston, who had led the 1953 American K2 expedition, attended the jubilant Italian celebrations for the successful climb he realised that behind the scenes things had not been happy. It soon got into the press that the Desio had not been a popular leader – he had been self-centred and autocratic. Riccardo Cassin, who had been excluded from taking part, became involved saying Desio had not wanted to share the focus of attention with anyone else.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Legal difficulties, 1954–1958
While Desio was still writing his book legal problems started when he accused the expedition photographer of taking away the film of the expedition. Even after one of the scientists in the party admitted they had taken it through a misunderstanding, Desio did not withdraw his accusation until after he had been sued for defamation. Then the CAI successfully sued Desio for the return of some of the grant they had made and both sides went into print acrimoniously. Desio lost his battles and even had to hand back the Caravella D'Oro trophy he had been awarded.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Legal difficulties, 1954–1958
Compagnoni then took the CAI to court to ask to be allocated some of the profits from the film Italia K2 which was drawing large audiences – he eventually lost the case in 1958. Bonatti had protested that the film understated (indeed omitted any mention of) the role he and Mahdi had played in carrying vital oxygen up for the summit party and about the emergency bivouac but in the end an acknowledgement was included in the distributed film.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
Desio wrote the first official account of the expedition in his 1954 book La Conquista del K2 but this account was disputed over many years by Bonatti and, eventually, Lacedelli and others. That Compagnoni and Lacedelli had reached the summit of K2 was not in dispute – the issue to begin with was how the lead climbers had treated Bonatti and Mahdi who, high on the mountain, had been carrying up oxygen cylinders for them. Later there was a dispute about whether the oxygen had run out before or after they had reached the summit.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
Overall, Bonatti claimed Desio's book was neither accurate nor fair. The matter became increasingly controversial with a great deal of press criticism, often uninformed. Desio died in 2001 at the age of 104 and eventually in 2004 the Club Alpino Italiano appointed three experts, called "I Tre Saggi" (the three wise men) to investigate. In 2007 the CAI published K2 – Una Storia Finita (referred to as "CAI 2007" in this article) which included the Tre Saggi report and accepted, and expanded on, its contents. In short, the CAI report accepted Bonatti's version of events.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
Overall Desio's 1954 book was self-congratulatory in tone and emphasised the scientific work over the climbing. He credited Compagnoni and Lacedelli with writing the chapter about events high on the mountain although Lacedelli later said he took no part in writing the book. Desio himself had directed the climb from Base Camp – he only once went up as high as Camp II on the fixed ropes and never went onto the Abruzzi Ridge. He was in reasonably good radio contact with the climbers however. What follows here provides a summary of where Desio's account differs from the account given in the 1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2 article which is based on the CAI 2007 report.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
Desio stated that Camp VIII was established just below 7,700 metres (25,400 ft). After going down to collect equipment and "two oxygen masks"  [sic] from halfway down towards Camp VII (the height of which was not stated), Bonatti and Mahdi got back up to Camp VIII by noon on 30 July and then continued with Abram carrying the oxygen respirators towards Camp IX which was had just been established at 8,100 metres (26,575 ft) and where they were to spend the night.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
CAI 2007 reported that, whereas Desio had said the plan had been for Camp IX at 8,000–8,100 metres (26,200–26,600 ft), on 30 July this was reduced to 7,900 metres (25,900 ft) to allow the oxygen sets to be carried there in one day.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
The report quoted Lacedelli as eventually saying Camp IX was actually at about 8,150 metres (26,740 ft) and Bonatti and Mahdi's bivouac was at 8,100 m. Desio's book described how, as night fell, Bonatti realised he would not reach Camp IX so he called up to the assault team who told them to go down quickly to Camp VIII. However, Mahdi was unfit even to descend so they dug a snow hole for an overnight bivouac without a tent or sleeping bags. Mahdi had become severely frostbitten by the time they set off down together at dawn.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
Early in the morning of 31 July, as soon as there was a glimmer of light, Compagnoni and Lacedelli emerged from their tent and were amazed to see a figure below them (they could not tell who it was) heading down the mountain. Starting at about 05:00 they went down to recover the respirators and started their climb at 06:15, now using supplementary oxygen.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
As they approached the summit their oxygen ran out unexpectedly early at a height somewhat above the altitude of  Broad Peak but overcoming their despair they went on towards the summit still carrying their oxygen sets because it would have been difficult and dangerous to remove them. They did not want to waste time over this and they could use them as a substantial marker for the summit. They reached the summit at 18:00 and set off down after 30 minutes as the sun was about to set.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Desio's 1954 account of the climb
Compagnoni published Uomini sul K2 in 1958 which accorded with Desio's version.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Bonatti's 1961 autobiography
When Bonatti returned to Italy he was disappointed he had not been in the summit party but he had no idea about the cause of the ostracism he would suffer from other mountaineers in the coming decades. Until Bonatti protested, the 1955 feature film Italia K2 had been making no mention of carrying up the oxygen cylinders or the overnight bivouac. Aware that there was whispering behind his back, in 1961 he published his autobiography, Le mie montagne, which included his own account of the expedition. Over the next forty years he followed this up with a series of other books.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Bonatti's 1961 autobiography
By 1961 Bonatti was a considerable mountaineering hero and his autobiography was well received but its revelations did not make a big impact at the time. Regarding the K2 climb, Bonatti gave an account from his point of view (which differed from Desio's) but did not directly attack anyone. Bonatti claimed that at Camp VII he had come to realise that Compagnoni had been appointed to lead the summit attempt, though no one had actually told him this. Camp VIII had been sited lower than planned at 7,600 metres (25,000 ft).


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Bonatti's 1961 autobiography
On 29 July Compagnoni and Lacedelli intended to climb to pitch a small assault tent at about 8,100 metres (26,600 ft) but without oxygen they could only dump their baggage at about 7,700 metres (25,300 ft) before returning to VIII. Bonatti and three other climbers set off from Camp VII to VIII carrying a large amount of supplies and some oxygen cylinders but only Bonatti and Pino Gallotti got through, carrying all four loads of supplies but leaving the oxygen well below Camp VIII.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Bonatti's 1961 autobiography
For 30 July it was agreed Compagnoni and Lacedelli would establish Camp IX at about 8,000 metres (26,300 ft) though in the event they placed the camp at 8,100 metres (26,600 ft) at a site that was difficult to locate or reach. Bonatti and Gallotti descended 180 metres (600 ft) to attempt to bring the oxygen up past Camp VIII to the newly-established Camp IX, a climb of at least 490 metres (1,600 ft). In fact, as they reached the oxygen, they met Abram and two porters climbing up so they all went up to VIII. By that stage only Bonatti, Abram and Mahdi could contemplate continuing to Camp IX. Eventually Abram had to turn back and darkness fell before Bonatti and Mahdi could locate camp IX.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Bonatti's 1961 autobiography
They did not have sleeping bags or a tent and Mahdi was by now in a great panic, stumbling around the mountain slope – they would not be able to get back down to the lower camp and would have to endure an emergency overnight bivouac. Then a light shone a little above them and Lacedelli shouted to leave the oxygen and go down to Camp VIII. The light was turned off and, despite more shouting from those below, no more was heard from those at Camp IX.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Bonatti's 1961 autobiography
Bonatti considered the tent had deliberately been positioned to be out of reach. At dawn Mahdi raced down but Bonatti waited until 06:00, in full daylight, before descending, still with no sign of the higher tent or anyone in it. He heard a shout from above but still couldn't see anyone.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Summary of claims about altitudes of locations high on K2
Bonatti said he had to descend 180 metres from Camp VIII to get the oxygen then the plan would have been to climb 490 metres to Camp IX but, because it had been sited higher, 670 metres.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Defamation of Bonatti by Giglio
On the tenth anniversary of the expedition the mountaineering journalist Nino Giglio published two articles in a Turin newspaper basing his reports on interviews with Compagnoni and Lacedelli and said to be in response to Bonatti's book. Giglio claimed that Bonatti had on the night of 30–31 July not been trying to help his companions but had been secretly trying to beat Compagnoni and Lacedelli to the summit. Moreover, he had deceived Mahdi into accompanying him on this unsuccessful attempt.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Defamation of Bonatti by Giglio
He had used up some of the bottled oxygen he was supposed to be transporting to Camp IX which was why it ran out early on the successful summit attempt. After Bonatti had shouted up to Camp IX he had refused the offers of help from the lead party and he had descended to Camp VIII leaving Mahdi stranded at the bivouac site so that he got severe frostbite. Compagnoni was quoted as offering to bury the hatchet if Bonatti owned up. In the second article the expedition's liaison officer Mohammad Ata-Ullah was quoted as confirming that Bonatti had tried to persuade Mahdi into joining in with the scheme.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Defamation of Bonatti by Giglio
Even before the time of the newspaper articles such rumours had been believed in some Italian mountaineering circles and Bonatti's 1961 book had been regarded as an untruthful attempt to cover up his misdeeds. Bonatti sued Giglio for defamation and in 1966 he won in court.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Defamation of Bonatti by Giglio
Bonatti's case was strong – Bonatti, Abram and Mahdi had only been carrying oxygen cylinders and did not have the breathing masks and valves which were up at Camp IX so a summit attempt like this was absurd; also, as confirmed by the climbers at Camp VIII, Mahdi had got down to Camp VIII slightly before Bonatti and had not been abandoned. The best argument by the defence was that Bonatti had admitted offering Mahdi inducements to climb higher and had written of fantasising about using the oxygen for himself. All the same, even after the court case Bonatti felt cold-shouldered as a liar and a disruptive element.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Bonatti's 1985 book – Robert Marshall's involvement
Bonatti's 1985 book, Processo al K2, gave details and transcripts of the court case and a detailed narrative of his version of what had occurred on the mountain, specifically saying Desio's 1954 version was untruthful. Based on the time from when he had seen Compagnoni or Lacedelli at Camp IX on the morning of 31 July to the time they reached the summit, he gave calculations that, he thought, showed there was plenty of oxygen for the ascent and so the claim that it ran out before the summit was false. This depended on discounting Compagnoni's statement that they broke camp at about 05:00 and accepting that Bonatti had heard a shout from someone near Camp IX somewhat before 07:00.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Bonatti's 1985 book – Robert Marshall's involvement
After reading the book, an Australian surgeon, Robert Marshall, an armchair mountaineer who had long taken an interest in the K2 saga, began investigating. He taught himself Italian just for this purpose and started writing to Bonatti, eventually meeting him. He developed the theory that Compagnoni resented Bonatti, the young upstart, and had deliberately put Camp IX in a place Bonatti could not reach so that Bonatti would have no chance of being best fitted for the summit party.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Bonatti's 1985 book – Robert Marshall's involvement
His theory was that when Mahdi had returned to base camp he told Ata-Ullah of the incitements for him to go as high as possible and about how his frostbite had been caused by the bivouac. Marshall supposed that Ata-Ullah had then confronted Desio demanding an explanation for Mahdi's mistreatment and that then Desio had questioned Compagnoni, his favourite climber, about the frostbite – Compagnoni laid the blame on Bonatti by playing along with the idea that Bonatti was trying for the summit and later went off down ahead of Mahdi. Marshall thought that, when speaking to the inquiry in Pakistan, Desio had laid the blame on Bonatti (believing this to be properly deserved) but encouraged a bland report to be produced so that Italian honour would be maintained.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Bonatti's 1985 book – Robert Marshall's involvement
In 1993 Marshall made a discovery of a photograph of Compagnoni (below) taken on the summit which had not been included in La Conquista del K2 where a much poorer image had been shown. According to Marshall Compagnoni has his oxygen set on the ground but he is wearing his breathing mask with its connecting tube still attached to the cylinders. This suggested that Compagnoni was still breathing supplementary oxygen on the summit. Also, the photograph that had been published of Lacedelli seemed to show frost marks on his beard consistent with his mask having recently been taken off (also below).


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Bonatti's 1985 book – Robert Marshall's involvement
Marshall wrote about the discrepancy shown by the photographs and in 1993 the Italian press, intrigued by the involvement of an Australian surgeon, took up the matter. The CAI offered to hear Bonatti on the matter but nothing came of the offer. In 1996 Bonatti published K2:Storia di un Caso dealing again with the court case and adding discussion about the photograph. The mountaineering press outside Italy began publishing sympathetic articles.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Bonatti's 1985 book – Robert Marshall's involvement
Bonatti published his second autobiography, Montagne di una vita in 1998 with Marshall's involvement who also translated the book as Mountains of my life  in 2001. It put forward his oxygen theory along with the photographic evidence and suggested the idea that Desio had believed the worst of Bonatti by accepting he had tried for a unilateral attempt on the summit, and treating him unfairly in the book while at the same time giving an account of a well organised expedition. Then Bonatti published K2, la verità: storia di un caso in 2003 which included articles from many experts and journalists supporting Bonatti's case.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Lacedelli and Abram become involved after 50 years
Lacedelli, who had largely stayed out of the controversy, coincidentally published his own book K2: Il prezzo della conquista in 2004, the fiftieth anniversary of the climb and quite shortly after Desio's death. Desio is described as an autocratic bully who only got on with Compagnoni. Lacedelli said he had opposed the positioning of Camp IX and with hindsight thought it possible it was sited there to hinder any summit aspirations of Bonatti. They had left Camp IX at about 06:00 and set off with the oxygen at about 07:30. However, the oxygen had indeed run out but much nearer the summit than Compagnoni had claimed.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Defamation of Bonatti and aftermath, Lacedelli and Abram become involved after 50 years
Enrico Abram, a professional engineer who had been in charge of the expedition oxygen back in 1954 now wrote to Bonatti to say that the Italian cylinders had been leaking before the summit attempt. Because they also had German "Dräger" bottles that had not leaked Abram had selected those for the summit attempt and they had an extended life of 12 hours – two and a half hours longer than the time Compagnoni said they took to reach the summit. All the oxygen equipment was fitted with a simple on/off tap. When turned on the gas flowed at a fixed rate and, being open-circuit, did not depend on the climber's rate of breathing.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Second official Club Alpino Italiano report
In 2004 Roberto Mantovani, editor of the prestigious journal Rivista delle Montagne and curator of Turin's Museo nazionale della montagna, with 24 eminent co-signatories, wrote an open letter to the CAI demanding an immediate inquiry so a report could be produced for the fiftieth anniversary celebrations. The CAI responded by setting up an inquiry under three eminent professors: I Tre Saggi, who reported very quickly in a way that almost entirely supported Bonatti and said the CAI should produce a new official account of the expedition.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Second official Club Alpino Italiano report
So, over fifty years after K2 had been climbed, the CAI produced a book K2: una storia finita (CAI 2007), officially adopting and publishing the Tre Saggi recommendations and issuing their own statements in support. Mantovani himself wrote the section of the book which summarised the conclusions of the Tre Saggi and produced a new account of what was now accepted had happened on the mountain.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Second official Club Alpino Italiano report
In brief, this official account (upon which 1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2 article is based) was that (1) Camp IX had been placed 250 metres (820 ft) higher than agreed and on the far side of difficult rocks; (2) Mahdi eventually lost fingers and toes due to severe frostbite caused by the enforced bivouac; (3) after the overnight bivouac Mahdi set off down before Bonatti; (4) Compagnoni and Lacedelli started ascending with supplementary oxygen at about 08:30; (5) they were using Dräger bottles which guaranteed a supply for twelve hours; (6) the summit was reached slightly before 18:00 when there would have been a reserve of oxygen of at least two and a half hours.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Other experts' and journalists' views
Bonatti died in 2011, by then, according to Conefrey, "a man acclaimed as one of, if not the, greatest mountaineers of the twentieth century". In Italy there is little appetite to have further recriminations. Viesturs 2009 and Sale 2011 generally accept the revised account. A strong aspect supporting the revised account is the seeming unlikelihood of mountaineers carrying up empty oxygen sets when battling to reach an extreme summit. Another point of agreement is that Bonatti and Mahdi transporting the oxygen was a tremendous achievement, one that was vital to reaching the summit successfully at the time they did. However, some  mountaineering experts question whether the second CAI report is any more correct than the first one.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Other experts' and journalists' views
There remain difficulties. The argument that the oxygen must have lasted up to the summit supposes that there were no equipment failures – but there could have been leakages or blockages in the supply of what was often unreliable equipment. Also, there could be no certainty that Compagnoni and Lacedelli did not set off using oxygen earlier than 08:30 – Bonatti might simply have not seen them. Indeed, it is quite likely they would have made an early start.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition controversy, Other experts' and journalists' views
When asked why he had still been wearing his oxygen mask on the summit, Compagnoni said that it was just to warm the atmospheric air. It transpires Abram was probably wrong in saying only German Dräger were used to the summit – Dräger bottles were blue (the Italian type were red) and the film taken on the summit shows one set of red and the other of blue.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2
On 31 July 1954, Italian climbers Achille Compagnoni and Lino Lacedelli became the first people to reach the summit of K2, the second highest mountain in the world after Mount Everest, which had been summited for the first time the previous year. The expedition was led by Ardito Desio.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2
There had been three earlier unsuccessful American attempts on the mountain but they had identified a good route to use. Desio felt Italy's earlier exploration of the Karakoram region gave good reason to mount a major expedition which he did on a grand scale, following the American route up the south-east ridge. Progress towards the summit was repeatedly interrupted by storms and one member of the team died rather unexpectedly.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2
Desio considered abandoning the expedition so as to try again by  returning later in the year, but then weather conditions improved allowing them to edge closer to the top of the mountain. At last the two lead climbers reached the summit as the sun was about to set and they had to descend in the dark. They and two colleagues went on to suffer from severe frostbite.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2
The fact that the summit had been reached was never doubted – Compagnoni and Lacedelli had been seen by their colleagues near the summit and they had taken photographs and even a movie film from the top – but all the same the expedition became mired in argument. The official 1954 account of the expedition eventually became discredited and after a prolonged controversy a second official account was published in 2007 which largely confirmed the claims another member of the expedition, Walter Bonatti, had been making for over fifty years.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Background, K2
K2 is on the border between China and what was in 1954 the newly independent Pakistan. At 8,611 metres (28,251 ft) it is the highest point of the Karakoram range and the second highest mountain in the world. The mountain had been spotted in 1856 by the Great Trigonometrical Survey to Kashmir and by 1861 Henry Godwin-Austen had reached the Baltoro Glacier and was able to get a clear view of K2 from the slopes of Masherbrum. He could see the descending glacier eventually drained to the Indus River and so the mountain was in the British Empire.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Background, K2
The first serious attempt to climb the mountain was in 1902 by a party including Aleister Crowley, later to become notorious as "the Wickedest Man in the World". The expedition examined ascent routes both north and south of the mountain and made best progress up the north-east ridge before they were forced to abandon their efforts. Since that time K2 has developed the reputation of being a more difficult mountain to climb than Mount Everest – every route to the summit is tough. K2 is farther north than the Himalayan mountains so the climate is colder; the Karakoram range is wider than the Himalayan so more ice and snow is trapped there.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Background, K2
Before the successful Italian ascent, the expedition that had previously climbed highest on K2 had been the 1939 American Karakoram expedition which reached 8,370 metres (27,450 ft).


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Background, Previous Italian expeditions in the Baltoro Muztagh Karakoram
In 1890 Roberto Lerco entered the Baltoro Muztagh region of the Karakoram. He reached the foot of K2 and may even have climbed a short way up its south-east spur but he did not leave an account of his journey.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Background, Previous Italian expeditions in the Baltoro Muztagh Karakoram
In 1909 the Duke of the Abruzzi expedition again explored various routes before reaching about 6,250 metres (20,510 ft) on the south-east ridge before deciding the mountain was unclimbable. This route later became known as the Abruzzi Ridge (or Abruzzi Spur) and eventually became regarded as the normal route to the summit.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Background, Previous Italian expeditions in the Baltoro Muztagh Karakoram
In 1929 Aimone di Savoia-Aosta, the nephew of the Duke of the Abruzzi, led an expedition to explore the upper Baltoro Glacier, near to K2. The geologist on the party was Ardito Desio and he came to feel that there was an Italian claim for attempts on the mountain. It was only in 1939 that Desio could interest Italy's governing body for mountaineering, the Club Alpino Italiano (CAI) and then World War II and the Partition of India delayed things further.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Background, Previous Italian expeditions in the Baltoro Muztagh Karakoram
In 1952 Desio travelled to Pakistan as a preliminary for leading a full expedition in 1953 only to discover that the Americans had already booked the single climbing permit for that year. He returned in 1953 with Riccardo Cassin to reconnoitre the lower slopes of K2. At that time Cassin was the greatest Italian mountaineer there had been and yet in Desio's report of the reconnaissance Cassin is not mentioned except to say "I had chosen Ricardo Cassin, a climber, to whose travelling expenses the Italian Alpine Club had generously contributed". It was only after his return to Italy that Desio heard he had been granted the permit for the 1954 summit attempt.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Preparation for 1954 expedition
In Rawalpindi, at the start of his 1953 visit to Pakistan, Desio had met Charlie Houston, leader of the unsuccessful 1953 American Karakoram expedition who was returning from K2. Both on the 1938 expedition and the 1953 expedition Houston had climbed the entire Abruzzi Ridge, scaling its most difficult cliffs, House's Chimney, and had been able to reach about 7,900 metres (26,000 ft) from where a feasible route to the summit could be observed. Even though the American was planning another attempt on the summit for 1954, he was generous in sharing his experience and photographs with Desio, an obvious rival.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Preparation for 1954 expedition
Desio planned a far larger expedition than the American ones – the cost estimate of 100 million lira (equivalent to US$1.5 million in 2020) was eight times greater than Houston's and three times greater than the successful 1953 British Everest expedition. It was sponsored by the CAI and it became a matter of national prestige, also involving the Italian Olympic Committee and the Italian National Research Council. The successes on Annapurna in 1950 and Mount Everest in 1953 had made an immense impact in France and Britain.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Preparation for 1954 expedition
Desio wrote "the expedition will of necessity be organised along military lines" – as in the 1950 French Annapurna expedition the climbers were all required to formally pledge allegiance to their leader. Scientific research –  geography and geology – was to be as important as reaching the top of the mountain. Indeed, it seems that Desio, professor of geology at Milan, held climbers in rather low regard.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Preparation for 1954 expedition
There were to be eleven climbers, all of them Italian, none of whom had been to Himalaya before: Enrico Abram (32 years), Ugo Angelino (32), Walter Bonatti (24), Achille Compagnoni (40), Cirillo Floreanini (30), Pino Gallotti (36), Lino Lacedelli (29), Mario Puchoz (36), Ubaldo Rey (31), Gino Soldà (47) and Sergio Viotto (26). There were ten Pakistani Hunza high-altitude porters, with Amir Mahdi (41) turning out to be the most prominent. Also on the team was a filmmaker, Mario Fantin and the doctor was Guido Pagani.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Preparation for 1954 expedition
The scientific team, in addition to Desio (who was 57 years old), comprised Paolo Graziosi (ethnographer), Antonio Marussi (geophysicist), Bruno Zanettin (petrologist) and Francesco Lombardi (topographer). Muhammad Ata-Ullah was the Pakistani liaison officer. Riccardo Cassin, the pre-eminent Italian Alpinist, had been nominated by the CAI as climbing leader but after Desio's rigorous selection procedures he was rejected, supposedly on medical grounds but it was speculated that it was really to avoid Desio being outshone.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Preparation for 1954 expedition
The plan was for nearly 5 kilometres (3 mi) of fixed nylon ropes to be placed up the complete length of the Abruzzi Ridge and some way beyond and, where possible, loads on sledges were to be winched along these ropes. Each camp was to be fully established before the next higher camp was occupied. Open-circuit oxygen systems were used and they were equipped with two-way radio.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Preparation for 1954 expedition
The expedition left Italy by air in April 1954 and the baggage, which went by sea, arrived in Karachi on 13 April and then travelled by rail to Rawalpindi.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Official published accounts of the climb
Desio wrote the official account of the ascent in his 1954 book La Conquista del K2 but this account was disputed over many years by Bonatti and, eventually, Lacedelli and others. That Compagnoni and Lacedelli had reached the summit of K2 was not in dispute – at issue was the extent to which they had depended on support from other climbers high on the mountain, how they had treated Bonatti and Madhi, whether they used oxygen all the way to the top, and whether Desio's book was accurate and fair.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Official published accounts of the climb
The matter became increasingly controversial with a great deal of press criticism, often uninformed. Desio died in 2001 at the age of 104 and eventually in 2004 the CAI appointed three experts, called "I Tre Saggi" (the three wise men), to investigate. They produced a 39-page report in April 2004, but the CAI delayed until 2007 its publication of K2 – Una Storia Finita which included and accepted the Tre Saggi report.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Official published accounts of the climb
The account of the climb given here is based on recent sources which have been able to take account of the CAI's second official report, K2 – Una Storia Finita (2007). The scientific (geographical and geological) aspects of the expedition are not covered nor is the controversy which went on for over fifty years after the return to Italy.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Approach to K2
After delays due to poor weather, on 27 April the expedition flew by DC-3 from Rawalpindi to Skardu. Desio took the opportunity of using the aircraft to survey the region's topography and snow conditions, which seemed similar to those in Houston's photographs of the previous year. The mountains were higher than the aircraft's service ceiling so they needed to circumnavigate K2. The scientific party then departed on their separate itinerary. Five hundred locally appointed Balti porters carried over 12 metric tons (13 short tons) of equipment, including 230 oxygen cylinders, via Askole and Concordia towards Base Camp on the Godwin-Austen Glacier.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Approach to K2
Between Skardu and Askole several bridges had been built in the previous year so this part of the journey was much quicker than before. After Askole they were unable to buy food locally for the porters so they needed to hire another hundred men simply to carry flour for the main porters to make their chapatis. So as to minimise weight, Desio had provided little for the porters apart from food, a blanket each, and tarpaulins to be used as tents. They had no protective clothes.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Approach to K2
Unfortunately there was bad weather – snow as well as heavy rain whereas the previous year the weather had been fine and sunny – the porters started refusing to go on, even after being offered backsheesh. At Urdukas 120 porters turned back and the others halted – next morning some porters wandered back down and nobody would proceed. On Ata-Ullah's advice the sahibs went on ahead and, for a while, the porters disconsolately followed at a distance. Then there was a critical problem.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Approach to K2
The sun came out and, with it shining on the snow, the porters were struck with snow blindness. Snow goggles had been brought for them but half of them had been left behind to save weight. When eventually only one porter remained with the party they had to recruit fresh porters from back at Askole. By the time they had struggled to get Base Camp established on 28 May they had been delayed by fifteen days.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Line of ascent of K2
The route to be taken was the same as for the American expeditions with camps planned for similar locations.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Line of ascent of K2
The Abruzzi Ridge can be climbed by strong climbers from Base Camp up to Camp VI in a few hours of good weather but it can also be a dangerous place to be. Between Camp IV and Camp VII the ridge is sharp, steep and unrelenting with exposure and rockfall being problems on the lower section. Strong winds can be a major difficulty – K2 partly protects the major eight-thousanders to the south but is itself very exposed to storms.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
By 16 June Camp IV was established at the foot of House's Chimney, using the winch to haul supplies up to Camp II. In 1953 Houston's party had found the Hunzas to be better on the mountain than had been expected. However, Desio felt let down – part of the difficulty was that English was their only language in common and, apart from Desio himself, no one was fluent in English.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
Tragedy struck the expedition at an early stage: after Puchoz had descended to Camp II he developed problems with his throat and his condition deteriorated until, despite good medical treatment and ample medicines and oxygen, he died with symptoms of pneumonia on 21 June. The next day everyone descended to Base Camp just as a fierce snow storm erupted. When the storm abated they were able to recover Puchoz's body to Base Camp and on 27 June they ascended to bury him beside the memorial cairn to Art Gilkey who had died on the 1953 American expedition.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
The expedition was by now almost a month behind schedule so Desio announced that the climb should be resumed immediately after the funeral. However, apart from Compagnoni, none of the climbers were willing to do this and Abram spoke up on their behalf. Desio had an authoritarian approach to leadership (behind his back he was called "il Ducetto", "little Mussolini"). He was in the habit of issuing written encouragements and orders. For example, on one occasion he pinned up a notice:


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
"Remember if you succeed in scaling the peak – as I am confident you will – the entire world will hail you as champions of your race and your fame will endure throughout your lives and long after you're dead. Thus even if you never achieve anything else of note, you will be able to say that you have not lived in vain."


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
When interviewed later about it Lacedelli said "We just ignored him and got on with it".


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
The climbers again spread out across the various camps and Compagnoni and Rey scaled House's Chimney but then another storm confined everyone to their tents. On 5 July, Compagnoni (who Desio had nominated to lead the high-level climbing), Abram and Gallotti established Camp V and then two days later reached Camp VI with fixed ropes now running all the way up from Camp I. They used the ropes from the 1953 expedition to reach camp VII although, on descending, the ropes slipped from their anchor points causing Floreanini to fall 200 metres (700 ft) but suffering no very serious injury.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
On 18 July Compagnoni and Rey, followed by Bonatti and Lacedelli, set ropes as high as the American Camp VIII at the base of the summit plateau. Camp VI had been at the site of the American Camp VII but they moved it higher to avoid what they considered was a dangerous location. Successive severe storms made progress much slower than expected and Desio wrote to the CAI saying he was contemplating returning to Italy and staging a new assault in the autumn with a smaller team of fresh climbers, but using the existing fixed ropes.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
But then the weather improved. On 28 July Camp VIII was established at 7,627 metres (25,023 ft) for a summit attempt by Compagnoni and Lacedelli. Next day they climbed higher but, unable to find a good location for their highest camp, Camp IX, they left their rucksacks and returned to Camp VIII, now realising they would need supplementary oxygen for the summit. The place where they had been trying to set Camp IX was beside a wall of ice at 8,000 metres (26,000 ft), beside what later became known as the Bottleneck.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Ascending the mountain
Also on 29 July four climbers at Camp VII went up with two oxygen sets (each weighing 18 kilograms (40 lb)), a tent and extra food towards Camp VIII but Abram and Rey had to turn back and only Bonatti and Gallotti got there – they had needed to abandon the oxygen sets at about 7,400 metres (24,300 ft). By evening Mahdi and Isakhan reached Camp VII.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Preparing for the summit attempt
For 30 July the four men at Camp VIII agreed that while Compagnoni and Lacedelli would climb to try to establish Camp IX, Bonatti and Gallotti would descend to fetch the oxygen just above Camp VII and then carry the heavy oxygen equipment all the way up to Camp IX, via Camp VIII. The fetching of the oxygen would be a far greater challenge than the establishment of the high camp – it would involve a descent of 180 metres (600 ft) followed by an ascent of 490 metres (1,600 ft).


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Preparing for the summit attempt
They would tell climbers at Camp VII to bring up more supplies to VIII. Meanwhile, Compagnoni and Lacedelli would establish Camp IX at a lower level of 7,900 metres (25,900 ft) to reduce the height the oxygen needed to be carried. In the event they established their high camp not at the lower level, where there was deep powdery snow, but at 8,150 metres (26,740 ft) across a difficult traverse over dangerous slab rocks which took almost an hour to achieve. They had very little food and, although they had oxygen masks with them, not the actual gas cylinders.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Preparing for the summit attempt
Bonatti, Gallotti, Abram, Mahdi and Isakhan all met and reached Camp VIII by noon on 30 July. At 15:30 Bonatti, Abram and Mahdi went on with the oxygen cylinders towards Camp IX. The Hunzas had not been provided with high-altitude boots and to induce Mahdi to go on higher Bonatti had offered him a cash bonus and had also hinted that he might be allowed to go right up to the summit. They went without a tent or sleeping bags.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Preparing for the summit attempt
At about 16:30 they shouted and heard a reply from the summit team at Camp IX but could not locate them nor see any tracks to follow. They climbed higher but by 18:30 the sun was setting and Abram had to go down because of frostbite. They now could see tracks in the snow but still no tent and it would be dark imminently. Mahdi was starting to panic. On dangerous terrain sloping at 50° and still with the heavy oxygen sets they called again but had to come to a halt at 8,100 metres (26,600 ft).


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Preparing for the summit attempt
Bonatti dug out a small step in the ice in preparation for an emergency overnight bivouac without a tent or sleeping bags. After more shouting, at 22:00 a flashlight shone from quite nearby and slightly higher up the mountain and they could hear Lacedelli shouting to tell them to leave the oxygen and go back down. After that the light went out and there was silence. Bonatti and Mahdi spent the rest of the night in the open until at 05:30, against Bonatti's advice, Mahdi started going down by himself in the dark to Camp VIII. Bonatti waited until about 06:30 when it was getting light before he dug the oxygen sets out of the snow and descended. While he was going down he heard a shout from somewhere above but could not see anyone. Mahdi reached Camp VIII only slightly before Bonatti at about 07:30.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Reaching the summit
At about 06:30–06:45 on 31 July Compagnoni and Lacedelli left their tent and saw someone (they could not tell who) descending and were shocked to think they must have spent the night in the open. They recovered the gas cylinders between about 07:15 and 07:45, and from there set off for the summit at about 08:30, now breathing supplementary oxygen. To save weight they abandoned their rucksacks and, for nourishment, only took sweets. The route through the Bottleneck was blocked with snow and they could not climb the cliffs as Wiessner had done in 1939.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Reaching the summit
Eventually they found a line close to Wiessner's up though mixed ice and rock. The people below at Camp VIII were briefly able to see them ascending the final slope just before Compagnoni and Lacedelli reached the summit arm in arm at about 18:00, Saturday, 31 July. Gallotti wrote in his diary:


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Reaching the summit
"On the final slope, which was incredibly steep looking, first one tiny dot, and then a second, slowly made their way up. I may see many more things in this life, but nothing will ever move me in this same way. I cried silently, the teardrops falling on my chest."


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Reaching the summit
They took a few photos and a brief movie film as the sun was setting. Lacedelli wanted to go down as soon as possible but Compagnoni said he wanted to spend the night on the summit. Only after being threatened with Lacedelli's ice-axe did he turn to descend.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Progress on the mountain, Descending the mountain
In the darkness they headed down this time descending Bottleneck Couloir and after a while their oxygen ran out. They had great difficulty crossing a crevasse and descending the ice wall just above Camp VIII and both men fell but  eventually their companions heard their shouts and emerged to help them back to Camp VIII just after 23:00. Next day, in poor weather, they descended the fixed ropes to Camp IV by 11:00. By 2 August everyone was back at Base Camp. Compagnoni, Lacedelli and Bonatti had serious frostbite to their hands but Mahdi's feet were also affected and his condition was much worse.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Return home
On 3 August the news of the success reached Italy but, in accordance with an earlier collective agreement suggested by Floreanini, the names of the climbers who had reached the summit was kept secret. Their triumph was very big news in Italy, but internationally it made less impact than the previous year's ascent of Everest, which had been boosted by the coronation of Elizabeth II. After some recuperation the party left base camp on 11 August with Compagnoni going ahead, wanting to hasten to Italy for hospital treatment. Lacedelli, with Pagnini's medical support, preferred to take things more slowly to try to avoid unnecessary amputations of his fingers. Mahdi was much the worst affected and went to hospital in Skardu, eventually having nearly all his fingers and toes amputated.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Return home
The press speculated, mostly correctly, on who had been in the summit party so when Compagnoni flew into Rome in early September he was treated as a hero. The main party arrived at Genoa by sea later in September and Desio flew in to Rome in October. At the height of the celebrations on 12 October Desio announced the names of those who had reached the summit. This news flopped because it had been repeatedly reported (through speculation) for months. Earlier the CAI, while still refusing to name who they were, had published a photo of Compagnoni and Lacedelli on the summit.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Return home
However, before the party had left Pakistan, a scandal had been making headlines in the subcontinent's press. Mahdi had been reported as saying he had been within 30 metres (100 ft) of the summit but his two Italian companions had not allowed him to go any higher. This received very little attention internationally but the matter was serious enough for the Italian ambassador to Karachi to hold an inquiry. He did not speak to Mahdi but interviewed the Italians involved as well as Ata-Ullah, the liaison officer, to whom Mahdi had made his complaints.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Return home
The report concluded that no porters had been near the summit; Bonatti and Mahdi turned back below Camp IX leaving the oxygen respirators; and Mahdi had been wild and undisciplined trying to escape the bivouac. This satisfied the Pakistan government and even the press calmed down. However, it was only very many years later that Bonatti came to believe that in reality Desio regarded the report as a cover-up (one that Desio approved of) for what he believed had been Bonatti's attempt to sabotage the expedition. This was to cause repercussions over the next fifty years.


1954 Italian Karakoram expedition to K2, Return home
It was not until 1977 that the summit of K2 was reached again, by a well equipped, relatively modern Japanese expedition, with fifty-nine climbers and 1500 porters, who again took the Abruzzi ridge.


1954 Italian Somaliland local elections
Local elections were held in Trust Territory of Somaliland in May 1954 to elect members of 35 municipalities. The Somali Youth League won just over half of the 281 seats up for election.


1954 Italian Somaliland local elections, Campaign
A total of 15 parties and organisations contested the elections:


1954 Japan Series
The 1954 Japan Series was the Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) championship series for the 1954 season. It was the fifth Japan Series and featured the Pacific League champions, the Nishitetsu Lions, against the Central League champions, the Chunichi Dragons. This would be the Dragons' last championship until 2007, when they defeated the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.


1954 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 1
Saturday, October 30, 1954 – 1:34 pm at Nagoya Baseball Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture


1954 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 2
Sunday, October 31, 1954 – 1:34 pm at Nagoya Baseball Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture


1954 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 3
Tuesday, November 2, 1954 – 1:36 pm at Heiwadai Stadium in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture


1954 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 4
Wednesday, November 3, 1954 – 1:35 pm at Heiwadai Stadium in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture


1954 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 5
Thursday, November 4, 1954 – 1:32 pm at Heiwadai Stadium in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture


1954 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 6
Saturday, November 6, 1954 – 1:33 pm at Nagoya Baseball Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture


1954 Japan Series, Matchups, Game 7
Sunday, November 7, 1954 – 1:32 pm at Nagoya Baseball Stadium in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture


1954 Jordan League
The 1954 Jordan League was the 9th season of Jordan Premier League, the top-flight league for Jordanian association football clubs. The championship was won by Al-Ahli.


1954 Jordanian general election
General elections were held in Jordan on 16 October 1954, the first that political parties were allowed to contest. The result was a victory for independent candidates, which won 38 of the 40 seats, with the other two going to the Liberal Party and the Umma Party.


1954 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The 1954 Kansas Jayhawks football team represented the University of Kansas in the Big Seven Conference during the 1954 college football season. In their first season under head coach Chuck Mather, the Jayhawks compiled a 0–10 record (0–6 against conference opponents), the first winless season in school history. They would not have another winless season until 2015. Kansas finished last in the Big Seven Conference, and were outscored by all opponents by a combined total of 377 to 93. They played their home games at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas.


1954 Kansas Jayhawks football team
The team's statistical leaders included Bud Laughlin with 339 rushing yards and Bev Buller with 303 passing yards. Bud Bixler was the team captain.


1954 Kansas State Wildcats football team
The 1954 Kansas State Wildcats football team represented Kansas State University in the 1954 college football season. The team's head football coach was Bill Meek, in his fourth and final year at the helm of the Wildcats. The Wildcats played their home games in Memorial Stadium. The Wildcats finished the season with a 7–3 record with a 3–3 record in conference play. They finished in fifth place in the Big Seven Conference. The Wildcats scored 191 points and gave up 154 points. The Wildcats did not outscore their opponents again until 1969. 1954 was Kansas State's last winning season until 1970.


1954 Kansas gubernatorial election
The 1954 Kansas gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954. Republican nominee Fred Hall defeated Democratic nominee George Docking with 52.98% of the vote.


1954 Kategoria e Dytë
The 1954 Kategoria e Dytë was the 10th season of a second-tier Association football league in Albania. The season started in March and ended in August. The Second Division 1954 sees the participation of 48 teams divided into 8 groups, whose winners play the second phase in 2 groups of four.


1954 Kategoria e Dytë
The first two classified play the final for the division title and are promoted together with the second of the two final groups, but instead of the team of the Physical Education Technical School Vojo Kushi from Tirana, the Tekstilisti "Stalin" Yzberish from the capital is admitted to the First Division. Dinamo Shkodër wins the division champion title by beating Puna Gjirokastër in the final.


1954 Kategoria e Dytë, First round, Group 1
Dinamo Shkodër won the group and advanced to the next round


1954 Kategoria e Dytë, First round, Group 2
Physical Education Technical School Vojo Kushi won the group and advanced to the next round


1954 Kategoria e Dytë, First round, Group 3
Puna Fier won the group and advanced to the next round


1954 Kategoria e Dytë, First round, Group 4
Puna Peqin won the group and advanced to the next round


1954 Kategoria e Dytë, First round, Group 5
Puna Gjirokastër won the group and advanced to the next round


1954 Kategoria e Dytë, First round, Group 6
Spartaku Pogradec won the group and advanced to the next round


1954 Kategoria e Dytë, First round, Group 7
Puna Shijak won the group and advanced to the next round


1954 Kategoria e Dytë, First round, Group 8
Puna Berat won the group and advanced to the next round


1954 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
The 1954 Kent State Golden Flashes football team was an American football team that represented Kent State University  in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1954 college football season. In their ninth season under head coach Trevor J. Rees, the Golden Flashes compiled an 8–2 record (4–1 against MAC opponents), finished in second place in the MAC, lost to Delaware in the Refrigerator Bowl, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 331 to 130.


1954 Kent State Golden Flashes football team
The team's statistical leaders included Lou Mariano with 1,037 rushing yards, Bob Stimac with 434 passing yards, and Bill Whitley with 239 receiving yards. Offensive tackle Joe Barbee was selected as a first-team All-MAC player.


1954 Kentucky Derby
The 1954 Kentucky Derby was the 80th running of the Kentucky Derby. The race took place on May 1, 1954.


1954 Kentucky Wildcats football team
The 1954 Kentucky Wildcats football team represented the University of Kentucky in the 1954 college football season. The team scored 151 points while allowing 125 points. This was Blanton Collier's first season as Kentucky's head coach.


1954 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
The 1954 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship was the 60th staging of the Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Kilkenny County Board.


1954 Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship
On 10 October 1954, Slieverue won the championship after a 6-05 to 4-03 defeat of Tullaroan in the final. It was their first ever championship title. It remains their only championship title.


1954 Kukarkin
1954 Kukarkin (prov. designation: 1952 PH) is an asteroid and slow rotator on an eccentric orbit from the outer regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 15 August 1952, by Russian astronomer Pelageya Shajn at Simeiz Observatory on the Crimean peninsula. The asteroid has a exceptionally long rotation period of 136.4 hours and measures approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) in diameter. It was named after astronomer Boris Kukarkin.


1954 Kukarkin, Orbit and classification
Kukarkin orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.0–3.9 AU once every 5.03 years (1,838 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.31 and an inclination of 15° with respect to the ecliptic. No precoveries were taken prior to its discovery.


1954 Kukarkin, Naming
This minor planet is named after stellar astronomer Boris Vasilyevich Kukarkin (1909–1977), a well-known specialist for variable stars, the structure of stellar systems, and professor at Moscow State University. Kukarkin started and edited the General Catalogue of Variable Stars that was first published in 1948. He also served as vice-president of the Astronomical Council of Academy of Sciences of the USSR as well as of the International Astronomical Union and was the president of its Commission 27. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 June 1980 (M.P.C. 5358).


1954 Kukarkin, Physical characteristics
Kukarkin is a slow rotator, with a long period of 136.40±0.03 hours, measured at Los Algarrobos Observatory, Uruguay (I38) during a favorable opposition in 2012. The well-defined rotational lightcurve had brightness variation of 0.8±0.05 magnitude (U=3-).


1954 Kukarkin, Physical characteristics
While observations taken by NEOWISE gave an albedo of 0.2608±0.0155 and a diameter of 13.659±0.309 kilometers, the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for a carbonaceous C-type asteroid of 0.057 and calculates a significantly larger diameter of 30.6 kilometers, as the lower the albedo, the larger the body's diameter at a constant absolute magnitude.


1954 LFF Lyga
The 1954 LFF Lyga was the 33rd season of the LFF Lyga football competition in Lithuania. It was contested by 12 teams, and Inkaras Kaunas won the championship.


1954 LPGA Tour
The 1954 LPGA Tour was the fifth season since the LPGA Tour officially began in 1950. The season ran from January 15 to October 31. The season consisted of 21 official money events. Louise Suggs and Babe Zaharias won the most tournaments, five each. Patty Berg led the money list with earnings of $16,011.


1954 LPGA Tour
There was only one first-time winner in 1954, Marilynn Smith.


1954 LPGA Tour, Tournament results
The following table shows all the official money events for the 1954 season. "Date" is the ending date of the tournament. The numbers in parentheses after the winners' names are the number of wins they had on the tour up to and including that event. Majors are shown in bold.


1954 LSU Tigers football team
The 1954 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University during the 1954 college football season. Under head coach Gaynell Tinsley, the Tigers had a record of 5–6 with a Southeastern Conference (SEC) record of 2–5. It was Tinsley's final season as head coach at LSU.


1954 La Flèche Wallonne
The 1954 La Flèche Wallonne was the 18th edition of La Flèche Wallonne cycle race and was held on 8 May 1954. The race started in Charleroi and finished in Liège. The race was won by Germain Derycke.


1954 Labour Party Shadow Cabinet election
Elections to the Labour Party's Shadow Cabinet (more formally, its "Parliamentary Committee") occurred in 1954. In addition to the 12 members elected, the Leader (Clement Attlee), Deputy Leader (Herbert Morrison), Labour Chief Whip (William Whiteley), Labour Leader in the House of Lords (William Jowitt) were automatically members.


1954 Lady Wigram Trophy
The 1954 Lady Wigram Trophy was a motor race held at the Wigram Airfield Circuit on 6 February 1954. It was the third Lady Wigram Trophy to be held and was won by Peter Whitehead in the Ferrari 125, thereby becoming the first international driver to win the Lady Wigram Trophy.


1954 Lafayette Leopards baseball team
The 1954 Lafayette Leopards baseball team represented Lafayette College in the 1954 NCAA baseball season. The Leopards played their home games at Fisher Field. The team was coached by Charlie Gelbert in his 9th year at Lafayette.


1954 Lafayette Leopards baseball team
The Leopards won the District II Playoff to advanced to the College World Series, where they were defeated by the Oklahoma A&M Cowboys.


1954 Lafayette Leopards football team
The 1954 Lafayette Leopards football team was an American football team that represented Lafayette College during the 1954 college football season. Lafayette tied for the Middle Three Conference championship.


1954 Lafayette Leopards football team
In their third year under head coach Steve Hokuf, the Leopards compiled a 4–5 record. In the Middle Three Conference, all three teams finished with 1–1 records, resulting in a three-way tie. Russell Hedden was the team captain.


1954 Lafayette Leopards football team
Lafayette played its home games at Fisher Field on College Hill in Easton, Pennsylvania.


1954 Latvian SSR Higher League, Overview
It was contested by 10 teams, and Sarkanais Metalurgs won the championship.


1954 Leeds City Council election
The Leeds municipal elections were held on Thursday 14 May 1954, with one third of the council up for election.


1954 Leeds City Council election
Despite a further swing away from Labour to the Conservatives of 3.7%, leaving both parties neck and neck in votes, Labour continued on to their third and final gains unabated in the wards of Armley, Blenheim, Bramley, Cross Gates, Stanningley, Westfield, and Woodhouse, comfortably winning the majority of seats. The swing however helped the Conservatives to hold on to Wortley, unlike previous years. As such Labour doubled its majority on the council as part of a victorious night on the whole for them. Turnout for the election sunk below the 40% mark for the first time in the post-war period, to 39.2%.


1954 Leeds City Council election, Election result
The result had the following consequences for the total number of seats on the council after the elections:


1954 Lehigh Engineers football team
The 1954 Lehigh Engineers football team was an American football team that represented Lehigh University during the 1954 college football season. Lehigh tied for the Middle Three Conference championship.


1954 Lehigh Engineers football team
In their ninth year under head coach William Leckonby, the Engineers compiled a 2–5–2 record. In the Middle Three Conference, all three teams finished with 1–1 records. Harry Stotz was the team captain.


1954 Lehigh Engineers football team
Lehigh played its home games at Taylor Stadium on the university's main campus in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.


1954 Leichhardt state by-election
A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Leichhardt on 9 July 1954 because of the death of Claude Matthews (Labor) who committed suicide while still in office. He had been receiving treatment for a "nervous condition" for 18 months.


1954 Liechtenstein fishing licences referendum
A referendum on fishing licences was held in Liechtenstein on 3 October 1954. Voters had the choice between the main proposal, a counter-proposal from the Landtag, or against. The main proposal was approved by 61.1% of voters.


1954 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
The 1954 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship was the 60th staging of the Limerick Senior Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Limerick County Board in 1887.


1954 Limerick Senior Hurling Championship
Cappamore won the championship after a 2-11 to 3-05 defeat of Western Gaels in the final. It was their second championship title overall and their first title in fifty years.


1954 Little League World Series
The 1954 Little League World Series was held from August 24 to August 27 in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The Schenectady Little League of Schenectady, New York, defeated the Colton Little League of Colton, California, in the championship game of the eighth Little League World Series.


1954 Liverpool City Council election
Elections to Liverpool City Council were held on 13 May 1954. After the election, the composition of the council was:


1954 Liverpool City Council election, Ward results
The Councillors seeking re-election at this election were elected in the all up election in 1953 (following boundary changes) with the third highest number of votes in each ward for a one year term, therefore comparisons are made with the 1953 election results.


1954 Liverpool West Derby by-election
The 1954 Liverpool West Derby by-election was held on 18 November 1954 after the incumbent Conservative MP, David Maxwell Fyfe was elevated to a hereditary peerage. The seat was retained by the Conservative candidate John Woollam.


1954 Liège–Bastogne–Liège
The 1954 Liège–Bastogne–Liège was the 40th edition of the Liège–Bastogne–Liège cycle race and was held on 9 May 1954. The race started and finished in Liège. The race was won by Marcel Ernzer.


1954 Los Angeles Rams season
The 1954 Los Angeles Rams season was the team's 17th year with the National Football League and the ninth season in Los Angeles.


1954 Los Angeles Rams season, Schedule, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1954 Los Angeles State Diablos football team
The 1954 Los Angeles State Diablos football team represented Los Angeles State during the 1954 college football season.


1954 Los Angeles State Diablos football team
Los Angeles State competed in the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA). The team was led by fourth-year head coach Leonard (Bud) Adams, who had been the leader of the team since the school started playing intercollegiate football in 1951. The Diablos played home games at Snyder Stadium. They finished the season with a record of two wins, six losses and one tie (2–6–1, 0–4 CCAA).


1954 Los Angeles State Diablos football team, Team players in the NFL
No Los Angeles State players were selected in the 1955 NFL Draft.


1954 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team
The 1954 Louisiana Tech Bulldogs football team was an American football team that represented the Louisiana Polytechnic Institute (now known as Louisiana Tech University) as a member of the Gulf States Conference during the 1954 college football season. In their fourteenth year under head coach Joe Aillet, the team compiled a 6–3 record.


1954 Louisville Cardinals football team
The 1954 Louisville Cardinals football team was an American football team that represented the University of Louisville as an independent during the 1954 college football season. In their ninth season under head coach Frank Camp, the Cardinals compiled a 3–6 record. Johnny Unitas was the team captain.


1954 Luxembourg general election
General elections were held in Luxembourg on 30 May 1954. The Christian Social People's Party won 26 of the 52 seats in the Chamber of Deputies.


1954 Maine Black Bears football team
The 1954 Maine Black Bears football team was an American football team that represented the University of Maine as a member of the Yankee Conference during the 1954 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Harold Westerman, the team compiled a 5–2 record (2–2 against conference opponents) and finished third out of the six teams in the Yankee Conference championship. The team played its home games at Alumni Field in Orono, Maine. Thomas Golden and Ernest Short were the team captains.


1954 Maine gubernatorial election
The 1954 Maine gubernatorial election took place on September 13, 1954. Incumbent Republican Governor Burton M. Cross was seeking a second term which would have made him the fifth consecutive Governor (all Republicans) to be elected twice. Democratic state representative Edmund Muskie, widely viewed as the underdog due to Maine's solidly Republican history, was able to pull an upset victory and become the first Democrat to be elected to the Blaine House since Louis J. Brann in 1934, and only the fourth Democrat in the 20th century.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 21st playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 13, 1954, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, the home of the Cleveland Indians of the American League.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
The American League rallied in the bottom of the eighth inning, to defeat the National League in an 11–9 slugfest at Cleveland Stadium. Both teams combined for an All-Star Game record 20 runs, on 31 hits, which included six home runs. Al Rosen led the American League offense, going 3-for-4 with two home runs and five runs batted in.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
Starters Whitey Ford (AL) and Robin Roberts (NL) matched zeroes until the third inning, when the American League hitters stacked themselves to an early 4–0 lead in the bottom of the inning. Minnie Miñoso opened the frame with a single and Nellie Fox walked, while Roberts struck out Mickey Mantle and retired Yogi Berra on a grounder, but could not overcome a three-run homer by Rosen to make it a 3–0 game. Ray Boone followed with a homer before Roberts retired Hank Bauer.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
Opening the fourth inning, the National League rallied for five runs to take a 5–4 lead. Sandy Consuegra retired the first batter he faced, but Duke Snider, Ted Kluszewski and Ray Jablonski hit consecutive singles and Jackie Robinson a double, tying the game at four. Bob Lemon relieved Consuegra, but gave up a two-out, RBI-double by the pinch-hitter Don Mueller before retiring Granny Hamner for the third out.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
Meanwhile,  Chico Carrasquel kept the American League attack alive with a lead-off single in the bottom of the fourth against Johnny Antonelli. Carrasquel moved to third on a one-out single by Miñoso and scored on a sacrifice fly by Beto Ávila, tying the score at five.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
The National League picked up two more two-out runs off Bob Porterfield in the fifth to pull back in front, 7–5, after a single by Snider and a two-run homer by Kluszewski. In the bottom of the inning, Berra hit a single off Antonelli and Rosen belted his second home run of the game to tie the score at seven.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
The American League regained the lead in the sixth, 8–7, with an RBI-single by Avila off Warren Spahn that brought home Williams.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
In the eighth inning, the National League bats stayed hot against Bob Keegan. Willie Mays singled and Gus Bell unloaded it with a pinch-hit, two-run homer to put again away the game, 9–8. Dean Stone came in relief  with two outs and Red Schoendienst running on third. Schoendienst attempted to steal home and was thrown out by Stone.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
This third out set the stage for Larry Doby, who pinch hit for Stone with one out in the bottom of the inning and tied the game with a home run against Gene Conley, becoming the first black player to hit a home run in an All-Star Game. After that, Mantle and Berra singled and Rosen walked to load the bases. Carl Erskine replaced Conley and retired Mickey Vernon for the second out, but gave up a two-RBI single to Fox that sealed the 11–9 victory for the American League.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
The American League (7) and the National League (6) used 13 pitchers in the game. Stone took the win (without retiring a batter) and Conley was tagged with the loss while Virgil Trucks earned the save. Trucks walked Snider to open the ninth inning, but retired Stan Musial, Gil Hodges and Randy Jackson for the last three outs of the game.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Summary
The win broke a four-game All-Star losing streak for the American League. After this game, the AL led the all-time All-Star Series 13–8.


1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Rosters
Players in italics have since been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.


1954 Major League Baseball season
The 1954 Major League Baseball season was contested from April 13 to October 2, 1954. For the second consecutive season, an MLB franchise relocated, as the St. Louis Browns moved to Baltimore and became the Baltimore Orioles, who played their home games at Memorial Stadium.


1954 Malayan local elections
Local elections were held in the Federation of Malaya in 1954.


1954 Malayan state elections
State council elections were held in Malaya from 10 to 29 October 1954 in Trengganu and Johore.


1954 Marquette Warriors football team
The 1954 Marquette Warriors football team was an American football team that represented Marquette University as an independent during the 1954 college football season. In its first season under head coach Frosty Ferzacca, the team compiled a 3–5–1 record and was outscored by a total of 216 to 136. The team played its home games at Marquette Stadium, sometimes referred to as Hilltop Stadium, in Milwaukee.


1954 Marshall Thundering Herd football team
The 1954 Marshall Thundering Herd football team was an American football team that represented Marshall University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1954 college football season. In its second season under head coach Herb Royer, the team compiled a 4–5 record (2–5 against conference opponents) and was outscored by a total of 214 to 203. Henry Hinte and Albie Maier were the team captains. The team played its home games at Fairfield Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia.


1954 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 1954 Maryland Terrapins football team represented the University of Maryland in the 1954 college football season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Maryland, with its rout against Missouri, 74–13, set an ACC record-high for scoring that stood for 27 years.


1954 Maryland gubernatorial election
The 1954 Maryland gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican Theodore McKeldin defeated Democratic nominee Curley Byrd with 54.46% of the vote.


1954 Massachusetts elections
A Massachusetts general election was held on November 2, 1954 in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.


1954 Massachusetts elections
Democratic and Republican candidates were selected in party primaries held on September 14, 1954.


1954 Massachusetts elections, Statewide elections, Senator
Republican Leverett Saltonstall was re-elected over Democrat Foster Furcolo, Socialist Labor candidate Thelma Ingersoll, and Prohibition candidate Harold J. Ireland.


1954 Massachusetts elections, Statewide elections, Governor
Republican Christian A. Herter was re-elected over Democrat Robert F. Murphy, Socialist Labor candidate Lawrence Gilfedder, and Prohibition candidate Guy S. Williams.


1954 Massachusetts elections, Statewide elections, Lieutenant Governor
Republican Sumner G. Whittier was re-elected Lieutenant Governor over Democrat James A. Burke, Socialist Labor candidate Francis A. Votano, and Prohibition candidate Donald E. Babcock.


1954 Massachusetts elections, Statewide elections, Attorney General
Republican Attorney General George Fingold was re-elected over Democratic State Senator John F. Collins, Socialist Workers candidate Malcolm T. Rowe, and Prohibition candidate Howard B. Rand in the general election.


1954 Massachusetts elections, Statewide elections, Secretary of the Commonwealth
Incumbent Secretary of the Commonwealth Edward J. Cronin defeated Republican state representative Michael J. McCarthy, Socialist Labor candidate Fred M. Ingersoll, and Prohibition candidate William D. Ross in the general election.


1954 Massachusetts elections, Statewide elections, Treasurer and Receiver-General
Incumbent Treasurer and Receiver-General Foster Furcolo ran for a U.S. Senate seat instead of seeking re-election. John Francis Kennedy defeated Norwood Selectman Clement A. Riley and State Representative and Boston School Committee Chair William F. Carr in the Democratic primary and Republican Augustus Gardner Means, Socialist Labor candidate Henning A. Blomen, and Prohibition candidate Isaac Goddard in the general election.


1954 Massachusetts elections, Statewide elections, Auditor
Incumbent Auditor Thomas J. Buckley defeated Republican state representative William P. Constantino, Socialist Labor candidate Anthony Martin, and Prohibition candidate John B. Lauder in the general election.


1954 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
The 1954 Massachusetts gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954. Republican governor Christian Herter was re-elected, defeating Democrat Robert F. Murphy, Socialist Labor candidate Lawrence Gilfedder, and Prohibition candidate Guy S. Williams.


1954 Massachusetts gubernatorial election
In the race for lieutenant governor, Republican Sumner G. Whittier defeated  Democrat James A. Burke, Prohibition candidate Donald E. Babcock, and Socialist Labor candidate Francis A. Votano.


1954 Massachusetts gubernatorial election, Primaries
State Representative Robert F. Murphy defeated former Lieutenant Governor and Attorney General Francis E. Kelly for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Christian Herter ran unopposed for the Republican nomination


1954 Masters Tournament
The 1954 Masters Tournament was the 18th Masters Tournament, held April 8–12 at Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia. Sam Snead defeated defending champion Ben Hogan by one stroke in an 18-hole Monday playoff to win his third Masters tournament. It was Snead's seventh and final major victory.


1954 Masters Tournament
Both Snead and Hogan were age 41, and they had won the previous three Masters; Snead in 1952 and Hogan in 1951 and 1953. Hogan was also the reigning champion of the U.S. Open and British Open; he did not win another major, but often contended until his final appearances in 1967 at the Masters and U.S. Open.


1954 Masters Tournament
Snead's 289 (+1), along with Jack Burke Jr. in 1956 and Zach Johnson in 2007, remains the highest winning total in Masters history. Amateur Billy Joe Patton, 31, led after the first and second rounds and during the fourth, but a seven at the 13th hole and a six at the 15th ended his title hopes, and he finished one stroke back.


1954 Masters Tournament
Snead remained the oldest winner of the Masters for nearly a quarter century, until Gary Player won his third green jacket at age 42 in 1978.


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Jimmy Demaret (10), Claude Harmon (12), Ben Hogan (2,4,6,9,10), Byron Nelson (2,6), Gene Sarazen (2,4,6), Horton Smith, Sam Snead (4,6,7,9,10), Craig Wood (2)


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Julius Boros (9,10), Lawson Little (3,5), Lloyd Mangrum (7,9,10), Fred McLeod, Cary Middlecoff (7), Sam Parks Jr., Lew Worsham


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Dick Chapman (5,8,a), Charles Coe (8,9,a), Gene Littler (8,11), Billy Maxwell, Skee Riegel, Jess Sweetser (5,a)


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Frank Stranahan (9,10,a), Robert Sweeny Jr. (a), Harvie Ward (8,9,a)


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Walter Burkemo (7,12), Jim Ferrier (9), Vic Ghezzi, Chandler Harper (9), Johnny Revolta, Jim Turnesa (7,10)


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Jack Burke Jr. (9,10), Dave Douglas (12), Fred Haas (10), Ted Kroll (9,10), Ed Oliver (9)


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Arnold Blum (a), William C. Campbell (a), Don Cherry (a), Jimmy Jackson (a), Jim McHale Jr. (a), Billy Joe Patton (a), Ken Venturi (a)


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Jerry Barber, Al Besselink, Tommy Bolt, Doug Ford (10), Leland Gibson, Chick Harbert, Fred Hawkins, Dick Mayer, Al Mengert (10), Dick Metz (10), Johnny Palmer, Earl Stewart


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Pete Cooper, Gardner Dickinson,  Clarence Doser, George Fazio, Marty Furgol, Dutch Harrison, Jay Hebert, Bill Nary (12), Bill Ogden, Bob Rosburg, Frank Souchak (a)


1954 Masters Tournament, Field
Don Albert (a), Bruce Cudd (a), Bobby Kuntz (a), Dale Morey (a), Ray Palmer (a), Angelo Santilli (a)


1954 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
The 1954 Meath Intermediate Football Championship is the 28th edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for intermediate graded teams in County Meath, Ireland. The tournament consists of 8 teams. The championship applied a league format.


1954 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
At the end of the season Dunderry and Kilcloon applied to be regraded to the 1955 J.F.C.


1954 Meath Intermediate Football Championship
Ballinlough claimed their 1st Intermediate championship title after finishing top of the table. Their triumph was sealed by the defeat of Slane 4-11 to 1-9 at Pairc Tailteann on 29 August 1954.


1954 Meath Intermediate Football Championship, Team changes
The following teams have changed division since the 1953 championship season.


1954 Meath Intermediate Football Championship, Team changes, To I.F.C.
Strangely, neither of the 1953 J.F.C. Semi-Finalists Shale Rovers (North Meath District Champions) nor Curraha (Tara District Champions) were promoted.


1954 Meath Intermediate Football Championship, League Table & Fixtures/Results
The club with the best record were declared I.F.C. champions. Many results were unavailable in the Meath Chronicle.


1954 Meath Senior Football Championship
The 1954 Meath Senior Football Championship is the 62nd edition of the Meath GAA's premier club Gaelic football tournament for senior graded teams in County Meath, Ireland. The tournament consists of 13 teams. The championship employs a group stage followed by a final between the group winners.


1954 Meath Senior Football Championship
This season saw St. Vincent's debut in the top flight after claiming the 1953 Meath Intermediate Football Championship title. Summerhill also made their return to the grade after claiming the 1953 J.F.C. title.


1954 Meath Senior Football Championship
Navan O'Mahonys were the defending champions after they defeated Trim in the previous years final to claim the first Keegan Cup, however they lost their crown by failing to progress past the group stages.


1954 Meath Senior Football Championship
Skryne claimed their 7th S.F.C. title (and first Keegan Cup) by defeating Kells Harps in the final at Pairc Tailteann by 1-5 to 0-4 on 17 October 1954. Tom O'Brien raised the Keegan Cup for the Tara men.


1954 Meath Senior Football Championship
At the end of the season Dunshaughlin, Oldcastle and St. Patrick's were regraded to the 1955 I.F.C.


1954 Meath Senior Football Championship, Team Changes
The following teams have changed division since the 1953 championship season.


1954 Meistaradeildin
1954 Meistaradeildin was the twelfth season of Meistaradeildin, the top tier of the Faroese football league system. The championship was contested in a league format, with four teams playing against each other twice. KÍ Klaksvík won its fourth league title in the season.


1954 Meistaradeildin, Teams
Since there was no second-tier league, all the teams that participated in the 1953 Meistaradeildin could participate in the league. Two teams from Tórshavn, HB and B36, KI from Klaksvík and TB from Tvøroyri contested in the league.


1954 Memorial Cup
The 1954 Memorial Cup final was the 36th junior ice hockey championship of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. The George Richardson Memorial Trophy champions St. Catharines Teepees of the Ontario Hockey Association in Eastern Canada competed against the Abbott Cup champions Edmonton Oil Kings of the Western Canada Junior Hockey League in Western Canada. In a best-of-seven series, held at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, St. Catharines won their 1st Memorial Cup, defeating Edmonton 4 games to 0 with 1 tie.


1954 Memorial Cup, Winning roster
Jack Armstrong, Hugh Barlow, Hank Ciesla, Barry Cullen, Brian Cullen, Nelson Bulloch, Ian Cushanen, Marv Edwards, Jack Higgins, Cecil Hoekstra, Pete Koval, Bob Maxwell, Don McLean, Wimpy Roberts, Reg Truax, Elmer Vasko, Chester Warchol. Coach: Rudy Pilous


1954 Memphis State Tigers football team
The 1954 Memphis State Tigers football team was an American football team that represented Memphis State College (now known as the University of Memphis) as an independent during the 1954 college football season. In their eighth season under head coach Ralph Hatley, Memphis State compiled a 3–4–3 record.


1954 Men's British Open Squash Championship
The 1954 Open Championship was held at the Lansdowne Club in London from 24 March - 29 March. Hashim Khan won his fourth consecutive title defeating his younger brother Azam Khan in the final.


1954 Mestaruussarja
The 1954 season was the twenty-fourth completed season of Finnish Football League Championship, known as the Mestaruussarja.


1954 Mestaruussarja, Overview
The Mestaruussarja was administered by the Finnish Football Association and the competition's 1954 season was contested by 10 teams. Pyrkivä Turku won the championship and the two lowest placed teams of the competition, Jäntevä Kotka and KPT Kuopio, were relegated to the Suomensarja.


1954 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 1954 Miami Hurricanes football team represented the University of Miami as an independent during the 1954 college football season. Led by seventh-year head coach Andy Gustafson, the Hurricanes played their home games at Burdine Stadium in Miami, Florida. Miami finished the season 8–1.


1954 Miami Redskins football team
The 1954 Miami Redskins football team was an American football team that represented Miami University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1954 college football season. In its fourth season under head coach Ara Parseghian, Miami compiled an 8–1 record (4–0 against MAC opponents), won the MAC championship, held five of nine opponents to seven points or less, shut out three opponents, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 294 to 82.


1954 Miami Redskins football team
Bob Bronston was the team captain. The team's statistical leaders included Bob Wallace with 411 rushing yards, Dick Hunter with 529 passing yards, and Bill Mallory with 197 receiving yards.