1955 Wilkes 160, Summary
One hundred and sixty laps were competed on a dirt oval track spanning .625 miles (1.006 km). There were three cautions delivered down by NASCAR officials and the race lasted exactly one hour, twenty-one minutes, and sixteen seconds. Buck Baker defeated Lee Petty by a time of three seconds. Ford would make its first Grand National Series win at this speedway; making it a viable competitor against Dodge, Chevrolet and Chrysler. The average speed was 72.347 miles per hour (116.431 km/h) while the pole position speed was 79.815 miles per hour (128.450 km/h). Ten thousand people attended this autumn race. This race would produce Joe Weatherly's first finish in the top five. Most of the drivers in this racing event were driver-owners who owned their own racing vehicle and drove their vehicle directly to the races instead of towing it from hundreds of miles away.


1955 Wilkes 160, Summary
All the drivers in this event were racing for a prize purse that totalled $4,285 ($41,396.83 when adjusted for inflation). Only 20 of the 28 competing drivers would gain financially from this race; with individual earnings that ranged from $1,110 ($10,723.57 when adjusted for inflation) to a paltry $50 for the NASCAR drivers who finished in 13th place through 20th place ($483.04 when adjusted for inflation). No financial compensation was given to the participants who finished in the bottom 9 due to NASCAR's limited budget for prize winnings in an era prior to "big money" sponsors like Sprint Nextel and the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company.


1955 Wilkes 160, Summary
Carl Kiekhaefer was one of the notable crew chiefs on attendance for this race; he helped to service Tim Flock's racing vehicle.


1955 Wilkes 160, Summary, Results
† signifies that the driver is known to be deceased


1955 Wilkes County 160
The 1955 Wilkes County 160 was a NASCAR Grand National Series event that was held on April 3, 1955, at North Wilkesboro Speedway in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Background
North Wilkesboro carried a reputation as one of the fastest short-tracks in auto racing in the late 1940s and 1950s. In 1950, speeds reached 73 mph at the track, compared to the next fastest short-track, Charlotte Speedway, where top speeds only reached 66 mph. Most of the fans in the early years of the sport saw the track as notorious for being a great venue to watch races between the legendary racers of the time. Racing at North Wilkesboro was intense and physical.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Background
The 1950 Wilkes 200 was the second Grand National Series race held at North Wilkesboro Speedway. Twenty-six cars entered the race. Twenty-one-year-old Fireball Roberts qualified with a lap speed of 73.266 mph on the dirt track for his first ever Grand National pole, but engine problems dropped him out of the running. Fonty Flock started in the third position and led the most laps in the race with 104, but engine troubles also ended his day. Ultimately, Leon Sales led eight of the 200 laps to become the victor,  the fourth NASCAR driver to win an event in his debut race. Jack Smith finished second after leading 55 laps in the race.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Background
After hosting only one NASCAR event in 1949 and one in 1950, the track began running two Grand National Series events per year in 1951 (with the exception of 1956, when only one race was held; the track was being prepared for pavement). One race was held in the spring, normally in late March or early April, and another was held in the fall, normally in late September or early October. In 1957, owner Enoch Stanley had the 5/8-mile track paved.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Background
The Wilkes 200 in 1952 turned into a battle between brothers. Two sets of brothers competed in the race, and they took the top four spots at the finish. The Flock Brothers (Fonty Flock and Tim Flock) were strong, but the Thomas brothers (Herb Thomas and Donald Thomas) had the better outcome. Herb Thomas, driving his 1952 "Fabulous" Hudson Hornet, won the pole, led 192 of the 200 laps, and grabbed the victory. Fonty Flock led the first eight laps and finished the race second. Donald Thomas, also in a 1952 "Fabulous" Hudson Hornet, finished third, and Tim Flock finished fourth. Eleven of the 27 cars entered in the race finished. Six of the top nine positions were driving Hudson Hornets.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Background
Herb Thomas started on the pole for the 1953 Wilkes 200 with his record-setting qualifying speed of 78.424 mph on the dirt surface. Outside pole sitter Tim Flock led the first 100 laps before experiencing engine problems. Curtis Turner took the lead on Lap 101 and continued the lead until his car also succumbed to engine troubles nine laps later. Thomas in his Number 92 Hudson Hornet only lead 18 laps in the race but ended the race by taking his third consecutive win at North Wilkesboro. Starting from the third spot, Dick Rathmann led 70 laps and finished behind Herb Thomas. Fonty Flock managed to work his way up from the fourth starting position to the front and led three laps before dropping back and finishing third.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Background
Pole sitter Buck Baker ran 78.288 mph to gap the pole for the 1953 Wilkes 160. Baker ran strong and led the most laps in the race with 80 out front before falling back into sixth position at the finish. Speedy Thompson led 25 laps, and Fonty Flock led 37. Curtis Turner led a total of 18 laps. At the end of the race, Thompson finished two laps ahead of second-place Flock. Thompson's win ended Herb Thomas and his Hudson Hornet's three-race winning streak at North Wilkesboro.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Background
At the 1954 Wilkes County 160, Gober Sosebee won the pole with a lap speed of 78.698 mph. Sosebee led a race-high 112 laps but finished in 12th position, eight laps down. The only other leader was Dick Rathmann, who led 48 laps. Rathmann blew a tire while leading, with three laps to go, and still managed to finish and win the race. Herb Thomas finished some 20 seconds behind in second place.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Background
In the 1954 Wilkes 160, Hershel McGriff won the pole with a qualifying speed of 77.612 mph. He and Dick Rathman were the only leaders of the race; McGriff led 74 laps, and Rathman led 83. The race was called three laps early because of a serious crash involving Lou Figaro; his car flipped, and the roof caved in. Figaro was transported to a hospital in Winston-Salem, but he died the following day from a skull fracture and brain damage suffered in the crash. McGriff was declared the winner. It was his final victory and his last Grand National race for 17 years.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Race report
One hundred and sixty laps were done on a dirt track spanning .625 miles (1.006 km). The total duration of the race was one hour, twenty-two minutes, and three seconds with no cautions. Buck Baker defeated Dick Rathmann by three feet; the final ten laps was a neck-to-neck battle between Baker and Rathmann. Ten thousand people came out to see this race.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Race report
The pole speed that was accomplished by Dink Widenhouse was 77.720 miles per hour (125.078 km/h) while the average speed was 73.126 miles per hour (117.685 km/h). Other notable drivers who participated included Lee Petty, Herb Thomas, Dink Widenhouse, Fonty Flock, and Junior Johnson. All twenty-two drivers who qualified were American-born. Twelve drivers failed to finish the race due to axle, spindle, coil, wheel, frame, vapor lock, tire, gasket, and bearing problems.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Race report
The total winnings of the race was $3,800 USD ($36,268 when considering inflation). Race car drivers still had to commute to the races using the same stock cars that competed in a typical weekend's race through a policy of homologation (and under their own power). This policy was in effect until roughly 1975. By 1980, NASCAR had completely stopped tracking the year model of all the vehicles and most teams did not take stock cars to the track under their own power anymore.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Race report
Carl Kiekhaefer was the only notable crew chief to appear at this race; he was also the owner of the #300 Chrysler vehicle driven by Tim Flock.


1955 Wilkes County 160, Race report, Finishing order
* denotes that the driver failed to finish the race † signifies that the driver is known to be deceased


1955 William & Mary Indians football team
The 1955 William & Mary Indians football team represented William & Mary during the 1955 college football season.


1955 Wimbledon Championships
The 1955 Wimbledon Championships took place on the outdoor grass courts at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom. The tournament was held from Monday 20 June until Saturday 2 July 1955. It was the 69th staging of the Wimbledon Championships, and the third Grand Slam tennis event of 1955. Tony Trabert and Louise Brough won the singles titles.


1955 Wimbledon Championships, Champions, Seniors, Men's Doubles
Rex Hartwig /  Lew Hoad defeated  Neale Fraser /  Ken Rosewall, 7–5, 6–4, 6–3


1955 Wimbledon Championships, Champions, Seniors, Women's Doubles
Angela Mortimer /  Anne Shilcock defeated  Shirley Bloomer /  Patricia Ward, 7–5, 6–1


1955 Wimbledon Championships, Champions, Seniors, Mixed Doubles
Vic Seixas /  Doris Hart defeated  Enrique Morea /  Louise Brough, 8–6, 2–6, 6–3


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Boys' Singles
Mike Hann defeated Jan-Erik Lundqvist in the final, 6–0, 11–9 to win the Boys' Singles tennis title at the 1955 Wimbledon Championships.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Girls' Singles
Sheila Armstrong defeated Béatrice de Chambure in the final, 6–2, 6–4 to win the Girls' Singles tennis title at the 1955 Wimbledon Championships.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Doubles
Rex Hartwig and Mervyn Rose were the defending champions, but decided not to play together. Rose partnered with George Worthington but lost in the semifinals to Hartwig and his partner Lew Hoad.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Doubles
Hartwig and Hoad defeated Neale Fraser and Ken Rosewall in the final, 7–5, 6–4, 6–3 to win the Gentlemen' Doubles tennis title at the 1955 Wimbledon Championship.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Doubles, Seeds
Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles
In the 1955 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles event, Tony Trabert defeated Kurt Nielsen in the final, 6–3, 7–5, 6–1 to win the Gentlemen's Singles tennis title. Jaroslav Drobný was the defending champion but lost in the quarterfinals to Tony Trabert.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles
It was the second of two Men's Singles competitions at Wimbledon in which an unseeded Nielsen had progressed to the final, and he remains the only unseeded player to achieve this twice.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Men's Singles, Seeds
Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Mixed Doubles
Vic Seixas and Doris Hart successfully defended their title, defeating Enrique Morea and Louise Brough in the final, 8–6, 2–6, 6–3 to win the Mixed Doubles tennis title at the 1955 Wimbledon Championships.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Mixed Doubles, Seeds
Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Doubles
Louise Brough and Margaret duPont were the defending champions but did not compete.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Doubles
Angela Mortimer and Anne Shilcock defeated Shirley Bloomer and Pat Ward in the final, 7–5, 6–1 to win the Ladies' Doubles tennis title at the 1955 Wimbledon Championships. To date it remains the last all-British women's doubles final.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Doubles, Seeds
Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles
Louise Brough defeated Beverly Fleitz in the final, 7–5, 8–6 to win the Ladies' Singles tennis title at the 1955 Wimbledon Championships. Maureen Connolly was the defending champion, but withdrew after breaking her leg.


1955 Wimbledon Championships – Women's Singles, Seeds
Click on the seed number of a player to go to their draw section.


1955 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 1955 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 1955 Big Ten Conference football season.


1955 Wisła Kraków season
The 1955 season was Wisła Kraków's 47th year as a club. Wisła was under the name of Gwardia Kraków until 10 September 1955.


1955 Women's British Open Squash Championship
The 1955 Ladies Open Championships was held at the Lansdowne Club in London from 7–12 December 1954. Janet Morgan won her sixth consecutive title defeating Ruth Turner in the final. The competition was held during December 1954 but formed part of the 1954/1955 season.


1955 Women's British Open Squash Championship, Seeds
M E Gowthorpe  Ruth Turner  Rachel Byrne  Rosemary Walsh  V Lowe  Audrey Bates  Marjorie Townsend


1955 Women's European Volleyball Championship
The 1955 Women's European Volleyball Championship was the fourth edition of the event, organised by Europe's governing volleyball body, the Confédération Européenne de Volleyball. It was hosted in Bucharest, Romania from 15 to 24 June 1955.


1955 Women's European Volleyball Championship, Format
The tournament was played in a single round-robin format, with all teams placed in a single group.


1955 Women's Western Open
The 1955 Women's Western Open was contested from June 23–26 at Maple Bluff Country Club. It was the 26th edition of the Women's Western Open and the first played at stroke play.


1955 World Archery Championships
The 1955 World Archery Championships was the 17th edition of the World Archery Championships. The event was held in Helsinki, Finland in July 1955 and was organised by World Archery Federation (FITA).


1955 World Fencing Championships
The 1955 World Fencing Championships were held in Rome, Italy.


1955 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.


1955 World Figure Skating Championships
The 1955 competitions for men, ladies, pair skating, and ice dancing took place from February 15th to 18th in Vienna, Austria.


1955 World Modern Pentathlon Championships
The 1955 World Modern Pentathlon Championships were held in Macolin, Switzerland.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship
The 1955 World Professional Match-play Championship was a professional snooker tournament, the fourth edition of the World Professional Match-play Championship, held 4 November 1954 to 19 March 1955. The event was held at several venues across the United Kingdom, with the final at the Tower Circus in Blackpool from 14 to 19 March 1955. The entries did not include Walter Donaldson who reached the 1954 final, but chose not to participate at the event.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship
The defending champion Fred Davis won his seventh World title by taking a winning 37–34 lead over John Pulman in the 73-frame final. The match ended with the score at 38–35 after the dead frames were played out. It was Pulman's first appearance in the final, and he made the highest break of the tournament with two breaks of 103 in the final.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Overview
The World Professional Match-play Championship was created in 1952 as an alternative to the Billiards Association and Control Council (BA&CC) professional World Snooker Championship, which was retrospectively recognised as a world championship. However, founder and 15-time champion Joe Davis of the BA&CC's events did not participate in the Match-play Championships. The defending champion of the event was Davis' brother Fred Davis, who had won the World Snooker Championship as the BA&CC authorised event, and the match-play championship on all three previous occasions. Fred Davis won the 1954 championship defeating Walter Donaldson 45–26 in the final.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Overview, Format
The 1955 World Professional Match-play Championship was held over several months between 4 November 1954 to 19 March 1955. The final was held at Tower Circus in Blackpool from 14 to 19 March 1955. The event had seven participants as the 1954 runner-up Walter Donaldson did not enter, with a player being given a bye to the semi-finals. The defending champion Fred Davis was given a bye. The rounds were played at different locations in the United Kingdom over different match lengths. Matches were played as the best-of-61 frames in the quarter and semi-finals, except for two quarter-final matches played at Leicester Square Hall which were played over 37 frames, and a best-of-73 frames final.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Summary
The quarter-final match between Alec Brown and John Barrie doubled as a contest in the 1954/1955 News of the World Snooker Tournament. Despite the News of the World tournament featuring a handicap system, both players were drawn with a level handicap. Brown took an early 7–5 lead, and later won the match 21–16.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Summary
John Pulman and Rex Williams met in the second quarter-final match at Leicester Square Hall, London. The venue was being used for the 1954/1955 News of the World Snooker Tournament and the match was reduced to 37 frames with just one session on each day. The match was level at 12–12, however, Pulman won five of the next six to lead 17–13. On the final day, Pulman won five of the seven frames to win 22–15.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Summary
Jackie Rea led Harry Stokes 7–3 after the first day of their quarter-final match in Edinburgh, Scotland. Stokes made a Scottish record break of 82 in the last frame of the day. Rea extended his lead to 14–6 on the second day, scoring a break of 102 in frame 15, whilst Stokes made a break of 90, improving on the previous day. Stokes won seven frames on day three before Rea then pulled ahead and won the match 31–19, taking the last frame on the fifth day. Rea eventually won 37–24 after the remaining frames were played.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Summary
Defending champion Fred Davis and Jackie Rea met in the first semi-final at the RAOB Hall, Church Street in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Davis took a 9–3 lead on the first day, however, Rea shortened the gap to four frames as Davis only led 26–22 after four days. Davis led 30–24 after the final penultimate session and took a winning lead of 31–24 by taking the first frame in the final session. The match ended 36–25 after the dead frames were played out.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Summary
John Pulman met Alec Brown in the second semi-final, played in Jersey in the Channel Islands. They played just one session on the first day, the score being tied at 3–3. There was also just one session on the fourth day, Pulman having taken a 23–13 lead. Pulman won the match 31–17 at the end of day 5, before winning 37–24 after the 13 dead frames that were played on the final day.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Summary
The final was a best-of-73 frame match and held at the Tower Circus in Blackpool. Fred Davis took a 10–2 lead after the first day, but John Pulman had slightly the better of the second day and Davis only led 15–9. Davis led 20–16 after day three, 27–21 after day four and 33–27 after day five. Davis won the title with the score at 37–34, with the final score being 38–35 after the remaining frames were played. Pulman made three century breaks in the final, 103 on day 2, another 103 on day 4 and 101 in the last frame. The 103 was the highest break of the event. Part of the final was televised in the UK in a 30-minute programme on 18 March 1955.


1955 World Professional Match-play Championship, Main draw
The tournament featured seven players, those in bold denote match winners.


1955 World Series
The 1955 World Series matched the Brooklyn Dodgers against the New York Yankees, with the Dodgers winning the Series in seven games to capture their first championship in franchise history. It would be the only Series the Dodgers won while based in Brooklyn, as the team relocated to Los Angeles after the 1957 season. This was the fifth time in nine years that the Yankees and the Dodgers met in the World Series, with the Yankees having won in 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953; the Yankees would also win in the 1956 rematch.


1955 World Series
This Series also marked the end of a long period of invulnerability for the Yankees in the World Series. It was the Yankees' first loss in a World Series since 1942 and only their second since 1926. While the Yankees were 15–2 in Series appearances during that time, they would lose again in 1957, 1960, 1963, and 1964, for a record of 4–5 in World Series over the next decade.


1955 World Series, Background
This was the sixth World Series contested between the Yankees and Dodgers; the Yankees had won each of the five prior matchups (1941, 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953). New York manager Casey Stengel had played for the Dodgers from 1912 through 1917.


1955 World Series, Background, Brooklyn Dodgers
The NL champion Dodgers finished the regular season with a record of 98–55, 13+1⁄2 games ahead of the Milwaukee Braves. Offensive team leaders were Duke Snider (.309 batting average, 42 home runs, 136 RBIs, .628 slugging percentage, and 1.046 OPS) and Roy Campanella (.318 batting average, 32 home runs, 107 RBIs, .583 slugging percentage, and .978 OPS). Pitcher Don Newcombe led the team in wins, with a 20–5 record, and 233+2⁄3 innings pitched. Campanella was voted the National League MVP, narrowly edging Snider.


1955 World Series, Background, New York Yankees
The AL champion Yankees finished the regular season with a record of 96–58, three games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. Offensive team leaders were Mickey Mantle (.306 batting average, 37 home runs, 99 RBIs, .611 slugging percentage, and 1.042 OPS), Yogi Berra (.272 batting average, 27 home runs, 108 RBIs, .470 slugging percentage, and .819 OPS), and Bill Skowron (.319 batting average). Pitcher Whitey Ford led the team in wins, with an 18–7 record, and 253+2⁄3 innings pitched. Berra was voted the American League MVP, while Mantle finished fifth.


1955 World Series, Summary
NL Brooklyn Dodgers (4) vs. AL New York Yankees (3)


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
In Game 1, Carl Furillo's leadoff home run in the second off Whitey Ford put the Dodgers up 1–0. Jackie Robinson then tripled with one out and scored on Don Zimmer's single, but in the bottom of the inning, after a walk, rookie Elston Howard, in his first World Series at bat, homered to tie the game off Don Newcombe.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
Duke Snider's leadoff home run next inning put the Dodgers back in front 3–2 (which would eventually help establish a new HR record for a seven-game series at 17), but in the bottom half, the Yankees again tied the score on Irv Noren's RBI groundout with runners on second and third. Joe Collins's leadoff home run next inning put the Yankees ahead 4–3. His two-run home run in the sixth extended their lead to 6–3.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 1
In the seventh, after a single and error by third baseman Gil McDougald put runners on second and third with one out, Zimmer's sacrifice fly scored a run, then Robinson stole home to cut the Yankees' lead to 6–5, but Ford pitched eight innings for the win while Bob Grim earned the save with a scoreless ninth to give the Yankees a 1–0 series lead.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 2
In Game 2, Pee Wee Reese lead off the top of the fourth with a triple and scored on Duke Snider's single off Tommy Byrne, but in the bottom of the inning, after a two-out single and walk, back-to-back RBI singles by Elston Howard and Billy Martin tied the game. After a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases, Byrne's two-run single put the Yankees up 4–1 and knock starter Billy Loes out of the game. The Dodgers got a run in the fifth on Jim Gilliam's RBI single with Jackie Robinson at third, but could not score again off Byrne, who pitched a complete game to give the Yankees a 2–0 series lead heading to Brooklyn.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
In Game 3, Roy Campanella's two-run home run after a walk off Bob Turley in the first put the Dodgers up 2–0, but in the second, Mickey Mantle, who only played in 3 games in this series, hit his only home run of the series. Bill Skowron then doubled and scored on Phil Rizzuto's two-out single to tie the game. In the bottom of the inning, two singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases before walks to Jim Gilliam off Turley and Pee Wee Reese off Tom Morgan put the Dodgers up 4–2.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 3
In the fourth with two on, Campanella's RBI single and Carl Furillo's sacrifice fly extended the Dodgers' lead to 6–2. In the top of the seventh, Rizzuto walked with two outs and scored on Andy Carey's triple, but in the bottom half, Jackie Robinson doubled with one out off Tom Sturdivant and scored on Sandy Amoros's single. After a forceout and walk, Reese's RBI single extended the Dodgers' lead to 8–3. Johnny Podres pitched a complete game as the Dodgers cut the Yankees' series lead to 2–1. This was the last World Series game to be played in the month of September.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
Gil McDougald's one-out home run in the first off Carl Erskine put the Yankees up 1–0. In the second, Joe Collins drew a leadoff walk, moved two bases on two groundouts, and scored on Phil Rizzuto's single. In the third, Sandy Amoros drew a leadoff walk off Don Larsen and scored on Jim Gilliam's RBI double.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
In the top of the fourth, after a leadoff walk and single, Don Bessent relieved Erksine and allowed an RBI single to Billy Martin, but in the bottom of the inning, Roy Campanella hit a leadoff home run and after a single, Gil Hodges's two-run home run put the Dodgers up 4–3. Duke Snider's three-run home run next inning off Johnny Kucks extended their lead to 7–3. In the top of the sixth, Elston Howard hit a leadoff single off Clem Labine and scored on Billy Martin's double.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 4
One out later, Eddie Robinson's RBI single cut the Dodgers' lead to 7–5, but the Dodgers added a run in the seventh on three consecutive leadoff singles by Campanella, Carl Furillo and Gil Hodges off Rip Coleman. Labine earned the win with 4+1⁄3 innings to close as the Dodgers tied the series with an 8–5 win.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 5
Sunday, October 2, 1955, at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 5
In Game 5, Sandy Amoros's two-run homer in the second off Bob Grim put the Dodgers up 2–0. Next inning, Duke Snider's lead off home run made it 3–0. The Yankees got on the board in the fourth on Billy Martin's RBI single with two off rookie Roger Craig, but Snider's second home run of the game in the fifth gave the Dodgers that run back.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 5
Home runs by Bob Cerv in the seventh off Craig and Yogi Berra in the eighth off Clem Labine cut the Dodgers' lead to 4–3, but Brooklyn added an insurance run in the bottom of the eighth off Bob Turley when Carl Furillo hit a leadoff single, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt, and scored on Jackie Robinson's single. Labine pitched 2+2⁄3 innings in relief for Craig, who won his first World series start, for the save as the Dodgers were one win away from the championship. Snider became the only player from either league with four home runs in two different Series.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 6
In Game 6, the Yankees scored all five of their runs in the first off Karl Spooner. After two walks, back-to-back RBI singles by Yogi Berra and Hank Bauer put them up 2–0 before Bill Skowron capped the scoring with a three-run home run. Whitey Ford pitched a complete game, allowing one run (on Carl Furillo's RBI single in the fourth) and four hits as the Yankees forced a Game 7 with a 5–1 win.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 7
The Dodgers scored the game's only runs on a fourth inning RBI single and sixth inning bases-loaded sacrifice fly, both by Gil Hodges. The RBIs by Hodges were set up by a double by Roy Campanella in the fourth and a lead-off single by Pee Wee Reese in the sixth — the only time a Dodgers lead-off hitter reached base in any inning. While Campanella scored on Hodges' two-out single, Reese had advanced to third on two bunts.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 7
While being shut out by Johnny Podres, the Yankees, meanwhile, scattered eight hits over the six innings in which they were not retired in order. They only mustered one hit with runners in scoring position, though, which ironically was a basehit awarded to Gil McDougald in the third inning, when Phil Rizzuto was hit by a groundball while running the bases. Instead of batting in Rizzuto for a 1–0 Yankees lead, McDougald was thus ruled out to end the inning. Psychologically this may have marked a turning point for the Dodgers, who had never beaten the Yankees in a World Series. Pitcher Carl Erskine saw this play as "an omen", as such unfortunate miscues had usually been "the things that happened to us."


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 7
The Yankees would have three more scoring opportunities against Podres: In the fourth inning, a lead-off double by Yogi Berra was wasted. Then, in the sixth inning, with runners on first and second and one out, left fielder Sandy Amorós made a dramatic game-saving catch of a deep fly ball down the left field line off the bat of Yogi Berra to start a double play. Amorós then threw to Pee Wee Reese and Reese relayed to Gil Hodges, who tagged Yankee Gil McDougald before McDougald could get back to first. This possibly stymied the Yankees' best chance of the day.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 7
The Yankees would threaten Podres one last time, when McDougald couldn't bring a runner in from third with only one out, hitting a short flyball to rightfield, one inning before Elston Howard grounded out to Reese for the final out; the two shared the dubious record for playing in the most losing World Series (six each).


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 7
This would be the only time in Jackie Robinson's career when he did not play in his team's World Series game. Don Hoak replaced Robinson in the line-up, and played third base.


1955 World Series, Matchups, Game 7
For the first time in Series history, an MVP was selected—Johnny Podres, winning pitcher of Games 3 and 7. He was 2–0, both wins being complete games including the series-clinching Game 7 shutout, and had a 1.00 ERA.


1955 World Series, Composite box
1955 World Series (4–3): Brooklyn Dodgers (N.L.) over New York Yankees (A.L.)


1955 World Series, Legacy, References in popular culture
In her epistolary book (and later stage and film adaptations) 84 Charing Cross Road, the author Helene Hanff reveals herself to be a Brooklyn Dodgers fan and asks her correspondent Frank Doel (along with family) to pray for the Dodgers' fortunes in the series: (sic.) “I shall be obliged if you will send Nora and the girls to church every Sunday for the next month to pray for the continued health and strength of the messrs. gilliam, reese, snider, campanella, robinson, hodges, furillo, podres, necombe and labine, collectively known as The Brooklyn Dodgers. If they lose this World Series I shall Do Myself In and then where will you be?”


1955 World Series, Legacy, 50th Anniversary
Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the franchise winning its first World Series (and only one while in Brooklyn), the Los Angeles Dodgers held a "weekend celebration in August [of 2005 …] for the 11 surviving members of the 1955" team.


1955 World Series, Legacy, 50th Anniversary
The weekend before the anniversary, an autograph session was held in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, featuring Game 7 hero Johnny Podres and, interestingly, two Dodgers who were not on the 1955 team — Ralph Branca, who had left the club in 1953 before returning in 1956, and Joe Pignatano, who joined the Dodgers in 1957.


1955 World Series, Legacy, 50th Anniversary
No official commemorative event, however, took place in Brooklyn on October 4, 2005 (the actual anniversary of the Dodgers' triumph), prompting author Thomas Oliphant to argue that "on both coasts, we could have done a little bit better, especially for such an important memory."


1955 World Series, Legacy, 50th Anniversary
That being said, a small gathering of ten people took place at the site of Ebbets Field on October 4, 2005 "at 3:43 pm, 50 years to the minute from when the Brooklyn Dodgers won their only World Series." Brooklyn Paper journalist Ed Shakespeare reported that "[a]ll of the attendees came alone or in pairs, unaware of who else might attend", describing the event as "a sharing of memories from those who remembered."


1955 World Sportscar Championship
The 1955 World Sportscar Championship season was the third season of FIA World Sportscar Championship motor racing. It featured a series of six endurance races for sportscars, contested from 23 January to 16 October 1954.


1955 World Sportscar Championship
The championship was won by Mercedes-Benz, the German manufacturer ending the dominance of Ferrari which had won both of the previous World Sportscar Championship titles.


1955 World Sportscar Championship, Season summary
The 1955 World Sports Car Championship was contested over a six race series. With legendary races such as the Mille Miglia and the RAC Tourist Trophy now part of an international race calendar, they were accompanied by the 24 Hours of Le Mans and 12 Hours of Sebring. The championship started in January, with a trip to Argentina for the 1000 km Buenos Aires and ended with an event new to the championship, the legendary road race, the Targa Florio. As a result of the Le Mans disaster, both the 1000 km Nürburgring and the Carrera Panamericana were cancelled.


1955 World Sportscar Championship, Season summary
The Championship was open for manufacturers, with works teams such as Scuderia Ferrari, Officine Alfieri Maserati, Daimler-Benz and Jaguar Cars leading the way, but the majority of the fields were made up of amateur or gentlemen drivers, often up against professional racing drivers with experience in Formula One.


1955 World Sportscar Championship, Season summary
Classes were split between closed cars (GT) and open cars (Sports), with further divisions due to engine displacement. The 1955 season was a very bittersweet one for Daimler-Benz, with their Mercedes-Benz 300 SLRs. After missing the opening two, non-European rounds, which allowed Ferrari to gain a 14-point head start on Mercedes, the German team joined the championship. Aided by an English journalist, Denis Jenkinson, Stirling Moss would romp to victory in the Mille Miglia.


1955 World Sportscar Championship, Season summary
However the elation achieved by this English pairing, would be quickly subdued at Le Mans a month later, when Pierre Levegh’s 300 SLR would be launched into the air and into the crowd, killing more than 80 spectators. Daimler-Benz would withdraw from the race, and motor sport altogether at the end of the season.


1955 World Sportscar Championship, Season summary
This difficult decision would be made a little easier when Moss, and John Fitch drove to victory at the Dundrod Circuit, winning the RAC Tourist Trophy. This race was marred by the deaths of three drivers. The victory put Mercedes back in the hunt for the championship. The last race of the season, the Targa Florio, would see Moss win again, this time aided by Peter Collins, ensuring the manufacturers title was won by the German marque.


1955 World Sportscar Championship, The cars
The following models contributed to the net championship point scores of their respective manufacturers.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships
The 1955 World Table Tennis Championships were held in Utrecht from April 16 to April 24, 1955.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Doubles
The 1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Doubles was the 22nd edition of the men's doubles championship. Ivan Andreadis and Ladislav Štípek won the title after defeating Žarko Dolinar and Vilim Harangozo in the final by three sets to nil.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Singles
The 1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Singles was the 22nd edition of the men's singles championship.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Singles
Toshiaki Tanaka defeated Žarko Dolinar in the final, winning three sets to nil to secure the title.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Team
The 1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Swaythling Cup (Men's Team) was the 22nd edition of the men's team championship.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Men's Team
Japan won the gold medal defeating Czechoslovakia 5-3 in the final. England and Hungary won bronze medals after being defeated in the semi finals.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Mixed Doubles
The 1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Mixed Doubles was the 22nd edition of the mixed doubles championship.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Mixed Doubles
Kálmán Szepesi and Éva Kóczián defeated Aubrey Simons and Helen Elliot in the final by three sets to two.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Doubles
The 1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Doubles was the 21st edition of the women's doubles championship. Ella Zeller and Angelica Rozeanu defeated Diane Rowe and Rosalind Rowe in the final by three sets to two.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Singles
The 1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Singles was the 22nd edition of the women's singles championship. Angelica Rozeanu defeated Ermelinde Rumpler-Wertl in the final by three sets to nil, to win a sixth consecutive title.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Team
The 1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Corbillon Cup (Women's Team) was the 15th edition of the women's team championship.


1955 World Table Tennis Championships – Women's Team
Romania won the gold medal after finishing top of the final group. Japan won the silver medal and England won the bronze medal.


1955 World Weightlifting Championships
The 1955 Men's World Weightlifting Championships were held in Munich, West Germany, from October 12 to October 16, 1955. There were 108 men in action from 25 nations.


1955 World Wrestling Championships
The 1955 World Greco-Roman Wrestling Championships were held in Karlsruhe, West Germany.


1955 Wrexham by-election
The Wrexham by-election, 1955 was a by-election held on 17 March 1955 for the British House of Commons constituency of Wrexham in Denbighshire, Wales.


1955 Wrexham by-election
The by-election was caused by the death of the town's Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) Robert Richards, who had held the seat since the 1935 general election.


1955 Wrexham by-election
The result was a victory for the Labour candidate James Idwal Jones, who held the seat with a majority of nearly 11,000 votes.


1955 Wyoming Cowboys football team
The 1955 Wyoming Cowboys football team represented the University of Wyoming in the 1955 college football season. It was the Cowboys' 60th season and they competed as a member of the Skyline Conference. The team was led by head coach Phil Dickens, in his third year, and played their home games at War Memorial Stadium in Laramie, Wyoming. They finished with a record of eight wins and three losses (8–3, 5–2 Skyline) and with a win over Texas Tech in the 1956 Sun Bowl. The Cowboys offense scored 225 points, while the defense allowed 137 points.


1955 Xavier Musketeers football team
The 1955 Xavier Musketeers football team was an American football team that represented Xavier University as an independent during the 1955 college football season. In its first season under head coach Harry W. Connelly, the team compiled a 7–2 record and outscored opponents by a total of 196 to 72. The team played its home games at Xavier Stadium in Cincinnati.


1955 Yale Bulldogs football team
The 1955 Yale Bulldogs football team represented Yale University in the 1955 college football season. The Bulldogs were led by fourth-year head coach Jordan Olivar, played their home games at the Yale Bowl and finished the season with a 7–2 record.


1955 Yale Bulldogs football team
This would be Yale's final year as a football independent, as the Ivy League, which Yale had helped co-found in 1954, began football competition in 1956. Six of the nine opponents on the Bulldogs' 1955 schedule were Ivy League members (with Penn the only Ivy not scheduled); for decades, (future) Ivy members had comprised a large portion of Yale's opponents.


1955 Yugoslav Cup
The 1955 Yugoslav Cup was the 9th season of the top football knockout competition in SFR Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav Cup (Serbo-Croatian: Kup Jugoslavije), also known as the "Marshal Tito Cup" (Kup Maršala Tita), since its establishment in 1946.


1955 Yugoslav Cup, Round of 16
In the following tables winning teams are marked in bold; teams from outside top level are marked in italic script.


1955 Yugoslav First Basketball League
The 1955 Yugoslav First Basketball League season is the 11th season of the Yugoslav First Basketball League, the highest professional basketball league in SFR Yugoslavia.


1955 Yukon general election
The 1955 Yukon general election was held on 28 September 1955 to elect the five members of the Yukon Territorial Council. The council was non-partisan and had merely an advisory role to the federally appointed Commissioner.


1955 Yuzha earthquake
The 1955 Yuzha earthquake (1955年鱼鲊地震) occurred on September 23, 1955, at 15:06 UTC (23:06 local time). The epicenter was located in the area around Lazha (拉鲊), Dalongtan (大龙潭) Township, Renhe District, Panzhihua and Yuzha (鱼鲊) Township, Huili County. Lazha then belonged to Yongren County, Yunnan and now within Sichuan. Yuzha then belonged to Huili County, Sichuan as it still does. The earthquake had a magnitude of Ms 6.8.


1955 Yuzha earthquake
728 people were reported dead and 1547 injured in the earthquake. More than 15000 rooms collapsed. Eight people died and seven houses collapsed in the Xigeda (昔格达) Village. Cracks ranging from 10 to 70 cm in width and 100 to 1,500 m in length occurred on hillsides and ridges. Landslides were observed along both banks of the Jinsha River. Many villages on both banks of the Jinsha River were destroyed. Rivers and springs dried up, and many new springs appeared. Changes of water level in wells and ditches were reported.


1955 Yuzha earthquake
Many villages on both banks of the Jinsha River were destroyed. Along the Jinsha River and its surrounding gullies, large quantities of rocks broke, fell, and dammed up the gullies. In the Jinsha River, waves surged 1 m high. The maximum intensity reached MM IX. The shaking could be felt as far as about 400 km away.


1955 Yuzha earthquake
The Xigeda-Yuanmou fault (昔格达—元谋断裂带), about 270 km long, is the seismogenic structure of this earthquake. From the distribution of the isoseismals of this earthquake, it was suggested that there is a three-layered structure. There is a rupture layer, and there are two complete rock layers located in both sides of the rupture layer. The rupture layer is the place where the stress was concentrated and released and has the role of reflecting the seismic wave propagation.


1955 college football season
The 1955 college football season saw the Oklahoma Sooners win the national championship after going 10–0–0. Although the final poll was taken before the postseason bowl games, Oklahoma played against the nation's other unbeaten and untied (10–0–0) team, the Maryland Terrapins, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, and won 20–6.


1955 college football season
During the 20th century, the NCAA had no playoff for the college football teams that would later be described as "Division I-A". The NCAA did recognize a national champion based upon the final results of "wire service" (AP and UPI) polls. The extent of that recognition came in the form of acknowledgment in the annual NCAA Football Guide of the "unofficial" national champions. The AP poll in 1955 consisted of the votes of as many as 391 sportswriters. Though not all writers voted in every poll, each would give their opinion of the twenty best teams.


1955 college football season
Under a point system of 20 points for first place, 19 for second, etc., the "overall" ranking was determined. Although the rankings were based on the collective opinion of the representative sportswriters, the teams that remained "unbeaten and untied" were generally ranked higher than those that had not. A defeat, even against a strong opponent, tended to cause a team to drop in the rankings, and a team with two or more defeats was unlikely to remain in the Top 20. Generally, the top teams played on New Year's Day in the four major postseason bowl games: the Rose Bowl (near Los Angeles at Pasadena), the Sugar Bowl (New Orleans), the Orange Bowl (Miami), and the Cotton Bowl (Dallas).


1955 college football season, September
In the preseason poll released on September 12, 1955, the UCLA Bruins, 1954's co champions, received 33 first place votes, while Oklahoma had 32. Michigan had 34 votes, but the third most points overall. Other teams nominated for the top spot were defending champ Ohio State, Maryland, Notre Dame, Navy, Miami, Georgia Tech, Iowa, USC, Duke, West Virginia, and Purdue. As the regular season progressed, a new poll would be issued on the Monday following the weekend's games. The preseason Top Five was 1.UCLA 2.Oklahoma 3.Michigan 4.Ohio State 5.Maryland.


1955 college football season, September
On Friday, September 16, No. 1 UCLA opened in Los Angeles with a 21–0 win over visiting Texas A&M. September 17, Oklahoma, Michigan and Ohio State were idle, but No. 5 Maryland edged Missouri on the road, 13–12. No. 10 Georgia Tech, which had beaten No. 9 Miami 14–6 in Atlanta, rose to 2nd place in the next poll: 1.UCLA 2.Georgia Tech 3.Oklahoma 4.Michigan 5.Maryland.


1955 college football season, September
On September 24, No. 1 UCLA and No. 5 Maryland met at College Park, before a record crowd. UCLA's Doug Peters plunged into the end zone in the first half, but fumbled the ball before crossing the goal line. In the second half, the home team Terrapins had the ball 17 yards from goal, on fourth down. Rather than kicking a field goal, Ed Vereb ran for the winning touchdown, giving Maryland a 7–0 win.


1955 college football season, September
No. 2 Georgia Tech won at No. 15 Florida, 14–7. No. 3 Oklahoma won at North Carolina 13–6. No. 4 Michigan beat Missouri 42–7. Maryland took over the top spot, while UCLA fell to 7th. No. 11 Notre Dame, which had beaten SMU 17–0, moved into the Top 5: 1.Maryland 2.Michigan 3. Georgia Tech 4.Notre Dame 5.Oklahoma.


1955 college football season, October
October 1, No. 1 Maryland won 20–6 at No. 20 Baylor in Texas. No. 2 Michigan beat Michigan State 14–7 before a crowd of 97,239 at home in Ann Arbor. MSU had tied the score 7–7 after an errant punt by Michigan gave them the ball 39 yards from goal. Minutes later, Earl Morrall's punt was blocked to give Michigan the ball on the MSU 21, from which the winning score was made. No. 3 Georgia Tech beat SMU 20–7 in Atlanta. No. 4 Notre Dame defeated Indiana 19–0. No. 5 Oklahoma beat No. 12 Pittsburgh 26–14, marking its 21st consecutive win, and new record. The poll: 1.Maryland 2.Michigan 3.Oklahoma 4. Georgia Tech 5.Notre Dame


1955 college football season, October
October 8No. 1 Maryland beat Wake Forest 28–7, and No. 2 Michigan defeated visiting No. 6 Army, 26–2. Both stayed unbeaten, but Michigan took the top spot in the next poll. No. 3 Oklahoma defeated Texas 20–0 in Dallas. No. 4 Georgia Tech won 7–0 at LSU. No. 5 Notre Dame won 14–0 at No. 15 Miami, with both touchdowns coming on fourth down passes from Paul Hornung, before an Orange Bowl record crowd of 75,685. In a game that would decide the Pac-8 title, UCLA beat Oregon State 38–0. The poll: 1.Michigan 2.Maryland 3.Oklahoma 4.Notre Dame 5.Georgia Tech


1955 college football season, October
October 15 No. 1 Michigan defeated Northwestern, 14–2. No. 2 Maryland won at North Carolina, 25–7. No. 3 Oklahoma beat Kansas 44–6. However, No. 5 Georgia Tech lost to visiting  No. 17 Auburn 14–12, and No. 4 Notre Dame lost 21–7 when it hosted No. 13 Michigan State. They dropped from the top five and were replaced by No. 8 Navy (which had won 34–14 at Penn State) and No. 11 Duke (which had won at No. 14 Ohio State, 20–14). The poll: 1.Michigan 2.Maryland 3.Oklahoma 4.Navy 5.Duke


1955 college football season, October
October 22 In Minneapolis No. 1 Michigan faced a 1–3–0 Minnesota team, and was stunned when the Gophers racked up two touchdowns in the first quarter. Michigan's Terry Barr blocked the extra point attempt on the second touchdown, but the nation's No. 1 team was losing 13–0. Still down 13–7 at the half, the Wolverines fought back. Jim Van Pelt passed to Tom Maentz for a touchdown, and Van Pelt added the extra point to save Michigan, 14–13. Minnesota would go on to a 3–6–0 finish.


1955 college football season, October
Meanwhile, No. 2 Maryland won more convincingly at Syracuse, 34–13, to regain the top spot. No. 3 Oklahoma beat No. 14 Colorado, 56–21. No. 4 Navy won at Penn, 33–0. No. 5 Duke lost to Pitt, 26–7, and was replaced in the top five by No. 6 Michigan State, which beat Illinois 21–7.


1955 college football season, October
October 29 Back at the top, No. 1 Maryland beat South Carolina 27–0, while No. 2 Oklahoma won at Kansas State, 40–7. No. 3 Michigan beat Iowa 33–21. No. 4 Navy lost at No. 9 Notre Dame, 21–7. No. 5 Michigan State won at Wisconsin, 27–0. UCLA returned to the Top Five from No. 6after a 47–0 win over California.


1955 college football season, November
November 5 As both stayed undefeated, No. 1 Maryland beat LSU 13–0 and No. 2 Oklahoma won at Missouri, 20–0. No. 3 Michigan lost at Illinois 25–6, while No. 4 Michigan State won at Purdue, 27–0. No. 5 UCLA won at Pacific, 34–0. No. 6 Notre Dame, which had won at Penn 46–14, returned to the top 5.


1955 college football season, November
November 12 Back at No. 1, Oklahoma beat Iowa State 52–0. No. 2 Maryland won at Clemson, 25–12. No. 3 Michigan State beat Minnesota 42–14. No. 4 UCLA was trailing Washington 17–16 in the closing seconds of a game, but Jim Decker kicked a field goal for a 19–17 victory. No. 5 Notre Dame won at North Carolina, 27–7. The poll: 1.Oklahoma 2.Maryland 3.Michigan State 4.Notre Dame 5.UCLA


1955 college football season, November
November 19 Although No. 1 Oklahoma was 8–0–0 and host Nebraska was 5–4–0, both had 5–0–0 records in Big 7 conference play when they met at Lincoln. The Sooners rolled, 41–0, to get the Orange Bowl bid. No. 2 Maryland closed its season with a 19–0 win over George Washington University and accepted the invitation to meet Oklahoma, but what would have been a No. 1 vs. No. 2 meeting changed when the Terrapins were rated third by the AP voters.


1955 college football season, November
No. 3 Michigan State, which had a 5–1 record in Big Ten play, beat Marquette 33–0 in a non-conference game; Michigan's 17–0 loss to Ohio State gave it a 5–2 mark. Ohio State had the better record in the Big Ten, 6–0 overall, but had gone to the Rose Bowl the year before, so MSU got the bid, where it would face No. 5 UCLA, which beat USC 17–7. No. 4 Notre Dame beat Iowa 17–14. Though Maryland, like Oklahoma, was unbeaten, the voters put once-beaten Michigan State in the second spot instead. The poll: 1.Oklahoma 2.Michigan State 3.Maryland 4.UCLA 5.Notre Dame. On November 26, No. 5 Notre Dame lost in Los Angeles to USC, 42–20, and dropped to 6th in the final AP poll, where it would be replaced by Ohio State. The other Top Five teams had finished their seasons.


1955 college football season, Rankings, Final AP Poll
The final rankings were made on November 28, after the regular season and without consideration of the postseason bowl games:


1955 college football season, Other champions, Orange Blossom Classic
Prior to the integration of sports teams, Miami Orange Bowl stadium hosted the New Year's Day game of the same name, and a December game for historically black colleges, the Orange Blossom Classic. Grambling State (9–0–0) and Florida A & M University (8–0–1) met to determine the best Negro college football team in the nation, with Grambling winning 28–21.


1955 college football season, Other champions, Undefeated programs
Miami University (Ohio) finished 9–0–0, as did Southeast Missouri State University, Heidelberg College, Hillsdale College, College of Emporia, Maryland State College and Whitworth College. Northern State Teachers College* of South Dakota went 9–0–0, and then lost to Kearney Teachers College in the "Botany Bowl", 34–13, played in Shenandoah, Iowa, on Thanksgiving Day.


1955 college football season, Other champions, Undefeated programs
Colleges that went 8–0–0 were Alfred University, Drexel University, Albany State College, Centre College, Coe College, Parsons College, Juniata College, Muskingum College, Shepherd College, and Stevens Point College. (7). Trinity College (Connecticut) went 7–0–0.


1955 doubled die cent
The 1955 doubled die cent is a die variety that occurred during production of the one cent coin at the United States Mint in 1955.


1955 doubled die cent, Origins
When a modern coin die is created, it is struck from a working hub, which places the incuse image onto the die that will subsequently be used to strike coins. Normally, this requires multiple blows. In 1955, one of the working obverse dies at the Philadelphia Mint was misaligned on the second blow from the working hub, thus resulting in a doubled image. Due to the manner in which this hubbing was carried out, it most noticeably affected the date and inscriptions, with very little doubling (albeit noticeable loss of detail) visible on the bust of Lincoln. These doubled features were visible on all of the coins struck from this die. It is estimated that 40,000 of these coins were minted, all during one night shift at the Philadelphia Mint. Roughly 20,000-24,000 of the pennies were introduced into circulation after the minting error.


1955 doubled die cent, Origins
The 1955 doubled die is one of the most famous die varieties in US coinage. Very few exist today in totally mint condition, as almost all were discovered while in circulation. Over the years, many counterfeits of this coin have surfaced. It is advised for collectors to seek expert opinion before purchasing one of these coins if it has not been certified by one of the top numismatic certification companies.


1955 doubled die cent, Origins
A seemingly similar variety to the 1955 doubled die is the so-called 1955 "Poor Man's Doubled Die" cent, created by die deterioration doubling. It is caused when the design on a worn die becomes eroded and distorted, causing part of the design (such as the final digit of the date) to appear doubled. It is much more common than the actual doubled die, and as such it sells for only a few dollars.


1955 doubled die cent, In popular culture
A "1955 doubled die Denver mint penny" was a plot device in the American movie UHF; when a rich man cruelly gives a penny to a beggar, the beggar realizes its value and uses the money earned from trading it in to save a local TV station that the rich man was hoping to buy out. Although the Denver mint did produce some doubled die pennies in 1955, the doubling is not nearly as noticeable as the more famous Pennsylvania variety.


1955 doubled die cent, In popular culture
The coin is mentioned in the 2010 Stephen King novella A Good Marriage.


1955 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections
Legislative Assembly elections in India were conducted for Andhra State Legislative Assembly in 1955. In Andhra State, Indian National Congress won an absolute majority.


1955 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections, Andhra State*
* : On 1 October 1953, a separate Andhra State, consisting of the Telugu-speaking areas of the composite Madras State, with 167 constituencies with 190 seats in the Assembly, was formed. On 1 November 1956, Andhra State was merged with Hyderabad State under States Reorganisation Act, 1956, to form a single state, Andhra Pradesh. The  districts of Raichur, Gulbarga and the Marathwada district were detached from the Hyderabad State, while merging with Andhra State.


1955 elections in India, Legislative Assembly elections, Andhra State*
In addition, the Siruguppa taluk, the Bellary taluk, the Hospet taluk and a small area of the Mallapuram sub-taluk were transferred from Mysore State to Andhra Pradesh. The districts of Raichur and Gulbarga were transferred to the Mysore State, while the Marathwada district was transferred to the Bombay State. This resulted in re-organization of assembly constituencies of Andhra Pradesh giving way to 85 constituencies with 105 seats in the assembly.


1955 in Afghanistan
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in Afghanistan.


1955 in Afghanistan
Pakistan-Afghan relations remain marred by the continued support given by the Kabul government to the Pashtun (or Pakhtun) people of the former North-West Frontier Province of Pakistan in their demand for self-determination. The Kabul government does not recognize the 1893 Durand Line as the Afghan-Pakistani international frontier.


1955 in Afghanistan, March 29, 1955
The prime minister broadcasts a speech over Kabul radio which amounts to open incitement of the Afghan people against Pakistan. This speech is followed in the course of the next two days by demonstrations in Kabul, Kandahar, and Jalalabad during which Pakistani missions are wrecked and looted and Pakistani flags are pulled down. The government of Pakistan is, therefore, compelled to close its diplomatic and consular missions and withdraw their staffs.


1955 in Afghanistan, March 29, 1955
A "general mobilization" of Afghan armed forces is ordered in Kabul at the beginning of May, in reply to which Gen. Mohammad Ayub Khan, Pakistani Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief, comments that if any inroads are made into Pakistan territory Afghanistan will be taught a lesson to be remembered for life. Attik Khan Rafik, Afghan minister to Karachi, is recalled to Kabul. Mikhail V. Degtyar, Soviet ambassador to Kabul, is reported to have promised Afghanistan "total military aid" in the event of Pakistani aggression.


1955 in Afghanistan, March 29, 1955
This acute tension results in offers of mediation by Islamic powers, but Gen. Iskandar Mirza, Pakistani Minister of the Interior, makes it clear that his country will maintain the Durand Line. On June 30, when opening the session of the Afghan National Assembly, King Zahir pledges his country's support for the idea of an autonomous Pashtunistan.


1955 in Afghanistan, September 13, 1955
The Afghan foreign minister, Mohammad Naim Khan, rehoists the Pakistan flag on the Pakistani embassy in Kabul with full ceremonial honours and in the presence of Col. A.S.B. Shah, the Pakistani ambassador. Chaudhry Mohammad Ali, the Pakistani premier, says on September 15, in the Constituent Assembly, that relations between the two countries have taken a turn for the better. This improvement, however, does not continue for long. On September 30, the Pakistani Constituent Assembly passes a bill merging western Pakistan into a single province, and the Afghan government protests against this violation of the rights and wishes of the Pashtun people. Attik Khan Rafik is again recalled from Karachi (October).


1955 in Afghanistan, Beginning of November 1955
A few thousand armed Afghan tribesmen enter Pakistan along a 160-km stretch of frontier about 480 km northeast of Quetta. A Pakistani army spokesman says that militarily there is no threat in the presence of these tribesmen. He adds, however, that there is evidence that this so-called invasion was inspired by Kabul with the moral and material support of the U.S.S.R. and India. The Afghan ambassador to Cairo, Salaheddin Salgooky, declares that his country will seek Soviet or Czechoslovakian arms if the West fails to supply them.


1955 in Afghanistan, December 18, 1955
During the visit to Kabul of Nikolai Bulganin, the Soviet premier, and Nikita Khrushchev, first secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, a protocol is signed extending for ten years the Soviet-Afghan treaty of neutrality and nonaggression of 1931. On the same day it is announced that the USSR grants to Afghanistan a 30-year credit of $100,000,000 at an annual rate of interest of 2%.


1955 in Australia
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in Australia.


1955 in Australian literature
This article presents a list of the historical events and publications of Australian literature during 1955.


1955 in Australian literature, Births
A list, ordered by date of birth (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of births in 1955 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of death.


1955 in Australian literature, Deaths
A list, ordered by date of death (and, if the date is either unspecified or repeated, ordered alphabetically by surname) of deaths in 1955 of Australian literary figures, authors of written works or literature-related individuals follows, including year of birth.


1955 in Belgian television
This is a list of Belgian television related events from 1955.


1955 in Brazilian football
The following article presents a summary of the 1955 football (soccer) season in Brazil, which was the 54th season of competitive football in the country.


1955 in Brazilian football, State championship champions
(1)Goytacaz won a competition named Supercampeonato (Superchampionship), which was an extra tournament.


1955 in Brazilian football, Brazil national team
The following table lists all the games played by the Brazil national football team in official competitions and friendly matches during 1955.


1955 in British music
This is a summary of 1955 in music of all genres in the United Kingdom.


1955 in British radio
This is a list of events from British radio in 1955.


1955 in British television
This is a list of British television related events from 1955.


1955 in Canada, Births, July to December
October 30-Metis and Reform Member of Parliament (MP) James A. Hart was born in Edmonton, Alberta


1955 in Canadian football
The Edmonton Eskimos defeat the Montreal Alouettes in the first Grey Cup held in the west.


1955 in Canadian football, Canadian Football News in 1955
For 45 years the Grey Cup classic was an event held exclusively in the province of Ontario, with the one exception in 1931 when the game was staged in Montreal. This all changed in 1955 when the game was awarded to Vancouver, B.C. The then largest crowd in the history of organized team sports in Canada packed Empire Stadium to witness the Edmonton Eskimos defeat the Montreal Alouettes. The 39,417 in attendance remained a Grey Cup record until 1976.


1955 in Canadian football, Canadian Football News in 1955
The Interprovincial Rugby Football Union (IRFU) allowed the third place team to qualify for a playoff berth. The Grey Cup had a gross revenue of $198,000.


1955 in Canadian football, Canadian Football News in 1955
In January 1955, the Western Interprovincial Football Union (WIFU) announced that a playoff game with the Ontario Rugby Football Union (ORFU) was no longer desired. The WIFU and IRFU both scheduled their games so as not to leave an open date for the traditional game with the ORFU. At the March meeting of the CRU, the ORFU withdrew from Grey Cup competition for 1955. 1955 became the first year that only the IRFU and the WIFU competed for the Grey Cup.


1955 in Canadian football, Canadian Football News in 1955
Montreal's Tex Coulter became the first player to win the Most Outstanding Lineman Award.


1955 in Canadian football, Regular season, Final regular season standings
Note: GP = Games Played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, PF = Points For, PA = Points Against, Pts = Points


1955 in Canadian football, Grey Cup Championship
43rd Annual Grey Cup Game: Empire Stadium – Vancouver, British Columbia


1955 in Canadian football, 1955 Eastern (Interprovincial Rugby Football Union) All-Stars, Defence
NOTE: The following players were selected to the All-Star team as replacements for players who would have had to play both ways in the Shrine Game (denoted with an *):


1955 in Canadian football, 1955 Western (Western Interprovincial Football Union) All-Stars, Defence
NOTE: The following players were selected to the All-Star team as replacements for players who would have had to play both ways, or were injured, in the Shrine Game (denoted with an *):


1955 in Canadian football, 1955 Ontario Rugby Football Union All-Stars
NOTE: During this time most players played both ways, so the All-Star selections do not distinguish between some offensive and defensive positions.


1955 in Canadian television
This is a list of Canadian television-related events in 1955.


1955 in Cape Verde
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in Cape Verde.


1955 in Chile
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in Chile.


1955 in China
Events in the year 1955 in China. The country had an estimated population of 605 million people.


1955 in Danish television
This is a list of Danish television related events from 1955.


1955 in Danish television, Deaths
This Danish television-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by .


1955 in Dutch television
This is a list of Dutch television related events from 1955.


1955 in Estonia
This article lists events that occurred during 1955 in Estonia.


1955 in Estonian television
This is a list of Estonian television related events from 1955.


1955 in French television
This is a list of French television related events from 1955.


1955 in German television
This is a list of German television related events from 1955.


1955 in Iceland
The following lists events that happened in 1955 in Iceland.


1955 in India
Events in the year 1955 in the Republic of India.


1955 in Italian television
This is a list of Italian television related events from 1955.


1955 in Laos
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in Laos.


1955 in Libya
The following lists events that happened in 1955 in Libya.


1955 in Luxembourg
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg.


1955 in Malaya
This article lists important figures and events in Malayan public affairs during the year 1955, as well as births and deaths of significant Malayans.


1955 in Michigan, Top stories
The Associated Press (AP) and United Press (UP) each selected Michigan's top news stories of 1955 as follows:


1955 in Michigan, Top stories
The United Press and The Detroit Reporter (strike newspaper) each selected the year's top sports stories as follows:


1955 in Michigan, Population
In the 1950 United States Census, Michigan was recorded as having a population of 6,421,000 persons, ranking as the seventh most populous state in the country. By 1960, the state's population had grown 22.8% to 7,823,194 persons.


1955 in Michigan, Population, Cities
The following is a list of cities in Michigan with a population of at least 40,000 based on 1950 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1940 and 1960 is included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Cities that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.


1955 in Michigan, Population, Counties
The following is a list of counties in Michigan with populations of at least 100,000 based on 1950 U.S. Census data. Historic census data from 1940 and 1960 are included to reflect trends in population increases or decreases. Counties that are part of the Detroit metropolitan area are shaded in tan.


1955 in Michigan, Companies
The following is a list of major companies based in, or having a substantial manufacturing presence in, Michigan in 1955.


1955 in New Zealand
The following lists events that happened during  1955 in New Zealand.


1955 in New Zealand, Incumbents, Government
The 31st New Zealand Parliament continued. In power was the National government under Sidney Holland.


1955 in New Zealand, Arts and literature, Film
See : Category:1955 film awards, 1955 in film, List of New Zealand feature films, Cinema of New Zealand, Category:1955 films


1955 in New Zealand, Sport, Lawn bowls
The national outdoor lawn bowls championships are held in Wellington.


1955 in North Vietnam
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in North Vietnam.


1955 in Norwegian football
The 1955 season was the 50th season of competitive football in Norway.


1955 in Norwegian football, Norwegian Cup, Fourth round
August 20: Lillestrøm - Lyn 4-3August 21: Fredrikstad - Varegg 8-1


1955 in Norwegian music
This is the current revision of this page, as edited by BHGbot (talk | contribs) at 05:01, 19 June 2020 (WP:BHGbot 6 (List 5): eponymous category first, per MOS:CATORDER; fixed sort key; WP:GENFIXES). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this version.


1955 in Norwegian music
The following is a list of notable events and releases of the year 1955 in Norwegian music.


1955 in Scottish television
This is a list of events in Scottish television from 1955.


1955 in Singapore
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in Singapore.


1955 in South Africa
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in South Africa.


1955 in South Africa, Sports, Football
The South Africa national football team tours Australia and plays five games against the Australia national association football team.


1955 in South Vietnam
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in South Vietnam.


1955 in Taiwan
Events from the year 1955 in Taiwan, Republic of China. This year is numbered Minguo 44 according to the official Republic of China calendar.


1955 in Thailand
The year 1955 was the 174th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the 10th year in the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX), and is reckoned as year 2498 in the Buddhist Era.


1955 in Turkey, Events
19 February – Agreement between Turkey and Greece on the rehabilitation of the River Meriç.


1955 in Wales
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1955 to Wales and its people.


1955 in architecture
The year 1955 in architecture involved some significant architectural events and new buildings.


1955 in association football
The following are the association football events of the year 1955 throughout the world.


1955 in baseball
The following are the baseball events of the year 1955  throughout the world.


1955 in baseball, Events
Before the Athletics arrive in town, the Kansas City Monarchs move their base of operations to Grand Rapids, Michigan. They retain the name "Kansas City Monarchs" and continue in the Negro American League as a barnstorming team.


1955 in baseball, Events, January
January 24 –  In an effort to speed up the game, Major League Baseball announces a new rule which requires a pitcher to deliver the ball within 20 seconds after taking a pitching position.


1955 in country music
This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in the year 1955.


1955 in film, Top-grossing films by country
The highest-grossing 1955 films from countries outside of North America.


1955 in fine arts of the Soviet Union
The year 1955 was marked by many events that left an imprint on the history of Soviet and Russian Fine Arts.


1955 in jazz
This is a timeline documenting events of Jazz in the year 1955.


1955 in literature
This article contains information about the literary events and publications of 1955.


1955 in motorsport
The following is an overview of the events of 1955 in motorsport including the major racing events, motorsport venues that were opened and closed during a year, championships and non-championship events that were established and disestablished in a year, and births and deaths of racing drivers and other motorsport people.


1955 in motorsport, Annual events
The calendar includes only annual major non-championship events or annual events that had own significance separate from the championship. For the dates of the championship events see related season articles.


1955 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1955.


1955 in music, Albums released
In 1955, 1,615 albums and 4,542 pop singles were released in the US.


1955 in music, Biggest hit singles
The following singles achieved the highest  in the set of charts available for 1955.


1955 in music, US No. 1 hit singles
These singles reached the top of US Billboard magazine's charts in 1955.


1955 in paleontology
Paleontology or palaeontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks (ichnites), burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues. Because humans have encountered fossils for millennia, paleontology has a long history both before and after becoming formalized as a science. This article records significant discoveries and events related to paleontology that occurred or were published in the year 1955.


1955 in paleontology, Synapsids, Eutherians, Cetaceans
An odontocete of uncertain position; new genus for "Delphinapterus" gabbi Cope (1868).


1955 in poetry
Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).


1955 in poetry, Works published in English
Listed by nation where the work was first published and again by the poet's native land, if different; substantially revised works listed separately:


1955 in poetry, Births
Death years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1955 in poetry, Deaths
Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:


1955 in professional wrestling
1955 in professional wrestling describes the year's events in the world of professional wrestling.


1955 in radio
The year 1955 saw a number of significant events in radio broadcasting history.


1955 in rail transport
This article lists events related to rail transport that occurred in 1955.


1955 in science
The year 1955 in science and technology included many events, some of which are listed below.


1955 in spaceflight
This is a list of spaceflight related events which occurred in 1955.


1955 in sports
1955 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.


1955 in television
The year 1955 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1955.


1955 in the Belgian Congo
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in the Belgian Congo.


1955 in the Soviet Union
The following lists events that happened during 1955 in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics.


1955 in the United Kingdom
Events from the year 1955 in the United Kingdom. The year is marked by changes of leadership for both principal political parties.


1955 in the Vietnam War
In 1955, the Prime Minister of South Vietnam Ngô Đình Diệm faced a severe challenge to his rule over South Vietnam from the Bình Xuyên criminal gang and the Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo religious sects. In the Battle of Saigon in April, Diệm's army eliminated the Bình Xuyên as a rival and soon also reduced the power of the sects. The United States, which had been wavering in its support of Diệm before the battle, strongly supported him afterwards. Diệm declined to enter into talks with North Vietnam concerning an election in 1956 to unify the country. Diệm called a national election in October and easily defeated Head of State Bảo Đại, thus becoming President of South Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War
In communist North Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh initiated a land reform program that was accomplished with many executions and imprisonments of "landlords." Ho was unable to get the support of China and the Soviet Union to press for preliminary talks that would lead to the 1956 elections called for in the Geneva Accord.


1955 in the Vietnam War, January
Ho Chi Minh at a triumphal parade in Hanoi announced his government's policy to restore and develop the economy of North Vietnam. One of his priorities was a land reform program to give "land to the tillers."


1955 in the Vietnam War, January
South Vietnam became independent from the French Union's franc zone and the Vietnam National Army (VNA) became eligible to receive U.S. military aid directly rather than through the French military establishment still present in South Vietnam. The change increased Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm's control of the VNA.


1955 in the Vietnam War, January
With the advice of American and French experts, the government of South Vietnam adopted Ordinance No. 2 which set the rent tenant farmers were obligated to pay to landlords to a maximum of 25 percent of the crop. Some tenants considered the 25 percent rate exorbitant. During the first year of the operation of the Ordinance about one-fourth of the more than one million tenant farmers in South Vietnam signed contracts with landowners establishing rental rates. The Ordinance was the first major effort of South Vietnam to counter the influence and popularity of the Viet Minh in rural areas. The Viet Minh had dispossessed many landlords and given land and influence to poor and landless farmers.


1955 in the Vietnam War, January
Viet Minh leader Lê Đức Thọ departed from southernmost Vietnam for North Vietnam in accordance with the Geneva Accords which permitted free movement for 300 days between the provisional states of North and South Vietnam. His commander, Lê Duẩn, remained clandestinely in the Mekong Delta and Saigon. Lê Duẩn was charged with maintaining a communist infrastructure in southern region. He remained in the south until 1957.


1955 in the Vietnam War, January
Colonel Edward Lansdale head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)'s Saigon Military Mission (SMM) reported to Washington that his team had smuggled 300 rifles, 50 pistols, 100,000 rounds of ammunition and 300 pounds of explosives into North Vietnam. The arms were distributed to anti-communist organizations in North Vietnam created by the SMM or cached for future use.


1955 in the Vietnam War, February
General Paul Ely, French military commander in South Vietnam, informed Diệm that by July 1, 1955, all units of the VNA would be commanded by Vietnamese officers. France was turning over all control and responsibility for the army to the government of South Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, February
President Diem, prodded by U.S. advisers, adopted the first of several land reform measures in South Vietnam. This initial program governed the amount of rent that could be charged for agricultural land.


1955 in the Vietnam War, February
North Vietnam's land reform program was underway and thousands of "landlords" were being executed or imprisoned. Ho said "Some cadres are using the same methods to crush the masses as the imperialists, capitalists, and feudalists did. These methods are barbaric... It is absolutely forbidden to use physical punishment." Ho's admonishment had little apparent impact as the repression continued.


1955 in the Vietnam War, February
In South Vietnam, France halted subsidies to the Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo religious sects, both of whom had armed forces raised and financed by France to fight the Viet Minh. The sects demanded that the subsidies continue to be paid to them by the Diệm government. Diệm refused and with several million dollars supplied by the CIA's Colonel Lansdale bribed sect leaders to gain their support and integrate their forces into the VNA.


1955 in the Vietnam War, February
Representatives of the Bình Xuyên, a well-armed mafia controlling gambling, narcotics, the Saigon police force and the Cao Đài and Hòa Hảo religious sects agreed to form a United Front against the Diệm government. The Bình Xuyên, under Bảy Viễn, set up defenses around their headquarters in Saigon.


1955 in the Vietnam War, March
U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles announced at a press conference in Saigon that "I do not know of any responsible quarter which has any doubt about backing Diệm as the head of this government." In fact, General Lawton Collins, the senior U.S. official in South Vietnam, and many French officials had expressed strong reservations about the ability of Diệm to rule the country.


1955 in the Vietnam War, March
Viet Minh forces evacuated the Cà Mau peninsula at the southernmost tip of South Vietnam to journey to North Vietnam in accordance with the Geneva Accords. Anticipating the evacuation, Col. Lansdale and his group had implemented an accelerated program (Occupation Liberty) to prepare the South Vietnamese army to occupy the area as the Viet Minh withdrew. The occupation proceeded smoothly with propaganda leaflets dropped by air, medical dispensaries established, rice distributed, and roads improved. However, "the political and social conditions which had long generated support for the Viet Minh remained virtually unchanged.


1955 in the Vietnam War, March
Diệm launched a sudden offensive against Hoa Hao General Ba Cụt in Thốt Nốt, shelling the area heavily. The battle was inconclusive and both sides blamed the other for causing instability and disrupting the situation.


1955 in the Vietnam War, March
The National Front of Bình Xuyên, Cao Đài, and Hòa Hảo demanded that Diệm form a government of "national union" and gave him 5 days to comply. Diệm ignored the demand.


1955 in the Vietnam War, March
Diệm made a counter demand that the Bình Xuyên evacuate the areas and buildings they had occupied in Saigon and vicinity. The French were tacitly helping the Bình Xuyên. Collins wanted the French to persuade Diệm to compromise; Lansdale wanted the French out of South Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, March
Diệm's replacement of the police chief caused a brief battle between the VNA and Bin Xuyen police and militia. The French brokered a cease fire but the Bình Xuyên, army, and French military each fortified the areas they controlled in Saigon. Due to resignations, Diệm's government now consisted mostly of members of his family.


1955 in the Vietnam War, March
From Saigon, General Collins informed Washington that Diệm lacked "the ability to head a government." Several journalists published similar reports as Saigon descended into chaos during April.


1955 in the Vietnam War, April
Collins had been recalled to Washington for consultations and at a lunch where Dulles' view was reiterated that Diệm must be replaced.


1955 in the Vietnam War, April
Ba Cụt and three other Hòa Hảo military leaders refused a government offer to integrate, and continued to operate autonomously.


1955 in the Vietnam War, April
The State Department sent top-secret cables to the U.S. Embassies in Saigon and Paris ordering the embassies to initiate a process of removing Diệm from power and replacing him with a leader chosen by General Collins and French General Ely in Saigon. The embassies were instructed to tell Diệm that the U.S. and France were "no longer in a position to prevent his removal from office."


1955 in the Vietnam War, April
Six hours after Dulles' cables calling for Diệm's ouster Lansdale, at Diệm's side in Saigon, reported to Washington that fighting had broken out in the streets of Saigon between the Bình Xuyên and the VNA. These were the opening shots in the Battle of Saigon which would continue for about one month. On hearing of the news of the fighting, Dulles canceled the cables, awaiting developments in Saigon before proceeding.


1955 in the Vietnam War, April
Neither the Cao Đài nor the Hòa Hảo joined the Bình Xuyên in the battle. Bribes paid by Diệm and Lansdale to their leaders caused them to remain neutral or to unite their armed forces with the VNA.


1955 in the Vietnam War, April
Lansdale cabled Washington asserting that Diệm was still the best alternative as the leader of South Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, April
The VNA had largely defeated the Bình Xuyên and its 40,000 armed soldiers. Casualties on both sides plus civilians amounted to about 500 dead, 1000 wounded and 20,000 homeless due to widespread destruction over a square mile of Saigon. Many of the surviving Bình Xuyên fled to the countryside, taking refuge in the swamps of the Mekong River delta. The Bình Xuyên leader, Bảy Viễn, escaped to Paris with French assistance. A few members of the Bình Xuyên would wage guerrilla war against the Diệm government for the next two or three years and would eventually be absorbed into the Viet Cong guerrillas.


1955 in the Vietnam War, May
During three days of talks in Paris among Dulles, French Prime Minister Edgar Faure, and the British, Faure proposed that both the U.S. and France withdraw from Vietnam because "Diệm is leading to a catastrophe." Dulles did not agree and indicated that the U.S. would continue to support Diệm—even if that support caused the French to withdraw from South Vietnam. At this conference, in the words of historian Seth Jacobs, Vietnam became "America's war" rather than France's.


1955 in the Vietnam War, May
General Collins left Vietnam and his position as the senior U.S. official in South Vietnam to return to the United States. He had failed to persuade Dulles and the Eisenhower Administration that Diệm was not a viable leader of South Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, May
In the wake of Diệm's victory over the Bình Xuyên, he was lionized in the American media, notably by publisher Henry Luce in Life: "Every son, daughter, and even distant admirer of the American Revolution should be overjoyed and learn to shout...'Hurrah for Ngo Dinh Diem! '...Diem's political assets...are just what his country needs... He is a Roman Catholic and a simon-pure Vietnamese nationalist, thus doubly proof against communist force...back Diem to the hilt."


1955 in the Vietnam War, May
The United States signed a military assistance agreement with Cambodia, thus replacing France in providing assistance to the Cambodian armed forces.


1955 in the Vietnam War, May
French military forces withdrew from Saigon to a coastal enclave. From there they would be slowly withdrawn from Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, May
G. Frederick Reinhardt, a career diplomat, presented his credentials to Diệm as the U.S.'s new Ambassador to Vietnam. Dulles's instruction to Reinhardt was "to give complete, loyal, and sincere support to the government of President Diệm."


1955 in the Vietnam War, June
General Ely, French commander in South Vietnam, left the country signalling the pullout of all French military forces from Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, June
With the Bình Xuyên vanquished, Diệm turned his attention to conquering the Hòa Hảo. The battle between government troops began in Cần Thơ on 5 June. Five Hòa Hảo battalions surrendered immediately; Commander Ba Cụt and three remaining leaders fled to the Cambodian border. The other leaders soon surrendered but Ba Cụt and his 3,000 armed men continued to resist the army until 1956.


1955 in the Vietnam War, June
Ho Chi Minh made an official visit to China and the Soviet Union. He received pledges of $200 million in aid from China and $100 million from the Soviet Union, but neither China nor the Soviet Union agreed to attempt to pressure the United States and other Western countries to hold 1956 national elections in Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, June
Zhou Enlai, the premier of China, said the United States was violating the Geneva Accords and that the national elections scheduled for July 20, 1956, might not be held due to U.S. and South Vietnamese opposition.


1955 in the Vietnam War, July
Diệm in a speech said that South Vietnam was not bound by the Geneva Accords and that conditions necessary for free elections did not exist in the North.


1955 in the Vietnam War, July
The Geneva Accords called for consultations to begin on this date regarding national elections to select a government for a united Vietnam on July 20, 1956. Diệm refused to enter into talks with North Vietnam. He said that South Vietnam had not been a signatory of the Geneva Accords and that the "fundamental freedoms" for free and open elections did not exist under the communist government of North Vietnam. The United States declined to pressure Diệm into talks with the North Vietnamese.


1955 in the Vietnam War, August
The State Department stated that, "to avoid...accusations...of trying to sabotage the Geneva Settlement...the number of U.S. military personnel at present in Indochina at any given time should not exceed 342 persons, the number called for...at the time the Geneva Accord was signed.


1955 in the Vietnam War, August
Dulles publicly supported Diệm's position that conditions were not right in the North for free elections.


1955 in the Vietnam War, October
Diệm ordered the army to march on the Cao Đài political center in Tây Ninh under the shadow of the Black Virgin Mountain. He forced the Cao Đài pope, Pham Cong Tac, to flee to Cambodia where he died in 1959. Diệm absorbed the Cao Đài army into the fledgling Army of the Republic of Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, October
The State of Vietnam referendum of 1955 determined the future form of government of the State of Vietnam, the nation that was to become the Republic of Vietnam (widely known as South Vietnam). It was contested by Prime Minister Diệm, who proposed a republic, and former emperor Bảo Đại. Bảo Đại had abdicated as emperor in 1945 and at the time of the referendum held the title of head of state. Diệm won the election, which was widely marred by electoral fraud, with 98.2% of the vote. In the capital Saigon, Diệm was credited with over 600,000 votes, even though only 450,000 people were on the electoral roll. He accumulated tallies in excess of 90% of the registered voters, even in rural regions where opposition groups prevented voting.


1955 in the Vietnam War, October
Diệm was declared the winner of the election and President of the new Republic of Vietnam, more commonly called South Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, October
The government of South Vietnam reported that 676,348 Catholics, 209,132 Buddhists, and 1,041 Protestants had migrated to South Vietnam from the North since the conclusion of the Geneva Accords on July 20, 1954. The United States Navy's participation in the exodus from North Vietnam was called Operation Passage to Freedom.


1955 in the Vietnam War, October
Between 14,000 – 45,000 civilians and approximately 100,000 Viet Minh fighters moved from South Vietnam to the north. North Vietnam left behind in South Vietnam 8,000 to 10,000 covert civilian and military personnel, most of them members of the communist party


1955 in the Vietnam War, October
The American media portrayed the migration as a spontaneous flight from communism, but French scholar Bernard Fall accused the U.S. of stimulating the exodus in a "very successful psychological warfare operation" managed by Col. Edward Lansdale of the CIA.


1955 in the Vietnam War, November
The American Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) for South Vietnam was created. MAAG was reorganized from covering all of Indochina into MAAGs for each of the countries (Cambodia, Laos, South Vietnam). General Samuel Tankersley Williams was the chief of the newly created MAAG. (Due to the creation of the MAAG for Vietnam on this date, in 1998 after a high level review by the Department of Defense (DoD) and through the efforts of Richard B. Fitzgibbon's family, November 1, 1955, became the earliest qualifying date for inclusion of American combat deaths on the wall of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.


1955 in the Vietnam War, December
Graham Greene's novel The Quiet American was published in England and later in the U.S. It portrayed American policy in South Vietnam in a negative light. In the words of one reviewer, "American readers were incensed, perhaps not so much because of the biased portrait of obtuse and destructive American innocence and idealism but because...it was drawn with such acid pleasure by a middle-class English snob..." The principal American character in the novel is often erroneously believed to be modeled on CIA operative Edward Lansdale, but Greene began writing the novel before Lansdale's arrival in Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, December
The executive committee of the American Friends of Vietnam met for the first time. The AFVN was founded in the United States to encourage U.S. support for the Diệm government. The members included many prominent politicians, both Democrat and Republican, including John F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey and Mike Mansfield. The committee invited General John W. O'Daniel ("Iron Mike") to serve as Chairman of the Board of AFV. O'Daniel was a fervent supporter of Ngô Đình Diệm.


1955 in the Vietnam War, December
The Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States Department of Defense requested that the ceiling of 342 U.S. military personnel in South Vietnam be raised. With the ongoing withdrawal of the French, the manpower ceiling had become a "serious handicap." Dulles turned down the request to avoid violating the Geneva Accords which prohibited any increases in foreign military personnel in Vietnam.


1955 in the Vietnam War, December
South Vietnam withdrew from the French Union Assembly and terminated many financial and economic agreements with France, thus severing nearly all its former colonial ties to France.


1955 in the Vietnam War, December
The United States closed its embassy in Hanoi, thus ending formal diplomatic relations with North Vietnam. The U.S. would not restore diplomatic relations until 1998.


1955 in the Vietnam War, December
China informed North Vietnam that all members of the China Military Advisory Group, which had been in Vietnam since July 1950, would return to China. This action by China illustrated the Chinese view that the most important task of North Vietnam was to consolidate its rule rather than attempt to force reunification with South Vietnam.


1955 nine-pin bowling World Championships
The 1955 nine-pin bowling World Championships was the second edition of the championships and was held in Essen, West Germany, from 30 August to 5 September 1955.


1955 nine-pin bowling World Championships
In the men's competition the title was won by East Germany in the team competition and by Eberhard Luther (East Germany) in the individual event. In the women's competition the title was won by East Germany in the team competition and by Francka Erjavec (Yugoslavia) in the individual event. Czechoslovakia entered its first championship and earned a bronze medal in the men's team event.


1955 nine-pin bowling World Championships, Results, Men - team
The competition was played with 200 throws mixed (100 full, 100 clean). Teams were composed of 6 competitors and the scores were added up.


1955 nine-pin bowling World Championships, Results, Women - team
The competition was played with 100 throws mixed (50 full, 50 clean). Teams were composed of 6 competitors and the scores were added up.


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern
The 1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, also known in Romania as the Bern incident (Romanian: Incidentul de la Berna), was the brief seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Switzerland, by a group of Romanian émigrés who opposed the then-ruling communist regime between 14 and 16 February 1955.


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Events
The attack was planned and led by Oliviu Beldeanu, a sculptor born in 1924 in Dej. At the age of 15 he became a member of Frunză Verde ("Green Leaf"), a youth organisation associated with the fascist Iron Guard, and after the end of World War II he joined the anti-communist resistance movement. In 1949, he fled to the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, only to return a few months later, allegedly as an agent of the UDBA. In 1951, Beldeanu arrived in Italy; he later settled in Konstanz, West Germany.


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Events
In 1954, Beldeanu began preparing the assault on the Romanian embassy: he travelled several times to Switzerland, acquired the needed weapons and tools, and held training sessions with the other members of the group (Ion Chirilă, Stan Codrescu, Dumitru Ochiu and Tudor Ciochină).


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Events
On the evening of 14 February 1955, the group drove from Konstanz to Bern, broke into the embassy around midnight and entered the embassy's driver's residence. The members of the group then proceeded to discreetly search for secret documents.


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Events
Around 2:00 AM, Aurel Șețu, the embassy's driver (and possibly a Securitate agent) returned and entered into an altercation with Codrescu and Ochiu, following which Șețu was shot. Though hurt, the driver managed to leave the annex building, and was later discovered heavily bleeding under a tree. He was then transported to the hospital where he died. After the shooting most of the embassy's staff had fled.


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Events
The Swiss police was notified by the ambassador and surrounded the building, but without intervening, since the ambassador did not allow them to enter the property at first. The group demanded the release from Romanian prisons of several important personalities, such as Dinu Brătianu. On the night of 15/16 February, Dumitru Ochiu exited the embassy, carrying with him a number of documents; he was immediately arrested by the Swiss police. The rest of the group surrendered the next day.


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Events
The police returned the stolen documents immediately to the Romanian legation, thereby arising a lot of speculations about their content. The news agency "Globe Press" pretended that Aurel Șețu was the actual head of the Romanian legation and a senior Securitate officer and that the stolen documents were ciphered messages for Moscow. As the police of Bern later found out, this information had in fact been invented by a Czechoslovakian refugee.


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Motivations
According to its organizers, the attack's purpose was to attract international attention to the abuses, injustices and human rights violations perpetrated by the communist Romanian government, as well as exposing the espionage activities of the Romanian embassy in Switzerland.


1955 seizure of the Romanian embassy in Bern, Motivations
However, the Romanian government of the time accused the Iron Guard structure in exile (under the leadership of Horia Sima) and Western intelligence agencies of masterminding a fascist anti-Romanian plot with the complicity of the Swiss authorities.