What Happened in October 1955

Historical Events

  • Oct 1 Baltimore Colts fullback Alan Ameche becomes the first rookie in NFL history to top 100 yards rushing in his first 2 games; totals 153 against Detroit Lions after 194 yards in debut v Chicago Bears

The Honeymooners

Oct 1 Jackie Gleason's sitcom "The Honeymooners" debuts on CBS, replacing his variety series; production ends after 39 episodes

  • Oct 1 Piet Lieftinck becomes director v/h IMF (World bank)
  • Oct 1 WORA TV channel 5 in Mayaguez, PR (TCI) begins broadcasting
  • Oct 2 "Alfred Hitchcock Presents" premieres on CBS television in the US
  • Oct 2 9th NHL All-Star Game, Detroit Olympia, Detroit, MI: Detroit Red Wings beat All-Stars, 3-1
  • Oct 2 Chiva Stoica becomes premier of Romania
  • Oct 2 WHTN (now WOWK) TV ch 13 in Huntington-Charleston, WV (CBS) begins
  • Oct 3 "Mickey Mouse Club" premieres
  • Oct 3 Children's morning program "Captain Kangaroo" starring Bob Keeshan debuts on CBS-TV, beginiing a 29 year run - Good Morning, Captain!
  • Oct 3 Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira becomes President of Brazil
  • Oct 3 Soviet battleship "Novorossiisk" strikes WW II mine in Baltic Sea
  • Oct 3 WDBJ TV channel 7 in Roanoke, VA (CBS) begins broadcasting
  • Oct 3 WTVS TV channel 56 in Detroit, MI (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • Oct 4 Baseball World Series: Brooklyn Dodgers win their first WS with a 2-0 victory against arch-rival NY Yankees at Yankee Stadium in Game 7; MVP: Brooklyn pitcher Johnny Podres
  • Oct 4 Rev Sun Young Moon leaves prison in Seoul
  • Oct 7 Aircraft carrier USS Saratoga launched at Brooklyn

Event of Interest

Oct 7 Beat poet Allen Ginsberg reads his poem "Howl" for the first time at a poetry reading in San Francisco.

  • Oct 8 World's most powerful aircraft carrier, USS Saratoga, launched

Argentine History

Oct 11 All Peron feast days disposed of in Argentina

  • Oct 11 Persia signs Pact of Baghdad
  • Oct 13 1st edition of L'express publishes in Paris

Contract of Interest

Oct 15 Buddy Holley opens for Bill Haley & His Comets in Lubbock, Texas, and impresses Nashville scout Eddie Crandall, leading to a recording contract with a misspelling that creates "Buddy Holly"

  • Oct 17 Lee Merriwether joins Today Show panel

Sports History

Oct 18 "Track & Field" magazine names Jesse Owens all-time track athlete

  • Oct 18 Buganda Agreement between Andrew Cohen, Governor of Uganda Protectorate, and Mutesa II, Kabaka of Buganda

Event of Interest

Oct 18 The antiproton (antiparticle of the proton) is discovered at University of California by physicists Emilio Segrè and Owen Chamberlain - wins 1959 Nobel Prize for Physics

Banana Boat (Day-O)

Oct 20 Calypso singer Harry Belafonte records his signature tune "Day-O" (Banana Boat Song) in NYC

  • Oct 20 Ira Levin's stage comedy "No Time for Sergeants", based on Mac Hymans's novel, starring Andy Griffith, and featuring Don Knotts, opens at Alvin Theatre, NYC; runs for 796 performances

The Return of the King

Oct 20 Publication of "The Return of the King", the 3rd and final volume of "The Lord of the Rings" by J. R. R. Tolkien by George Allen and Unwin in London

  • Oct 20 Yanks begin 16-game exhibition in Japan
  • Oct 22 WWNY TV channel 7 in Carthage-Watertown, NY (CBS) begins broadcasting
  • Oct 23 Dominican Professional Baseball League moves to winter play for first time
  • Oct 25 Austria resumed its sovereignty after departure of last Allied occupation forces, for 1st time since German occupation of 1938

Sports History

Oct 25 Branch Rickey steps down as GM of the Pirates

  • Oct 25 Tappan sells 1st microwave oven
  • Oct 26 British troops occupy Saudi Arabian oil field at Boeraimi
  • Oct 26 First edition of "Village Voice" (NYC) published

Vietnamese History

Oct 26 Ngô Đình Diệm proclaims Vietnam a republic with himself as President

Rebel Without a Cause

Oct 27 "Rebel Without a Cause", directed by Nicholas Ray, starring James Dean and Natalie Wood, is released

  • Oct 27 Argentine peso devalued

Nobel Prize in Literature

Oct 27 Icelandic writer Halldór Laxness is awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature

  • Oct 27 Satomi Myodo, renews Zen nun vows & takes Buddhist name of Daien Myodo
  • Oct 28 Egypt and Saudi Arabia sign defense treaty
  • Oct 29 Belgium signs accord for 5 day work week (45 hours)
  • Oct 29 Emile Zatopek runs world record 15 mile (1:14:01) & 25,000m (1:16:36)
  • Oct 30 7th NASCAR Sprint Cup: Tim Flock wins
  • Oct 30 Businessman and horse breeder William Woodward, Jr. is shot dead by his wife Ann Cromwell after she mistook him for an intruder
  • Oct 30 Imtiaz Ahmed scores 209 v NZ, the record for a no 8 batsman
  • Oct 31 Bernardus Johannes Alfrink installed as Archbishop of Utrecht
1955 History

Famous Birthdays

  • Oct 1 Duško Tadić, Bosnian Serb politician and war criminal, born in Kozarac, Bosnia and Herzegovina
  • Oct 1 Howard Hewett, American R&B vocalist (Shalamar), born in Akron, Ohio
  • Oct 1 Jeff Reardon, American baseball pitcher (4-time MLB All Star; Montreal Expos, Minnesota Twins), born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
  • Oct 2 Philip Oakey, British rock vocalist (The Human League - "Don't You Want Me"), born in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England
  • Oct 3 Ángela Molina, Spanish actress (Lola, Streets of Gold, Half of Heaven), born in Madrid, Spain
  • Oct 3 [Douglas] Allen Woody, bassist (The Allman Brothers Band, Gov't Mule), born in Nashville, Tennessee (d. 2000)
  • Oct 4 Carmen Valero, Spanish athlete (IAAF World Cross Country C'ship gold 1976, 77; bronze 1975), born in Castelserás, Spain (d. 2024)
  • Oct 4 Gerry Ryan, Irish soccer forward (18 caps Republic of Ireland; Bohemians FC, Derby County, Brighton & Hove Albion), born in Dublin, Ireland (d. 2023)
  • Oct 4 John Rutherford, Scottish rugby union fly-half (42 caps; British & Irish Lions 1983), born in Selkirk, Scotland
  • Oct 4 Jorge Valdano, Argentine soccer forward and manager (23 caps; Real Madrid), born in Las Parejas, Argentina
  • Oct 5 Adair Ferguson, Australian rower (World C'ship gold single sculls 1985), born in Brisbane, Australia
  • Oct 5 Leo Barnes, Irish saxophonist (Hothouse Flowers - "I'm Sorry", "Don't Go")
  • Oct 6 Tony Dungy, American football coach
  • Oct 7 Ralph Johnson, American computer scientist
  • Oct 7 Yo-Yo Ma, Chinese-American cellist (2001 National Medal of Arts, 2011 Presidential Medal of Freedom), born in Paris, France

Bill Elliott (68 years old)

Oct 8 American auto racer (Winston Cup 1988), born in Dawsonville, Georgia

  • Oct 8 Darrell Hammond, American comedian (SNL), born in Melbourne, Florida
  • Oct 8 Lonnie Pitchford, American blues musician, born in Lexington, Mississipi (d. 1998)
  • Oct 9 Linwood Boomer, Canadian-American actor (Adam-Little House on the Prairie), born in Vancouver, British Columbia
  • Oct 9 Steve Ovett, British athlete (Olympics gold 800m, bronze 1500m 1980), born in Brighton, England
  • Oct 12 Ante Gotovina, Croatian army general accused of war crimes, born in Tkon, Croatia
  • Oct 12 Jane Siberry, Canadian singer-songwriter ("Calling All Angels"; "Everything Reminds Me Of My Dog"), born in Toronto, Ontario
  • Oct 12 Pat DiNizio, American rock singer, songwriter and guitarist (The Smithereens - "Only A Memory"; "Blue Period"), born in Scotch Plains, New Jersey (d. 2017)
  • Oct 13 Frans van Oostrom, Dutch jazz and blues guitarist, born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Oct 15 Cathy Ladman, American comedienne (Don't Tell Mom the Babysitter's Dead)
  • Oct 15 Kulbir Bhaura, British field hockey player (Olympic gold 1988), born in Jalandhar, Punjab, India

Victor Pecci (68 years old)

Oct 15 Paraguayan tennis star, born in Asuncion, Paraguay

  • Oct 16 Ellen Dolan, Monticello IO, actress (Guiding Light, Margo Hughes-ATWT)
  • Oct 17 Georgios Alogoskoufis, Greek politician
  • Oct 17 Kerry James Marshall, American artist whose works seek to challenge the marginalization of African-Americans, born in Birmingham, Alabama
  • Oct 17 Sam Bottoms, actor (Prime Risk, Savages), born in Santa Barbara, California
  • Oct 18 David Twohy, American movie director and screenwriter
  • Oct 18 Denis Watson, South African golfer (US Open 1985 runner-up; Senior PGA C'ship 2007), born in Harare, Zimbabwe
  • Oct 18 Rita Verdonk, Dutch politician
  • Oct 18 Timmy Mallett, British TV presenter
  • Oct 19 Lonnie Shelton, NBA forward (NY Knick, Seattle Supersonics)
  • Oct 19 Melpo Kosti, Greek actress
  • Oct 19 Nino DeFranco, Canadian pop guitarist (The DeFranco Family - "Heartbeat - It's a Lovebeat"), born in Port Colborne, Ontario
  • Oct 19 Pat Klous, Hutchinson Ks, actress (Marcy-Flying High, Judy-Love Boat)
  • Oct 19 Roland Dyens, French classical guitarist, composer, and arranger (Libra Sonatine), born in French Tunisia. (d. 2016)
  • Oct 20 Aaron Pryor, American welterweight boxing champion, born in Cincinnati, Ohio (d. 2016)
  • Oct 20 David Profumo, English novelist (Bringing the House Down), born in London, England
  • Oct 20 Robert ten Brink, Dutch TV host (All You Need Is Love), born in Amsterdam, Netherlands
  • Oct 20 Sheldon Whitehouse, American politician (Senator-D-Rhode Island 2007-), born in New York City
  • Oct 20 Thomas Newman, American film score composer (The Shawshank Redemption; Finding Nemo; Six Feet Under; WALL-E), born in Los Angeles, California
  • Oct 21 Eric Faulkner [Falconer], Scottish rock guitarist (Bay City Rollers - "Saturday Night"), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
  • Oct 21 Fred Hersch, American jazz pianist, composer, educator (New England Conservatory), and HIV/AIDS activist, born in Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Oct 21 Rich Mullins, American contemporary Christian music singer-songwriter ("Awesome God"), born in Richmond, Indiana (d. 1997)
  • Oct 23 Toshio Hosokawa, Japanese composer (Circulating Ocean), born in Hiroshima, Japan
  • Oct 24 Ghulam Parkar, Indian cricketer (Indian batsman v England 1982), born in Kaluste, Maharashtra, India
  • Oct 25 Danny Darwin, American baseball pitcher (Pittsburgh Pirates), born in Bonham, Texas
  • Oct 25 Glynis Barber, South African-English actress (Dempsey and Makepeace), born in Durban, South Africa
  • Oct 25 Robin Eubanks, American jazz trombonist, born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
  • Oct 25 Tim Rosaforte, American golf writer (Sports Illustrated, Golf Digest) and broadcaster (USA Network, Golf Channel), born in Mount Kisco, New York (d. 2022)
  • Oct 26 Christine Brewer, American operatic soprano, born in Grand Tower, Illinois
  • Oct 26 Stephen K Robinson, American PhD, and astronaut (STS 85, sk:95), born in Sacramento, California
  • Oct 27 Debra Bowen, American politician, 31st Secretary of State of California (2007-15), born in Rockford, Illinois

Bill Gates (68 years old)

Oct 28 American businessman and billionaire (founder and CEO of Microsoft, richest person in the world), born in Seattle, Washington

  • Oct 28 Indra Nooyi, Indian American businesswoman (CEO of PepsiCo), born in Madras, India
  • Oct 29 Boy Abunda, Filipino journalist and television personality, born in Borongan, Philippines
  • Oct 29 Kevin DuBrow, American heavy metal singer (Quiet Riot), born in Hollywood, California (d. 2007)
  • Oct 29 Roger O'Donnell, British rock keyboardist (The Cure - "Friday I'm In Love"), born in East London, England
  • Oct 30 Myanna [Pontoppidan], American jazz and funk saxophonist (Divine Dysfunktion), born in Monterey, California
  • Oct 30 Shanna Reed, American actress (Major Dad, Mirrors), born in Kansas City, Kansas
Born in 1955

Famous Weddings

  • Oct 2 American "The Honeymooners" actress Joyce Randolph (30) weds American publisher Richard Charles, until his death in 1997

Famous Deaths

  • Oct 1 Charles Christie, American film studio owner, dies at 75
  • Oct 2 O B Clarence, English actor (Penn of Pensnsylvania), dies at 85
  • Oct 4 Alexander Papagos, Greek fieldmarshal and supreme commander, dies at 71
  • Oct 9 Alice Joyce, American actress (Song O' My Heart), dies at 65
  • Oct 9 Theodor Innitzer, Austrian cardinal and archbishop of Vienna, dies at 79
  • Oct 12 Bernarr McFadden, American physical culture advocate, credited with beginning the culture of health and fitness in the United States, dies of a urinary tract infection at 87
  • Oct 13 Manuel Ávila Camacho, 45th President of Mexico (1940-46), dies at 58
  • Oct 15 Fumio Hayasaka, Japanese film score composer (Rashomon; Seven Samurai), dies of tuberculosis at 41
  • Oct 18 José Ortega y Gasset, Spanish philosopher and author (The Revolt of the Masses), dies at 72
  • Oct 19 Carlos Dávila, President of Government Junta of Chile (1932), dies at 68
  • Oct 19 John Hodiak, American actor (Battleground, A Bell for Adamo, Lifeboat), dies from coronary thrombosis at 41
  • Oct 20 Eino Roiha, Finnish pianist, composer, and musicologist dies at 51
  • Oct 21 Roy Minnett, Australian cricketer (all-rounder prior to WWI), dies
  • Oct 24 Alfred Radcliffe-Brown, British Anthropologist (Structural Functionalism and studies of Andaman Islanders and Australian Aborigines), dies at 74
  • Oct 26 Anthony Ross [Rosenthal], American stage (Bus Stop), and screen character actor (The Telltale Clue), dies of a heart attack at 46
  • Oct 26 Arne Eggen, Norwegian composer, dies at 74
  • Oct 27 Clark Griffith, American Baseball HOF pitcher (MLB ERA leader 1898 Chicago Colts/Orphans) and manager (Chicago WS, NY Highlanders, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Sens [owner]), dies at 85
  • Oct 27 Vladimir Mikhaylovich Deshevov, composer, dies at 66
  • Oct 31 Alban Collignon, Belgian sport journalist, dies at 74
  • Oct 31 William Woodward Jr., American businessman and horse breeder (Hanover National Bank), is shot by his wife after being mistaken for an intruder at 35