When This Dropped

August 7, 1953

President
Eisenhower
Dow (EOY)
281
Gas/gal
$0.29
Min Wage
$0.75

The federal minimum wage stood at $0.75/hr that summer of 1953, and the Dow Jones sat at 281 — the Korean War armistice was being actively negotiated, with Congress leaving the fate of a truce agreement to President Eisenhower as fighting continued on the peninsula. On American screens and radio waves, "I Love Lucy" had just won the Emmy for best comedy and Eddie Fisher's "I'm Walking Behind You" sat at the top of the music charts. That July, Austrian climber Hermann Buhl completed the first ascent of Nanga Parbat in the Pakistan Himalayas — the world's ninth highest mountain — reaching the 26,660-foot summit alone, without supplemental oxygen, on a German-Austrian expedition.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — August 7, 1953

New York Times
Time
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of August 7, 1953

Dulles And Korean Sign Defense Pact; Rhee Gives Pledge; Seoul Chief Promises No Move To Break Armistice For 90 Days Of Political Parley Treaty Now Up To Senate Joint Statement Voices Aim To Unify Land Peacefully But Does Not Commit U. S. To Fight Dulles Signs Pact With South Korea

World Events — August 1953

Time Person of the Year — 1953

Queen Elizabeth II
Person of the Year
Queen Elizabeth II

On the radio

Billboard Charts — August 7, 1953

I'm Walking Behind You
Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra
Best Sellers #1
"I'm Walking Behind You"
Eddie Fisher with Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra

On the bookshelf

The Robe
NYT Fiction #1
"The Robe"
The Power of Positive Thinking
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"The Power of Positive Thinking"
The Old Man and the Sea
Ernest Hemingway
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"The Old Man and the Sea"
Ernest Hemingway
Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison
National Book Award Fiction
"Invisible Man"
Ralph Ellison
The Course of Empire
Bernard DeVoto
National Book Award Nonfiction
"The Course of Empire"
Bernard DeVoto

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1952–53 Season

I Love Lucy
Nielsen #1 TV Show
I Love Lucy
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1952–53 Season

Emmy Winners — 1953

The U.S. Steel Hour
Emmy Drama Series
The U.S. Steel Hour
I Love Lucy
Emmy Comedy Series
I Love Lucy
Donald O'Connor
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Emmy Lead Actor
Donald O'Connor
The Colgate Comedy Hour
Eve Arden
Our Miss Brooks
Emmy Lead Actress
Eve Arden
Our Miss Brooks

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — August 7, 1953

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
Box Office #1
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
From Here to Eternity
Oscar Best Picture
From Here to Eternity
Fred Zinnemann
From Here to Eternity
Oscar Best Director
Fred Zinnemann
From Here to Eternity
William Holden
Stalag 17
Oscar Best Actor
William Holden
Stalag 17
Audrey Hepburn
Roman Holiday
Oscar Best Actress
Audrey Hepburn
Roman Holiday

On the field

Sports Champions — August 7, 1953

NFL Champion
Detroit Lions
World Series
New York Yankees
def. Brooklyn Dodgers
NBA Champion
Minneapolis Lakers
def. New York Knicks
Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens
def. Boston Bruins

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