When This Dropped

July 29, 1955

President
Eisenhower
Dow (EOY)
488
Gas/gal
$0.29
Min Wage
$0.75

The federal minimum wage stood at $0.75/hr that summer of 1955, and the Dow Jones sat at 488 — the United States was in the middle of a stable postwar economic expansion, with full employment and consumer spending both running high. On screen and over the airwaves, audiences were watching the quiz sensation "The $64,000 Question" dominate television ratings, while Bill Haley & His Comets held the top spot on the charts with "Rock Around the Clock," a song that was beginning to signal a genuine shift in popular music taste. On August 27, the first edition of the "Guinness Book of Records" was published in London, creating what would become one of the bestselling reference books in history and giving the world a single authoritative place to measure human and natural achievement.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — July 29, 1955

New York Times
Time
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of July 29, 1955

Stassen Drafts Arms Curb; Would Ban Nuclear Bombs; Calls For End Of Producing And Testing Of Atomic Weapons -- Opposed By State Department And The Pentagon Stassen Asks Ban On Atomic Bombs

Congress Finishes Session;; President Gains Foes In Party Reduced -- Historic Moments Marked Sitting Congress Closes Overtime Session

World Events — July 1955

Time Person of the Year — 1955

John Foster Dulles
Person of the Year
John Foster Dulles

On the radio

Billboard Charts — July 29, 1955

Rock Around the Clock
Bill Haley & His Comets
Best Sellers #1
"Rock Around the Clock"
Bill Haley & His Comets

On the bookshelf

Marjorie Morningstar
NYT Fiction #1
"Marjorie Morningstar"
Gift from the Sea
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Gift from the Sea"
A Fable
William Faulkner
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"A Fable"
William Faulkner
A Fable
William Faulkner
National Book Award Fiction
"A Fable"
William Faulkner
The Measure of Man
Joseph Wood Krutch
National Book Award Nonfiction
"The Measure of Man"
Joseph Wood Krutch

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1954–55 Season

The $64,000 Question
Nielsen #1 TV Show
The $64,000 Question
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1954–55 Season

Emmy Winners — 1955

Producers' Showcase
Emmy Drama Series
Producers' Showcase
The Phil Silvers Show
Emmy Comedy Series
The Phil Silvers Show
Lloyd Nolan
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Emmy Lead Actor
Lloyd Nolan
The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial
Loretta Young
The Loretta Young Show
Emmy Lead Actress
Loretta Young
The Loretta Young Show

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — July 29, 1955

Mister Roberts
Box Office #1
Mister Roberts
Marty
Oscar Best Picture
Marty
Delbert Mann
Marty
Oscar Best Director
Delbert Mann
Marty
Ernest Borgnine
Marty
Oscar Best Actor
Ernest Borgnine
Marty
Anna Magnani
The Rose Tattoo
Oscar Best Actress
Anna Magnani
The Rose Tattoo

On the field

Sports Champions — July 29, 1955

NFL Champion
Cleveland Browns
World Series
Brooklyn Dodgers
def. New York Yankees
NBA Champion
Syracuse Nationals
def. Fort Wayne Pistons
Stanley Cup
Detroit Red Wings
def. Montreal Canadiens

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