1954

World Events

• Brown v. Board of Education decides unanimously that segregation is unconstitutional, overthrowing the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson ruling that had set the "separate but equal" precedent.
• Roger Bannister runs a four-minute mile, a feat previously considered impossible.
• Joseph McCarthy is censured by the United States Senate, concluding the anti-communist campaign that consumed American politics for the past 4 years.

San Diego History

• San Diego's new Public Library opens.
• The University of San Diego is founded when two smaller Catholic institutions, the College for Women and College for Men merge.

Arts

• Lassie, America's best-known dog, saves little Jeff. Our tireless hero will go on to save him, Timmy, and many other people for the next 16 years.
• The Wild One with Marlon Brando opens.
• William Golding publishes The Lord of the Flies.

• British artist, Francis Bacon, reworks the Diego Velazquez portrait of Pope Leo X, adding a side of beef and a horrific facial expression. His painting Head Surrounded by Sides of Beef would be the beginning of his Papal series.
• Bill Haley and the Comets release Rock With Bill Haley and The Comets. Rock around the Clock becomes the first rock and roll song to hit number 1 on the charts.
• Jasper Johns creates his first Flag painting.

American Life

• After years of testing nuclear weapons, scientists begin worrying about levels of radioactive pollution in the atmosphere. Hollywood uses this fear to launch a new wave of mutant monster films, beginning with Them!, which features killer giant ants.
• 45% of Americans smoke at least one pack of cigarettes and 90% of adults drink 3-4 cups of coffee a day. The U.S. contains 6% of the world's population, but has 60% of the cars, 58% of all telephones, 45% of all radios, and 34% of all railroads.
• RCA introduces the color television.

• Swanson TV Dinners change American eating habits. Frozen dinners make cooking easy and television viewing a part of the meal. The television family particularly enjoyed eating its frozen chicken with a new show, Father Knows Best.
• Sun Myung Moon founds the Unification Church, aka the Moonies.
• L. Ron Hubbard founds Scientology