Fun facts from 1953

• Life Expectancy in the United States: 68.8 years
  
  
• United States Population: 160,184,192
  
  
• World Population: 2.681 billion
  
  
• June 19: Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed after their conviction for espionage
  
  
• First successful open heart surgery was performed in Philadelphia
  
  
• Dwight D. Eisenhower was President and Richard Nixon was Vice President in 1953
  
  
• Playboy magazine hits newsstands with Marilyn Monroe on the cover
  
  
• Cost of a first class postage stamp was 3 cents
  
  
• Bazooka Joe first appears on Topps comics
  
  

More fun facts from 1953--

• February 18: Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz sign an 8 million dollar contract to continue the I Love Lucy show through 1955
  
  
• April 3: TV Guide is published for the first time
  
  
• September 29: "Make Room for Daddy" debuts on CBS
  
  
• December 30: Westinghouse releases the first color tv which sold for $1250
  
  
• "Romper Room" premiers
  
  
• December 24: "Dragnet" becomes the first network sponsored tv show

• 1953 World Series was: New York Yankees vs. Brooklyn Dodgers (4-2)
  
  
• Kentucky Derby Champion: Dark Star
  
  
• Stanley Cup: Montreal vs. Boston (4-1)
  
  
• NCAA Basketball Championship: Indiana vs. Kansas (69-68)
  
  
• NBA Championship: Minneapolis Lakers vs. New York (4-1)
  
  
• If you’re celebrating your 55th birthday this year, here is some information about the:
  
  

• The first year the Academy Awards were broadcast on television



• Best Motion Picture: "The Greatest Show on Earth"
  
  
• Best Actor: Marlon Brando in "Julius Caesar"
  
  
• Best Actress: Leslie Caron in "Lili"

• Dean Martin had the hit song, "That's Amore"
  
  
• Frank Sinatra begins recording at Capitol Records
  
  
• Hank Williams had the hit "Your Cheatin' Heart"
  
  
• Elvis Presley records for the first time
  
  
• The Platters' musical career begins

• January 19:Desi Arnaz, Jr.
  
  
• May 6: Tony Blair
  
  
• March 23: Chaka Khan
  
  
• August 11: Hulk Hogan
  
  
• August 16: Kathie Lee Gifford
  
  
• September 2: John Zorn