Look Back To 1955: What Happened That Year

ITV launched, rock and roll arrived and Britain got its first television adverts.

Here's 1955 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

In the charts in 1955

• Bill Haley's 'Rock Around the Clock' reached number one in November and again the following year.
• 'Rose Marie' by Slim Whitman spent eleven weeks at number one.
• Dickie Valentine's 'Christmas Alphabet' was the Christmas number one.

In the news in 1955

• Anthony Eden became Prime Minister in April after Churchill resigned.
• Ruth Ellis was the last woman hanged in Britain, in July.
• A national rail strike in the spring disrupted the country for weeks.

On screen in 1955

• ITV launched on 22 September; the first advert was for Gibbs SR toothpaste.
• The Quatermass Experiment film was released after the television serial.
• Crossroads was years away, but soap opera formats were being tried.

In sport in 1955

• Chelsea won their first league title.
• Newcastle United won the FA Cup for the third time in five years.
• Stirling Moss won the British Grand Prix at Aintree.

Everyday life in 1955

• Coffee bars with Gaggia machines opened in Soho and then everywhere.
• Teddy boy style - drape jackets, brothel creepers, quiffs - was the first teenage uniform.
• Commercial television meant jingles entered everyday speech.

If you were born in 1955

• Anyone born in 1955 is the same age as ITV.
• They were born the year rock and roll reached the British chart.
• Anyone born in 1955 turns 30 in 1985, 40 in 1995, 50 in 2005, 60 in 2015 and 70 in 2025.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

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How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1958
• Look back to 1957
• Look back to 1956
• Look back to 1954
• Look back to 1953
• Look back to 1952
• The 1950s: the whole decade
• 1950s party playlist
• Wartime and 1950s party games
• Playground games by region
• Clapping games and skipping rhymes
• Seaside and beach games
• Sweets that disappeared
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
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• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
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• Care home reminiscence quiz
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• Shop birthday cards
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• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was the first advert on British television?

Gibbs SR toothpaste, on ITV's opening night, 22 September 1955.

What was the Christmas number one in 1955?

'Christmas Alphabet' by Dickie Valentine.

How old is someone born in 1955?

Subtract 1955 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1995, 50 in 2005, 60 in 2015 and 70 in 2025.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.