Skip to content
Back Then

Your time capsule is ready

In your 71 years you’ve been around for…

  • 16 Prime Ministers
  • 2 monarchs
  • the first Moon landing
  • 18 World Cups
  • +5.4 billion people on Earth

1955

The world you arrived into

1955

Disneyland opened

Walt Disney’s first theme park opened in Anaheim, California on 17 July 1955.

1955

James Dean died aged 24

The star of Rebel Without a Cause was killed in a car crash on 30 September 1955, becoming an icon forever young.

1955

What people were listening to

Now playing in 1955

  • "Rock Around the Clock" hit the top

    Bill Haley and His Comets took rock ’n’ roll to number one, announcing a new era to British teenagers.

1955

At the cinema and on television

movies

The Ladykillers premiered

The last great Ealing comedy, starring Alec Guinness, reached cinemas in 1955.

movies

Rebel Without a Cause was released

James Dean’s defining film arrived in cinemas weeks before his death.

1955

People who share your birth year

people

The personal-computer pioneers were all born this year

Steve Jobs (February), Tim Berners-Lee (June) and Bill Gates (October) all arrived in 1955.

When these arrived

You were only…

  • 14 The Moon landing 1969
  • 16 The first email 1971
  • 24 The Sony Walkman 1979
  • 34 The World Wide Web was invented 1989
  • 39 The PlayStation 1994
  • 43 Google was founded 1998

A gentle reality check

Things that are younger than you

  • 1957 Sputnik 1, the first satellite
  • 1959 The Mini went on sale
  • 1961 The first human in space
  • 1963 Doctor Who first aired
  • 1967 The first cash machine
  • 1969 The Moon landing
  • 1969 Concorde's first flight
  • 1969 Colour TV arrived on BBC1
See all 56 things younger than you →

1955 vs today

A few things have changed since you arrived

A few things 1955 Today
  • Everyone on Earth about 2.8 billion about 8.2 billion

Indicative sample data — being verified and expanded.

See the full Then vs Now →

Pick the version you want to share

My year

Know someone born in 1955? Send them their year — or see every way to explore 1955.

Keep exploring