world
Disneyland opened
Walt Disney’s first theme park opened in Anaheim, California on 17 July 1955.
Born in 1937
It was 1955 when you turned 18
You arrived in 1937. By 1955 — 71 years ago now — the world had moved on. Here's what it looked like.
Turning 71 this year Part of a Baby Boomer
You arrived as rock ’n’ roll was about to shake everything up.
1955
The world you arrived into
culture
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
music
"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.
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Keep exploring
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See the world you were born into →
The full picture for 1937 — music, movies, technology and more.
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Things that are younger than you →
From the NHS to the iPhone — how much arrived after you did?
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Your life in history →
A timeline of your milestones, matched with history.
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Compare 1937 with 1998 →
Two birth years, side by side. Try it with family.