Timeline September 1955

Events in September 1955 7

• 1931 – 1955 James Dean (1931-1955) Died 30 September 1955, aged 24 James Dean was an American actor known for his roles in East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause. He died in a car crash near Cholame, California, while driving his Porsche 550 Spyder. His death shortly before Rebel Without a Cause's release cemented his status as a cultural icon.
• 1955 – 1956 Little Rock crisis -- Armstrong speaks out In September 1957, Armstrong speaks out publicly about the Little Rock crisis -- Governor Orval Faubus's use of the National Guard to prevent Black students from entering Central High School. Armstrong, normally careful to avoid public political controversy, is furious. He tells a reporter: 'The way they are treating my people in the South, the government can go to hell.' He cancels a State Department tour of the Soviet Union, saying he cannot represent a government that treats its Black citizens as second-class. The statement shocks an industry accustomed to Armstrong's diplomatic public persona.
• 1955 Lolita published Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel appears in Paris Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita was published by Olympia Press in Paris after being rejected by American publishers over its subject matter. The book later became a bestseller and a landmark of twentieth-century literature. It was not published in the United States until 1958.
• 1955 Velcro patented George de Mestral's hook-and-loop fastener receives a US patent Swiss engineer George de Mestral was granted a United States patent for Velcro, a hook-and-loop fastener he developed after studying how burrs stuck to his dog's fur. The invention became widely used in clothing, aerospace, and countless consumer products. De Mestral had first patented the design in Switzerland in 1951.
• 1955 Little Richard records Tutti Frutti J&M Studio, New Orleans A wild, cleaned-up club song that becomes a rock and roll landmark.
• 1955 Revolución Libertadora overthrows Perón Military coup ends Juan Perón's presidency in Argentina A military and civilian uprising known as the Revolución Libertadora forced President Juan Perón from power and into exile. The coup ended Perón's nearly decade-long rule and ushered in years of political instability in Argentina. Perón would not return to the presidency until 1973.
• 1955 Dwight D. Eisenhower suffers a heart attack He falls ill while on holiday in Denver and recovers in time to run again in 1956.