Also Within this year in history

In 1954, a year of breakthroughs, the first successful polio vaccine rolled out and the U.S. Supreme Court ruled school segregation unconstitutional. In England, Roger Bannister became the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. Two pop-culture titans, movie star Marilyn Monroe and baseball slugger Joe DiMaggio, tied the knot. And Bill Haley and His Comets released “Rock Around the Clock,” one of the earliest and most successful rock ‘n’ roll records.

May

17

Students In 'Brown V. Board Of Education'

Portrait of the children involved in the landmark Civil Rights lawsuit 'Brown V. Board of Education,' which challenged the legality of American public school segregation, Topeka, Kansas, 1953. From front, Vicki Henderson, Donald Henderson, Linda Brown (the 'Brown' of the case's name), James Emanuel, Nancy Todd, and Katherine Carper. (Photo by Carl Iwasaki/Getty Images)

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Nov

12

U.S. Immigration Employee Waves Goodbye

U.S. Immigration Service employee who has worked there for 30 years finally waves goodbye to Ellis Island after the Immigration Service is closed for good after 62 years, New York, United States, 12th November 1954. (Photo by CORBIS/Bettmann-UPI/Getty Images)

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