Title: 1953 Content: 1953 (MCMLIII) was . == Events == *January 20 - Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes the 34th President of the United States. *January 31 - In the night to February 1, a storm severely floods parts of the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom. *May 29 – Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first humans to reach the top of Mount Everest. *June 2 - Elizabeth II is crowned Queen of the United Kingdom and Commonwealth realms. *June 17 - Uprising in East Germany. *July 27 – Korean War ends *July 29 – the architect Piero Portaluppi and Gualtiero Galmanini begins in Milano the construction of the Palace d'Este, completed in 1936, a masterpiece of Italian Rationalism. *August 12 - 1953 Ionian earthquake struck the southern Ionian Islands in Greece *The Taito Corporation is founded in Japan == Births == *January 9 – Morris Gleitzman, English writer *January 10 - Pat Benatar, American singer *January 18 - László Simion, Romanian politician Hungarian nationalities UDMR. *January 21 – Paul Allen, American entrepreneur *January 23 - Robin Zander, American singer (Cheap Trick) *January 24 - Matthew Wilder, American singer- songwriter *January 26 - Anders Fogh Rasmussen, former Prime Minister of Denmark and current NATO Secretary-General *February 8 - Mary Steenburgen, American actress *February 11 – Jeb Bush, American politician *February 11 - William Aviv, Jewish actor and politician *February 16 - Loran Bini, Kosovo Christian politician of Bosnian ethnicity *February 19 – Cristina Fernández, President of Argentina *February 25 – Levon Mkrtchyan, Armenian movie director *February 25 - Jose Maria Aznar, former Prime Minister of Spain *February 26 - Michael Bolton, American singer *February 27 - Ian Khama, President of Botswana *February 28 - Paul Krugman, American economist *March 3 - Zico, Brazilian footballer *March 16 – Richard Stallman, Computer programmer and political activist *March 26 – Lincoln Chafee, American politician *April 11 - Guy Verhofstadt, former Prime Minister of Belgium *April 11 - Andrew Wiles, British mathematician *April 20 - Sebastian Faulks, British writer *May 2 - Valery Gergiev, Russian conductor *May 6 – Tony Blair, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom *May 6 - Graeme Souness, Scottish footballer and manager *May 8 - Alex Van Halen, musician (Van Halen) *May 8 - Billy Burnette, American singer and guitarist (Fleetwood Mac) *May 14 - Norodom Sihamoni, King of Cambodia *May 16 - Pierce Brosnan, Irish actor *May 19 - Victoria Wood, British actress and comedienne *May 24 - Alfred Molina, British actor *May 25 – Eve Ensler, American playwright *May 29 – Danny Elfman, American musician (Oingo Boingo) *June 1 - David Berkowitz, American serial killer *June 2 - Keith Allen, English actor and comedian *June 2 - Cornel West, American theologian and activist *June 4 – Linda Lingle, American politician *June 8 - Ivo Sanader, former Prime Minister of Croatia *June 15 - Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the Communist Party and President of China *June 21 – Benazir Bhutto, Pakistani politician (d. 2007) *June 22 - Cyndi Lauper, American singer *July 1 - Jadranka Kosor, former Prime Minister of Croatia *July 11 - Leon Spinks, American boxer *July 21 - Jeff Fatt, Australian musician (The Wiggles) *July 29 – Geddy Lee, Canadian musician and singer (Rush) *July 31 – James Read, American actor *August 17 - Herta Mueller, German writer *August 27 – Alex Lifeson, Canadian musician (Rush) *September 2 – John Zorn, American musician *September 3 – Jean-Pierre Jeunet, French director *September 4 - Fatih Terim, Turkish football manager *September 11 - Tommy Shaw, American guitarist (Styx) *September 20 - Mihaly Kincses, Hungarian politician and doctor *September 22 – Ségolène Royal, French politician *October 1 – Klaus Wowereit, German politician *November 14 – Dominique de Villepin, Premier of France *November 14 – Jos Oehlen, Dutch sculptor *November 16 - Griff Rhys- Jones, British actor, comedian and writer *November 26 - Hilary Benn, British politician *November 28 - Alistair Darling, British politician *December 6 - Geoff Hoon, British politician *December 8 - Kim Basinger, American actress *December 9 – John Malkovich, American actor and director *December 13 - Ben Bernanke, American chairman of the Federal Reserve *December 26 - Toomas Hendrik Ilves, President of Estonia *December 28 - Martha Wash, American singer (The Weather Girls) == Deaths == *January 1 – Hank Williams, American musician *January 28 – James Scullin, Prime Minister of Australia (b. 1876) *March 5 – Joseph Stalin, Soviet leader assassinated (b.1878) *March 5 – Sergei Prokofiev, Russian composer (b. 1891) *March 24 - Mary of Teck, Consort of George V of the United Kingdom (b. 1866) *September 28 - Edwin Hubble, American astronomer (b. 1891) *September 29 – Ernst Reuter, German politician (b. 1889) *October 9 – Jimmy Finlayson, Scottish-American actor (b. 1887) *November 9 – Dylan Thomas, Welsh poet (b. 1914) == Hit Songs == * "Answer Me" - David Whitfield * "Answer Me" - Frankie Laine * "Broken Wings" - The Stargazers * "Don't Let the Stars Get in Your Eyes" - Perry Como * "(How Much is) That Doggie in the Window?" - Lita Rosa * "(How Much is) That Doggie in the Window?" - Patti Page * "I Believe" - Frankie Laine (The biggest song of the year) * "I'm Walking Behind You" - Eddie Fisher and Sally Sweetland * "Let's Walk That A-Way" - Johnnie Ray and Doris Day * "Outside of Heaven" - Eddie Fisher * "She Wears Red Feathers" - Guy Mitchell