What A Year 1954 Was; Dorothy Dandridge and Harry Belafonte headlined Carmen Jones, a rare major film production with an all-black cast. Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock released two of his top nail-biters: Dial M for Murder and Rear Window. William Holden and Audrey Hepburn snagged top acting Oscars, while Jack Lemmon, Kim Novak and Paul Newman made their big screen debuts. Ron Howard, Oprah Winfrey and Denzel Washington were born. I Love Lucy was tops on TV and the Tonight Show debuted on NBC with Steve Allen hosting. Mass production of color TVs got underway. Doris Day and Perry Como topped the pop charts while an unknown 19-year-old Elvis Presley paid 4 dollars to record an acetate demo record and Little Richard caught the attention of record execs. The U.S. exploded the first A-Bomb. French forces in Vietnam had their backs against the wall as Communist guerrillas advanced spurring President Eisenhower to approve a plan for training South Vietnam army. Artists Frida Kahlo and Henri Matisse passed away while Ernest Hemingway received the Nobel Prize for literature. Jo DiMaggio and Marilyn Monroe honeymooned in Japan and Nightclub; Sammy Davis Jr. suffered the loss of his left eye in a California car accident. A 3-bedroom house in Santa Monica, CA, went for 15,900.00 and a 21 inch TV for 290.00. Yo-Yos were big and TV dinners were a hit. Willie Mays resumed his career with the New York Giants following his military stint as the Cleveland Browns beat the Detroit Lions in an upset victory to take the pro football championship. Nostalgic, informative and sometimes tongue-in-cheek, WHAT A YEAR IT WAS is a fascinating look back at the headline events of 1954. Our big, classic hardbound yearbook is filled to bursting with stories, photos, and artwork detailing the movies, music, shows, sports, fashion, news, people, places, and events that made 1954 unique and memorable. This 2nd Edition publication features a striking and colorful new cover with deluxe UV coating.