- Jan 3 "Dragnet" with Jack Webb premieres on NBC TV
The Greatest Show on Earth
Jan 10 "The Greatest Show on Earth", directed and produced by Cecil B. DeMille, starring James Stewart and Charlton Heston, premieres in New York (Best Picture 1953)
- Jan 14 "Today Show" premieres with Dave Garroway & Jack Lescoulie on NBC-TV
First African-American TV Executive
Feb 4 Jackie Robinson becomes the 1st African American executive of a major US TV and radio station as Director of Community Activities at radio WNBC-NY and TV station WNBT
African Queen
Feb 20 "African Queen" film directed by John Huston, starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn is released in the US
Golden Globes
Feb 21 9th Golden Globes: "A Place in the Sun", Fredric March, & Jane Wyman win
- Mar 20 24th Academy Awards: "An American in Paris", Humphrey Bogart and Vivien Leigh win
Singin' in the Rain
Mar 27 "Singin' in the Rain", musical comedy film directed by Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen, starring Gene Kelly and Debbie Reynolds, premieres at Radio City Music Hall in NYC
- Apr 30 Mr Potato Head is 1st toy advertised on television
- May 2 John Cage's "Water Music" - for a solo pianist, using a piano, a radio, whistles, water containers, and a deck of cards - premieres in New York City
- May 5 "Lucy Does a TV Commercial" (also known as "Vitameatavegamin") episode of "I Love Lucy" premieres, garnering 68% of US television viewers
- May 8 5th British Film and Television Awards (BAFTAs): "La Ronde" Best Film
5th Cannes Film Festival
May 10 5th Cannes Film Festival: "The Tragedy of Othello: The Moor of Venice" directed by Orson Welles and "Two Cents Worth of Hope" directed by Renato Castellani jointly awarded the Grand Prix du Festival International du Film
Boxing Title Fight
Jun 5 1st sporting event televised nationally - Jersey Joe Walcott beats Ezzard Charles in 15 rounds for heavyweight boxing title, at Municipal Stadium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Jun 12 2nd Berlin International Film Festival: "One Summer of Happiness" wins Golden Bear (audience vote)
- Jun 19 "I've Got A Secret" debuts on CBS-TV with Garry Moore as host
- Jun 30 "Guiding Light" soap opera moves from radio to TV
- Jul 1 English architect Michael Ventris says he has solved one of the 20th century's greatest linguistic riddles, by deciphering Linear B in BBC interview. Is an ancient form of Greek on clay tablets from Minoan palace of Knossos. [1]
- Jul 18 KWGN TV channel 2 in Denver, Colorado (IND) begins broadcasting
The Quiet Man
Jul 21 "The Quiet Man" film directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara is released in the UK
High Noon
Jul 24 "High Noon", American Western film directed by Fred Zinnemann, starring Gary Cooper and Thomas Mitchell, is released
Venice Film Festival
Aug 20 13th Venice Film Festival: "Genghis Khan" directed by Manuel Conde wins the Golden Lion
- Aug 29 New York premiere of history-based film "The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima"
Quadrille
Sep 12 Noël Coward's play "Quadrille" premieres in London
Adventures of Superman
Sep 19 "Adventures of Superman" TV series starring George Reeves premieres in syndication in the US
Charlie Chaplin Banned
Sep 19 The United States bars Charlie Chaplin from re-entering the country after a trip to England
Top Banana
Oct 4 Johnny Mercer's musical "Top Banana", starring Phil Silvers, closes at Winter Garden Theater, NYC. after 356 performances and a Tony Award win
American Bandstand
Oct 7 First "Bandstand" broadcast in Philadelphia on WFIL-TV (Dick Clark joins in 1955 as a substitute-host)
- Oct 12 KBTV (now KUSA) TV channel 9 in Denver, CO (ABC) begins broadcasting
- Oct 23 Charlie Chaplin's "Limelight", starring himself and Claire Bloom, with an appearance by Buster Keaton, premieres in New York City; Not released in Los Angeles until 1972, winning Chaplin his only competitive Academy Award for original score
- Nov 13 KLBK TV channel 13 in Lubbock, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Nov 27 KTBC TV channel 7 in Austin, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Nov 30 Jackie Robinson accuses the NY Yankees of racial bias on national television
- Dec 2 First human birth televised to public on KOA-TV Denver, Colorado
- Dec 3 1st TV broadcast in Hawaii
- Dec 7 KKTV TV channel 11 in Colorado Spgs-Pueblo, CO (CBS) 1st broadcast
- Dec 10 WSLS TV channel 10 in Roanoke, VA (NBC) begins broadcasting
- Dec 14 KROD (now KDBC) TV channel 4 in El Paso, TX (CBS) begins broadcasting
- Dec 15 KHON TV channel 2 in Honolulu, HI (NBC) begins broadcasting
Two's Company
Dec 15 Vernon Duke, Ogden Nash and Sammy Cahn's musical revue "Two's Company", starring Bette Davis, and choreographed by Jerome Robbins, opens at Alvin Theater, NYC; runs for 90 performances
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