1953

Events

Dated Events

• DC (Generations): February. Sometime during or before this month, Jimmy Olsen and Lucy Lane married. James Gordon escapes and finds his way to Wayne Manor to tell Batman (whom he had deduced was really Wayne) about Ra's al Ghul. Batman passes the information on to the rest of the Justice Society of America. Superman (having gone into space to search for a cure to cancer) and Abin Sur of the Green Lantern Corps help liberate a world near the star Delta Vega, and they return to Earth to meet Alan Scott. Steve Trevor's plane is shot down by North Koreans, and although he is saved by Wonder Girl, he dies on the way to Themyscira. Stephanie Trevor and Kara Kent are born. (Superman & Batman: Generations II, Superman & Batman: Generations)

• Real World: February 28. James Watson and Francis Crick announce that they have determined the structure of DNA.

• Real World: March 6. Georgy Malenkov replaces Stalin as premier of the Soviet Union.

• Real World: March 26. Jonas Salk announces his polio vaccine.

• Real World: May 25. The United States conducts a test of a nuclear artillery weapon at the Nevada Test Site; no further tests are attempted.

• Real World: May 29. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay perform the first successful ascent to the top of Mt. Everest.

• Real World: June 2. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom is coronated.

• Real World: July 26. An attack by Fidel Castro sparks the Cuban Revolution.

• Real World: July 27. The Korean War ends with an armistice agreement.

• Quantum Leap: August 8. Sam Beckett is born. ("Mirror Image")

• Real World: August 19. The CIA helps reinstate the Shah of Iran.

• Real World: December 30. The first color television sets go on sale.

Undated Events

• Tenchi Muyo, Tenchi Universe, Tenchi in Tokyo, Tenchi Muyo in Love: Achika Masaki is born. (Source unknown)

• DC (The New Frontier): J'onn J'onzz is teleported to Earth by Dr. Erdel.

New Fictional Works

Notable Books

Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester, Casino Royale by Ian Fleming, The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis.

Notable Films

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Beast from 20,000 Fathoms, Captain Scarlett, Donovan's Brain, House of Wax, Invaders from Mars, It Came from Outer Space, Knights of the Round Table, The Lost Planet (serial), The Magnetic Monster, The Master of Ballantrae, The Neanderthal Man, Peter Pan, Pickup on South Street, Project Moon Base, The Robe, Robot Monster, The Sword and the Rose, The Twonky, The War of the Worlds, Wuthering Heights.

Notable Television Series

• Beginning: Flash Gordon, The Quatermass Experiment.

• Continuing: The Adventures of Superman (Season 2), Captain Video and His Video Rangers (Season 5), Space Patrol (Season 4), Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (Season 5).

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