* 1955 – Keith Hunter Jesperson, Canadian serial killer

* 1955 – Cathy Jones, Canadian comedian

* 1955 – Blind Mississippi Morris, American blues musician

* 1955 – Michael Rooker, American actor

* 1955 – The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.

* 1955 – Nicolas Hulot, French journalist

* 1955 – Dimitra Liani, Greek air hostess, widow of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou

* 1955 – Laura Fygi, Dutch singer

* 1955 – Robert Richardson, American cinematographer

* 1955 – Diana Scarwid, American actress

* 1956 – After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster DuMont Television Network makes its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena in New York in the Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena series.

* 1868 – Paul Claudel, French poet ( d. 1955 )

* 1881 – Alexander Fleming, Scottish scientist, Nobel Prize laureate ( d. 1955 )

* 1955 – Gregory Bryant-Bey, American convicted murderer ( d. 2008 )

* 1955 – Rusty Magee, American composer ( d. 2003 )

* 1955 – Peter Schmuck, American columnist

* 1955 – John E. Sweeney, American politician

* 1955 – Keith Ahlers, English race car driver

* 1955 – Hideo Fukuyama, Japanese race car driver

* 1955 – Paul Greengrass, English director

* 1865 – John Radecki, Australian artist ( d. 1955 )

* 1955 – Caleb Carr, American author and historian

* 1955 – Tim Dunigan, American actor

* 1955 – Tony Godden, English footballer

* Rob Carpenter ( running back ) ( born 1955 ), American football running back

Rob Hubbard ( born 1955, Kingston upon Hull, England ) is a music composer best known for his composition of computer game theme music, especially for microcomputers of the 1980s such as the Commodore 64.

Rob Dean ( born 23 April 1955 ) is a British musician, who rose to prominence playing guitar as a member of the British New Wave band Japan.

Among the others were General Sir Rob Lockhart, Lt-Gen Sir Dudley Russell, and Maj-Gen H Williams, who, as Engineer-in-Chief, was the last to retire, late in 1955. He was acting Director Military Operations but was eased out as he proposed a 25 mile border corridor in Punjab under british troops to save innocent people .( Ref.

* Rob Hudson ( born 1955 ), Australian politician

Rob Sampson ( born 27 October 1955 ) is a politician in the Canadian province of Ontario.

* Rob Levin ( 1955 – 2006 ), also known as lilo, founder of freenode

* Rob Reid ( born 1955 ), athlete

Robert John Zadow ( born 17 January 1955 in Mannum near Adelaide ) known as Bob or Rob is a former first-class South Australian cricketer.

The Cavaliers formed around 1955 with leader and guitarist Sid Holmes, bassist Lewis Elliott, saxophonist Rob Zeller, drummer Ray Smith and vocalist Alton Baird.

* 1955 – Howie Epstein, American bass player ( Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ) ( d. 2003 )

* Howie Epstein ( 1955 – 2003 ), American musician

Howard Norman " Howie " Epstein ( July 21, 1955 – February 23, 2003 ) was a musician best known for his work with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers as bassist.

In 1955, 1965 and 1976 Epstein visited Tibet, and based on these three visits in 1983 published the book " Tibet Transformed.

Mr. Reama, who retired as vice president of the American Screw Co. in 1955 said, `` Both parties in the last election told us that we need a five per cent growth in the gross national product -- but neither told us how to achieve it ''.

* Mark Mendoza ( born 1955 ), American bass player nicknamed " The Animal "

* 1955 – Corey Burton, American voice actor

* 1866 – Matthew Henson, American explorer ( d. 1955 )

* 1955 – Bruce Bochy, American baseball player and manager

* 1882 – Marion Bauer, American composer, writer, and critic ( d. 1955 )

* 1868 – Bernarr Macfadden, American bodybuilder, author, and publisher, founded Macfadden Publications ( d. 1955 )

* 1955 – Ann M. Martin, American author

* 1955 – Terry Taylor, American wrestler

* 1955 – Peter Gallagher, American actor, singer, and writer

* 1955 – Ned Yost, American baseball player and manager

* 1955 – Black teenager Emmett Till is murdered in Mississippi, galvanizing the nascent American Civil Rights Movement.

* 1920 – Charlie Parker, American saxophonist and composer ( d. 1955 )