Births on September 17

Joël-François Durand, French pianist and composer

Joël-François Durand (born 17 September 1954) is a French composer.

13 Feb

NCAA Division I
Frank Selvy becomes the only NCAA Division I basketball player ever to score 100 points in a single game.
28 Feb

NTSC
The first color television sets using the NTSC standard are offered for sale to the general public.
1 Apr

United States Air Force Academy
United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the creation of the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado.
25 Apr

Bell Labs
The first practical solar cell is publicly demonstrated by Bell Telephone Laboratories.
18 Jun

1954 Guatemalan coup d'état
Carlos Castillo Armas leads an invasion force across the Guatemalan border, setting in motion the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état