• Expert commission examined the EKR design Spacecraft: M-42.

  In 1951 to 1953 Korolev's design bureau had prepared an experimental trisonic ramjet design, the EKR.The expert commission ifelt that there were still many technical problems to be solved, most of which were better handled by an aircraft designer rather than Korolev. Further, Korolev had to place the highest priority on development of the R-7 ICBM. Therefore a final government decree on 20 May 1954 authorised the Lavochkin and Myasishchev aircraft design bureaux to proceed in parallel with full-scale development of trisonic intercontinental cruise missiles.

• Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower inaugurated president of United States

• Future astronaut Carol Lynn Belt Weaver born in Red Oak, Iowa, USA.

• Camp Cooke again inactivated. (Future Vandenberg) References: 88 .

• Aerobee NRL-12 Agency: US Navy, Naval Research Laboratory. Apogee: 137 km.

  Composition, cosmic radiation research. Launched at 1409 local time. Reached 137 km.

• Future astronaut Steven Douglas Thorne born in Frankfurt-an-Main, Germany.

• Aerobee NRL-13 Agency: US Navy, Naval Research Laboratory. Apogee: 137 km.

  Composition, cosmic radiation research. Launched at 0009 local time. Reached 137.3 km.

• Authorisation for development of Soviet intermediate and intercontinental range missiles.

  Council of Soviet Ministers (SM) Decree 'On approval of work on themes T1 and T2, on approval of work on the R-5, R-11, and EKR missiles, and on transferring draft project work for the R-12 from NII-88 to SKB-586' was issued. The decree set forth three phases of state trials tests for the R-5 missile. References: 474 .

• X-1A Flight 1 Payload: X-1A flight 1. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1A. Flight Crew: Ziegler.

  Bell flight 1. Pilot familiarization. Fuel jettison test. Glide flight only. References: 49 , 97 .

• X-1A Flight 2 Payload: X-1A flight 2. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1A. Flight Crew: Ziegler.

  Bell flight 2. Planned as powered flight, but completed as glide flight following propellant-system difficulties. References: 49 , 97 .

• Future astronaut Michael Ray Mantz born in Pensacola, Florida, USA.

• Aerobee SC-27 Agency: US Army, Signal Corp Engineering Laboratories. Apogee: 106 km.

  Temperature, winds research. Launched at 2350 local time. Reached 106.2 km.

• Aerobee USAF-34 Agency: USAF Air Research and Development Command. Apogee: 118 km.

  Rocket performance test. Launched at 1042 local time. Reached 117.5 km.

• USSR commission for upper atmosphere research.

  Academy of Sciences Decree 'On formation of AN USSR Commission for Research on the Upper Layers of the Atmosphere' was issued. References: 474 .

• Chelomei's cruise missile design bureau dissolved and transferred to MiG.

  Council of Soviet Ministers (SM) Decree 533-271 'On dissolution of OKB-51 and its transfer to OKB-155' was issued. References: 474 .

• X-1A Flight 3 Payload: X-1A flight 3. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1A. Flight Crew: Ziegler.

  Bell flight 3. First powered flight. False fire warning. References: 49 , 97 .

• Research on 1 million lb thrust engine begun. Program: Apollo.

  Research on 1-million-pound thrust plus engine begun at Rocketdyne, the feasibility of which was established in March 1955. References: 17 , 27 .

• Future cosmonaut Dr Aleksandr Viktorovich Borodin born in Volgograd, Volgograd, Russia.

• Future cosmonaut Valeri Grigoryevich Korzun born in Krasny Sulin, Russia.

• Stalin dies

• Malenkov becomes Soviet premier; Beria, minister of interior; Molotov, foreign minister

• R-5 first launch attempt

  Unsuccessful. First Phase I trials launch of the 8 remaining rockets of the first production lot were fired, of which 6 reached the target area. The first launch was on 15 March 1953. The first successful flight was on 2 April 1953. The first full range flight came on 19 April 1953.

• October to December 1953: During this period there were 7 launches, one of which was unsuccessful. A maximum range of 1185 km was reached.
• August 1954-February 1955: These were the state acceptance trials for the production missile. 19 launches were made, 10 of which passed the acceptance criteria, 5 did not, and 4 were used for test of the new radio-correction guidance system. This used the R-5R variant of the missile; one of the four tests was unsuccessful.

Following completion of the trials the missile was accepted for military service. It seems very limited numbers or no R-5's at all actually entered service. The R-5M version with nuclear warhead was deployed instead. Special variants of the R-5 were used until well into the 1970's for test of equipment, scientific research. These included the R-5A, R-5B, R-5V, and Vertikal.

The R-5 was generally built of Amr3 aluminium-magnesium alloy. The tail section was initially built of steel, later being changed to D16T aluminium alloy. Spetsmash built the mobile launch system, similar to that for the V-2. It took two hours to prepare an R-5 for launch.

• Reorganization of Soviet missile bureaucracy.

  Council of Soviet Ministers (SM) Decree 'On uniting the First and Second Chief Directorates of Council of Ministers' was issued. References: 474 .

• Mach 5 achieved by rocket.

  Single-stage, air-launched rocket research vehicle exceeded Mach 5 in NACA Lewis Laboratory flight test. References: 17 .

• R-5 test flight. References: 98 .

• X-1A Flight 4 Payload: X-1A flight 4. Class: Manned. Type: Rocketplane. Spacecraft: X-1A. Flight Crew: Ziegler.

  Bell flight 4. Plane demonstrated successful 4-cylinder engine operation. References: 49 , 97 .

• Ministry of Defence Industry created.

  Council of Soviet Ministers (SM) Decree 'On renaming the Ministry of Armaments to the Ministry of Defence Industry' was issued. References: 474 .