On this day
September 26, 1954
Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.
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Headlines from September 26, 1954
Ferroalloys Spark Steel Men's Hopes; DEMAND IMPROVES FOR FERROALLOYS
Demand for ferroalloys has been livelier in the last two weeks than any other time in more than a year -- welcome news for steelmakers keeping an anxious watch for any signal that a real upturn in the steel business is on the way.
RAILROADS' 'WOLF' IS ONLY TOO REAL; Many Who Doubted Forecast of Business Decline in 1954 Are No Longer Skeptical
Comment on business decline, '54; AAR aide sees rrs earning only 3% on their $26.6-billion property investment, 1.19% below '53; calls 6% return adequate; eastern rrs hardest hit; indus and some specific rrs net incomes, '54, recalled
THE WORLD
The foreign ministers of nine western nations (France, West Germany, Italy, the Benelux countries, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States) will meet in Lancaster House in London this Tuesday in an attempt to solve the crisis in Western confidence -- and in Western defense -- occasioned by the rejection on Aug. 30 by the French Assembly of the European Defense Community.
Notable Births
1954Craig Chaquico, American guitarist[†]
Craig Clinton Chaquico is an American guitarist, songwriter, and composer. From 1974 to 1990 he was lead guitarist for the rock bands Jefferson Starship and Starship. In 1993, he started a solo career as an acoustic jazz guitarist and composer.

1954Kevin Kennedy, American baseball player, manager, and sportscaster[†]
Kevin Curtis Kennedy is an American former player, coach, and manager in professional baseball. Following an eight-season playing career in Minor League Baseball, he managed for 12 seasons in the minor leagues and four seasons in Major League Baseball. After his managerial career, Kennedy worked as a baseball commentator, including for ESPN, Fox Sports, the Tampa Bay Rays, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
1954Cesar Rosas, Mexican-American singer-songwriter and guitarist[†]
Cesar J. Rosas is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist best known as a member of the rock and roll group Los Lobos. Rosas also participates in the Latin supergroup Los Super Seven. Rosas is known for his trademark black sunglasses, goatee and black hair. He plays guitar left handed.
Notable Deaths

1954Ellen Roosevelt, American tennis player (born 1868)[†]
Ellen Crosby Roosevelt was an American tennis player. Roosevelt was a daughter of John Aspinwall Roosevelt, an estate proprietor, and Ellen Murray Crosby. She started playing tennis with her sister Grace in 1879 when her father installed a tennis court at their mansion.
Historical Events
1954The Japanese rail ferry Tōya Maru sinks during a typhoon in the Tsugaru Strait, Japan, killing 1,172.[†]
Tōya Maru (洞爺丸) was a Japanese train ferry constructed by Japanese National Railways (JNR) which sank during Typhoon Marie, known locally as the Tōya Maru Typhoon, in the Tsugaru Strait between the Japanese islands of Hokkaidō and Honshū on September 26, 1954. JNR announced in September 1955 that 1,153 people aboard were killed in the accident. However, the exact number of fatalities remains unknown because some victims managed to obtain passage on the ship at the last minute, and others canceled their tickets just before the incident occurred. Fatalities were later reported as up to 1,170 passengers and crew.
Historical Context for September 26, 1954
In 1954, the world population was approximately 2,685,894,860 people[†]