U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs into law the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. In his previous military career, he led the Allied Expeditionary Force during the Second World War, commanding decisive campaigns in North Africa and Normandy and becoming a General of the Army.