Circa-1990 aerial flyover of Disneyland, in Anaheim, California, followed by brief vintage footage of Walt Disney in an office in 1955, introducing Disneyland and showing a giant map of the theme park on his wall. Shots of July 1955 opening ceremony are presented along with shots of the Disneyland 35th anniversary celebration. Ronald Reagan is seen at both events. President Ronald Reagan in 1990 seen congratulating the park on it anniversary. Then a flashback shot to 1955, with Hollywood star actor Ronald Reagan leaning over a balcony of Main Street in Disneyland and talking about the opening celebration. Cutting back to 1990, Roy E. Disney is seen unveiling a plaque at the anniversary celebration. Scene shifts back to 1955, with Walt Disney welcoming visitors to Disneyland during its opening celebration, and a view of a plaque unveiled at the park's opening. In 1990 footage, Roy Disney notes that no one except Walt could have predicted the success of Disneyland. Views of visitors at contemporary Disneyland enjoying a teacup ride and on the Splash Mountain log flume ride, followed by scenes with colored confetti falling at the 35th anniversary celebration.
The 1955 Chrysler Falcon, designed by Virgil Exner with bodywork by Ghia, is unveiled at an auto exhibition in New York. View of the exposed exhaust system attached to the car. A woman at the steering wheel operates the controls of the car. A man drives a 1955 Chrysler Falcon. The man operates the buttons in the car.
1955 air disasters in the United States. Wreckage of United Air Lines Flight 629, a Douglas DC-6B aircraft (N37559, Mainliner Denver) that was blown up over Longmont, Colorado on November 1, 1955, by a dynamite bomb placed in the checked luggage. The crash site of United Air Lines Flight, a Douglas DC-4 propline (N30062), in Medicine Bow Peak, near Laramie, Wyoming. Dead bodies carried out from wrecked plane. Crowd watches.
The U.S. Army prepares for its "Desert Rock 6" atomic maneuvers and tests , as part of Operation Teapot atomic tests in 1955. U.S. Army troops in trucks, pass through entry gates, headed for ground zero of atomic test shot "Apple 2" , the 13th in this series, scheduled for May 5, 1955, at the Nevada test site. A soldier with clipboard notes their passing. Next, the Control Center Building is shown. It displays several types of antennas. View from inside the building. Vehicles moving in area near the control center. Low-level aerial view of the "ground zero" area. Men walking into a bunkered shelter housing instruments for measuring atomic explosion data. View upward from ground, of instrumentation being setup on a steel tower outdoors. Glimpse of a soldier who will be participating in the exercise. A technician adjusting instruments atop the steel tower. Soldiers walking into ground zero and inspecting an artillery piece there to determine the planned explosion's effects on it. Other things placed in the area to determine effects atomic explosive effects on them include: sand-bagged emplacement; a jeep (labeled, Test Equip. off limits); a 155mm howitzer; A Browning heavy machine gun; portable field radio; trench mortar; simulated soldiers, including steel helmet and rifle; trees; an unsheltered North American B-45 tornado aircraft; and Republic P-47 aircraft in both sheltered and dug-in positions. Workmen are seen erecting buildings in a model village (including mannequins representing occupants and food to be tested). M-48 Patton tanks and their crews, part of "Task Force Razor" are seen raising dust as they travel across deserts to the Nevada test site. Army soldiers performing maintenance on their tanks and equipment prior to entering the test site. More trucks and equipment approaching the test site.
An exhibit of 1955 models of Chryslet Corporation automobiles held outdoors on the grounds of a museum. Visitors view new models of the cars. Some are identified as Imperial four door sedan and New Yorker Deluxe models.
Brief scenes from life of Dr. Albert Einstein, who died on April 18, 1955, in Princeton, New Jersey. Dr. Albert Einstein relaxed at home, posing for the camera. He is wearing a sweater. He dons his spectacles. Einstein with Yeshiva University President, Samuel Belkin, and New York State Attorney General Nathaniel L. Goldstein, as they present him a model of the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Einstein in an academic procession at Princeton University.