Events in the year 1955 in

Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...

Incumbents

Monarch A monarch is a head of stateWebster's II New College DictionarMonarch Houghton Mifflin. Boston. 2001. p. 707. Life tenure, for life or until abdication, and therefore the head of state of a monarchy. A monarch may exercise the highest authority ...

– Baudouin *

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is not ...

– Achille Van Acker

Events

Demonstratie Belgische Katholieken Antwerpen tegen schoolwet Collard

* 9 February – Joint letter from the Belgian bishops calling on the government to revise its education policy.Lize Haagdorens
De mobilisatie van de katholieke zuil in de schoolstrijd tijdens het eerste jaar van de regering Van Acker (mei 1954–juli 1955)
''

Belgisch Tijdschrift voor Nieuwste Geschiedenis The ''Journal of Belgian History'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal published by the Centre for Historical Research and Documentation on War and Contemporary Society (Cegesoma). It focuses on the history of Belgium in the 19th and 20th ...

'', 15:1-2 (1984), pp. 3-70. * 26 March – Mass demonstration in Brussels against Socialist–Liberal education bill. * 3 April – International friendly between the Dutch and Belgian national football teams in the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. * 16 April – Belgian Chamber of Translators and Interpreters is founded. * 6 May – Paris Protocol transforming the Brussels Pact into the Western European Union comes into effect.H.F. van Panhuys, L.J. Brinkhorst, and H.H. Maas (eds.), ''International Organisation and Integration'' (Deventer and Leyden, 1968) * 16 May – King Baudouin arrives in

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...

for a royal tour of the colony. * 13 June – Education bill passes in

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

. * 10 July – Over a quarter of a million demonstrate in Brussels against Socialist–Liberal education policy. * 21 July – Education bill passes in

senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

. * 5 November – Convention establishing the Interparliamentary Consultative Council of the

Benelux The Benelux Union ( nl, Benelux Unie; french: Union Benelux; lb, Benelux-Unioun), also known as simply Benelux, is a politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighboring states in western Europe: B ...

Publications

;Comics *

Edgar P. Jacobs Edgard Félix Pierre Jacobs (30 March 1904 – 20 February 1987), better known under his pen name Edgar P. Jacobs, was a Belgium, Belgian comic book creator (writer and artist), born in Brussels, Belgium. He was one of the founding fathers of the ...

, '' Le Mystère de la Grande Pyramide, Tome 2'' (the fifth comic book in the Blake and Mortimer series)

Art and architecture

;Paintings * René Magritte, ''

The Mysteries of the Horizon ''The Masterpiece or The Mysteries of the Horizon'' (french: Le Chef-d'Oeuvre ou Les mystères de l'horizon) is a 1955 Surrealist oil painting by René Magritte. The painting depicts three seemingly identical men in bowler hats. They are in an ...

'' ;Films * André Cauvin (dir.), ''Bwana Kitoko'' * Ytzen Brusse (dir.), ''Introducing Belgium'' he Atlantic Community Series

Births

* 16 January –

Martin De Prycker Martin De Prycker (b. Sint-Niklaas, 16 January 1955) is a Belgium, Belgian engineer and businessman. He was until December 2008 the CEO of Barco NV, Barco, a Belgian display hardware manufacturer. He currently serves as CEO of Caliopa, a spin-off ...

, engineer * 16 March –

Linda Lepomme Linda Lepomme (born 16 March 1955) is a Belgium, Belgian actress and singer who represented her country in the Eurovision Song Contest 1985 in which she sang "Laat me nu gaan". She earned seven points finishing in 19th (last) place overall. Fil ...

, singer * 26 April – Frieda Van Themsche, politician * 24 May –

Philippe Lafontaine Philippe Lafontaine (born 24 May 1955) is a Belgian singer and composer. Biography Lafontaine was born in Gosselies, Belgium. He spent a short time in a Jesuit college that he left at 17 to pursue a career in music. His first successes came fro ...

, singer * 8 June – Philippe Vlerick, businessman * 3 July –

Maria Herrijgers Maria Herrijgers (born 3 July 1955) is a former Belgian racing cyclist Cycle sport is competitive physical activity using bicycles. There are several categories of bicycle racing including road bicycle racing, cyclo-cross, mountain b ...

, cyclist * 6 July –

Johan Vande Lanotte Johan Cyrille Corneel Vande Lanotte (born 6 July 1955) is a Belgian politician. He is a member of the SP.A, and became its party president on 15 October 2005. He handed down his leadership positions after the SP.A lost in the 2007 general elec ...

, politician * 9 July –

Alexandra Colen Alexandra Maria Catherine Colen (born 9 July 1955) is a Belgian politician. She was member of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives for the Vlaams Belang party from 21 May 1995 until May 2014. She holds a PhD in linguistics, and is known for h ...

, politician * 24 July – Joseph Reynaerts, singer (died 2020) * 5 August –

Daniel Ost Daniel Ost (born 5 August 1955) is a Belgian floral artist, floral designer and garden architect. ''CBS News'' has described him as "the world's leading flower designer" while ''The New York Times'' says that "to call him a master flower designer ...

, gardener * 18 August –

André Flahaut André M. J. Gh. Flahaut (born 18 August 1955) is a Belgian politician, then in the province of Brabant and now in the Provinces of regions in Belgium, province of Walloon Brabant. Flahaut studied political sciences and public administration at ...

, politician * 27 August –

Kristien Hemmerechts Kristien Hemmerechts (born 27 August 1955) is a Belgian writer. Life Kristien Hemmerechts studied Germanic philology at the ''Katholieke Universiteit Brussel'' (KUB) and the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (KUL). Afterwards, she studied litera ...

, writer * 29 August – Frank Hoste, cyclist * 10 September – Jean-Pierre Vande Velde, footballer * 2 October – Michel Wintacq, footballer * 13 October –

Patrick Dewael Patrick Yvonne Hugo Dewael, (; born 13 October 1955) is a liberal Belgian politician. A member of the Flemish Liberals and Democrats (''Vlaamse Liberalen en Democraten'', VLD), he served as Minister-President of Flanders from 1999 to 2003. He is ...

, politician * 18 October –

Jean-Pierre Hautier Jean-Pierre Hautier (18 October 1955 – 12 October 2012) was a Belgian television presenter and broadcaster for RTBF. Hautier was known for his long-time commentary for RTBF viewers on the Eurovision Song Contest which he has done since the 19 ...

, television presenter (died 2012) * 21 October –

Frank Vandenbroucke Frank Vandenbroucke is the name of: *Frank Vandenbroucke (politician) (born 1955), Belgian politician *Frank Vandenbroucke (cyclist) Frank Vandenbroucke (6 November 1974 – 12 October 2009) was a Belgium, Belgian professional road racing cyclis ...

, politician * 3 November –

Michel Renquin Michel Renquin (born 3 November 1955) is a former football player and current coach. He won 55 caps for the Belgium national football team. He coached mostly in Switzerland. Playing career *Before 1974: JFC Wibrin *1974–1981: Standard de Li� ...

, footballer * 27 November – Alain De Roo, cyclist * 4 December –

Jean-Philippe Vandenbrande Jean-Philippe "Flupke" Vandenbrande (born 4 December 1955) is a former Belgian racing cyclist. He rode in 1989 Tour de France. Major results ;1978 :1st Stage 15 Vuelta a España ;1980 :2nd Zuri-Metzgete :3rd Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan :3r ...

, cyclist * 6 December –

Piet Vanthemsche Piet, Baron Vanthemsche (6 December 1955) is a Belgian veterinary surgeon and civil servant. In 2008, he succeeded Noël Devisch as President of the ''Boerenbond'' (E: Catholic Belgian Farmers Union) in Leuven. Education Born in Kortrijk, he grad ...

, veterinary surgeon * 18 December –

André Geerts André Geerts (18 December 1955 – 27 July 2010) was a Belgian comics creator best known for his series ''Jojo''. Biography André Geerts was born in Brussels in 1955. He studied at the Institut Saint-Luc art school in Brussels. He started work ...

, comics creator (died 2010)

Deaths

* 24 January –

Charles Deruyter Charles Deruyter (27 January 1890 – 24 January 1955) was a Belgian professional road and track racing cyclist. His best results on the road included second place in the 1913 Paris–Roubaix and the 1923 Tour of Flanders, and winning the only e ...

(born 1890), cyclist * 13 February – Raoul Henkart (born 1907), fencer * 19 February –

Marcel Dubois Marcel Dubois (25 July 1856 – 23 October 1916) was a French geographer. He was a co-founder of the ''Annales de Géographie'', a journal of academic geography. Early years Marcel Dubois was born in Paris on 25 July 1856. He attended the Éco ...

(born 1886), wrestler * 21 February – Emmanuel Janssen (born 1879), industrialist * 8 March –

Princess Clémentine of Belgium , title = Princess Napoléon , image = Clementine of Belgium.jpg , image_size = 250px , caption = Princess Clementine, ca. 1895. , birth_date = , birth_place = Palace of Laeken, Laeken, Brussels, Belgium , death_date = , death_place = Cla ...

(born 1872) * 21 March –

Octave Dierckx Octave Victor Anna Dierckx (15 October 1882 – 21 March 1955) was a Belgian liberal and politician. Dierckx was a doctor in law and a lawyer. Political career * municipality Council member in Elsene * 1929–1955: senator * 1933–1934: Presi ...

(born 1882), politician * 16 April –

Robert, 7th Duke d'Ursel Robert-Marie-Léon 7th Duke d'Ursel (1873–1955) was a Belgian politician.État présent de la noblesse belge, Annuaire 2013, Bruxelles, 2013 p.5 Family He was the son of Marie Joseph Charles, 6th Duke d'Ursel. He married in 1898 to Sabine Fr ...

(born 1873), politician * 7 June –

Alfred Bastien Alfred Théodore Joseph Bastien (16 September 1873, in Ixelles – 7 June 1955, in Uccle) was a Belgian artist, academic, and soldier. He attended the Académie Royale des Beaux-Arts in Ghent, where he studied with Jean Delvin. He then enrol ...

(born 1873), war artist * 5 July – Gustave Magnel (born 1889), engineer * 3 August – Fernand Faniard (born 1894), opera singer * 9 August – Henri Verhavert (born 1874), gymnast * 3 September – Léon Halkin (born 1872), historian * 16 October –

Charles Cambier Charles Cambier (5 January 1884 – 16 October 1955) was a Belgian football player who played his whole career for Club Brugge. Cambier also played for the Belgium national football team The Belgium national football teamfrench: Équipe n ...

(born 1884), footballer * 19 October –

Eugène Joseph Delporte Eugène Joseph Delporte (10 January 1882 – 19 October 1955) was a Belgian astronomer born in Genappe. He discovered a total of sixty-six asteroids. Notable discoveries include 1221 Amor (which lent its name to the Amor asteroids) and th ...

(born 1882), astronomer * 13 November – Jacques Feyerick (born 1874), athlete * 22 December – Jules-Émile Verschaffelt (born 1870), physicist

References

{{Year in Europe, 1955 1950s in Belgium

Years of the 20th century in Belgium