Dates in Back to the Future

[Stav]

Does the date 'November 12th 1955' have any relevance to anything significant in history? A great deal is made of this date during the first two films. Or is it just a random date?

[mikewith]

It doesn't appear to be the birthday of any of the film's principals,but you never know about the writer's girlfrind's aunt... or something. Otherwise...and not likely to be significant...

One Dr Samuels of the Church of the New Birth received a revelation from Jesus: Spiritualism causes stagnation of the soul.

Fred Hutchinson replaced Harry Walker as manager of baseball's St Louis Cardinals.

It was Neil Young's 10th birthday.

My preferred reason: Eight days later -- on 20th November -- Elvis left Sun Records for RCA. Many people (well, me) trace the decline of Western civilisation to that very moment -- so they were returning to a more innocent time ;-)