1953

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• President Dwight D. Eisenhower delivers the "Atoms for Peace" speech to the United Nations General Assembly.

1954

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• The 1200 citizens of Arco, Idaho become the world's first community to have all electrical power provided by nuclear energy.
• The second Atomic Energy Act is passed by the U.S. legislature and provides for both the development and the regulation of the uses of nuclear materials and facilities in the United States, so as to promote world peace, improve the general welfare, increase the standard of living, and strengthen free competition in private enterprise.
• United States launches the U.S.S. Nautilus, the world's first nuclear-powered submarine.
• Meetings are held to organize ANS; the name American Nuclear Society is chosen.

1955

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• First Annual Meeting takes place at Penn State University.
• First ANS President, Walter Zinn, is elected
• First ANS student branch (University of Michigan) is formed.
• First ANS journal (Nuclear Science and Engineering) is published

1956

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• First ANS local section (Pennsylvania-Pittsburgh) is formed.

1957

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• First U.S. large-scale nuclear power plant begins operation in Shippingport, Penn
• The International Atomic Energy Agency is formed with 18 member countries to promote peaceful uses of nuclear energy.
• ANS Standards Committee is formed.

1958

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• ANS hires its first full-time Executive Secretary, Octave Du Temple.
• First ANS division (Hot Laboratory Division; currently named Robotics & Remote Systems Division) is formed.
• First Transactions of ANS is published.

1959

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• First issue of Nuclear News is published.