End of November: Calder plans a trip to Beirut to visit his friend Henri Seyrig and to make the mobile commissioned by Middle East Airlines. (Calder 1966, 222; CF, Calder to mother and the Sterns, 16 November)

15 December 1953-28 February 1954: Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo, Brazil, presents "II Bienal." United States representation consists of three exhibitions prepared by the Museum of Modern Art, New York: one is devoted to works by Calder. (CF, exhibition file)

1-5 January: The Calder family travels on the Greek steamship Aurelia from Marseilles to Greece, where they spend the day in Athens. (CF, passport; Calder 1966, 222)

8 January: The Calders stop in Alexandria, Egypt. (CF, passport)

10 January: The Calders arrive in Beirut after a stop in Limassol, Cyprus. They reside with the Seyrigs for a month, visiting Syria and Jordan by car. (CF, passport; Calder 1966, 226)

January: Calder is given a room to serve as a studio in the Middle East Airlines ticket office, which is under construction. (Calder 1966, 226)

February: American University, Beirut, exhibits works Calder made during the last month. (CF, exhibition file)

4-6 February: The Calder family visits Jerusalem and Bethlehem. (CF, passport; CF, Calder to mother, 9 February)

11 February: The Calders leave Beirut and return to Aix. (CF, passport; Calder 1966, 227)

15 March: Calder leaves Paris, traveling through Amsterdam to Hannover, where an exhibition of his work is scheduled to open at the Kestner-Gesellschaft. (CF, passport)