The 1950s

Explore 1065 historical events from 1950–1959.

Year by year

1950 110 1951 116 1952 96 1953 96 1954 111 1955 122 1956 110 1957 100 1958 105 1959 99

Notable Events

1956 actress grace kelly marries prince rainier of monaco

1956 70 years ago

American actress Grace Kelly (pictured) became the princess consort of Monaco upon her marriage to Rainier III

Grace Patricia Kelly was an American actress and Princess of Monaco as the wife of Prince Rainier III from their marriage on April 18, 1956, until her death in 1982. Prior to her m…

American actress Grace Kelly (pictured) became the princess consort of Monaco upon her marriage to Rainier III

1951 the peak district becomes the united kingdoms first nationa 04 17

1951 75 years ago

The Peak District becomes the United Kingdom's first National Park

The Peak District is an upland area in central-northern England, at the southern end of the Pennines. Mostly in Derbyshire, it extends into Cheshire, Greater Manchester, Staffordsh…

The Peak District becomes the United Kingdom's first National Park

1951 korean war the chinese peoples volunteer army begin assaul 04 22

1951 75 years ago

Korean War: The Chinese People's Volunteer Army begin assaulting positions defended by the Royal Australian Regiment and

The Korean War was an armed conflict the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea and South Korea and their allies. North Korea was supported by China and the Soviet Union, whil…

Korean War: The Chinese People's Volunteer Army begin assaulting positions defended by the Royal Australian Regiment and

1955

Twenty-nine nations meet at Bandung, Indonesia, for the first Asian-African Conference

Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the western highland of Java island, it has one of the coolest climates compared to other provincial …

Twenty-nine nations meet at Bandung, Indonesia, for the first Asian-African Conference

1954

Indochina War: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends in a French defeat and a Viet Minh victory (the battle began on March 13

The First Indochina War, known alternatively internationally as the French Indochina War, was fought in French Indochina between France and the Viet Minh and their respective allie…

Indochina War: The Battle of Dien Bien Phu ends in a French defeat and a Viet Minh victory (the battle began on March 13

1953

The first U

3D television (3DTV) is a type of television that conveys depth perception to the viewer by employing techniques such as stereoscopic display, multi-view display, or any other form…

The first U

1961 cold war failure of the bay of pigs invasion of us backed c 04 20

1951 75 years ago

Cold War: American journalist William N

The Cold War was a period of international geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc …

Cold War: American journalist William N

1954

Gamal Abdel Nasser seizes power in Egypt

Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian…

Gamal Abdel Nasser seizes power in Egypt

1952

Larry Elder, American lawyer and talk show host

Laurence Allen Elder is an American conservative political commentator and talk radio host. He hosts The Larry Elder Show, based in California. The show began as a local program on…

Larry Elder, American lawyer and talk show host

1952

The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey Dummer

An integrated circuit (IC), also known as a microchip or simply chip, is a compact assembly of electronic circuits formed from various electronic components, such as transistors, r…

The concept of the integrated circuit, the basis for all modern computers, is first published by Geoffrey Dummer

All Events

1959

The 1st Annual Grammy Awards are held

The 1st Annual Grammy Awards, which began as The Gramophone Awards, were held on May 4, 1959. They recognized musical accomplishments by performers for the year 1958. Two separate …

The 1st Annual Grammy Awards are held

1959

The Tritons' Fountain in Valletta, Malta is turned on for the first time

The Tritons’ Fountain is a fountain located in Floriana, Malta. It consists of three bronze Tritons holding up a large basin, balanced on a concentric base built out of concrete an…

The Tritons' Fountain in Valletta, Malta is turned on for the first time

1959

Alison Ramsay, English-Scottish field hockey player and lawyer

Alison Gail Ramsay MBE is a former Scottish field hockey player, who was a member of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad that won the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olymp…

Alison Ramsay, English-Scottish field hockey player and lawyer

1959

Sean Bean, English actor

Sean Bean is an English actor. After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he made his professional debut in a production of Romeo and Juliet in 1983 at The Watermill …

Sean Bean, English actor

1959

Jimmy Mann, Canadian ice hockey player

James Edward Mann is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 293 games in the National Hockey League. He played for the Winnipeg Jets, Quebec Nordiques and the …

Jimmy Mann, Canadian ice hockey player

1959

The Saint Lawrence Seaway, linking the North American Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, officially opens to shipping

The St. Lawrence Seaway is a system of rivers, locks, canals and channels in Eastern Canada and the Northern United States that permits oceangoing vessels to travel from the Atlant…

The Saint Lawrence Seaway, linking the North American Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean, officially opens to shipping

1959

Li Meisu, Chinese shot putter

Li Meisu is a retired Chinese shot putter who won the bronze medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

Li Meisu, Chinese shot putter

1959

Susan Faludi, American journalist, author and feminist

Susan Charlotte Faludi is an American feminist, journalist, and author. She won a Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Journalism in 1991, for a report on the leveraged buyout of Safeway…

Susan Faludi, American journalist, author and feminist

1959

Perry Haddock, Australian rugby league player

Perry Haddock is an Australian former rugby league footballer who played in the 1980s.

Perry Haddock, Australian rugby league player

1959

Tim Jacobus, American illustrator and painter

Tim Jacobus is an American artist best known for illustrating the covers for nearly one hundred books in R. L. Stine's Goosebumps series. He has done over three hundred book covers…

Tim Jacobus, American illustrator and painter

1959

In Cuba, the First Agrarian Reform Law – a cornerstone of the Cuban Revolution – was signed by Fidel Castro, aiming to

The agrarian reforms in Cuba sought to break up large landholdings and redistribute land to those peasants who worked it, to cooperatives, and the state. Laws relating to land refo…

In Cuba, the First Agrarian Reform Law – a cornerstone of the Cuban Revolution – was signed by Fidel Castro, aiming to

1959

The North Vietnamese Army establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain supply lines to So

The People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) is the national military force of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and the armed wing of the ruling Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV). The PAVN …

The North Vietnamese Army establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain supply lines to So

1959

The Auckland Harbour Bridge, crossing the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, is officially opened by Governor-G

The Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane motorway bridge over Waitematā Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand. It joins St Marys Bay on the Auckland city side with Northcote on the …

The Auckland Harbour Bridge, crossing the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand, is officially opened by Governor-G

1959

Robert Smith, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

Robert James Smith is an English musician who is the co-founder, lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter, and only continuous member of the Cure, a post-punk band formed in 19…

Robert Smith, English singer-songwriter and guitarist

1959

Terry Francona, American baseball player and manager

Terry Jon Francona, nicknamed "Tito", is an American professional baseball manager and former player who is the manager of the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball (MLB). He pr…

Terry Francona, American baseball player and manager

1959

Ryan Stiles, American-Canadian actor and comedian

Ryan Lee Stiles is an American-Canadian comedian and actor. His work is often associated with improvisational comedy. He is best known for his work on Whose Line Is It Anyway and f…

Ryan Stiles, American-Canadian actor and comedian

1959

Paula Yates, British-Australian television host and author (died 2000)

Paula Elizabeth Yates was a British television presenter and writer. She was best known for presenting the Channel 4 television programmes The Tube and The Big Breakfast. She was s…

Paula Yates, British-Australian television host and author (died 2000)

1959

Paul Madden, English diplomat, British High Commissioner to Australia

Paul Damian Madden is a retired British diplomat, who was High Commissioner to Singapore and to Australia, and Ambassador to Japan between 2017 and 2021.

Paul Madden, English diplomat, British High Commissioner to Australia

1959

Daniel Kash, Canadian actor and director

Daniel Joshua Kash is a Canadian actor and film director. He is known for his appearances in films such as Aliens, The Hunt for the BTK Killer, and The Path to 9/11, and in televis…

Daniel Kash, Canadian actor and director

1959

Tony Phillips, American baseball player (died 2016)

Keith Anthony Phillips was an American professional baseball utility player who had an 18-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career from 1982 to 1999. He played regularly at second b…

Tony Phillips, American baseball player (died 2016)

1959

Unity Dow, Botswanan judge, author, and rights activist

Unity Dow is a Motswana lawyer, author, human rights activist and Member of Parliament for Kgatleng West since November 2024. She formerly served as a judge on the High Court of Bo…

Unity Dow, Botswanan judge, author, and rights activist

1959

John Corabi, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

John Corabi is an American hard rock singer and guitarist. He was the frontman of the Scream during 1989 and the frontman of Mötley Crüe between 1992 and 1996 during original front…

John Corabi, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

1959

Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rican politician

Pedro Rafael Pierluisi Urrutia is a Puerto Rican politician and lawyer who served as the Governor of Puerto Rico from 2021 to 2025, having previously been the de facto governor fro…

Pedro Pierluisi, Puerto Rican politician

1959

Sheena Easton, Scottish-American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer

Sheena Shirley Easton is a Scottish singer, songwriter and actress who rose to prominence in the reality television series The Big Time: Pop Singer (1980). Her record sales worldwi…

Sheena Easton, Scottish-American singer-songwriter, actress, and producer