The 1950s

1956 70 years ago

In a nationwide referendum, Gamal Abdel Nasser (pictured) was elected President of Egypt, a post he held until his death

A double referendum was held in Egypt on 23 June 1956. The two issues were the candidacy of Gamal Abdel Nasser for the presidency and a new constitution. Both were approved, with t…

In a nationwide referendum, Gamal Abdel Nasser (pictured) was elected President of Egypt, a post he held until his death

1956 70 years ago

Polish workers demanding better working conditions began massive protests in Poznań, but were later violently repressed

The 1956 Poznań protests, also known as Poznań June, were the first of several massive protests against the communist government of the Polish People's Republic. Demonstrations by …

Polish workers demanding better working conditions began massive protests in Poznań, but were later violently repressed

1955

The General Treaty, by which France, Britain and the United States recognize the sovereignty of West Germany, comes into

The Bonn–Paris conventions were signed in May 1952 and came into force after the 1955 ratification. The conventions put an end to the Allied occupation of West Germany.

The General Treaty, by which France, Britain and the United States recognize the sovereignty of West Germany, comes into

1955

The Austrian State Treaty restores Austrian sovereignty.

The Austrian State Treaty or Austrian Independence Treaty established Austria as a sovereign state. It was signed on 15 May 1955 in Vienna, at the Schloss Belvedere among the Allie…

The Austrian State Treaty restores Austrian sovereignty.

1955

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

Henri is a member of the grand ducal family of Luxembourg who reigned as Grand Duke of Luxembourg from 2000 until his abdication in 2025.

Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg

1955

Todd Lickliter, American basketball player and coach

Todd Arlan Lickliter is the former head coach of the Evansville Purple Aces men's basketball team of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC). He was previously the head coach of Maria…

Todd Lickliter, American basketball player and coach

1955

Pete Shelley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2018)

Pete Shelley was an English singer, songwriter and guitarist. He formed early punk band Buzzcocks with Howard Devoto in 1976, and became the lead singer and guitarist in 1977 when …

Pete Shelley, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (died 2018)

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

1955

The Bandung Conference ends: Twenty-nine non-aligned nations of Asia and Africa finish a meeting that condemns coloniali

The first large-scale Asian–African or Afro–Asian Conference, also known as the Bandung Conference, was a meeting of Asian and African states, most of which were newly independent,…

The Bandung Conference ends: Twenty-nine non-aligned nations of Asia and Africa finish a meeting that condemns coloniali

1955

Cold War: West Germany joins NATO

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: West Germany joins NATO

1955

Cold War: Eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, sign a mutual defense treaty called the Warsaw Pac

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: Eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, sign a mutual defense treaty called the Warsaw Pac

1955

Mike Stroud, English physician and explorer

Michael Adrian Stroud, OBE, FRCP is a professor of medicine and nutrition at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, England. He has interests in gastroenterology and human hea…

Mike Stroud, English physician and explorer

1955

Murathan Mungan, Turkish author, poet, and playwright

Murathan Mungan is a Turkish author, short story writer, playwright, and poet.

Murathan Mungan, Turkish author, poet, and playwright

1955

Tony Miles, English chess player (died 2001)

Anthony John Miles was an English chess player and the first Englishman to earn the Grandmaster title.

Tony Miles, English chess player (died 2001)

1955

Urmas Ott, Estonian journalist and author (died 2008)

Urmas Ott was an Estonian television and radio journalist, and talk show host in Soviet Union, Estonia and Russia.

Urmas Ott, Estonian journalist and author (died 2008)

1955

Serge Vohor, Vanuatuan politician, 4th Prime Minister of Vanuatu (died 2024)

Rialuth Serge Vohor was a Vanuatuan politician. He hailed from the largest island of Vanuatu, Espiritu Santo, from Port Olry.

Serge Vohor, Vanuatuan politician, 4th Prime Minister of Vanuatu (died 2024)

1955

Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the

Operation Passage to Freedom was a term used by the United States Navy to describe the propaganda effort and the assistance in transporting 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers a…

Operation Passage to Freedom, the evacuation of 310,000 Vietnamese civilians, soldiers and non-Vietnamese members of the

1955

In the United States, a night-time F5 tornado strikes the small city of Udall, Kansas as part of a larger outbreak acros

The Fujita scale, or Fujita–Pearson scale, is a retired scale for rating tornado intensity, based primarily on the damage tornadoes inflict on human-built structures and vegetation…

In the United States, a night-time F5 tornado strikes the small city of Udall, Kansas as part of a larger outbreak acros

1955

First ascent of Mount Kangchenjunga: On the British Kangchenjunga expedition led by Charles Evans, Joe Brown and George

Kangchenjunga is the third-highest mountain in the world. Its summit lies at 8,586 m (28,169 ft) in a section of the Himalayas, the Kangchenjunga Himal, which is bounded in the wes…

First ascent of Mount Kangchenjunga: On the British Kangchenjunga expedition led by Charles Evans, Joe Brown and George

1955

The U

The Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) is the highest court in the federal judiciary of the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all U.S. federal cou…

The U

1955

Marion Caspers-Merk, German politician

Marion Caspers-Merk is a German politician and member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). She was a member of the Bundestag, representing Lörrach – Müllheim, and Parli…

Marion Caspers-Merk, German politician

1955

John de Mol Jr

Johannes Hendrikus Hubert "John" de Mol Jr. is a Dutch media proprietor. De Mol is one of the men behind production companies Endemol and Talpa. He created the reality television f…

John de Mol Jr

1955

Margaret Moran, British politician and criminal

Margaret Mary Moran is a former Labour Party politician in the United Kingdom. Moran was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Luton South from the 1997 general election to 2010. In No…

Margaret Moran, British politician and criminal

1955

The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations between the two countries, discontinu

The Soviet Union, officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until its dissolution in 1991. It…

The USSR and Yugoslavia sign the Belgrade declaration and thus normalize relations between the two countries, discontinu