Explore 2486 historical events from 1950–1959.
Simon Francis Mann was a British officer in the Special Air Service (SAS), and later a mercenary. He trained to be an officer at Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Scots Guard…
Simon Mann, British military officer and mercenary (died 2025)
Madan Kumar Bhandari was a Nepalese political leader. He was elected as the Secretary General of the Communist Party of Nepal, which fought for multiparty democracy and basic human…
Madan Bhandari, Nepalese politician (died 1993)
Pietro Paolo Mennea, nicknamed la Freccia del Sud, was an Italian sprinter and politician. He was most successful in the 200 m event, winning a gold medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympi…
Pietro Mennea, Italian sprinter and politician (died 2013)
Jean-Christophe Rufin is a French doctor, diplomat, historian and novelist. He is the president of Action Against Hunger, one of the earliest members of Médecins Sans Frontières, a…
Jean-Christophe Rufin, French physician and author
Athanassios Spyridon Fokas is a United Kingdom–based Greek academic, educator and scientist, with degrees in Aeronautical Engineering and Medicine. Since 2002, he is Professor of N…
Athanassios S
David Earl Garrison is an American actor and singer. He is best known for playing Steve Rhoades on the television series Married... with Children. He has also appeared in numerous …
David Garrison, American actor and singer
Daniel Edward Aykroyd is a Canadian and American actor, comedian, screenwriter, and producer.
Dan Aykroyd, Canadian actor, producer and screenwriter
Sir David Philip Lane is a British immunologist, molecular biologist and cancer researcher. He is currently working in the Department of Microbiology, Tumor and Cell Biology at the…
David Lane, English oncologist and academic
Stephen John Shutt is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1972 to 1985, 12 seasons for the Montreal Cana…
Steve Shutt, Canadian ice hockey player and sportscaster
Timothy John Tobias was an American composer and musician. He died aged 54 of lymphoma.
Timothy J. Tobias, American pianist and composer (died 2006)
David Arkenstone is an American composer and performer. His music is primarily instrumental, with occasional vocalizations. Most of Arkenstone's music falls into the new age catego…
David Arkenstone, American composer and performer
Sylvia Rivera was an American gay liberation and transgender rights activist who was also a noted community worker in New York. Rivera, who identified as a drag queen for most of h…
Sylvia Rivera, American transgender rights activist (died 2002)
Anatoliy Vasilyevich Solomin is a former Soviet Ukrainian race walker. Solomin competed in men's 20 km walk at the 1980 Summer Olympics and contended for the gold medal, but was di…
Anatoliy Solomin, Ukrainian race walker and coach
Dugan Basham is an American former professional stock car racing driver who has competed in the ARCA Re/Max Series. He is the younger brother of longtime ARCA competitor Darrell Ba…
Dugan Basham, American stock racing driver
Laura Ann Kruteck was an American singer. Her signature song, the platinum-certified 1982 cover of Umberto Tozzi's single "Gloria", stayed on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 for 36 week…
Laura Branigan, American singer-songwriter (died 2004)
Lu Colombo, best known as Lou Colombo, pseudonym of Maria Luisa Colombo, is an Italian singer-songwriter, producer and publisher, widely known for the song Maracaibo.
Lu Colombo, Italian singer
Andrew McIan Fraser was an English musician and songwriter, best known as the bassist and co-composer for the rock band Free, which he helped found in 1968 when he was 15. He is kn…
Andy Fraser, English singer-songwriter and bass player (died 2015)
Carla Olson is an American, Los Angeles-based songwriter, performer and record producer.
Carla Olson, American singer-songwriter and music producer
Wasim Hasan Raja was a Pakistani schoolteacher, match referee, cricket coach and cricketer who played in 57 Test matches and 54 One Day Internationals for the Pakistan national cri…
Wasim Raja, Pakistani cricketer (died 2006)
Álvaro Uribe Vélez is a Colombian politician who served as the 32nd President of Colombia from 7 August 2002 to 7 August 2010. He is a member and leader of the right-wing political…
Álvaro Uribe, Colombian lawyer and politician, 39th President of Colombia
Carol MacReady is an English actress. She has been working in the profession since 1961. She is known for the role of Mrs Dribelle in the series Bodger and Badger.
Carol MacReady, English actress
John Charles Waite is an English rock musician. As a solo artist, he has released ten studio albums and is best known for the 1984 hit single "Missing You", which reached No. 1 on …
John Waite, English singer-songwriter and guitarist
Paul Rogat Loeb is an American writer whose work has focused on activism, civic engagement, and social change.
Paul Rogat Loeb, American author and activist
Dame Hilary Mary Mantel was a British writer whose work includes historical fiction, personal memoirs and short stories. Her first published novel, Every Day Is Mother's Day, was r…
Hilary Mantel, English author and critic (died 2022)