1956

Events in 1956 61

• 1862 – 1956 Connie Mack (1862-1956) Died 8 February 1956, aged 93 American baseball player and manager who led the Philadelphia Athletics for 50 years, longer than anyone has managed a single team in major league history. He won nine American League pennants and five World Series titles as manager. He died in Philadelphia at age 93.
• 1867 – 1956 Emil Nolde (1867-1956) Died 13 April 1956, aged 88 German-Danish painter and printmaker associated with Expressionism and a founding member of the Die Brucke artist group. His work was condemned as degenerate art by the Nazi regime and he was banned from painting. He died in Seebull, Germany.
• 1872 – 1956 Max Beerbohm (1872-1956) Died 20 May 1956, aged 83 English essayist, caricaturist, and parodist known for his wit and the novel Zuleika Dobson. He spent much of his later life in Rapallo, Italy, and was knighted shortly before his death. He died in Rapallo at age 83.
• 1877 – 1956 Alben Barkley (1877-1956) Died 30 April 1956, aged 78 American politician who served as Vice President under Harry Truman from 1949 to 1953, after a long career as a US Senator from Kentucky. He collapsed and died of a heart attack while giving a speech at Washington and Lee University. He remained active in politics up to the moment of his death.
• 1880 – 1956 H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) Died 29 January 1956, aged 75 American journalist, satirist, and cultural critic known for his acerbic commentary and coverage of the Scopes Trial. He was a longtime writer for the Baltimore Sun and edited The American Mercury magazine. He died in Baltimore after a long decline following a stroke in 1948.
• 1882 – 1956 A.A. Milne (1882-1956) Died 31 January 1956, aged 74 English author best known for creating Winnie-the-Pooh, based on stories he told his son Christopher Robin. He was also a successful playwright and essayist before turning to children's literature. He died at his home in Sussex, England.
• 1882 – 1956 Bela Lugosi (1882-1956) Died 16 August 1956, aged 73 Hungarian-American actor best known for playing Count Dracula in the 1931 film and on stage. He struggled with drug addiction and declining roles in his later career, appearing in several low-budget films. He died of a heart attack in Los Angeles.
• 1889 – 1956 Risto Ryti Wartime President The 5th President, who sacrificed his career and reputation to sign a pact with Germany to save Finland from Soviet occupation.
• 1894 – 1956 Fred Allen (1894-1956) Died 17 March 1956, aged 61 American comedian and radio personality known for his sharp wit and his long-running radio program, The Fred Allen Show. His mock feud with fellow comedian Jack Benny became one of the most famous running gags in radio history. He died of a heart attack in New York City.
• 1898 – 1956 Bertolt Brecht (1898-1956) Died 14 August 1956, aged 58 German playwright, poet, and theatre director known for developing epic theatre and plays such as Mother Courage and Her Children and The Threepenny Opera. He returned to East Germany after years of exile from Nazi rule and founded the Berliner Ensemble. He died of a heart attack in East Berlin.
• 1909 – 1956 Art Tatum (1909-1956) Died 5 November 1956, aged 47 American jazz pianist widely regarded as one of the greatest and most technically accomplished pianists in jazz history. Nearly blind from childhood, he developed a virtuosic solo style admired by classical and jazz musicians alike. He died of kidney failure in Los Angeles.
• 1911 – 1956 Babe Didrikson Zaharias (1911-1956) Died 27 September 1956, aged 45 American athlete considered one of the greatest all-around sportswomen of the twentieth century, excelling in track and field, basketball, and golf. She won two gold medals at the 1932 Olympics and later dominated women's professional golf, co-founding the LPGA. She died of colon cancer in Texas.
• 1912 – 1956 Jackson Pollock Abstract Expressionism · USA Jackson Pollock (January 28, 1912 – August 11, 1956) was an American painter and pioneer of Abstract Expressionism whose drip technique revolutionised painting. He died in a car crash at 44, defining the archetype of the tortured American artist.
• 1920 – 1956 Stan Ockers The Belgian Hero 1955 World Champion; a hero of post-war Belgian cycling.
• 1956 – 2022 Bob Saget (1956-2022) Died 9 January 2022, aged 65 American comedian and actor known for Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos.
• 1956 Container shipping begins Container shipping begins Malcom McLean sent the converted tanker Ideal X from Newark to Houston on 26 April 1956 carrying 58 truck trailer bodies craned aboard as sealed units. Loading costs fell by well over ninety per cent. Containerisation remade ports, shipping and global manufacturing over the following two decades.
• 1956 Howlin' Wolf records Smokestack Lightnin' Signature song His best-known record.
• 1956 Lapchick resigns Joe Lapchick steps down as head coach; the Knicks begin a long slide into mediocrity through the early 1960s.
• 1956 Sudan gains independence Sudan becomes independent Sudan became an independent republic, ending Anglo-Egyptian condominium rule that had lasted since 1899. The transition followed a vote by the Sudanese parliament in December 1955. It was one of the first African nations to gain independence in the postwar decolonization wave.
• 1956 – 2012 Marie Colvin (1956-2012) Died 22 February 2012, aged 56 American war correspondent for the Sunday Times known for her coverage of conflicts across the Middle East. She was killed by shelling while reporting from the besieged city of Homs during the Syrian civil war.
• 1956 1956 Winter Olympics VII Winter Games - Cortina d'Ampezzo The first Winter Olympics to be televised. Winner: Soviet Union.
• 1956 Elvis Presley releases Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley's breakthrough single tops the charts Elvis Presley released "Heartbreak Hotel", his first single for RCA Victor. The song reached number one on the Billboard chart and became his first million-selling record. It helped establish rock and roll as a dominant force in popular music.
• 1956 11th Elfstedentocht — no winner declared Five skaters disqualified for finishing hand in hand The 1956 edition on 14 February became infamous: Jan van der Hoorn, Aad de Koning, Jeen Nauta, Maus Wijnhout and Anton Verhoeven crossed the finish line hand in hand — violating the post-1940 rules against shared finishes. All five were disqualified. No winner was officially declared.
• 1956 Khrushchev delivers the Secret Speech Khrushchev denounces Stalin's crimes to the party congress Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev delivered a speech to a closed session of the 20th Congress of the Communist Party denouncing Joseph Stalin's cult of personality and crimes. The speech was not published in the USSR but its contents spread quickly abroad. It marked the beginning of de-Stalinization and unsettled communist parties worldwide.
• 1956 James Brown releases Please, Please, Please First hit His first hit, on King Records.
• 1956 Morocco gains independence Morocco ends French protectorate rule Morocco gained independence from France, ending decades of colonial protectorate rule. Sultan Mohammed V returned from exile to lead the newly sovereign kingdom. Spain relinquished most of its protectorate zones the same year.
• 1956 1956 World Snooker Championship Fred Davis Title 8 Winner: Fred Davis; Runner-up: John Pulman. Score: 38–35.
• 1956 – present Bryan Cranston (born 1956) American actor, famous as Hal in Malcolm in the Middle and Walter White in Breaking Bad, with four Emmys and two Tony Awards.
• 1956 My Fair Lady opens on Broadway Lerner and Loewe musical opens on Broadway The musical "My Fair Lady", based on George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, opened on Broadway starring Julie Andrews and Rex Harrison. It became one of the most successful musicals in Broadway history. The show ran for over six years at the Mark Hellinger Theatre.
• 1956 Tunisia gains independence Tunisia ends French protectorate rule Tunisia became independent from France, ending its status as a French protectorate. Habib Bourguiba became the country's first prime minister and later its first president. Independence followed years of nationalist agitation led by the Neo Destour party.
• 1956 Pakistan adopts its first constitution Pakistan becomes an Islamic Republic Pakistan adopted its first constitution, becoming an Islamic Republic while remaining within the Commonwealth. Iskander Mirza was sworn in as the country's first president. The constitution replaced the Government of India Act framework used since independence in 1947.
• 1956 Ampex unveils the first videotape recorder First practical videotape recorder unveiled The Ampex Corporation publicly demonstrated the first practical videotape recorder, the VRX-1000, at a broadcasters' convention in Chicago. The machine allowed television programs to be recorded and played back in high quality for the first time. CBS used it for the first delayed broadcast later that year.
• 1956 Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier III Hollywood star marries Monaco's prince American actress Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier III of Monaco in a lavish ceremony watched around the world. Kelly retired from her Hollywood career to become Princess of Monaco. The wedding was one of the most widely covered media events of the decade.
• 1956 – present Sean Kelly The King of the Classics One of the most versatile riders; won Paris-Nice seven times in a row.
• 1956 French Open 1956 Men: Lew Hoad · Women: Althea Gibson Althea Gibson won Roland Garros — one of her two Grand Slam titles that year.
• 1956 – present Björn Borg Ice Man Won 11 Grand Slams before age 26, including five consecutive Wimbledon titles.
• 1956 Nasser elected President of Egypt Nasser wins presidential plebiscite Gamal Abdel Nasser was elected president of Egypt in a national plebiscite following the adoption of a new constitution. He had effectively led the country since the 1952 revolution that overthrew the monarchy. His presidency would soon be tested by the Suez Crisis.
• 1956 – 2018 Anthony Bourdain (1956-2018) Died 8 June 2018, aged 61 American chef, author and television host known for Kitchen Confidential and the travel series Parts Unknown. His candid, adventurous approach to food and culture made him one of the most influential food personalities in the world. His death by suicide, days after Kate Spade's, prompted global attention to mental health resources.
• 1956 Poznan protests erupt in Poland Workers' strikes crushed by Polish security forces Workers in Poznan, Poland, staged mass protests and strikes against communist rule, demanding better working conditions and political change. Polish security forces and the army suppressed the uprising, killing dozens of protesters. The unrest contributed to political changes that brought Wladyslaw Gomulka to power later that year.
• 1956 Marilyn Monroe marries Arthur Miller Actress marries playwright Arthur Miller Actress Marilyn Monroe married playwright Arthur Miller in a private ceremony in New York. The marriage drew intense media attention and lasted until 1961. Miller later wrote about the relationship in several of his works.
• 1956 US Interstate Highway System created Eisenhower creates the US Interstate Highway System US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act, authorizing construction of the Interstate Highway System. The act funded 41,000 miles of new highways across the country. It became one of the largest public works projects in American history.
• 1956 Duke Ellington's comeback at the Newport Jazz Festival Diminuendo and Crescendo in Blue Paul Gonsalves' 27-chorus solo sets off a near-riot and revives his career.
• 1956 – present The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Cultural Patronage A major charitable foundation and museum that is a central pillar of Portuguese cultural life.
• 1956 Andrea Doria sinks off Nantucket Italian liner sinks after mid-Atlantic collision The Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria collided with the Swedish liner MS Stockholm off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts, and sank the following morning. Forty-six people died in the collision and sinking. Most of the roughly 1,660 passengers and crew were rescued in one of the largest maritime rescue operations of its time.
• 1956 Egypt nationalizes the Suez Canal Nasser seizes control of the canal Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser announced the nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, taking control of the canal from its British and French shareholders. The move came after the United States and Britain withdrew funding for the Aswan Dam project. It directly triggered the Suez Crisis later that year.
• 1956 Fats Domino releases Blueberry Hill Biggest hit His version of a 1940 song becomes his signature.
• 1956 – 2003 Leslie Cheung (1956-2003) Died 1 April 2003, aged 46 Leslie Cheung was one of the most successful Cantopop singers and film actors in Hong Kong, known internationally for 'Farewell My Concubine' and 'Happy Together'. He died after falling from a hotel in an apparent suicide, prompting mass public mourning across Asia.
• 1956 First transatlantic telephone cable opens First transatlantic telephone cable enters service The first transatlantic telephone cable system, TAT-1, entered service between Scotland and Newfoundland. It carried the first direct telephone circuits between Europe and North America. The cable dramatically expanded transatlantic communication capacity beyond radio links.
• 1956 Calder Hall nuclear power station opens World's first commercial nuclear power station opens Calder Hall in Cumbria, England, opened as the world's first commercial nuclear power station to supply electricity to a national grid. Queen Elizabeth II officially inaugurated the plant. It marked the beginning of civilian nuclear power generation.
• 1956 – present Martina Navratilova The Iron Lady Won a combined 59 Grand Slam titles across singles, doubles, and mixed doubles.
• 1956 – 2003 Carlo Urbani (1956-2003) Died 29 March 2003, aged 46 Carlo Urbani was an Italian physician and infectious disease specialist with the World Health Organization who recognised SARS as a dangerous new disease in a patient in Hanoi and raised the alarm that led to a coordinated global response. He contracted the virus and died weeks later.
• 1956 – 2016 Carrie Fisher (1956-2016) Died 27 December 2016, aged 60 Fisher was an American actress and writer best known for playing Princess Leia in the Star Wars film series. She was also an acclaimed author and screenwriter, and an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness after publicly discussing her bipolar disorder. She died days after suffering a cardiac event on a flight, and her mother, Debbie Reynolds, died the following day.
• 1956 Hungarian Revolution of 1956 Uprising against Soviet rule crushed by the Red Army A nationwide uprising against Soviet-imposed policies and the Hungarian communist government broke out, briefly establishing a reformist government under Imre Nagy. Soviet forces invaded and crushed the revolution after Nagy announced Hungary's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact. Thousands were killed and over 200,000 Hungarians fled the country as refugees.
• 1956 Suez Crisis Israel, Britain and France invade Egypt over the canal Israel invaded the Sinai Peninsula, followed by British and French military intervention, after Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal. International pressure, particularly from the United States and the Soviet Union, forced the withdrawal of the invading forces. The crisis marked a decline in British and French global influence and a rise in American and Soviet dominance.
• 1956 Eisenhower reelected US President Eisenhower wins second term Dwight D. Eisenhower won reelection as President of the United States, defeating Democratic challenger Adlai Stevenson for the second consecutive time. Eisenhower carried 41 of the 48 states. The election took place amid the unfolding Suez and Hungarian crises abroad.
• 1956 1956 Summer Olympics XVI Olympiad - Melbourne First Games held in the Southern Hemisphere. Winner: Soviet Union.
• 1956 Granma lands in Cuba Castro's rebels land in Cuba to launch revolution Fidel Castro, Che Guevara, and about 80 other rebels landed in Cuba aboard the yacht Granma to launch an armed uprising against the government of Fulgencio Batista. Most of the landing party was killed or captured shortly after coming ashore. The survivors regrouped in the Sierra Maestra mountains to begin a guerrilla campaign that would topple Batista in 1959.
• 1956 Jerry Lee Lewis plays the Million Dollar Quartet session With Elvis, Cash and Perkins An impromptu session at Sun Studio.
• 1956 – 1961 The Treason Trial begins 156 arrested, Mandela among them It ran for four and a half years and ended in acquittal for every defendant.
• 1956 – present Larry Bird The Hick from French Lick 3-time NBA champion and MVP; known for his elite shooting and fierce competitiveness.
• 1956 Japan joins the United Nations Japan ends postwar diplomatic isolation Japan was admitted to the United Nations, ending its postwar diplomatic isolation. The admission followed the Soviet Union's decision to drop its veto after Japan and the USSR restored diplomatic relations. It marked Japan's full return to the international community after World War II.