1956 In Nordic Combined on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
* April 2 – The first episodes of '' As the World Turns'' and '' The Edge of Night'' are broadcast on the CBS Television Network in the United States.
* April 7 – Spain relinquishes its protectorate in Morocco.
* April 9 –
Events
January
*January 1
January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the yea ...
– The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium
Anglo-Egyptian Sudan ( ar, السودان الإنجليزي المصري ') was a condominium of the United Kingdom and Egypt in the Sudans region of northern Africa between 1899 and 1956, corresponding mostly to the territory of present-day ...
ends in Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
.
* January 8
Events Pre-1600
* 307 – Emperor Huai of Jin, Jin Huaidi becomes emperor of China in succession to his father, Emperor Hui of Jin, Jin Huidi, despite a challenge from his uncle, Sima Ying.
* 871 – Æthelred I, King of Wessex, Æthel ...
– Operation Auca
Operation Auca was an attempt by five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States to bring Christianity to the Waodani or Huaorani people of the rain forest of Ecuador. The Huaorani, also known pejoratively as Aucas (a modificatio ...
: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries
A missionary is a member of a religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Thomas Hale 'On Being a Mi ...
, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully
Theophilus McCully (June 1, 1927 – January 8, 1956) was a Christian missionary to Ecuador who, along with four other missionaries, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Huaorani people, through efforts known as Operation Auca.
Ea ...
, Jim Elliot
Philip James Elliot (October 8, 1927 – January 8, 1956) was an American Christian missionary and one of five people killed during Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador.
Early life
Elliot was born in Portlan ...
and Pete Fleming
Peter Sillence Fleming (November 23, 1928 – January 8, 1956) was a Christian who was one of five missionaries killed while participating in Operation Auca, an attempt to evangelize the Huaorani people of Ecuador.
Early life
Fleming was born ...
, are killed for trespassing by the Huaorani people
The Huaorani, Waorani, or Waodani, also known as the Waos, are an Indigenous people from the Amazonian Region of Ecuador ( Napo, Orellana, and Pastaza Provinces) who have marked differences from other ethnic groups from Ecuador. The alternate ...
of Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
, shortly after making contact with them.
* January 16
Events Pre-1600
* 27 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus is granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.
* 378 – General Siyaj K'ak' conquers Tikal, enlarging the domain of King Spear ...
– Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
vows to reconquer Palestine
__NOTOC__
Palestine may refer to:
* State of Palestine, a state in Western Asia
* Palestine (region), a geographic region in Western Asia
* Palestinian territories, territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely the West Bank (including East ...
.
* January 25
Events Pre-1600
* 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman emperor by the Senate.
* 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to the overthrow of the dynasty ...
– 26 – Finnish troops reoccupy Porkkala
Porkkalanniemi ( sv, Porkala udd) is a peninsula in the Gulf of Finland, located at Kirkkonummi (Kyrkslätt) in Southern Finland.
The peninsula had great strategic value, as coastal artillery based there would be able to shoot more than half ...
, after Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
troops vacate its military base. Civilians can return February 4
Events Pre–1600
* 211 – Following the death of the Roman Emperor Septimius Severus at Eboracum (modern York, England) while preparing to lead a campaign against the Caledonians, the empire is left in the control of his two quarrellin ...
.
* January 26
Events Pre-1600
* 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph.
*1531 – The 6.4–7.1 1531 Lisbon earthquake, Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
*1564 – ...
– The 1956 Winter Olympics
The 1956 Winter Olympics, officially known as the VII Olympic Winter Games ( it, VII Giochi Olimpici invernali) and commonly known as Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 ( lld, Anpezo 1956 or ), was a multi-sport event held in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, from ...
open in Cortina d'Ampezzo
Cortina d'Ampezzo (; lld, Anpezo, ; historical de-AT, Hayden) is a town and ''comune'' in the heart of the southern (Dolomitic) Alps in the Province of Belluno, in the Veneto region of Northern Italy. Situated on the Boite river, in an alp ...
, Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
.
February
*February 11
Events Pre-1600
*660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
* 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming ...
– British spies
Spies most commonly refers to people who engage in spying, espionage or clandestine operations.
Spies or The Spies may also refer to:
* Spies (surname), a German surname
* Spies (band), a jazz fusion band
* "Spies" (song), a song by Coldplay
* ...
Guy Burgess
Guy Francis de Moncy Burgess (16 April 1911 – 30 August 1963) was a British diplomat and Soviet agent, and a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring that operated from the mid-1930s to the early years of the Cold War era. His defection in 1951 ...
and Donald Maclean resurface in the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, after being missing for 5 years.
* February 14
Events Pre-1600
* 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt.
* 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis ...
– 25 – The 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
The 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union was held during the period 14–25 February 1956. It is known especially for First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev's "Secret Speech", which denounced the personality cult and dictatorship ...
is held in Moscow.
* February 16
Events Pre-1600
* 1249 – Andrew of Longjumeau is dispatched by Louis IX of France as his ambassador to meet with the Khagan of the Mongol Empire.
* 1270 – Grand Duchy of Lithuania defeats the Livonian Order in the Battle of Kar ...
– The 1956 World Figure Skating Championships
The World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion.
The 1956 competitions for men, ladies, pair skating, ...
open in Garmisch, West Germany.
* February 22
Events Pre-1600
* 1076 – Having received a letter during the Lenten synod of 14–20 February demanding that he abdicate, Pope Gregory VII excommunicates Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor.
* 1316 – The Battle of Picotin, between Ferdina ...
– Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
enters the United States music charts for the first time, with " Heartbreak Hotel".
* February 23
Events Pre-1600
* 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution.
* 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I lays the foundation stone of a ...
– Norma Jean Mortenson
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
legally changes her name to Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
.
* February 24
Events Pre-1600
* 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
* 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence.
* 13 ...
– Doris Day
Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...
records her most famous song, " Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)"; it is from Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English filmmaker. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in the history of cinema. In a career spanning six decades, he directed over 50 featur ...
's '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'', in which Day co-stars with James Stewart
James Maitland Stewart (May 20, 1908 – July 2, 1997) was an American actor and military pilot. Known for his distinctive drawl and everyman screen persona, Stewart's film career spanned 80 films from 1935 to 1991. With the strong morality h ...
.
* February 25
Events Pre-1600
* 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor.
* 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II.
...
– Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
attacks the veneration of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
, in a speech " On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences", at a secret session concluding the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union. This is not officially made public in the Soviet Union at this time but becomes known in the West in June.
March
* March 1 – TheInternational Air Transport Association
The International Air Transport Association (IATA ) is a trade association of the world's airlines founded in 1945. IATA has been described as a cartel since, in addition to setting technical standards for airlines, IATA also organized tariff ...
finalizes a draft of the radiotelephony spelling alphabet, for the International Civil Aviation Organization.
* March 2 – Morocco declares its independence from France.
* March 9
** The British deport Archbishop Makarios from Cyprus to the Seychelles.
** The Soviet Armed Forces suppress mass demonstrations in the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic, reacting to Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
's de-Stalinization
De-Stalinization (russian: десталинизация, translit=destalinizatsiya) comprised a series of political reforms in the Soviet Union after the death of long-time leader Joseph Stalin in 1953, and the thaw brought about by ascension ...
policy.
* March 10 – The Fairey Delta 2 breaks the World Air Speed Record, raising it to or Mach 1.73, an increase of some over the previous record, and thus becoming the first aircraft to exceed in level flight.
* March 11 – After having opened in London the previous year, Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...
's film, ''Richard III
Richard III (2 October 145222 August 1485) was King of England and Lord of Ireland from 26 June 1483 until his death in 1485. He was the last king of the House of York and the last of the Plantagenet dynasty. His defeat and death at the Battl ...
'', adapted from Shakespeare's play, has its U.S. premiere in theatres and on NBC-TV on the same day. On television it is not shown in prime time, but as an afternoon matinée, in a slightly cut version, one of the first such experiments. Olivier is later nominated for an Oscar for his performance.
* March 12
Events Pre-1600
* 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius.
* 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...
– 96 U.S. Congressmen sign the Southern Manifesto
The Declaration of Constitutional Principles (known informally as the Southern Manifesto) was a document written in February and March 1956, during the 84th United States Congress, in opposition to racial integration of public places. The manife ...
, a protest against the 1954 Supreme Court
A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
ruling ('' Brown v. Board of Education'') that desegregated public education.
* March 13 – Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
releases his first gold album titled '' Elvis Presley'' in the United States.
* March 15 – The Broadway musical '' My Fair Lady'' opens in New York City.
* March 19 – At age 48, Dutch boxer Boxer most commonly refers to:
* Boxer (boxing), a competitor in the sport of boxing
*Boxer (dog), a breed of dog
Boxer or boxers may also refer to:
Animal kingdom
* Boxer crab
* Boxer shrimp, a small group of decapod crustaceans
* Boxer snipe ee ...
Bep van Klaveren
Lambertus "Bep" van Klaveren (26 September 1907 – 12 February 1992) was a Dutch boxer, who won the gold medal in the featherweight division at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam. Van Klaveren remains the only Dutch boxer to have won an Oly ...
contests his last match in Rotterdam.
* March 20 – Tunisia gains independence from France.
* March 21
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the ''Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas an ...
– The 28th Academy Awards
The 28th Academy Awards were held on March 21, 1956 to honor the films of 1955, at the RKO Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, California.
At just 90 minutes, '' Marty'' became the shortest film to win Best Picture, as well as the second to have ...
Ceremony is held in Los Angeles. '' Marty'' is awarded Best Picture.
* March 23 – Pakistan becomes the first Islamic republic
The term Islamic republic has been used in different ways. Some Muslim religious leaders have used it as the name for a theoretical form of Islamic theocratic government enforcing sharia, or laws compatible with sharia. The term has also been u ...
, and a national holiday National holiday may refer to:
* National day, a day when a nation celebrates a very important event in its history, such as its establishment
*Public holiday, a holiday established by law, usually a day off for at least a portion of the workforce, ...
is observed in the country, including the state of East Pakistan.
April
* April 2 – The first episodes of '' As the World Turns'' and '' The Edge of Night'' are broadcast on the CBS Television Network in the United States.
* April 7 – Spain relinquishes its protectorate in Morocco.
* April 9 – Habib Bourguiba
Habib Bourguiba (; ar, الحبيب بورقيبة, al-Ḥabīb Būrqībah; 3 August 19036 April 2000) was a Tunisian lawyer, nationalist leader and statesman who led the country from 1956 to 1957 as the prime minister of the Kingdom of T ...
is elected President of the National Constituent Assembly of the Kingdom of Tunisia; on April 15 he becomes Prime Minister.
* April 14 – Videotape is first demonstrated at the 1956 NARTB (modern-day NAB) convention in Chicago by Ampex. It is the demonstration of the first practical and commercially successful videotape format known as 2" Quadruplex
2-inch quadruplex videotape (also called 2″ quad video tape or quadraplex) was the first practical and commercially successful analog recording video tape format. It was developed and released for the broadcast television industry in 1956 by ...
.
* April 17
Events Pre-1600
*1080 – Harald III of Denmark dies and is succeeded by Canute IV, who would later be the first Dane to be canonized.
*1349 – The rule of the Bavand dynasty in Mazandaran is brought to an end by the murder of Hasan ...
– Queen Elizabeth II inaugurates the 4.9 km2 Chew Valley Lake
Chew Valley Lake () is a reservoir in Chew Stoke, Chew Valley, Somerset, England. It is the fifth-largest artificial lake in the United Kingdom, with an area of . The lake, created in the early 1950s, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1956. ...
in Somerset, England, as a reservoir for the Bristol area.
* April 18 – Maria Desylla-Kapodistria
Maria Desylla-Kapodistria ( el, Μαρία Δεσύλλα Καποδίστρια, 1898–1980) was the mayor of Corfu from 1956 until 1959. Her election to mayor on 15 April 1956, made her the first woman elected mayor of a city in the history of ...
is elected mayor of Corfu
Corfu (, ) or Kerkyra ( el, Κέρκυρα, Kérkyra, , ; ; la, Corcyra.) is a Greek island in the Ionian Sea, of the Ionian Islands, and, including its small satellite islands, forms the margin of the northwestern frontier of Greece. The isl ...
, becoming the first female mayor in Greece.
* April 19
** British diver Lionel (Buster) Crabb (working for MI6) dives into Portsmouth Harbour, to investigate a visiting Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
cruiser, and vanishes.
** American actress Grace Kelly marries Rainier III, Prince of Monaco.
* April 21
Events Pre-1600
*753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date).
* 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered ...
– Former U.S. First Daughter Margaret Truman marries Clifton Daniel
Elbert Clifton Daniel, Jr. (September 19, 1912 – February 21, 2000) was an American newspaperman who was the managing editor of ''The New York Times'' from 1964 to 1969. Before assuming the top editorial job at the paper, he served as the ...
.
* April 27
Events Pre-1600
* 247 – Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the ''ludi saeculares''.
* 395 – Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes one of ...
– Heavyweight
Heavyweight is a weight class in combat sports and professional wrestling.
Boxing Professional
Boxers who weigh over are considered heavyweights by 3 of the 4 major professional boxing organizations: the International Boxing Federation, the Wo ...
boxing champion Rocky Marciano retires, without losing a professional boxing match.
May
* May 1 – Minamata disease is discovered in Japan. * May 2 ** The United Methodist Church in America decides, at its General Conference, to grant women full ordained clergy status. It also calls for an end to racial segregation in the denomination. **Violet Gibson
Violet Albina Gibson (31 August 1876 – 2 May 1956) was an Irish woman who attempted to assassinate Benito Mussolini in 1926. She was released without charge but spent the rest of her life in a psychiatric hospital in England.
She was the daug ...
, who attempted to assassinate Mussolini in 1926, dies in a mental hospital in England, after a lifetime of imprisonment.
* May 8
Events Pre-1600
* 453 BC – Spring and Autumn period: The house of Zhao defeats the house of Zhi, ending the Battle of Jinyang, a military conflict between the elite families of the State of Jin.
* 413 – Emperor Honorius signs a ...
** Austria and Israel establish diplomatic relations
Relation or relations may refer to:
General uses
*International relations, the study of interconnection of politics, economics, and law on a global level
*Interpersonal relationship, association or acquaintance between two or more people
*Public ...
.
** The constitutional union between Indonesia and the Netherlands is dissolved.
** John Osborne
John James Osborne (12 December 1929 – 24 December 1994) was an English playwright, screenwriter and actor, known for his prose that criticized established social and political norms. The success of his 1956 play ''Look Back in Anger'' tra ...
's '' Look Back in Anger'' opens at the Royal Court Theatre, London, changing the scope of theatrical and other forms of drama in the UK: the theatre's press release describes the dramatist as among the angry young men of the time.
* May 9 – Manaslu, eighth highest mountain in the world (in the Nepalese Himalayas) is first ascended, by a Japanese team.
* May 18
Events Pre-1600
* 332 – Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople.
* 872 – Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 4 ...
– Lhotse
Lhotse ( ne, ल्होत्से ; , ''lho tse'', ) is the fourth highest mountain in the world at , after Mount Everest, K2, and Kangchenjunga. The main summit is on the border between Tibet Autonomous Region of China and the Khumbu ...
main summit, the fourth highest mountain (on the Nepalese–Tibetan border) is first ascended, by Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss.
* May 22
Events Pre-1600
* 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu.
* 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
* 853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt.
* 11 ...
– The NBC Peacock logo debuts on television in the United States.
* May 23 – French minister Pierre Mendès France resigns, due to his government's policy on Algeria.
* May 24
Events Pre-1600
* 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom.
* 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt.
* 1276 – Magnus La ...
– The first Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest (), sometimes abbreviated to ESC and often known simply as Eurovision, is an international songwriting competition organised annually by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), featuring participants representing pr ...
is broadcast from Lugano, Switzerland. The winning song is the host country's ''Refrain'' by Lys Assia (music by Géo Voumard, lyrics by Émile Gardaz).
* May 25 – India announces the institution of diplomatic relations
Relation or relations may refer to:
General uses
*International relations, the study of interconnection of politics, economics, and law on a global level
*Interpersonal relationship, association or acquaintance between two or more people
*Public ...
with Francoist Spain.
June
* June 1 – Vyacheslav Molotov resigns as foreign minister of theSoviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
; he later becomes ambassador
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or sov ...
to Mongolia.
* June 3 – British Railways
British Railways (BR), which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was a state-owned company that operated most of the overground rail transport in Great Britain from 1948 to 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the Big Four British rai ...
rename 'Third Class' passenger facilities 'Second Class'.
* June 4 – Montgomery bus boycott: The related civil suit is heard in federal district court; the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold the ruling in November.
* June 5
Events Pre-1600
*1257 – Kraków, in Poland, receives city rights.
*1283 – Battle of the Gulf of Naples: Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon, destroys the Neapolitan fleet and captures Charles II of Naples, Charles ...
** The text of Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
's February attack on Stalin's reputation, " On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences", is first published in the West, in '' The New York Times''.
** Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
performs " Hound Dog" on '' The Milton Berle Show'', scandalizing the American television audience with his suggestive hip movements.
* June 6
Events Pre-1600
* 913 – Constantine VII, the eight-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointed b ...
– In Singapore, chief minister David Marshall resigns, after the breakdown of talks about internal self-government in London.
* June 8 – General Electric/Telechron introduces model 7H241 "The Snooz Alarm", the first snooze alarm clock
An alarm clock (or sometimes just an alarm) is a clock that is designed to alert an individual or group of individuals at a specified time. The primary function of these clocks is to awaken people from their night's sleep or short naps; they ar ...
ever.
* June 10 – 1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...
: Equestrian events open in Stockholm
Stockholm () is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, largest city of Sweden as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people liv ...
, Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
(all other events are held in November in Melbourne, Australia).
* June 13
** The International Criminal Police Organization adopts Interpol as its official name.
** Real Madrid
Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid.
Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
beats Stade Reims 4–3 at Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes () is an all-seater stadium, all-seater Association football, football stadium in Paris, France, in the south-west of the French capital, inside the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th arrondissement, near the Stade Jean-Bouin ...
, Paris and wins the 1955–56 European Cup
The 1955–56 European Cup was the first season of the European Cup, UEFA's premier club football tournament. The tournament was won by Real Madrid, who defeated Stade de Reims 4–3 in the final at Parc des Princes, Paris, on 13 June 1956.
The ...
(football).
* June 14 – The Flag of the United States Army is formally dedicated.
* June 15 – Eindhoven University of Technology
The Eindhoven University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven), abbr. TU/e, is a public technical university in the Netherlands, located in the city of Eindhoven. In 2020–21, around 14,000 students were enrolled in its BSc a ...
is founded in Eindhoven
Eindhoven () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the southern province of North Brabant of which it is its largest. With a population of 238,326 on 1 January 2022,June 18 – The last British troops leave
*
*
* March 1
** Tim Daly, American actor and producer
** Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of Lithuania
* March 2 – Eduardo Rodríguez (politician), Eduardo Rodríguez, President of Bolivia
* March 3 – Frank Giroud, French comics writer (d. 2018)
* March 5
** Teena Marie, American singer (d. 2010)
** Marco Paolini, Italian stage actor, dramaturge and author
* March 7
** Andrea Levy, English novelist (d. 2019)
** Bryan Cranston, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
* March 8 – John Kapelos, Canadian actor
* March 9
** Kadyrzhan Batyrov, Kyrgyz businessman and politician (d. 2018)
** Shashi Tharoor, Indian politician
* March 11 – Rob Paulsen, American voice actor and singer
*
* April 3
** Ray Combs, American game show host and comedian (d. 1996)
** Miguel Bosé, Panamanian-born musician and actor
** Boris Miljković, Serbian TV & theatre director and video artist
* April 4
** Kerry Chikarovski, Australian politician
** David E. Kelley, American writer and television producer
* April 5
** Diamond Dallas Page, American professional wrestler
** El Risitas, Spanish comedian and actor (d. 2021)
* April 6
** Sebastian Spreng, American-Argentinean visual artist
** Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer
* April 7 – Christopher Darden, African-American attorney, author, actor and lecturer
* April 9 – Edmund Chong Ket Wah, Malaysian politician (d. 2010)
* April 12
** Andy García, Cuban-American actor
** Herbert Grönemeyer, German musician and actor
** Yasuo Tanaka (politician), Yasuo Tanaka, Japanese politician, novelist
* April 13 – Possum Bourne, New Zealand rally car driver (d.
* May 1
** Alexander Ivanov (chess player), Alexander Ivanov, Russian-born American chess grandmaster
** Danilo De Girolamo, Italian voice actor (d.
* June 1
** Chintaman Vanaga, Indian politician (d. 2018)
** Peter Tomka, Judge, International Court of Justice
** Amanda Miguel, Argentinian singer
* June 2 – Mani Ratnam, Indian film director, screenwriter and producer
* June 3 – George Burley, Scottish football manager
* June 4 – Keith David, African-American actor and voice actor
*
* July 1
** Alan Ruck, American actor
** Gregg L. Semenza, American cellular biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
* July 2
** Jerry Hall, American model and actress
** Cynthia Kadohata, Japanese-American children's writer
* July 3
**Dorota Pomykała, Polish actress
**Min Aung Hlaing, Burmese Army General
* July 4 – :pt:Bárbara Bruno, Bárbara Bruno, Brazilian actress, director and producer
* July 5
** Sapawi Ahmad, Malaysian politician
** Horacio Cartes, President of Paraguay
** Louis Herthum, American actor and producer
** Sheila Walsh (author/singer), Sheila Walsh, Scottish Christian artist and talk-show hostess
* July 7
** Janet Cruz, American politician
** Mullah Krekar, Iraqi Kurdish scholar and militant
** Ryuho Okawa, Japanese religious leader
** Giam Swiegers, South African-Australian business executive
*
* August 2 – Robert Khuzami, Deputy Attorney for the Southern District of New York
* August 4
** Gerry Cooney, American boxer
** Randall Wright, Canadian economist
* August 5
** Bolland & Bolland, Ferdi Bolland, Dutch musician, songwriter and music producer (Bolland & Bolland)
** Maureen McCormick, American actress
*
* September 1 – Bernie Wagenblast, American editor and broadcaster
* September 2
** Nandamuri Harikrishna, Indian actor and politician (d. 2018)
** Angelo Fusco, Provisional Irish Republican Army member
* September 3 – Pat McGeown, Provisional Irish Republican Army member (d. 1996)
* September 6 – Bill Ritter, American politician, 41st Governor of Colorado
* September 7 – Michael Feinstein, American singer and pianist
* September 8 – Maurice Cheeks, American basketball player and coach
* September 11 – Phillip D. Bissett, American politician
* September 12
** Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong actor (d.
* October 1
** Tara Buckman, American actress
** Andrus Ansip, Estonian politician, 10th Prime Minister of Estonia
** Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
* October 2 – Charlie Adler, American voice actor and director
* October 3 – Ralph Morgenstern, German actor
* October 4 – Christoph Waltz, German-Austrian actor
* October 8
** Danny Jacob, American composer, songwriter and guitarist
** Stephanie Zimbalist, American actress
* October 10 – Amanda Burton, Irish actress
* October 11 – Nicanor Duarte, 47th President of Paraguay
* October 12 – Trần Đại Quang, President of Vietnam (d. 2018)
* October 16 – Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah, Bangladeshi poet (d. 1991)
* October 17
** Mae Jemison, African-American astronaut
** Stephen Palumbi, American academic and author
** Ken Morrow, American ice hockey player
* October 18
** Craig Bartlett, American animator, writer, storyboard artist, director and voice actor
** Martina Navratilova, Czech-American multiple Grand Slam title winning tennis player
* October 19
** Sunny Deol, Indian actor, director, producer and politician
** Carlo Urbani, Italian physician (d.
* November 4 – Igor Talkov, Russian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1991)
* November 5 – Rob Fisher (British musician), Rob Fisher, British keyboardist and songwriter (Climie Fisher) (d. 1999)
* November 7
** Mikhail Alperin, Soviet-Norwegian jazz pianist (d. 2018)
** Judy Tenuta, American comedian and musician (d. 2022)
* November 8
** Richard Curtis, English film director, producer and screenwriter
** Kurt Sorensen, New Zealand rugby league player
* November 10
** Sinbad (comedian), Sinbad, African-American stand-up, comedian and actor
** Mohsen Badawi, Egyptian entrepreneur, political activist and writer
** Peter Rangmar, Swedish actor, comedian and baritone (d. 1997)
*
* December 1
** Sultan bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Emirati politician and royal (d. 2019)
** Markos Kounalakis, American journalist, author and scholar, Second Gentleman of California
* December 4 – Bernard King, American basketball player and commentator
* December 5
** Klaus Allofs, German football player
** Krystian Zimerman, Polish pianist
* December 6
** Peter Buck, American guitarist
** Randy Rhoads, American guitarist (d. 1982)
* December 7
** Chuy Bravo, Mexican-American actor and entertainer (d. 2019)
** Larry Bird, American basketball player
** Iveta Radičová, Prime Minister of Slovakia
* December 9
** Antony Alda, American actor (d. 2009)
** Jean-Pierre Thiollet, French writer
** Baruch Goldstein, American-Israeli physician and mass murderer (d. 1994)
* December 10 – Rod Blagojevich, American politician and convicted felon, Governor of Illinois (2003–2009)
* December 11 – Lani Brockman, American playwright
* December 12
** Ana Alicia, Mexican actress
** Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist
* December 13 – Majida El Roumi, Lebanese singer
* December 14 – Béla Réthy, German sports journalist
* December 16 – Duncan Faure, South African musician
* December 18 – Ron White, American comedian
* December 19
** Masami Akita, Japanese noise music, noise musician (also known as Merzbow)
** Jimmy Cauty, British musician (The KLF, The Timelords)
* December 21 – Anna Erlandsson, Swedish filmmaker and animator
* December 23
** Michele Alboreto, Italian race car driver (d. 2001)
** Dave Murray (musician), Dave Murray, British musician (Iron Maiden)
* December 24
** Anil Kapoor, Indian actor
** Shim Hwa-jin, South Korean academic
* December 26
** Kashif (musician), Michael Jones (aka Kashif), musician, singer-songwriter (B.T. Express) (d. 2016)
** David Sedaris, American essayist
* December 28
** Nigel Kennedy, English violinist
** Jimmy Nicholl, Canadian-born footballer
** Phil Verchota, American ice hockey player
* December 29 – Fred MacAulay, Scottish comedian
* December 30
** Patricia Kalember, American actress
** Sheryl Lee Ralph, African American-actress
* December 31
** Shelagh Rogers, Canadian radio host
** Hussein Ahmed Salah, Djiboutian marathon runner
*
*
* March 9 – Arthur Leopold Busch, English-born American submarine pioneer (b. 1866)
*
* April 6 – Pío Valenzuela, Filipino physician and one of the leaders of the Katipunan (b. 1869)
* April 13 – Emil Nolde, German-Danish painter (b. 1867)
* April 15 – Kathleen Howard, Canadian-born American actress and opera singer (b. 1884)
* April 19 – Ernst Robert Curtius, Alsatian philologist (b. 1886)
*
* June 2
** Richard S. Edwards, American admiral (b. 1885)
** Jean Hersholt, Danish actor (b. 1886)
* June 4 – Katherine MacDonald, American silent film actress (b. 1891)
*
* August 2 – Albert Woolson, last surviving Union veteran of the American Civil War (b. 1847)
*
* September 6
** Lee Jung-seob, Korean oil painter (b. 1872)
** Felix Borowski, British-American composer and teacher (b. 1872)
* September 7 – C. B. Fry, English sportsman and writer (b. 1872)
* September 11
** Billy Bishop, Canadian World War I flying ace (b. 1894)
** Lucien Febvre, French historian (b. 1878)
* September 20 – Flora Eldershaw, Australian novelist, critic, and historian (b. 1897)
* September 22 – Frederick Soddy, English chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1877)
* September 27
** Milburn G. Apt, American test pilot (b. 1924)
** Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American golfer (b. 1911)
* September 28 – William E. Boeing, American engineer and airplane manufacturer (b. 1881)
* September 29 – Anastasio Somoza García, President of Nicaragua (assassinated) (b. 1896)
* October 1 – Albert Von Tilzer, American songwriter (b. 1878)
* October 2 – George Bancroft (actor), George Bancroft, American actor (b. 1882)
* October 9 – Marie Doro, American stage & silent film actress (b. 1882)
* October 12 – Lorenzo Perosi, Italian composer (b. 1872)
*
*
* December 2 – Dell Henderson, Canadian actor (b. 1877)
* December 3 – Alexander Rodchenko, Russian artist (b. 1891)
* December 6 –
full text online
comprehensive reference book covering 1956 in diplomacy, international affairs and politics for major nations and regions
{{Authority control 1956, Leap years in the Gregorian calendar
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
.
* June 21
Events Pre-1600
* 533 – A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarius sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily (approximate date).
* 1307 – Külüg Khan is enthroned as Khagan of the Mo ...
– Playwright Arthur Miller appears before the House Un-American Activities Committee
The House Committee on Un-American Activities (HCUA), popularly dubbed the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), was an investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, created in 1938 to investigate alleged disloy ...
in Washington, D.C.
* June 23
Events Pre-1600
* 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu.
* 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships.
* 1280 – The Spanish Re ...
– Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
becomes the 2nd president of Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
, a post he holds until his death in 1970
Events
January
* January 1 – Unix time epoch reached at 00:00:00 UTC.
* January 5 – The 7.1 Tonghai earthquake shakes Tonghai County, Yunnan province, China, with a maximum Mercalli intensity scale, Mercalli intensity of X (''Extrem ...
.
* June 28
Events Pre-1600
* 1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul at the battle of Antioch.
* 1360 – Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid king of Granada after killing his brother-in-law Ismail II.
* 1461 – ...
** Poznań 1956 protests: Labour riots in Poznań, Poland, are crushed with heavy loss of life. Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
troops fire at a crowd protesting high prices, killing 53 people.
** The film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's '' The King and I'', starring Deborah Kerr
Deborah Jane Trimmer CBE (30 September 192116 October 2007), known professionally as Deborah Kerr (), was a British actress. She was nominated six times for the Academy Award for Best Actress.
During her international film career, Kerr won a G ...
and Yul Brynner, is released only a few months after the film version of R&H's ''Carousel''. It becomes the most financially successful film version of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical up to this time, and the only one to win an acting Oscar (Yul Brynner wins Best Actor for his performance as the King of Siam). It is also one of two Rodgers and Hammerstein films to be nominated for Best Picture (which it does not win).
* June 29
** Actress Marilyn Monroe
Marilyn Monroe (; born Norma Jeane Mortenson; 1 June 1926 4 August 1962) was an American actress. Famous for playing comedic " blonde bombshell" characters, she became one of the most popular sex symbols of the 1950s and early 1960s, as wel ...
marries playwright Arthur Miller, in White Plains, New York.
** President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, creating the Interstate Highway System in the United States.
* June 30 – 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision
The Grand Canyon mid-air collision occurred in the Western United States, western United States on Saturday, June 30, 1956, when a United Airlines Douglas DC-7 struck a Trans World Airlines Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation over Grand Canyon ...
: A TWA
Trans World Airlines (TWA) was a major American airline which operated from 1930 until 2001. It was formed as Transcontinental & Western Air to operate a route from New York City to Los Angeles via St. Louis, Kansas City, and other stops, with ...
Lockheed Constellation and United Airlines Douglas DC-7 collide in mid-air over the Grand Canyon
The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...
in Arizona, killing all 128 people aboard both aircraft, in the deadliest civil aviation disaster to date; the accident leads to sweeping changes in the regulation of cross-country flight and air traffic control over the United States.
July
* July 2 – A laboratory experiment involving scrap thorium at Sylvania Electric Products in Bayside, New York, results in anexplosion
An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are known ...
.
* July 4 – An American Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft makes its first flight over the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
.
* July 8
Events Pre-1600
* 1099 – Some 15,000 starving Christian soldiers begin the siege of Jerusalem by marching in a religious procession around the city as its Muslim defenders watch.
* 1283 – Roger of Lauria, commanding the Aragonese ...
– The mountain Gasherbrum II, on the border of Pakistan and China, is first ascended, by an Austrian expedition.
* July 9
Events Pre-1600
*118 – Hadrian, who became emperor a year previously on Trajan's death, makes his entry into Rome.
* 381 – The end of the First Council of Christian bishops convened in Constantinople by the Roman Emperor Theodos ...
– The 7.7 Amorgos earthquake shakes the Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea, with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''). The shaking and the subsequent tsunami leave 53 people dead.
* July 10 – The British House of Lords defeats the abolition of the death penalty.
* July 13 – John McCarthy (Dartmouth), Marvin Minsky (MIT), Claude Shannon (Bell Labs) and Nathaniel Rochester (IBM) assemble the first coordinated research meeting on the topic of artificial intelligence, at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, in the United States.
* July 16
Events Pre-1600
* 622 – The beginning of the Islamic calendar.
* 997 – Battle of Spercheios: Bulgarian forces of Tsar Samuel are defeated by a Byzantine army under general Nikephoros Ouranos at the Spercheios River in Greece.
* 105 ...
– With the closing of its "Big Tent" show in Pittsburgh, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus announces all subsequent circuses will be "arena shows", due to changing economics.
* July 24 – At New York City's Copacabana nightclub, Dean Martin
Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...
and Jerry Lewis
Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...
perform their last comedy show together (their act started on July 25, 1946).
* July 25
Events Pre-1600
* 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops.
* 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. ...
– The Italian ocean liner sinks after colliding with the Swedish ship SS ''Stockholm'' in heavy fog south of Nantucket
Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...
island, killing 51.
* July 26 – Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser
Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein, . (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian politician who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 and introduced far-re ...
nationalizes the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
, sparking international condemnation.
* July 30
Events Pre-1600
* 762 – Baghdad is founded.
*1419 – First Defenestration of Prague: A crowd of radical Hussites kill seven members of the Prague city council.
*1502 – Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands ...
– A joint resolution
In the United States Congress, a joint resolution is a legislative measure that requires passage by the Senate and the House of Representatives and is presented to the President for their approval or disapproval. Generally, there is no legal differ ...
of Congress is signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, authorizing "In God we trust
"In God We Trust" (also rendered as "In God we trust") is the United States national motto, official motto of the United States and of the U.S. state of Florida. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress in 1956, replacing ("Out of many, one"), whic ...
" as the U.S. national motto.
* July 31
Events Pre-1600
*30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.
* 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Tr ...
** Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...
: Jim Laker sets an extraordinary record at Old Trafford
Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...
in the fourth Test between England and Australia, taking 19 wickets in a first class match (the previous best was 17).
** Luzhniki Stadium, well known sports venue of Russia and the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, officially opens in Moscow.
August
*August 6
Events Pre-1600
*1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria by the Republic of Genoa, thus losing its naval dominance in the Mediterranean.
* 1538 – Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada ...
– After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster DuMont Television Network
The DuMont Television Network (also known as the DuMont Network, DuMont Television, simply DuMont/Du Mont, or (incorrectly) Dumont ) was one of America's pioneer commercial television networks, rivaling NBC and CBS for the distinction of being ...
airs its final broadcast, an episode of its sports series '' Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena''.
* August 7 – Seven ammunition trucks loaded with 1,053 boxes of dynamite explode in Cali, Colombia. Death estimates range from 1,300 to 10,000, in a city that at this time has 120,000 inhabitants.
* August 8 – 262 miners (chiefly Italian nationals) die in a fire at the Bois du Cazier
The Bois du Cazier () was a coal mine in what was then the town of Marcinelle, near Charleroi, in Belgium which today is preserved as an industrial heritage site. It is best known as the location of a major mining disaster that took place on Aug ...
coal mine, in Marcinelle
Marcinelle (; wa, Mårcinele) is a town of Wallonia and a district of the municipality of Charleroi, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium.
Until 1977, it was a municipality of its own.
Home of the comics publisher Dupuis, as many popul ...
, Belgium.
* August 9 – Art exhibition '' This Is Tomorrow'' opens at Whitechapel Art Gallery in London.
* August 12 – Around 5,000 members of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church
The Romanian Greek Catholic Church or Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic ( la, Ecclesia Graeco-Catholica Romaniae; ro, Biserica Română Unită cu Roma, Greco-Catolică), sometimes called, in reference to its Byzantine Rite, the ...
hold a mass outside Cluj-Napoca Piarists' Church
The Piarist Church ( ro, Biserica Piariștilor, also known as the Jesuit Church (''Biserica Iezuiților'') or the University Church (''Biserica Universității''); hu, piarista templom), located at 5 Str. Universității, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, a ...
to demonstrate that their church, proscribed by the government in 1948, has not ceased to exist as the regime claims.
* August 17 – West Germany bans the Communist Party of Germany
The Communist Party of Germany (german: Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands, , KPD ) was a major political party in the Weimar Republic between 1918 and 1933, an underground resistance movement in Nazi Germany, and a minor party in West German ...
.
September
* September 9 –Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
appears on '' The Ed Sullivan Show'' in the United States for the first time.
* September 13
** The hard disk drive is invented by an IBM team, led by Reynold B. Johnson
Reynold B. Johnson (July 16, 1906September 15, 1998) was an American inventor and computer pioneer. A long-time employee of IBM, Johnson is said to be the "father" of the hard disk drive. Other inventions include automatic test scoring equipment ...
.
** The dike
Dyke (UK) or dike (US) may refer to:
General uses
* Dyke (slang), a slang word meaning "lesbian"
* Dike (geology), a subvertical sheet-like intrusion of magma or sediment
* Dike (mythology), ''Dikē'', the Greek goddess of moral justice
* Dikes, ...
around the Dutch polder East Flevoland
Flevoland () is the twelfth and youngest province of the Netherlands, established in 1986, when the southern and eastern Flevopolders, together with the Noordoostpolder, were merged into one provincial entity. It is in the centre of the countr ...
is closed.
* September 16
Events Pre-1600
* 681 – Pope Honorius I is posthumously excommunicated by the Sixth Ecumenical Council.
*1400 – Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers. 1601–1900
* 1620 – A determined band of 35 relig ...
– Television broadcasting in Australia commences.
* September 21 – Nicaraguan dictator Anastasio Somoza García is assassinated.
* September 25
Events Pre-1600
* 275 – For the last time, the Roman Senate chooses an emperor; they elect 75-year-old Marcus Claudius Tacitus.
* 762 – Led by Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, the Hasanid branch of the Alids begins the Alid Revolt a ...
– The submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
transatlantic telephone cable opens.
* September 27 – The Bell X-2 becomes the first crewed aircraft to reach Mach
Mach may refer to Mach number, the speed of sound in local conditions. It may also refer to:
Computing
* Mach (kernel), an operating systems kernel technology
* ATI Mach, a 2D GPU chip by ATI
* GNU Mach, the microkernel upon which GNU Hurd is bas ...
3.
October
* October 5 – Cecil B. DeMille'sepic film
Epic films are a style of filmmaking with large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The usage of the term has shifted over time, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply synonymous with big-budget filmmaking. Like epics in ...
'' The Ten Commandments'', starring Charlton Heston
Charlton Heston (born John Charles Carter; October 4, 1923April 5, 2008) was an American actor and political activist.
As a Hollywood star, he appeared in almost 100 films over the course of 60 years. He played Moses in the epic film ''The Ten C ...
as Moses
Moses hbo, מֹשֶׁה, Mōše; also known as Moshe or Moshe Rabbeinu (Mishnaic Hebrew: מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, ); syr, ܡܘܫܐ, Mūše; ar, موسى, Mūsā; grc, Mωϋσῆς, Mōÿsēs () is considered the most important pro ...
, is released in the United States. It will be in the top ten of the worldwide list of highest-grossing films
Films generate income from several revenue streams, including theatrical exhibition, home video, television broadcast rights, and merchandising. However, theatrical box-office earnings are the primary metric for trade publications in assess ...
of all time, adjusted for inflation.
* October 8 – Baseball pitcher Don Larsen
Don James Larsen (August 7, 1929 – January 1, 2020) was an American professional baseball pitcher. During a 15-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, he pitched from 1953 to 1967 for seven different teams: the St. Louis Browns / Baltimore O ...
of the New York Yankees throws the only perfect game in World Series history, in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees of the American League and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League in October 1956. The series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series. ...
against the Brooklyn Dodgers
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1884 as a member of the American Association (19th century), American Association before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brooklyn until 1957, after which the ...
. Yogi Berra catches the game. Dale Mitchell is the final out. The New York Yankees win the series in seven games. Larsen is named series MVP.
* October 10
** Finland joins UNESCO.
** The prototype Lockheed L-1649 Starliner, the final Lockheed Constellation model, makes its first flight.
* October 14
Events Pre-1600
*1066 – The Norman conquest of England begins with the Battle of Hastings.
* 1322 – Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeats King Edward II of England at the Battle of Old Byland, forcing Edward to accept Scotland's i ...
– In India:
** Indira Kala Sangeet University
Indira Kala Sangit Vishwavidyalaya (IKSV), also Indira Kala Sangeet University, is a public university located in Khairagarh, Rajnandgaon district, Chhattisgarh, India.
History
In 1956, Maharaja Birendra Bahadur Singh and maharani Padmavati De ...
, Khairagarh
Khairagarh is a city in Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai district. Formerly, it was the part of Rajnandgaon district.
History
Khairagarh State was a feudatory state of the former Central Provinces of British India. Pandadah (8 kilometer from ...
, is inaugurated by Indira Gandhi
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (; Given name, ''née'' Nehru; 19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and a central figure of the Indian National Congress. She was elected as third prime minister of India in 1966 ...
.
** Dalit Buddhist movement: Dr. B. R. Ambedkar
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates, served a ...
, Dalit leader, converts to Buddhism, along with 385,000 followers.
* October 15
Events Pre-1600
*1066 – Following the death of Harold II at the Battle of Hastings, Edgar the Ætheling is proclaimed King of England by the Witan; he is never crowned, and concedes power to William the Conqueror two months later.
* 1211 ...
– The British Royal Air Force retires its last Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...
bomber.
* October 17
** The world's first industrial-scale commercial nuclear power plant
A nuclear power plant (NPP) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power stations, heat is used to generate steam that drives a steam turbine connected to a electric generator, generato ...
is opened at Calder Hall
Sellafield is a large multi-function nuclear site close to Seascale on the coast of Cumbria, England. As of August 2022, primary activities are nuclear waste processing and storage and nuclear decommissioning. Former activities included nucle ...
in England.
** The Game of the Century (chess)
The Game of the Century is a chess game that was won by the 13-year-old future world champion Bobby Fischer against Donald Byrne in the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament at the Marshall Chess Club in New York City on October 17, 1956. In ''Chess Revi ...
: 13-year-old Bobby Fischer beats grandmaster Donald Byrne
Donald Byrne (June 12, 1930 – April 8, 1976) was an American university professor and chess player. He held the title International Master, and competed for his country in the Chess Olympiad on several occasions.
Biography
Born in New York Cit ...
, in the Rosenwald Memorial Tournament in New York City.
* October 22 – Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
: The United Kingdom, France, and Israel secretly meet in Sèvres and make plans to invade Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
.
* October 23 – The Hungarian Revolution breaks out against the pro-Soviet government, originating as a student demonstration in Budapest. Hungary attempts to leave the Warsaw Pact.
* October 26 – Soviet Red Army troops invade Hungary.
* October 29
** Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
: Israel invades the Sinai Peninsula and pushes Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian forces back toward the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
.
** Tangier Protocol
The Tangier Protocol (formally the Convention regarding the Organisation of the Statute of the Tangier Zone) was an agreement signed between France, Spain, and the United Kingdom by which the city of Tangier in Morocco became the Tangier Internat ...
: The international city Tangier is reintegrated into Morocco.
** The '' Huntley-Brinkley Report'' debuts on NBC-TV in the United States.
* October 31
** Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
: The United Kingdom and France begin bombing Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
to force the reopening of the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
.
** A United States Navy team becomes the third group to reach the South Pole (arriving by air), and commences construction of the first permanent Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station
The Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station is the United States scientific research station at the South Pole of the Earth. It is the southernmost point under the jurisdiction (not sovereignty) of the United States. The station is located on the ...
.
November
*November 1
Events Pre-1600
* 365 – The Alemanni cross the Rhine and invade Gaul. Emperor Valentinian I moves to Paris to command the army and defend the Gallic cities.
* 996 – Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freising, ...
** The States Reorganisation Act
The States Reorganisation act, 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries of India's States and territories of India, states and territories, organising them along linguistic lines.
Although additional changes to India's state boundaries have b ...
of India reforms the boundaries and names of Indian states. Three new states, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, are formed.
** City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco publishes '' Howl and Other Poems'' by Allen Ginsberg, a key work of the Beat Generation
The Beat Generation was a literary subculture movement started by a group of authors whose work explored and influenced American culture and politics in the post-war era. The bulk of their work was published and popularized by Silent Generatio ...
.
** The film '' Oklahoma!'' (1955), previously released to select cities in Todd-AO, now receives a U.S. national release in CinemaScope
CinemaScope is an anamorphic lens series used, from 1953 to 1967, and less often later, for shooting widescreen films that, crucially, could be screened in theatres using existing equipment, albeit with a lens adapter. Its creation in 1953 by ...
, since not all theatres are yet equipped for Todd-AO. To accomplish this, the film has actually been shot twice, rather than printing one version in two different film processes, as is later done.
* November 3
** Khan Yunis massacre
The Khan Yunis massacre took place on 3 November 1956 in the Palestinian town of Khan Yunis and the nearby refugee camp of the same name in the Gaza Strip during the Suez Crisis.
According to Benny Morris, during an Israel Defense Forces ope ...
(Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
): Israeli soldiers shoot dead hundreds of Palestinian refugees and local inhabitants in Khan Yunis Camp.
** MGM's film ''The Wizard of Oz
''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' or ''The Wizard of Oz'' most commonly refers to:
*'' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'', a 1900 American novel by L. Frank Baum often reprinted as ''The Wizard of Oz''
** Wizard of Oz (character), from the Baum novel serie ...
'' is the first major Hollywood film running more than 90 minutes to be televised uncut in one evening, in the United States.
* November 4 – Hungarian Revolution of 1956: More Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
troops invade Hungary, to crush the revolt that started on October 23. Thousands are killed, more are wounded, and nearly a quarter million leave the country.
* November 6 – 1956 United States presidential election
The 1956 United States presidential election was the 43rd quadrennial presidential election. It was held on Tuesday, November 6, 1956. President Dwight D. Eisenhower successfully ran for reelection against Adlai Stevenson II, the former Illinois ...
: Republican incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower defeats Democratic challenger Adlai Stevenson, in a rematch of their contest 4 years earlier.
* November 7 – Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
: The United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution calling for the United Kingdom, France and Israel to withdraw their troops from Arab lands immediately.
* November 11
Events Pre-1600
* 308 – At Carnuntum, Emperor ''emeritus'' Diocletian confers with Galerius, ''Augustus'' of the East, and Maximianus, the recently returned former ''Augustus'' of the West, in an attempt to end the civil wars of the T ...
– Hungarian Revolution of 1956: Last insurgents succumb to the invading Soviet army.
* November 12
Events Pre-1600
* 954 – The 13-year-old Lothair III is crowned at the Abbey of Saint-Remi as king of the West Frankish Kingdom.
*1028 – Future Byzantine empress Zoe takes the throne as empress consort to Romanos III Argyros.
* 13 ...
– Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia join the United Nations.
* November 13 – ''Browder v. Gayle
''Browder v. Gayle'', 142 F. Supp. 707 (1956),''Browder v. Gayle''
14 ...
'': The United States Supreme Court declares illegal the state and municipal laws requiring segregated buses in Montgomery, Alabama, thus ending the Montgomery bus boycott.
* November 14 – An eight-mile long stretch of highway is opened west of Topeka, Kansas, creating the first portion of the Interstate Highway System in the United States and the first highway to be completed with funds from the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956.
* 14 ...
November 15
Events Pre-1600
* 655 – Battle of the Winwaed: Penda of Mercia is defeated by Oswiu of Northumbria.
*1315 – Growth of the Old Swiss Confederacy: The Schweizer Eidgenossenschaft ambushes the army of Leopold I in the Battle of Morg ...
– Middle East Technical University
Middle East Technical University (commonly referred to as METU; in Turkish language, Turkish, ''Orta Doğu Teknik Üniversitesi'', ODTÜ) is a public university, public Institute of technology, technical university located in Ankara, Turkey. The ...
is founded in Ankara, Turkey.
* November 18 – At a reception for Western ambassadors at the Polish embassy in Moscow, Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (– 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and chairman of the country's Council of Ministers from 1958 to 1964. During his rule, Khrushchev s ...
utters his famous phrase "We will bury you
"We will bury you" (russian: «Мы вас похороним!», translit="My vas pokhoronim!") is a phrase that was used by Soviet First Secretary Nikita Khrushchev while addressing Western ambassadors at a reception at the Polish embassy i ...
".
* November 20
Events Pre-1600
* 284 – Diocletian is chosen as Roman emperor.
* 762 – During the An Shi Rebellion, the Tang dynasty, with the help of Huihe tribe, recaptures Luoyang from the rebels.
*1194 – Palermo is conquered by Henry ...
– In Yugoslavia, former prime minister Milovan Đilas
Milovan Djilas (; , ; 12 June 1911 – 30 April 1995) was a Yugoslav communist politician, theorist and author. He was a key figure in the Partisan movement during World War II, as well as in the post-war government. A self-identified democrat ...
is arrested after he criticizes Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
.
* November 22 – The 1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, from 22 November to 8 December 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, whi ...
begin in Melbourne, Australia.
* November 23 – The Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
causes petrol rationing in Britain.
* November 25 – Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
and Che Guevara depart from Tuxpan, Veracruz
Tuxpan (or Túxpam, fully Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano) is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 78,523 and of the municipality was 134,394 inhabitants, according to the INEGI census o ...
, Mexico, en route to Santiago de Cuba aboard the yacht '' Granma'', with 82 men.
* November 28 – Roger Vadim
Roger Vadim Plemiannikov (; 26 January 1928 – 11 February 2000) was a French screenwriter, film director and producer, as well as an author, artist and occasional actor. His best-known works are visually lavish films with erotic qualities, su ...
's drama film '' And God Created Woman'', released in France as ''Et Dieu ... créa la femme'', propels Brigitte Bardot into the public spotlight as a " sex kitten".
* November 30
Events Pre-1600
* 978 – Franco-German war of 978–980: Holy Roman Emperor Otto II lifts the siege of Paris and withdraws. 1601–1900
* 1707 – Queen Anne's War: The second Siege of Pensacola comes to end with the failure of the Br ...
– African-American Floyd Patterson wins the world heavyweight boxing championship that is vacant after the retirement of Rocky Marciano.
December
* December 2 **Fidel Castro
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz (; ; 13 August 1926 – 25 November 2016) was a Cuban revolutionary and politician who was the leader of Cuba from 1959 to 2008, serving as the prime minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976 and president from 1976 to 200 ...
and his followers land in Cuba, from the yacht '' Granma''.
** A pipe bomb planted by George Metesky explodes at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, injuring 6 people.
* December 3 – The 1956 Bush Terminal explosion
Industry City (also Bush Terminal) is a historic intermodal shipping, warehousing, and manufacturing complex on the Upper New York Bay waterfront in the Sunset Park neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York City. The northern portion, commonly cal ...
occurs in Brooklyn.
* December 4 – The Million Dollar Quartet (Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins
Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...
, and Johnny Cash
John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his ca ...
) get together at Sun Studio, for the first and last time in history.
* December 9 – Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810
Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810-9 was a Canadair North Star on a scheduled flight from Vancouver to Calgary (continuing to Regina, Winnipeg, and Toronto). The plane crashed into Mount Slesse near Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada, on ...
, a Canadair North Star
The Canadair North Star is a 1940s Canadian development, for Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), of the Douglas DC-4. Instead of radial piston engines used by the Douglas design, Canadair used Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engines to achieve a higher cruisin ...
, crashes into Slesse Mountain
Slesse Mountain, usually referred to as Mount Slesse, is a mountain just north of the US-Canada border, in the Cascade Mountains of British Columbia, near the town of Chilliwack. It is notable for its large, steep local relief. For example, its w ...
near Chilliwack, British Columbia. All 62 people aboard, including five Canadian Football League players, are killed.
* December 12 – Japan becomes a member of the United Nations.
* December 18 – '' To Tell the Truth'' debuts on CBS-TV in the United States.
* December 19 – British doctor John Bodkin Adams
John Bodkin Adams (21 January 18994 July 1983) was an Irish-born British general practitioner, convicted fraudster, and suspected serial killer. Between 1946 and 1956, 163 of his patients died while in comas, which was deemed to be worthy of i ...
is arrested for the murder of 2 patients in Eastbourne, England; he will be acquitted.
* December 23 – British and French troops leave the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
region.
* December 31 – Bob Barker
Robert William Barker (born December 12, 1923) is an American retired television game show host. He is known for hosting CBS's ''The Price Is Right'' from 1972 to 2007, making it the longest-running daytime game show in North American televis ...
makes his television debut, as host of the game show '' Truth or Consequences'' in the United States.
Date unknown
*Asian flu
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
pandemic
A pandemic () is an epidemic of an infectious disease that has spread across a large region, for instance multiple continents or worldwide, affecting a substantial number of individuals. A widespread endemic (epidemiology), endemic disease wi ...
originates in China.
* The Alpine Club of Canada, Toronto section, is founded.
Births
January
* January 1
January 1 or 1 January is the first day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 364 days remaining until the end of the year (365 in leap years). This day is also known as New Year's Day since the day marks the beginning of the yea ...
** Mark R. Hughes
Mark R. Hughes (January 1, 1956 – May 21, 2000) was an American entrepreneur who was the founder, chairman, and CEO of Herbalife International Ltd, a multi-level marketing company.
Early life
Hughes was born in La Mirada, California on J ...
, American entrepreneur (d. 2000
File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from ...
)
** Kōji Yakusho, Japanese actor
** Christine Lagarde, French lawyer and politician, IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is a major financial agency of the United Nations, and an international financial institution, headquartered in Washington, D.C., consisting of 190 countries. Its stated mission is "working to foster globa ...
Managing Director and ECB president
** Dzulkefly Ahmad
Datuk Seri Dr. Dzulkefly bin Ahmad ( Jawi: ذوالكفل بن أحمد; born 1 January 1956) is a Malaysian politician who served as the Minister of Health in the Pakatan Harapan (PH) administration under former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohama ...
, Malaysian politician
** Andrew Lesnie, Australian cinematographer (d. 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
)
** Andy Gill
Andrew James Dalrymple Gill (1 January 1956 – 1 February 2020) was a British musician and record producer. He was the lead guitarist for the rock band Gang of Four, which he co-founded in 1976. Gill was known for his angular, jagged style of gu ...
, English musician (d. 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
)
* January 3
Events Pre-1600
*AD 69, 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor.
* 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (ex ...
** Mel Gibson, American actor and director
** Tomiko Suzuki
was a Japanese voice actress who was born in Aichi Prefecture and was affiliated with Aoni Production at the time of her death. Suzuki's last film was '' Pokémon: Jirachi Wishmaker'' (where she voiced the protagonist Pokémon: Jirachi), re ...
, Japanese voice actress (d. 2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
)
* January 4
Events Pre-1600
*46 BC – Julius Caesar fights Titus Labienus in the Battle of Ruspina.
* 871 – Battle of Reading: Æthelred of Wessex and his brother Alfred are defeated by a Danish invasion army.
1601–1900
*1649 – Engli ...
– Bernard Sumner, British musician
* January 5
** Ana Pessoa Pinto, East Timorese politician and jurist
** Celso Blues Boy
Celso Ricardo Furtado de Carvalho (January 5, 1956 – August 6, 2012), better known by his stage name Celso Blues Boy, was a Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist.
Biography
Carvalho was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1956. His stage name, "Bl ...
, Brazilian singer and guitarist (d. 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
)
** Chen Kenichi
, whose name is often romanized Chin Kenichi in Japanese sources, is a chef best known for his role as the Iron Chef Chinese on the television series ''Iron Chef'' (料理の鉄人). Nicknamed The Szechuan Sage, he wears a yellow outfit and ris ...
, Japan-born Chinese chef
** Frank-Walter Steinmeier, German politician
* January 7
Events Pre-1600
*49 BC – The Senate of Rome says that Caesar will be declared a public enemy unless he disbands his army. This prompts the tribunes who support him to flee to Ravenna, where Caesar is waiting.
* 1325 – Alfonso IV ...
** David Caruso, American actor
** Uwe Ochsenknecht, German actor
** Johnny Owen
John Richard Owens (7 January 1956 – 4 November 1980) was a Welsh professional boxer who fought under the name Johnny Owen. His seemingly fragile appearance earned him many epithets, including the "Merthyr Matchstick" and the "Bionic Ba ...
, Welsh boxer (d. 1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
)
** Miladin Šobić
Miladin Šobić ( cg, Миладин Шобић, script=Cyrl, born 7 January 1956) is a Montenegrin poet, singer and songwriter.
He was an active performer during the late 1970s and early 1980s in SFR Yugoslavia where his prominence had a regio ...
, Montenegrin singer
* January 9
Events Pre-1600
* 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain.
*1127 – Jin–Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the J ...
** Kimberly Beck, American actress
** Imelda Staunton
Imelda Mary Philomena Bernadette Staunton (born 9 January 1956) is an English actress and singer. After training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Staunton began her career in repertory theatre in 1976 and appeared in various theatre produ ...
, English actress
* January 12 – Nikolai Noskov
Nikolai Ivanovich Noskov (russian: Николай Иванович Носков) is a Russian singer and former vocalist of the hard rock band Gorky Park (between 1987–1990). Five-time winner of the ''Golden Gramophone''. He was also a member o ...
, Soviet and Russian rock singer and songwriter
* January 13
Events Pre-1600
* 27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years.
* 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing ...
– Janet Hubert, African-American actress
* January 14
Events Pre-1600
*1236 – King Henry III of England marries Eleanor of Provence.
*1301 – Andrew III of Hungary dies, ending the Árpád dynasty in Hungary.
1601–1900
*1639 – The "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Fundamenta ...
– Ronan Bennett
Ronan Bennett (born 14 January 1956) is an Irish novelist and screenwriter.
Background
Bennett, the son of William H. and Geraldine Bennett, was born in England, but was raised in Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, in a devout Roman Catholic Churc ...
, Northern Irish writer
* January 15
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
* 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...
– Vitaly Kaloyev, Russian convicted murderer, architect deputy minister of construction of North Ossetia-Alania
* January 16
Events Pre-1600
* 27 BC – Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus is granted the title Augustus by the Roman Senate, marking the beginning of the Roman Empire.
* 378 – General Siyaj K'ak' conquers Tikal, enlarging the domain of King Spear ...
– Martin Jol
Maarten Cornelis "Martin" Jol (born 16 January 1956) is a Dutch football manager and former midfielder. He played over 400 games during his career which included spells in the Netherlands, Germany, and England, as well as earning three caps wit ...
, Dutch football manager
* January 17 – Paul Young, English musician
* January 18
** Tom Bailey, English musician
** Sharon Mitchell
Sharon Mitchell is an American sexologist and former pornographic film actor and director. In 1998, she founded the Adult Industry Medical Health Care Foundation (AIM), which tested over 1,000 adult film performers per month before a 2011 data ...
, American sexologist
** Jim Mothersbaugh
Jim Mothersbaugh (; born January 18, 1956) is an American electronic engineer and former musician. He was the second drummer of the new wave band Devo, replacing Rod Reisman who played for only one show. Mothersbaugh joined Devo with his older ...
, American rock drummer
* January 19 – Adriana Acosta Adriana Inés Acosta (Lomas de Zamora, 19 January 1956 – disappeared on 27 May 1978 in Buenos Aires) was an Argentine militant and field hockey player who was kidnapped by the military dictatorship that ruled Argentina from 1976 to 1983. On 1972 s ...
, Argentine militant and field hockey player (d. 1978
Events January
* January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213.
* January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd go ...
)
* January 20
Events Pre-1600
* 250 – Pope Fabian is martyred during the Decian persecution.
* 649 – King Chindasuinth, at the urging of bishop Braulio of Zaragoza, crowns his son Recceswinth as co-ruler of the Visigothic Kingdom.
* 1156 &ndas ...
– Bill Maher
William Maher (; born January 20, 1956) is an American comedian, writer, producer, political commentator, actor, and television host. He is known for the HBO political talk show ''Real Time with Bill Maher'' (2003–present) and the similar la ...
, American actor, comedian and political analyst
* January 21
** Robby Benson, American actor, voice actor, director, singer and educator
** Geena Davis, American actress
* January 24 – Lounès Matoub, Algerian Berber Kabyle singer (d. 1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
)
* January 25
Events Pre-1600
* 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman emperor by the Senate.
* 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to the overthrow of the dynasty ...
– Bronwyn Pike
Bronwyn Jane Pike (born 25 January 1956) is a former Australian politician. She was Minister for Education in Victoria in the Brumby Government, and was the Member of Parliament for Melbourne from 1999 to 2012.
Early life
Prior to enterin ...
, Australian politician
* January 26
Events Pre-1600
* 661 – The Rashidun Caliphate is effectively ended with the assassination of Ali, the last caliph.
*1531 – The 6.4–7.1 1531 Lisbon earthquake, Lisbon earthquake kills about thirty thousand people.
*1564 – ...
– Pat Musick
Patricia Anne Musick is an American voice actress, who has provided numerous voices in many television shows, films and video games. She and her husband, Jeff Whitman, a personal manager and set construction coordinator, are the parents of actre ...
, American voice actress
* January 27
Events Pre-1600
* 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent.
* 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to becom ...
** Susanne Blakeslee, American actress
** Mimi Rogers, American actress
* January 28 – Peter Schilling
Peter Schilling (born Pierre Michael Schilling; 28 January 1956) is a German synthpop musician whose songs often feature science-fiction themes like aliens, astronauts and catastrophes. He is best-known for his 1983 hit single "Major Tom (Comin ...
, German singer
* January 29
** Jan Jakub Kolski
Jan Jakub Kolski (born 29 January 1956) is a Polish film director, cinematographer, and writer.
Early life and career
Kolski was born in Wrocław, and comes from a family closely connected to cinema. His father, Roman Kolski, and his sister, Ewa ...
, Polish film director
** Irlene Mandrell
Ellen Irlene Mandrell (born January 29, 1956) is an American musician. She is the younger sister of country singers Barbara and Louise Mandrell.
Irlene Mandrell first rose to prominence as a model for CoverGirl, and later gained national attent ...
, American musician, actress
* January 30
Events Pre-1600
*1018 – Poland and the Holy Roman Empire conclude the Peace of Bautzen.
*1287 – King Wareru founds the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and proclaims independence from the Pagan Kingdom.
1601–1900
*1607 – An estimated ...
– Keiichi Tsuchiya, Japanese race car driver
* January 31
** John Lydon
John Joseph Lydon (; born 31 January 1956), also known by his former stage name Johnny Rotten, is an English singer and songwriter. He was the lead singer of the late-1970s punk band the Sex Pistols, which lasted from 1975 until 1978, and aga ...
, British punk musician and TV personality
** Trevor Manuel
Trevor Andrew Manuel (born 31 January 1956) is a South African politician who served in the government of South Africa as Minister of Finance from 1996 to 2009, during the presidencies of Nelson Mandela, Thabo Mbeki and Kgalema Motlanthe, and ...
, South African politician
February
* February 1
Events Pre-1600
* 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
* 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Mon ...
– Mike Kitchen
Michael Elwin Kitchen (born February 1, 1956) is a Canadian former defenceman and coach. He most recently was an assistant coach for the Florida Panthers of the National Hockey League. As of February 2016, Kitch has coached in over 2400 NHL gam ...
, Canadian ice hockey player and coach
* February 2
Events Pre-1600
* 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of "Roman law".
* 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King ...
** Philip Franks, English actor and director
** Alireza Soleimani
Alireza Soleimani Karbalaei ( fa, علیرضا سلیمانی کربلایی, 2 February 1956 – 21 May 2014) was an Iranian heavyweight freestyle wrestler. He was the first, and to date the only, Iranian to win the world superheavyweight ti ...
, Iranian heavyweight freestyle wrestler (d. 2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
)
* February 3
** Nathan Lane, American actor
** Lee Ranaldo, American musician
* February 6 – Jon Walmsley, British actor
* February 7
** John Posey (actor), John Posey, American actor and writer
** Heather Jones, Australian writer
** Mark St. John, American guitarist (d. 2007)
* February 10 – Enele Sopoaga, 12th Prime Minister of Tuvalu
* February 11
Events Pre-1600
*660 BC – Traditional date for the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu.
* 55 – The death under mysterious circumstances of Tiberius Claudius Caesar Britannicus, heir to the Roman empire, on the eve of his coming ...
** Didier Lockwood, French jazz violinist (d. 2018)
** Catherine Hickland, American actress
* February 13
** Peter Hook, British bass player
** Yiannis Kouros, Greek-Australian ultra marathoner
** Jay Nixon, 55th Governor of Missouri
** Paul Stojanovich, American television producer
* February 14
Events Pre-1600
* 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt.
* 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis ...
– Tom Burlinson, Australian actor
* February 15 – Desmond Haynes, West Indian cricketer
* February 18
** Ted Gärdestad, Swedish singer, songwriter and musician (d. 1997)
** Thomas Gradin, Swedish hockey player
* February 19
** Kathleen Beller, American actress
** Roderick MacKinnon, American biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
** Dave Wakeling, English musician
* February 20 – François Bréda, Romanian essayist, poet, literary critic, literary historian, translator and theatrologist (d. 2018)
* February 23
Events Pre-1600
* 303 – Roman emperor Diocletian orders the destruction of the Christian church in Nicomedia, beginning eight years of Diocletianic Persecution.
* 532 – Byzantine emperor Justinian I lays the foundation stone of a ...
** Reinhold Beckmann, German television presenter
** Paul O'Neill (producer), Paul O'Neill, American composer, record producer (d. 2017)
* February 24
Events Pre-1600
* 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
* 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence.
* 13 ...
** Judith Butler, American philosopher
** Paula Zahn, American television journalist
* February 25
Events Pre-1600
* 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor.
* 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II.
...
** Davie Cooper, Scottish footballer (d. 1995)
** Michel Friedman, German lawyer, politician and talk show host
* February 26
** Michel Houellebecq, French author
** Keisuke Kuwata, Japanese musician
* February 27
**Angela Aames, American actress (d. 1988)
** Tim Brando, American sports broadcaster
* February 28
** Liem Swie King, Indonesian badminton player
** Thomas Remengesau Jr., 7th and 9th President of Palau
* February 29
** Mike Compton (musician), Mike Compton, American mandolinist
** Bob Speller, Canadian politician
** Aileen Wuornos, American serial killer (d. 2002)
March
* March 1
** Tim Daly, American actor and producer
** Dalia Grybauskaitė, President of Lithuania
* March 2 – Eduardo Rodríguez (politician), Eduardo Rodríguez, President of Bolivia
* March 3 – Frank Giroud, French comics writer (d. 2018)
* March 5
** Teena Marie, American singer (d. 2010)
** Marco Paolini, Italian stage actor, dramaturge and author
* March 7
** Andrea Levy, English novelist (d. 2019)
** Bryan Cranston, American actor, director, producer and screenwriter
* March 8 – John Kapelos, Canadian actor
* March 9
** Kadyrzhan Batyrov, Kyrgyz businessman and politician (d. 2018)
** Shashi Tharoor, Indian politician
* March 11 – Rob Paulsen, American voice actor and singer
* March 12
Events Pre-1600
* 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius.
* 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...
** Lídice da Mata, Brazilian politician
** Pim Verbeek, Dutch football manager and former player (d. 2019)
* March 13 – Dana Delany, American actress
* March 16
** Boaz Arad, Israeli visual artist (d. 2018)
** Vladimír Godár, Slovak composer
* March 18 – Ingemar Stenmark, Swedish alpine skier
* March 19 – Yegor Gaidar, Russian economist and politician (d. 2009)
* March 20
** Minken Fosheim, Norwegian actress and author (d. 2018)
** Catherine Ashton, British politician
** Sabiamad Abdul Ahad, Malaysian sport shooter (d. 2021)
** Naoto Takenaka, Japanese actor, comedian, singer and director
* March 21
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the ''Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas an ...
** José Manuel Barroso, Prime Minister of Portugal
** Ingrid Kristiansen, Norwegian runner
** Win Lyovarin, Thai author
* March 22
** Tyrone Brunson (musician), Tyrone Brunson, American singer (d. 2013)
** Ilana Kloss, South-African born tennis player, tennis coach, and commissioner of World Team Tennis
** Maria Teresa, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, consort of Grand Duke Henri
* March 24 – Steve Ballmer, American businessman, CEO of Microsoft (2000–2014), owner of the Los Angeles Clippers
* March 25 – Matthew Garber, English child actor (d. 1977)
* March 28
** Susan Ershler, American mountaineer
** Evelin Jahl, German athlete
* March 29 – Evie (singer), Evie, American Christian musician
* March 30 – Shahla Sherkat, Iranian feminist journalist
April
* April 3
** Ray Combs, American game show host and comedian (d. 1996)
** Miguel Bosé, Panamanian-born musician and actor
** Boris Miljković, Serbian TV & theatre director and video artist
* April 4
** Kerry Chikarovski, Australian politician
** David E. Kelley, American writer and television producer
* April 5
** Diamond Dallas Page, American professional wrestler
** El Risitas, Spanish comedian and actor (d. 2021)
* April 6
** Sebastian Spreng, American-Argentinean visual artist
** Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer
* April 7 – Christopher Darden, African-American attorney, author, actor and lecturer
* April 9 – Edmund Chong Ket Wah, Malaysian politician (d. 2010)
* April 12
** Andy García, Cuban-American actor
** Herbert Grönemeyer, German musician and actor
** Yasuo Tanaka (politician), Yasuo Tanaka, Japanese politician, novelist
* April 13 – Possum Bourne, New Zealand rally car driver (d. 2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
)
* April 14 – Barbara Bonney, American soprano
* April 16
** David M. Brown, American astronaut (d. 2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
)
** Lise-Marie Morerod, Swiss skier
* April 18
** John James (actor), John James, American actor
** Melody Thomas Scott, American actress
** Karim Abdul Razak, Ghanaian footballer
** Eric Roberts, American actor
* April 19 – Sue Barker, British tennis player and television presenter
* April 21
Events Pre-1600
*753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date).
* 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered ...
– Phillip Longman, American demographer
* April 22 – Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Finnish conductor
* April 23 – Greg Colson, American artist
* April 26 – Koo Stark, British actress
* April 27
Events Pre-1600
* 247 – Philip the Arab marks the millennium of Rome with a celebration of the ''ludi saeculares''.
* 395 – Emperor Arcadius marries Aelia Eudoxia, daughter of the Frankish general Flavius Bauto. She becomes one of ...
– Bryan Harvey (musician), Bryan Harvey, American musician (d. 2006)
* April 28
** Jimmy Barnes, Scottish-Australian singer and songwriter
** Hanka Paldum, Bosnian singer
* April 30 – Lars von Trier, Danish film director and screenwriter
May
* May 1
** Alexander Ivanov (chess player), Alexander Ivanov, Russian-born American chess grandmaster
** Danilo De Girolamo, Italian voice actor (d. 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
)
* May 4
** David Guterson, American writer
** Ulrike Meyfarth, German high jumper
* May 5 – Lisa Eilbacher, American actress
* May 6
** Vladimir Lisin, Russian business oligarch
** Cindy Lovell, American educator and writer
* May 7
** S. Scott Bullock, American actor and voice actor
** Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (2002–2010)
** Jean Lapierre, Canadian politician and television host (d. 2016)
* May 9
** Cesare Alpini, Italian art historian
** Frank Andersson, Swedish wrestler (d. 2018)
** Wendy Crewson, Canadian actress
* May 10
** Vladislav Listyev, Russian journalist (d. 1995)
** Paige O'Hara, American actress, voice actress, singer and painter
** Bikenibeu Paeniu, 2-Time Prime Minister of Tuvalu
* May 12
** Jānis Bojārs, Latvian shot putter (d. 2018)
** Asad Rauf, Pakistani cricket player and umpire (d. 2022)
* May 13
** Kenneth Eriksson, Swedish rally driver
** Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Indian guru
** Mirek Topolánek, 7th Prime Minister of the Czech Republic
** Kirk Thornton, American voice actor
* May 15 – Dan Patrick (sportscaster), Dan Patrick, American sports commentator
* May 17
** Cheenu Mohan, Indian actor (d. 2018)
** Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer, motivational speaker and actor
* May 19 – Steven Ford, American actor
* May 20
** Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Norwegian author
** Dean Butler (actor), Dean Butler, American actor and producer
* May 23
** Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician
** Buck Showalter, American baseball player and manager
* May 24
Events Pre-1600
* 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom.
* 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt.
* 1276 – Magnus La ...
** Michael Jackson (bishop), Michael Jackson, Irish Anglican bishop
** Sean Kelly (cyclist), Sean Kelly, Irish road cyclist
* May 26 – Lisa Niemi, American actress and dancer
* May 27 – Giuseppe Tornatore, Italian film director
* May 28
** Jerry Douglas, American dobro player
** John O'Donoghue (politician), John O'Donoghue, Irish Fianna Fáil politician
** Sayuri Yamauchi, Japanese voice actress (d. 2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
)
** John Wells (filmmaker), John Wells, American television producer and writer
* May 29 – La Toya Jackson, American singer, songwriter, actress, businesswoman and television personality
* May 30 – David Sassoli, 16th President of the European Parliament (d. 2022)
* May 31 – Yoshiko Sakakibara, Japanese voice actress
June
* June 1
** Chintaman Vanaga, Indian politician (d. 2018)
** Peter Tomka, Judge, International Court of Justice
** Amanda Miguel, Argentinian singer
* June 2 – Mani Ratnam, Indian film director, screenwriter and producer
* June 3 – George Burley, Scottish football manager
* June 4 – Keith David, African-American actor and voice actor
* June 5
Events Pre-1600
*1257 – Kraków, in Poland, receives city rights.
*1283 – Battle of the Gulf of Naples: Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon, destroys the Neapolitan fleet and captures Charles II of Naples, Charles ...
– Kenny G, American saxophonist
* June 6
Events Pre-1600
* 913 – Constantine VII, the eight-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointed b ...
** Yuri Shundrov, Russian-Ukrainian ice hockey goaltender (d. 2018)
** Christopher Adamson (actor), Christopher Adamson, British actor
** Björn Borg, Swedish tennis player
* June 7
** Paul Sherwen, English racing cyclist and broadcaster (d. 2018)
** Antonio M. Reid, American record executive
* June 8
** Péter Besenyei, Hungarian pilot
** Udo Bullmann, German politician
** Jonathan Potter, British psychologist
**John Petrizzelli Font, John Petrizzelli, Venezuelan film director
* June 9 – Patricia Cornwell, American novelist
* June 10 – Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg, German head of the House of Mecklenburg
* June 11
** Ashwini Kumar Chopra, Indian journalist, cricketer and politician (d. 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
)
** Joe Montana, American football player
** Arthur Porter (physician), Arthur Porter, Canadian physician (d. 2015
File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
)
* June 13 – Yurik Vardanyan, Soviet weightlifter (d. 2018)
* June 14 – King Diamond, Danish heavy metal musician
* June 15 – Robin Curtis, American actress
* June 17 – Kelly Curtis, American actor
* June 20 – Cho Chikun, Korean Go player
* June 21
Events Pre-1600
* 533 – A Byzantine expeditionary fleet under Belisarius sails from Constantinople to attack the Vandals in Africa, via Greece and Sicily (approximate date).
* 1307 – Külüg Khan is enthroned as Khagan of the Mo ...
– Thomas James O'Leary, American actor
* June 22
** Abdulbaset Sieda, Kurdish-Syrian academic and politician
** François Hadji-Lazaro, French actor and musician
** Tim Russ, American actor, film director, screenwriter and musician
* June 23
Events Pre-1600
* 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu.
* 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships.
* 1280 – The Spanish Re ...
** Randy Jackson, African-American musician and talent judge
** Mai Yamani, Saudi Arabian independent scholar, author and anthropologist
* June 24 – Turid Leirvoll, Norwegian-Danish politician
* June 25
** Madeleine Petrovic, Austrian politician
** Isabel de Navarre, German figure skating coach
** Boris Trajkovski, President of the Republic of Macedonia (d. 2004)
** Anthony Bourdain, American chef, writer and television personality (d. 2018)
** Chloe Webb, American actress and singer
** Bob West, American voice actor and graphic designer
* June 26
** Catherine Samba-Panza, President of the Central African Republic
** Chris Isaak, American musician
** Davide Ferrario, Italian film director, screenwriter and author
* June 27
** Sultan bin Salman Al Saud, Royal Saudi Air Force pilot
** Heiner Dopp, German field hockey player
* June 28
Events Pre-1600
* 1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul at the battle of Antioch.
* 1360 – Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid king of Granada after killing his brother-in-law Ismail II.
* 1461 – ...
– Noel Mugavin, Australian rules football player
* June 29
** Nick Fry, British motorsport
** Honorato Hernández, Spanish long-distance runner
** Richard Summerbell, Canadian mycologist, author and songwriter
* June 30
** Sun Chanthol, Cambodian politician
** Jessi Lintl, Austrian politician
** David Alan Grier, African-American actor, comedian (''In Living Color'')
** Piero Aiello, Italian politician
July
* July 1
** Alan Ruck, American actor
** Gregg L. Semenza, American cellular biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine
* July 2
** Jerry Hall, American model and actress
** Cynthia Kadohata, Japanese-American children's writer
* July 3
**Dorota Pomykała, Polish actress
**Min Aung Hlaing, Burmese Army General
* July 4 – :pt:Bárbara Bruno, Bárbara Bruno, Brazilian actress, director and producer
* July 5
** Sapawi Ahmad, Malaysian politician
** Horacio Cartes, President of Paraguay
** Louis Herthum, American actor and producer
** Sheila Walsh (author/singer), Sheila Walsh, Scottish Christian artist and talk-show hostess
* July 7
** Janet Cruz, American politician
** Mullah Krekar, Iraqi Kurdish scholar and militant
** Ryuho Okawa, Japanese religious leader
** Giam Swiegers, South African-Australian business executive
* July 9
Events Pre-1600
*118 – Hadrian, who became emperor a year previously on Trajan's death, makes his entry into Rome.
* 381 – The end of the First Council of Christian bishops convened in Constantinople by the Roman Emperor Theodos ...
– Tom Hanks, American actor and director
* July 10 – K. Rajagopal (footballer), K. Rajagopal, Malaysian football manager and national player
* July 11
** Amitav Ghosh, Indian-American fiction writer
** Sela Ward, American actress
* July 12 – Mel Harris, American actress
* July 13
** Günther Jauch, German television host
** Koffi Olomide, Congolese soukous singer, dancer, producer and composer
** Michael Spinks, African-American boxer
* July 14
** Dragan Despot, Croatian actor
** Vladimir Kulich, Czechoslovakian actor
* July 15
** Ian Curtis, English rock musician (Joy Division) (d. 1980
Events January
* January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission.
* January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC.
* January 9 – ...
)
** Barry Melrose, Canadian hockey player, coach and commentator
** Steve Mortimer, Australian rugby league player
** Toshihiko Seko, Japanese long-distance runner
* July 16
Events Pre-1600
* 622 – The beginning of the Islamic calendar.
* 997 – Battle of Spercheios: Bulgarian forces of Tsar Samuel are defeated by a Byzantine army under general Nikephoros Ouranos at the Spercheios River in Greece.
* 105 ...
** Jerry Doyle, American talk show host and actor (d. 2016)
** Tony Kushner, American playwright
** Pratibha Singh, Indian politician
* July 17 – Robert Romanus, American actor and musician
* July 18 – Sheila Aldridge, American singer
* July 19
** Peter Barton (actor), Peter Barton, American actor
** Yoshiaki Yatsu, Japanese professional wrestler
* July 20 – Thomas N'Kono, Cameroonian footballer
* July 24
** Charlie Crist, American politician, 44th Governor of Florida
** Pat Finn (game show host), Pat Finn, American game show host and producer
** Carmen Nebel, German television presenter
* July 25
Events Pre-1600
* 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops.
* 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. ...
– Frances Arnold, American biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry
* July 26
** Andy Goldsworthy, British sculptor and photographer
** Dorothy Hamill, American figure skater, Olympic gold medalist
* July 30
Events Pre-1600
* 762 – Baghdad is founded.
*1419 – First Defenestration of Prague: A crowd of radical Hussites kill seven members of the Prague city council.
*1502 – Christopher Columbus lands at Guanaja in the Bay Islands ...
** Delta Burke, American actress
** Anita Hill, African-American lawyer and academic
* July 31
Events Pre-1600
*30 BC – Battle of Alexandria: Mark Antony achieves a minor victory over Octavian's forces, but most of his army subsequently deserts, leading to his suicide.
* 781 – The oldest recorded eruption of Mount Fuji (Tr ...
** Michael Biehn, American actor
** Deval Patrick, American politician, first African-American Governor of Massachusetts
** Laura Zapata, Mexican television actress
August
* August 2 – Robert Khuzami, Deputy Attorney for the Southern District of New York
* August 4
** Gerry Cooney, American boxer
** Randall Wright, Canadian economist
* August 5
** Bolland & Bolland, Ferdi Bolland, Dutch musician, songwriter and music producer (Bolland & Bolland)
** Maureen McCormick, American actress
* August 6
Events Pre-1600
*1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria by the Republic of Genoa, thus losing its naval dominance in the Mediterranean.
* 1538 – Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada ...
– Stepfanie Kramer, American actress
* August 7
** Ernie Johnson, Jr., American sportscaster
** Christiana Figueres, Costa Rican diplomat and environmentalist
* August 8 – Chris Foreman, English rock guitarist
* August 10
** Fred Ottman, American professional wrestler
** Charlie Peacock, American Christian producer, singer-songwriter
* August 12 – Bruce Greenwood, Canadian actor
* August 14
** Jackée Harry, American actress and television personality
** Rusty Wallace, American NASCAR race car driver
* August 17 – Dave Jones (footballer, born 1956), Dave Jones, English football manager
* August 18 – John Debney, American film composer
* August 19 – Adam Arkin, American actor
* August 20
** Joan Allen, American actress
** Jan Henry T. Olsen, Norwegian politician (d. 2018)
* August 21
** Kim Cattrall, English-born Canadian actress
** David Clarke (sheriff), David Clarke, African-American law enforcement official
* August 22
** Leah Cherniak, Canadian playwright and theatre director
**Sid Michaels Kavulich, American politician and sportscaster (d. 2018)
** Paul Molitor, American baseball player
* August 23
** Andreas Floer, German mathematician (d. 1991)
** Cris Morena, Argentine actress and television producer
* August 24
** John Culberson, American politician
** Kevin Dunn, American actor
* August 25 – Henri Toivonen, Finnish rally car driver (d. 1986)
* August 26 – Mark Mangino, American football coach
* August 28
**Luis Guzmán, Puerto Rican actor
**Pamela Eells O'Connell, American television producer and writer
* August 29
** GG Allin, American punk singer (d. 1993)
** Mark Morris (choreographer), Mark Morris, American choreographer
* August 31
** Masashi Tashiro, Japanese television performer
** Tsai Ing-wen, President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
September
* September 1 – Bernie Wagenblast, American editor and broadcaster
* September 2
** Nandamuri Harikrishna, Indian actor and politician (d. 2018)
** Angelo Fusco, Provisional Irish Republican Army member
* September 3 – Pat McGeown, Provisional Irish Republican Army member (d. 1996)
* September 6 – Bill Ritter, American politician, 41st Governor of Colorado
* September 7 – Michael Feinstein, American singer and pianist
* September 8 – Maurice Cheeks, American basketball player and coach
* September 11 – Phillip D. Bissett, American politician
* September 12
** Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong actor (d. 2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
)
** Ricky Rudd, American race car driver
** Walter Woon, law professor, Nominated Member of Parliament and Attorney-General of Singapore
* September 13 – Ilie Balaci, Romanian football player (d. 2018)
* September 14
** Kostas Karamanlis, Greek politician
** Ray Wilkins, English footballer and coach (d. 2018)
* September 15 – George Howard (jazz), George Howard, American jazz saxophone musician (d. 1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The '' Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently ...
)
* September 16
Events Pre-1600
* 681 – Pope Honorius I is posthumously excommunicated by the Sixth Ecumenical Council.
*1400 – Owain Glyndŵr is declared Prince of Wales by his followers. 1601–1900
* 1620 – A determined band of 35 relig ...
** Sergei Beloglazov, Russian free-style wrestler
** David Copperfield (illusionist), David Copperfield, American illusionist
** Ross Greenberg, American journalist and antivirus pioneer (d. 2017)
** Kazuharu Sonoda, Japanese professional wrestler (d. 1987)
* September 17
** Brian Andreas, American writer, sculptor, painter and publisher
** Almazbek Atambayev, 3-Time Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan and 4th President of Kyrgyzstan
**Susie Silvey, English actress, dancer and model
* September 18 – Tim McInnerny, English actor
* September 20
** Gary Cole, American television, film and voice actor
** Debbi Morgan, African-American actress
* September 21 – Jack Givens, American basketball player
* September 23
** Mait Riisman, Estonian water polo player (d. 2018)
** Peter David, comic book writer and novelist
** Paolo Rossi, Italian soccer player (d. 2020
2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...
)
* September 24 – Greg Panos, American futurist, writer, inventor
* September 25
Events Pre-1600
* 275 – For the last time, the Roman Senate chooses an emperor; they elect 75-year-old Marcus Claudius Tacitus.
* 762 – Led by Muhammad al-Nafs al-Zakiyya, the Hasanid branch of the Alids begins the Alid Revolt a ...
– Jamie Hyneman, American television co-host
* September 26 – Linda Hamilton, American actress
* September 29 – Sebastian Coe, Baron Coe, British athlete; co-ordinator of the 2012 Summer Olympics, London 2012 Olympic Games
* September 30 – Gordon Elliott (journalist), Gordon Elliott, British-Australian television personality and talk show host
October
* October 1
** Tara Buckman, American actress
** Andrus Ansip, Estonian politician, 10th Prime Minister of Estonia
** Theresa May, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
* October 2 – Charlie Adler, American voice actor and director
* October 3 – Ralph Morgenstern, German actor
* October 4 – Christoph Waltz, German-Austrian actor
* October 8
** Danny Jacob, American composer, songwriter and guitarist
** Stephanie Zimbalist, American actress
* October 10 – Amanda Burton, Irish actress
* October 11 – Nicanor Duarte, 47th President of Paraguay
* October 12 – Trần Đại Quang, President of Vietnam (d. 2018)
* October 16 – Rudra Mohammad Shahidullah, Bangladeshi poet (d. 1991)
* October 17
** Mae Jemison, African-American astronaut
** Stephen Palumbi, American academic and author
** Ken Morrow, American ice hockey player
* October 18
** Craig Bartlett, American animator, writer, storyboard artist, director and voice actor
** Martina Navratilova, Czech-American multiple Grand Slam title winning tennis player
* October 19
** Sunny Deol, Indian actor, director, producer and politician
** Carlo Urbani, Italian physician (d. 2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
)
* October 20
** Shafie Apdal, Malaysian politician
** Danny Boyle, English film director
* October 21 – Carrie Fisher, American actress and novelist (d. 2016)
* October 22 – Marvin Bush, American businessman
* October 23
** Darrell Pace, American archer
** Dwight Yoakam, American country singer, musician and actor
* October 26 – Rita Wilson, American actress and producer
* October 28 – Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, 6th President of Iran
* October 29 – Wilfredo Gómez, Puerto Rican boxer
November
* November 4 – Igor Talkov, Russian singer-songwriter and actor (d. 1991)
* November 5 – Rob Fisher (British musician), Rob Fisher, British keyboardist and songwriter (Climie Fisher) (d. 1999)
* November 7
** Mikhail Alperin, Soviet-Norwegian jazz pianist (d. 2018)
** Judy Tenuta, American comedian and musician (d. 2022)
* November 8
** Richard Curtis, English film director, producer and screenwriter
** Kurt Sorensen, New Zealand rugby league player
* November 10
** Sinbad (comedian), Sinbad, African-American stand-up, comedian and actor
** Mohsen Badawi, Egyptian entrepreneur, political activist and writer
** Peter Rangmar, Swedish actor, comedian and baritone (d. 1997)
* November 11
Events Pre-1600
* 308 – At Carnuntum, Emperor ''emeritus'' Diocletian confers with Galerius, ''Augustus'' of the East, and Maximianus, the recently returned former ''Augustus'' of the West, in an attempt to end the civil wars of the T ...
– Talat Aziz, ghazal singer
* November 13 – Charlie Baker, American politician, 72nd Governor of Massachusetts
* November 14
** Avi Cohen, Israeli football player (d. 2010)
** Greg Pence, American businessman and politician
** Peter R. de Vries, crime reporter (d. 2021)
* November 16 – Terry Labonte, American Race Car Driver
* November 17
** Angelika Machinek, German glider pilot (d. 2006)
** Kelly Ward, American actor
* November 18
** Noel Brotherston, Irish footballer (d. 1995)
** Warren Moon, American football player
* November 20
Events Pre-1600
* 284 – Diocletian is chosen as Roman emperor.
* 762 – During the An Shi Rebellion, the Tang dynasty, with the help of Huihe tribe, recaptures Luoyang from the rebels.
*1194 – Palermo is conquered by Henry ...
** Jan Maxwell, American actress (d. 2018)
** Bo Derek, American actress and model
** Olli Dittrich, German actor, comedian, television personality and musician
* November 21 – Terri Welles, American actress and adult model
* November 22 – Richard Kind, American actor
* November 23
** Cal Dodd, Irish-Canadian voice actor and singer
** Shane Gould, Australian Olympic triple gold medallist swimmer (1972)
** Nikolay Sidorov, Soviet athlete
* November 24 – Jouni Kaipainen, Finnish composer
* November 26 – Dale Jarrett, American Race Car Driver
* November 27
** Nazrin Shah of Perak, 35th Sultan of Perak
** William Fichtner, American actor
* November 28
** Kristine Arnold, American singer (Sweethearts of the Rodeo)
** Lucy Gutteridge, English actress
* November 29
** Eric Laakso, American football player
** Leo Laporte, American author and television host
** Bill Baker (ice hockey, born 1956), Bill Baker, American ice hockey player
December
* December 1
** Sultan bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, Emirati politician and royal (d. 2019)
** Markos Kounalakis, American journalist, author and scholar, Second Gentleman of California
* December 4 – Bernard King, American basketball player and commentator
* December 5
** Klaus Allofs, German football player
** Krystian Zimerman, Polish pianist
* December 6
** Peter Buck, American guitarist
** Randy Rhoads, American guitarist (d. 1982)
* December 7
** Chuy Bravo, Mexican-American actor and entertainer (d. 2019)
** Larry Bird, American basketball player
** Iveta Radičová, Prime Minister of Slovakia
* December 9
** Antony Alda, American actor (d. 2009)
** Jean-Pierre Thiollet, French writer
** Baruch Goldstein, American-Israeli physician and mass murderer (d. 1994)
* December 10 – Rod Blagojevich, American politician and convicted felon, Governor of Illinois (2003–2009)
* December 11 – Lani Brockman, American playwright
* December 12
** Ana Alicia, Mexican actress
** Johan van der Velde, Dutch cyclist
* December 13 – Majida El Roumi, Lebanese singer
* December 14 – Béla Réthy, German sports journalist
* December 16 – Duncan Faure, South African musician
* December 18 – Ron White, American comedian
* December 19
** Masami Akita, Japanese noise music, noise musician (also known as Merzbow)
** Jimmy Cauty, British musician (The KLF, The Timelords)
* December 21 – Anna Erlandsson, Swedish filmmaker and animator
* December 23
** Michele Alboreto, Italian race car driver (d. 2001)
** Dave Murray (musician), Dave Murray, British musician (Iron Maiden)
* December 24
** Anil Kapoor, Indian actor
** Shim Hwa-jin, South Korean academic
* December 26
** Kashif (musician), Michael Jones (aka Kashif), musician, singer-songwriter (B.T. Express) (d. 2016)
** David Sedaris, American essayist
* December 28
** Nigel Kennedy, English violinist
** Jimmy Nicholl, Canadian-born footballer
** Phil Verchota, American ice hockey player
* December 29 – Fred MacAulay, Scottish comedian
* December 30
** Patricia Kalember, American actress
** Sheryl Lee Ralph, African American-actress
* December 31
** Shelagh Rogers, Canadian radio host
** Hussein Ahmed Salah, Djiboutian marathon runner
Date unknown
* Dong Hao, Chinese host, voice actor and painter * Gilma Jiménez, Colombian politician (d. 2013) * Nancy Lynn, American aerobatic pilot (d. 2006) * Ephraim Mirvis, South African-born Chief Rabbi of the United Hebrew Congregations of Great Britain and the Commonwealth * Mirtha Rivero, Venezuelan journalist and writer. * Susan Solomon, American atmospheric chemist * Chris Wilson (Australian musician), Chris Wilson, Australian musician (d. 2019)Deaths
January
* January 3
Events Pre-1600
*AD 69, 69 – The Roman legions on the Rhine refuse to declare their allegiance to Galba, instead proclaiming their legate, Aulus Vitellius, as emperor.
* 250 – Emperor Decius orders everyone in the Roman Empire (ex ...
** Alexander Gretchaninov, Russian composer (b. 1864)
** Joseph Wirth, Chancellor of Germany (German Reich), Chancellor of Germany (b. 1879)
* January 5 – Mistinguett, French singer and actress (b. 1875)
* January 9
Events Pre-1600
* 681 – Twelfth Council of Toledo: King Erwig of the Visigoths initiates a council in which he implements diverse measures against the Jews in Spain.
*1127 – Jin–Song Wars: Invading Jurchen soldiers from the J ...
– Marion Leonard, American actress (b. 1881)
* January 10
**Zonia Baber, American geographer and geologist (b. 1862)
**Karl Ludwig Schmidt, German theologian (b. 1891)
* January 12
** Norman Kerry, American actor (b. 1894)
** Sam Langford, Canadian boxer (b. 1883)
* January 13
Events Pre-1600
* 27 BC – Octavian transfers the state to the free disposal of the Roman Senate and the people. He receives Spain, Gaul, and Syria as his province for ten years.
* 532 – The Nika riots break out, during the racing ...
– Lyonel Feininger, German painter (b. 1871)
* January 14
Events Pre-1600
*1236 – King Henry III of England marries Eleanor of Provence.
*1301 – Andrew III of Hungary dies, ending the Árpád dynasty in Hungary.
1601–1900
*1639 – The "Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, Fundamenta ...
– Sheila Kaye-Smith, English writer (b. 1887)
* January 18 – Konstantin Päts, 1st President of Estonia (b. 1874)
* January 23 – Sir Alexander Korda, Hungarian-born film director (b. 1893)
* January 27
Events Pre-1600
* 98 – Trajan succeeds his adoptive father Nerva as Roman emperor; under his rule the Roman Empire will reach its maximum extent.
* 945 – The co-emperors Stephen and Constantine are overthrown and forced to becom ...
– Erich Kleiber, German conductor (b. 1890)
* January 29 – H. L. Mencken, American writer (b. 1880)
* January 31 – A. A. Milne, English author (''Winnie The Pooh'') (b. 1882)
February
* February 2
Events Pre-1600
* 506 – Alaric II, eighth king of the Visigoths, promulgates the Breviary of Alaric (''Breviarium Alaricianum'' or ''Lex Romana Visigothorum''), a collection of "Roman law".
* 880 – Battle of Lüneburg Heath: King ...
** Bob Burns (comedian), Bob Burns, American comedian (b. 1890)
** Charley Grapewin, American actor (b. 1869)
* February 3 – Robert Yerkes, American psychologist and ethologist (b. 1876)
* February 8 – Connie Mack, American baseball executive and manager (Philadelphia Athletics) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1862)
* February 10 – Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, British marshal of the Royal Air Force (b. 1873)
* February 13 – Jan Łukasiewicz, Polish logician and philosopher (b. 1878)
* February 14
Events Pre-1600
* 748 – Abbasid Revolution: The Hashimi rebels under Abu Muslim Khorasani take Merv, capital of the Umayyad province Khorasan, marking the consolidation of the Abbasid revolt.
* 842 – Charles the Bald and Louis ...
– Walter Cowan, Sir Walter Cowan, British admiral (b. 1871)
* February 18 – Gustave Charpentier, French composer (b. 1860)
* February 20
** Heinrich Barkhausen, German physicist (b. 1881)
** James Cousins, Irish writer (b. 1873)
* February 26 – Elsie Janis, American singer and actress (b. 1889)
* February 28 – Frigyes Riesz, Hungarian mathematician (b. 1880)
* February 29 – Elpidio Quirino, 6th President of the Philippines (b. 1890)
March
* March 9 – Arthur Leopold Busch, English-born American submarine pioneer (b. 1866)
* March 12
Events Pre-1600
* 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius.
* 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...
– Bolesław Bierut, Polish Communist politician and statesman, former Prime Minister of Poland, Prime Minister and President of Poland, President of Poland (b. 1892)
* March 14 – David Browning, American Olympic diver (b. 1931)
* March 17
** Fred Allen, American comedian (b. 1894)
** Irène Joliot-Curie, French physicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b. 1897)
* March 18
** Louis Bromfield, American writer (b. 1896)
** Paul Masson-Oursel, French orientalist and philosopher (b. 1882)
* March 20
** Fanny Durack, Australian swimmer (b. 1889)
** Wilhelm Miklas, 3rd President of Austria (b. 1872)
* March 21
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: King Vitiges attempts to assault the northern and eastern city walls, but is repulsed at the Praenestine Gate, known as the ''Vivarium'', by the defenders under the Byzantine generals Bessas an ...
– Edwin Thanhouser, American actor, businessman, and film producer, founder of the Thanhouser Company (b. 1865)
* March 22
** Eduardo Lonardi, Argentine military officer, (de facto) 30th President of Argentina (b. 1896)
** George Sarton, Belgian-American chemist and historian (b. 1884)
* March 25
** Lou Moore, American racing driver and team owner (b. 1904)
** Robert Newton, English film actor (b. 1905)
* March 28 – Thomas de Hartmann, Russian composer (b. 1885)
* March 30 – Edmund Clerihew Bentley, English writer (b. 1875)
* March 31 – Ralph DePalma, Italian-born American race car driver (b. 1884)
April
* April 6 – Pío Valenzuela, Filipino physician and one of the leaders of the Katipunan (b. 1869)
* April 13 – Emil Nolde, German-Danish painter (b. 1867)
* April 15 – Kathleen Howard, Canadian-born American actress and opera singer (b. 1884)
* April 19 – Ernst Robert Curtius, Alsatian philologist (b. 1886)
* April 21
Events Pre-1600
*753 BC – Romulus founds Rome ( traditional date).
* 43 BC – Battle of Mutina: Mark Antony is again defeated in battle by Aulus Hirtius, who is killed. Antony fails to capture Mutina and Decimus Brutus is murdered ...
** Samuel Gottesman, American pulp-paper merchant (b. 1885)
** Charles MacArthur, American playwright and screenwriter (b. 1895)
* April 24 – Henry Stephenson, British character actor (b. 1871)
* April 26 – Edward Arnold (actor), Edward Arnold, American actor (b. 1890)
* June 28
Events Pre-1600
* 1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul at the battle of Antioch.
* 1360 – Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid king of Granada after killing his brother-in-law Ismail II.
* 1461 – ...
– Friedrich Schmidt-Ott, German lawyer, scientific organizer, and science policymaker (b. 1860)
* April 29
** Harold Bride, English-born junior radio officer on RMS ''Titanic'' (b. 1890)
** Wilhelm Ritter von Leeb, German field marshal (b. 1876)
* April 30 – Alben W. Barkley, List of Vice Presidents of the United States, 35th Vice President of the United States (b. 1877)
May
* May 3 ** Rodney Collin, British writer (b. 1909) ** Peter Watson (arts benefactor), Peter Watson, English art collector and benefactor (b. 1908) * May 6 – Fergus Anderson, British motorcycle racer (b. 1909) * May 12 – Louis Calhern, American actor (b. 1895) * May 15 – Austin Osman Spare, English artist and occultist (b. 1886) *May 18
Events Pre-1600
* 332 – Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople.
* 872 – Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 4 ...
– Maurice Tate, English cricketer (b. 1895)
* May 20
** Max Beerbohm, English essayist, parodist and caricaturist (b. 1872)
** Zoltán Halmay, Hungarian Olympic swimmer (b. 1881)
* May 23 – Gustav Suits, Estonian poet (b. 1883)
* May 24
Events Pre-1600
* 919 – The nobles of Franconia and Saxony elect Henry the Fowler at the Imperial Diet in Fritzlar as king of the East Frankish Kingdom.
* 1218 – The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt.
* 1276 – Magnus La ...
**Guy Kibbee, American actor (b. 1882)
**Martha Annie Whiteley, English chemist and mathematician (b. 1866)
* May 26 – Al Simmons, American baseball player (Philadelphia Athletics) and a member of the MLB Hall of Fame (b. 1902)
* May 29 – Frank Beaurepaire, Australian Olympic swimmer (b. 1891)
* May 31 – Diedrich Hermann Westermann, German linguist (b. 1875)
June
* June 2
** Richard S. Edwards, American admiral (b. 1885)
** Jean Hersholt, Danish actor (b. 1886)
* June 4 – Katherine MacDonald, American silent film actress (b. 1891)
* June 6
Events Pre-1600
* 913 – Constantine VII, the eight-year-old illegitimate son of Leo VI the Wise, becomes nominal ruler of the Byzantine Empire under the regency of a seven-man council headed by Patriarch Nicholas Mystikos, appointed b ...
** Hiram Bingham III, American explorer, discoverer of Machu Picchu (b. 1875)
** Margaret Wycherly, English stage and film actress (b. 1881)
* June 7 – Julien Benda, French philosopher and novelist (b. 1867)
* June 9 – Chandrashekhar Agashe, Indian industrialist (b. 1888)
* June 11
** Frank Brangwyn, Anglo-Welsh artist (b. 1867)
** Ralph Morgan, American actor (b. 1883)
* June 17
** Paul Rostock, German official, surgeon, and university professor (b. 1892)
** Artur Văitoianu, Romanian general and politician, 27th Prime Minister of Romania (b. 1864)
* June 19 – Thomas J. Watson, American computer pioneer (b. 1874)
* June 22 – Walter de la Mare, English poet, short story writer, and novelist (b. 1873)
* June 23
Events Pre-1600
* 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu.
* 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships.
* 1280 – The Spanish Re ...
– Reinhold Glière, Russian composer (b. 1875)
* June 25
**Ernest King, American Navy Fleet Admiral and Commander in Chief, United States Fleet (COMINCH) and Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) during World War II (b. 1878)
** Michio Miyagi, Japanese musician (b. 1894)
* June 26 – Clifford Brown, American jazz trumpeter (b. 1930)
* June 28
Events Pre-1600
* 1098 – Fighters of the First Crusade defeat Kerbogha of Mosul at the battle of Antioch.
* 1360 – Muhammed VI becomes the tenth Nasrid king of Granada after killing his brother-in-law Ismail II.
* 1461 – ...
– Claud Schuster, 1st Baron Schuster, British civil servant (b. 1869)
July
* July 1 – Tawfik Abu Al-Huda, 4-Time Prime Minister of Jordan (b. 1894) * July 7 – Gottfried Benn, German poet (b. 1886) *July 8
Events Pre-1600
* 1099 – Some 15,000 starving Christian soldiers begin the siege of Jerusalem by marching in a religious procession around the city as its Muslim defenders watch.
* 1283 – Roger of Lauria, commanding the Aragonese ...
– Giovanni Papini, Italian essayist, poet, novelist (b. 1881)
* July 10 – Joe Giard, American baseball player (b. 1898)
* July 11 – John T. Raulston, American Scopes Monkey Trial judge (b. 1868)
* July 12 – Sprague Cleghorn, Canadian ice hockey player (b. 1890)
* July 20 – James Alexander Calder, Canadian politician (b. 1868)
* July 24 – Géza Zemplén, Hungarian chemist (b. 1883)
* July 29 – Ludwig Klages, German philosopher and psychologist (b. 1872)
August
* August 2 – Albert Woolson, last surviving Union veteran of the American Civil War (b. 1847)
* August 6
Events Pre-1600
*1284 – The Republic of Pisa is defeated in the Battle of Meloria by the Republic of Genoa, thus losing its naval dominance in the Mediterranean.
* 1538 – Bogotá, Colombia, is founded by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada ...
– Ioan Popovici (divisional general), Ioan Popovici, Romanian general (b. 1857)
* August 9 – Archie Cameron, Australian politician (b. 1895)
* August 11
** Jackson Pollock, American painter (b. 1912)
** Mincho Neychev, former Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly (head of state) of Bulgaria (b. 1887)
* August 14
** Bertolt Brecht, German playwright (b. 1898)
** Konstantin von Neurath, Nazi German diplomat and foreign minister (b. 1873)
* August 16
** Bela Lugosi, Hungarian-born American film actor (''Dracula'') (b. 1882)
** Lynde D. McCormick, American admiral (b. 1895)
* August 19 – Bernard Griffin, English Cardinal, Catholic Archbishop of Westminster (b. 1899)
* August 23 – Peaches Browning, American actress (b. 1910)
* August 24 – Kenji Mizoguchi, Japanese film director (b. 1898)
* August 25 – Alfred Kinsey, American sex researcher (b. 1894)
September
* September 6
** Lee Jung-seob, Korean oil painter (b. 1872)
** Felix Borowski, British-American composer and teacher (b. 1872)
* September 7 – C. B. Fry, English sportsman and writer (b. 1872)
* September 11
** Billy Bishop, Canadian World War I flying ace (b. 1894)
** Lucien Febvre, French historian (b. 1878)
* September 20 – Flora Eldershaw, Australian novelist, critic, and historian (b. 1897)
* September 22 – Frederick Soddy, English chemist, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1877)
* September 27
** Milburn G. Apt, American test pilot (b. 1924)
** Babe Didrikson Zaharias, American golfer (b. 1911)
* September 28 – William E. Boeing, American engineer and airplane manufacturer (b. 1881)
* September 29 – Anastasio Somoza García, President of Nicaragua (assassinated) (b. 1896)
October
* October 1 – Albert Von Tilzer, American songwriter (b. 1878)
* October 2 – George Bancroft (actor), George Bancroft, American actor (b. 1882)
* October 9 – Marie Doro, American stage & silent film actress (b. 1882)
* October 12 – Lorenzo Perosi, Italian composer (b. 1872)
* October 14
Events Pre-1600
*1066 – The Norman conquest of England begins with the Battle of Hastings.
* 1322 – Robert the Bruce of Scotland defeats King Edward II of England at the Battle of Old Byland, forcing Edward to accept Scotland's i ...
– Jules Richard (mathematician), Jules Richard, French mathematician (b. 1862)
* October 16
** Jules Rimet, French football administrator, 3rd president of FIFA (b. 1873)
** Jack Southworth, English footballer (b. 1866)
* October 17 – Anne Crawford, British actress (b. 1920)
* October 19 – Isham Jones, American musician (b. 1894)
* October 22 – Hannah Mitchell, English socialist and suffragette (b. 1872)
* October 25 – Risto Ryti, 23rd Prime Minister of Finland and 5th President of Finland (b. 1889)
* October 26 – Walter Gieseking, French conductor (b. 1895)
* October 27 – Charles S. Johnson, American sociologist (b. 1893)
* October 30 – Pío Baroja, Spanish novelist (b. 1872)
November
* November 1
Events Pre-1600
* 365 – The Alemanni cross the Rhine and invade Gaul. Emperor Valentinian I moves to Paris to command the army and defend the Gallic cities.
* 996 – Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk, Bishop of Freising, ...
** Pietro Badoglio, Italian field marshal and 28th Prime Minister of Italy (b. 1871)
** Tommy Johnson (musician), Tommy Johnson, American musician (b. 1896)
* November 2 – Leo Baeck, German rabbi, scholar and theologian (b. 1873)
* November 3 – Jean Metzinger, French painter, theorist and critic (b. 1883)
* November 5 – Art Tatum, American jazz pianist (b. 1909)
* November 6 – Paul Kelly (actor), Paul Kelly, American stage and film actor (b. 1899)
* November 10
** Harry F. Sinclair, American entrepreneur (b. 1876)
** Victor Young, American composer (b. 1900)
* November 12
Events Pre-1600
* 954 – The 13-year-old Lothair III is crowned at the Abbey of Saint-Remi as king of the West Frankish Kingdom.
*1028 – Future Byzantine empress Zoe takes the throne as empress consort to Romanos III Argyros.
* 13 ...
– Juan Negrín, 67th Prime Minister of Spain (b. 1892)
* November 13 – Werner Haas, German motorcycle racer (b. 1927)
* November 19 – Francis L. Sullivan, English actor (b. 1903)
* November 22 – Theodore Kosloff, Russian-born ballet dancer, choreographer and actor (b. 1882)
* November 24
** Guido Cantelli, Italian conductor (b. 1920)
** Lionel Whitby, Sir Lionel Whitby, British haematologist and academic administrator (b. 1895)
* November 26 – Tommy Dorsey, American trombonist and bandleader (b. 1905)
* November 27 – Hugo Ballin, American artist, film production designer, and director (b. 1879)
December
* December 2 – Dell Henderson, Canadian actor (b. 1877)
* December 3 – Alexander Rodchenko, Russian artist (b. 1891)
* December 6 – B. R. Ambedkar
Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar (14 April 1891 – 6 December 1956) was an Indian jurist, economist, social reformer and political leader who headed the committee drafting the Constitution of India from the Constituent Assembly debates, served a ...
, Indian jurist and politician (b. 1891)
* December 7
** Henry Fillmore, American composer and bandleader (b. 1881)
** Huntley Gordon, Canadian actor (b. 1887)
* December 9 – Charles Joughin, English-born baker on RMS ''Titanic'' (b. 1878)
* December 10 – David Shimoni, Israeli poet and writer (b. 1891)
* December 12 – Ewald André Dupont, German film director (b. 1891)
* December 14 – Juho Kusti Paasikivi, twice Prime Minister of Finland and 7th President of Finland (b. 1870)
* December 16
** René Couzinet, French aeronautics engineer and aircraft manufacturer (suicide) (b. 1904)
** Nina Hamnett, Welsh artist (b. 1890)
* December 17
** Eddie Acuff, American actor (b. 1903)
** Whitford Kane, Irish-born American actor (b. 1881)
* December 21 – Lewis Terman, American psychologist (b. 1877)
* December 23 – Josep Puig i Cadafalch, Spanish architect (b. 1867)
* December 25 – William Addison Dwiggins, American book designer, type designer, illustrator, author, marionette artist (b. 1880)
* December 26 – Holmes Herbert, English actor (b. 1882)
* December 30 – Ruth Draper, American actress (b. 1884)
Date unknown
* Dumitru Coroamă, Romanian soldier and fascist activist (b. 1885) *Victoria Hayward (journalist), Victoria Hayward, Bermudan-born travel writer and journalist (b. 1876) * Lotte Herrlich, female photographer of German naturism (b. 1883)Nobel Prizes
* Nobel Prize in Physics, Physics – William Shockley, John Bardeen, Walter Houser Brattain * Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemistry – Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, Nikolay Semyonov * Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Physiology or Medicine – André Frédéric Cournand, Werner Forssmann, Dickinson W. Richards * Nobel Prize in Literature, Literature – Juan Ramón Jiménez * Nobel Peace Prize, Peace – Not AwardedReferences
Bibliography
*Further reading
* London Institute of World Affairs, ''The Year Book of World Affairs 1957'' (London 1957full text online
comprehensive reference book covering 1956 in diplomacy, international affairs and politics for major nations and regions
External links
{{Authority control 1956, Leap years in the Gregorian calendar