Events from the year 1956 in the United States.

Incumbents

Federal Government

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

: Dwight D. Eisenhower ( R-

Kansas Kansas () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its Capital city, capital is Topeka, Kansas, Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita, Kansas, Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebras ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

) *

Vice President A vice president, also director in British English, is an officer in government or business who is below the president (chief executive officer) in rank. It can also refer to executive vice presidents, signifying that the vice president is on ...

Richard Nixon Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...

( R-

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

) * Chief Justice:

Earl Warren Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American attorney, politician, and jurist who served as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969. The Warren Court presided over a major shift in American constitutio ...

(

) * Speaker of the House of Representatives:

Sam Rayburn Samuel Taliaferro Rayburn (January 6, 1882 – November 16, 1961) was an American politician who served as the 43rd speaker of the United States House of Representatives. He was a three-time House speaker, former House majority leader, two-time ...

( D-

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2020, it is the second-largest U.S. state by ...

) *

Senate Majority Leader The positions of majority leader and minority leader are held by two United States senators and members of the party leadership of the United States Senate. They serve as the chief spokespersons for their respective political parties holding t ...

Lyndon B. Johnson Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...

( D-

) *

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

: 84th

Events

January–March

* January 1 –

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 ...

' record "

Blue Suede Shoes "Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard (music), standard written and first recorded by American singer, songwriter and guitarist Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues ...

" is released by

Sun Records Sun Records is an American independent record label founded by producer Sam Phillips in Memphis, Tennessee in February 1952. Sun was the first label to record Elvis Presley, Charlie Rich, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny ...

Memphis, Tennessee Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mo ...

. * January 3 – ''

Peter Pan Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J. M. Barrie. A free-spirited and mischievous young boy who can fly and never grows up, Peter Pan spends his never-ending childhood having adventures on the mythi ...

'', starring

Mary Martin Mary Virginia Martin (December 1, 1913 – November 3, 1990) was an American actress and singer. A muse of Rodgers and Hammerstein, she originated many leading roles on stage over her career, including Nellie Forbush in ''South Pacific'' (194 ...

, is restaged live by

Producers' Showcase ''Producers' Showcase'' is an American anthology television series that was telecast live during the 1950s in compatible color by NBC. With top talent, the 90-minute episodes, covering a wide variety of genres, aired under the title every fourth ...

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

television by popular demand. * January 8 –

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 modifica ...

: Five U.S.

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 ...

are killed by the

Huaorani 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 ...

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: ' ...

shortly after making contact with them. * January 22 –

Redondo Junction train wreck The Redondo Junction train wreck occurred at 17:42 on the evening of January 22, 1956, on the Santa Fe Railroad in Los Angeles. The accident happened at Redondo Junction, California, just southwest of Boyle Heights near Washington Boulevard and t ...

in Los Angeles kills thirty people. * c. January – The first book in Ed McBain's long-running

87th Precinct The 87th Precinct is a series of police procedural novels and stories by American author Ed McBain (a writing pseudonym of Evan Hunter). McBain's 87th Precinct works have been adapted, sometimes loosely, into movies and television on several o ...

police procedural The police show, or police crime drama, is a subgenre of procedural drama and detective fiction that emphasizes the investigative procedure of a police officer or department as the protagonist(s), as contrasted with other genres that focus on eit ...

series, ''

Cop Hater ''Cop Hater'' (1956) is the first 87th Precinct police procedural novel by Ed McBain. The murder of three detectives in quick succession in the 87th Precinct leads Detective Steve Carella on a search that takes him into the city's underworld and ...

'', is published under Evan Hunter's new pseudonym. * February 14 – Dwight D. Eisenhower's doctors say that he is healthy enough to seek another term at the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...

. * February 16 – Only a little more than four months after the release of the 70 mm version of ''

Oklahoma! ''Oklahoma!'' is the first musical written by the duo of Rodgers and Hammerstein. The musical is based on Lynn Riggs' 1931 play, ''Green Grow the Lilacs''. Set in farm country outside the town of Claremore, Indian Territory, in 1906, it tell ...

'', the film version of

Rodgers and Hammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein was a theater-writing team of composer Richard Rodgers (1902–1979) and lyricist-dramatist Oscar Hammerstein II (1895–1960), who together created a series of innovative and influential American musicals. Their popular ...

's ''

Carousel A carousel or carrousel (mainly North American English), merry-go-round (international), roundabout (British English), or hurdy-gurdy (an old term in Australian English, in SA) is a type of amusement ride consisting of a rotating circular pl ...

'', starring

Gordon MacRae Albert Gordon MacRae (March 12, 1921 – January 24, 1986) was an American actor, singer and radio/television host who appeared in the film versions of two Rodgers and Hammerstein musicals '' Oklahoma!'' (1955) and ''Carousel'' (1956) and who p ...

and

Shirley Jones Shirley Mae Jones (born March 31, 1934) is an American actress and singer. In her six decades in show business, she has starred as wholesome characters in a number of musical films, such as '' Oklahoma!'' (1955), ''Carousel'' (1956), and ''The M ...

, is released in CinemaScope 55. MacRae and Jones had previously starred in ''Oklahoma!'' ''Carousel'', intended for showing in 55 mm, ends up being shown only in 35 mm. * February 22 –

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

enters the U.S. music charts for the first time with "

Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being ...

". * February 23 – Norma Jean Mortenson 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 –

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) "Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)" is a song written by the team of Jay Livingston and Ray Evans that was first published in 1955. Doris Day introduced it in the Alfred Hitchcock film '' The Man Who Knew Too Much'' (1956), singing it as ...

"; 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 ...

. * February 29 – Dwight D. Eisenhower announces he will seek re-election as President. * March 11 –

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 British stage ...

'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 Bat ...

'', adapted from

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's play, premieres in the U.S. in theaters and on

Television, on the same day as an afternoon

matinée In the performing arts, film exhibition, and other forms of entertainment, a matinée is a performance or exhibition in the afternoon (or occasionally earlier), as distinguished from the evening Evening is the period of a day that starts at t ...

. It is one of the first such experiments of its kind. Olivier is later nominated for an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People * Oscar (given name), an Irish- and English-language name also used in other languages; the article includes the names Oskar, Oskari, Oszkár, Óscar, and other forms. * Oscar (Irish mythology) ...

for his performance. * March 12 **The

Dow Jones Industrial Average The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA), Dow Jones, or simply the Dow (), is a stock market index of 30 prominent companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States. The DJIA is one of the oldest and most commonly followed equity inde ...

closes above 500 for the first time rising 2.40 points, or 0.48%, to 500.24. **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 manif ...

, 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 ''Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka'', 347 U.S. 483 (1954), was a landmark decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which ruled that U.S. state laws establishing racial segregation in public schools are unconstitutional, even if the segrega ...

'') desegregating public education. * March 13 –

releases his first

Gold Album Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

titled "Elvis Presley". * March 15 – The Broadway musical ''

My Fair Lady ''My Fair Lady'' is a musical based on George Bernard Shaw's 1913 play '' Pygmalion'', with a book and lyrics by Alan Jay Lerner and music by Frederick Loewe. The story concerns Eliza Doolittle, a Cockney flower girl who takes speech lessons ...

'' opens in New York City. * March 21 – 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 hav ...

ceremony, hosted by

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 ...

, is held at

RKO Pantages Theatre The Hollywood Pantages Theatre, formerly known as RKO Pantages Theatre, is located at Hollywood and Vine (6233 Hollywood Boulevard), in Hollywood. Designed by architect B. Marcus Priteca, it was the last theater built by the vaudeville impresari ...

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywoo ...

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, with the television broadcast hosted by

Claudette Colbert Claudette Colbert ( ; born Émilie Claudette Chauchoin; September 13, 1903July 30, 1996) was an American actress. Colbert began her career in Broadway productions during the late 1920s and progressed to films with the advent of talking pictures ...

and Joseph L. Mankiewicz in

. Delbert Mann's '' Marty'' wins four awards, including Best Motion Picture and Best Director for Mann. The film is also tied for the most nominations with eight, along with Henry King's '' Love Is a Many-Splendored Thing'' and

Daniel Mann Daniel Chugerman (August 8, 1912 – November 21, 1991), known professionally as Daniel Mann, was an American stage, film and television director. Originally trained as an actor by Sanford Meisner, between 1952 and 1987 he directed over 31 feat ...

's ''

The Rose Tattoo ''The Rose Tattoo'' is a three-act play written by Tennessee Williams in 1949 and 1950; after its Chicago premiere on December 29, 1950, he made further revisions to the play for its Broadway premiere on February 2, 1951, and its publication by ...

''.

April–June

* April 2 – The first episodes of ''

As the World Turns ''As the World Turns'' (often abbreviated as ''ATWT'') is an American television soap opera that aired on CBS for 54 years from April 2, 1956, to September 17, 2010. Irna Phillips created ''As the World Turns'' as a sister show to her other s ...

'' and ''

The Edge of Night ''The Edge of Night'' is an American television mystery crime drama series and soap opera, created by Irving Vendig and produced by Procter & Gamble Productions. It debuted on CBS on April 2, 1956, and ran as a live broadcast on that netwo ...

'' are broadcast on CBS television. * April 14 –

Videotape Videotape is magnetic tape used for storing video and usually sound in addition. Information stored can be in the form of either an analog or digital signal. Videotape is used in both video tape recorders (VTRs) and, more commonly, videoca ...

is first demonstrated at the 1956 NARTB (now NAB) convention in Chicago by

Ampex Ampex is an American electronics company founded in 1944 by Alexander M. Poniatoff as a spin-off of Dalmo-Victor. The name AMPEX is a portmanteau, created by its founder, which stands for Alexander M. Poniatoff Excellence.AbramsoThe History ...

. 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 A ...

. * April 19 – American actress

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

marries Rainier III, Prince of Monaco. * April 21 – Former U.S. First Daughter

Margaret Truman Mary Margaret Truman Daniel (February 17, 1924 – January 29, 2008) was an American classical soprano, actress, journalist, radio and television personality, writer, and New York socialite. She was the only child of President Harry S. Truman a ...

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 t ...

. * April 27 –

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 W ...

boxing champion

Rocky Marciano Rocco Francis Marchegiano (September 1, 1923 – August 31, 1969; ), better known as Rocky Marciano (, ), was an American professional boxer who competed from 1947 to 1955, and held the world heavyweight title from 1952 to 1956. He is the onl ...

retires without losing a professional boxing match. * May 2 – The

Methodist Church Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

in the U.S. decides, at its General Conference, to grant women full

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the denominational hierarchy composed of other clergy) to perform ...

clergy Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching their religion's doctrines and practices. Some of the ter ...

status. It also calls for an end to

racial segregation Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into racial or other ethnic groups in daily life. Racial segregation can amount to the international crime of apartheid and a crime against humanity under the Statute of the Intern ...

in the denomination. * May 22 – The Peacock logo of NBC is introduced on television. * June 4 –

Montgomery bus boycott The Montgomery bus boycott was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. It was a foundational event in the civil rights movement in the United States ...

: '' Browder v. Gayle'' is decided by the

United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama The United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama (in case citations, M.D. Ala.) is a federal court in the Eleventh Circuit (except for patent claims and claims against the U.S. government under the Tucker Act, which are appeal ...

, ruling state bus segregation laws unconstitutional; this will be confirmed on appeal. * June 5 –

performs " Hound Dog" on ''

The Milton Berle Show ''Texaco Star Theater'' was an American comedy-variety show, broadcast on radio from 1938 to 1949 and telecast from 1948 to 1956. It was one of the first successful examples of American television broadcasting, remembered as the show that gave Mi ...

'', scandalizing the audience with his suggestive hip movements. * June 8 –

General Electric General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable ene ...

/ Telechron introduces model 7H241 "The Snooz Alarm", 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 ...

. * June 14 **President of the United States Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the phrase "under God" to be added to the

Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America. The first version, with a text different from the one used ...

. **The

Flag of the United States Army The flag of the United States Army displays a blue replica of the War Office Seal set on a white field. Beneath the seal is a broad scarlet scroll bearing the inscription in white letters, "United States Army". Beneath the scroll, in blue Hind ...

is formally dedicated. * June 21 – Playwright

Arthur Miller Arthur Asher Miller (October 17, 1915 – February 10, 2005) was an American playwright, essayist and screenwriter in the 20th-century American theater. Among his most popular plays are ''All My Sons'' (1947), '' Death of a Salesman'' (1 ...

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 United States Congressional committee, committee of the United States House of Representatives, create ...

in Washington, D.C. * June 26 & August 23 – Books published by discredited psychoanalyst Wilhelm Reich are burned under a court injunction. * June 29 **Actress

marries playwright

in White Plains, New York. **President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, Federal Aid Highway Act, creating the Interstate Highway System. * June 30 – A Trans World Airlines, TWA Lockheed Constellation and United Airlines Douglas DC-7 1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision, collide in mid-air over the Grand Canyon 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 U.S. * June – 19-year-old Hunter S. Thompson is arrested as an Accessory (legal term), accessory to robbery.

July–September

* July 2 – Sylvania Electric Products explosion: A laboratory experiment involving scrap thorium at Sylvania Electric Products in Bayside, New York, results in an explosion. * July 4 – A U.S. Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft makes its first flight over the Soviet Union. * July 13 **

's recording of " Hound Dog" is released by RCA Records. ** John McCarthy (computer scientist), John McCarthy (Dartmouth), Marvin Minsky (MIT), Claude Shannon (Bell Labs) and Nathaniel Rochester (computer scientist), Nathaniel Rochester (IBM) assemble the first coordinated research meeting on the topic of artificial intelligence, at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire. * July 16 – 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 Club, Dean Martin and

perform their last comedy show together (their act started on July 25, 1946). * July 25 – south of Nantucket, Massachusetts, Nantucket Island, the Italian ocean liner sinks after colliding with the Swedish ship in heavy fog, killing 51 people. * July 29 – McKee refinery fire kills 19 in Texas. * July 30 – A Joint Resolution of

is signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, authorizing "In God We Trust" as the U.S. national motto. * August 6 – After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster DuMont Television Network has its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena. * August 11 – Painter Jackson Pollock dies in a car crash in Springs, New York. * September 9 –

appears on ''The Ed Sullivan Show'' for the first time. * September 13 – The hard disk drive is invented by an IBM team led by Reynold B. Johnson. * September 27 – The Bell X-2 becomes the first manned aircraft to reach Mach number, Mach 3.

October–December

* October 5 – Cecil B. DeMille's epic film ''The Ten Commandments (1956 film), The Ten Commandments'', starring Charlton Heston as Moses, is released in the U.S. It will be in the top ten of the worldwide list of highest-grossing films of all time, adjusted for inflation. * October 8 – Baseball pitcher Don Larsen of the New York Yankees throws the only Perfect game (baseball), perfect game in World Series history in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Yogi Berra catches the game. Dale Mitchell (baseball), Dale Mitchell is the final out. The New York Yankees win the series. Larsen is named series MVP. * October 10 – The prototype Lockheed L-1649 Starliner, the final Lockheed Constellation model, makes its first flight. * October 17 – The Game of the Century: 13-year-old Bobby Fischer beats GM Donald Byrne in the NY Rosenwald chess tournament. * October 29 – The ''Huntley-Brinkley Report'' debuts on

-TV. * October 31 – A United States Navy, U.S. 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. * October – ''The Ladder (magazine), The Ladder'' becomes the first nationally distributed lesbian magazine in the U.S. * November 1 ** City Lights Bookstore in San Francisco publishes ''Howl and Other Poems'' by Allen Ginsberg, a key work of the Beat Generation. ** The film ''

'' (1955), previously released to select cities in Todd-AO, now receives a U.S. national release in CinemaScope, 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 – Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, MGM's screen classic, ''The Wizard of Oz (1939 film), The Wizard of Oz'', is shown on television for the first time by CBS, as the final installment of their ''Ford Star Jubilee''. * November 6 – 1956 United States presidential election: Republican Party (United States), Republican incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower defeats Democratic Party (United States), Democratic challenger Adlai Stevenson II, Adlai E. Stevenson in a rematch of their contest four years earlier. * November 13 – '' Browder v. Gayle'': The United States Supreme Court declares Alabama laws requiring segregated buses illegal, thus ending the

. * November 30 – African American boxer Floyd Patterson wins the world heavyweight championship that is vacant after the retirement of

. * December 2 – A pipe bomb planted by George Metesky explodes at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, Brooklyn, New York, injuring 6 people. * December 3 – The 1956 Bush Terminal explosion occurs in Brooklyn. * December 4 – The Million Dollar Quartet (

, Jerry Lee Lewis,

and Johnny Cash) get together at Sun Studio for the only time. * December 18 – ''To Tell the Truth'' debuts on CBS-TV. * December 31 – Bob Barker makes his TV debut as host of the game show ''Truth or Consequences''.

Ongoing

* Cold War (1947–1991) * Second Red Scare (1947–1957)

Births

January

* January 1 **Mark R. Hughes, entrepreneur (d. 2000) **Mike Mitchell (basketball, born 1956), Mike Mitchell, basketball player (d. 2011) * January 3 – Mel Gibson, actor and filmmaker * January 7 – David Caruso, actor (''NYPD Blue'') * January 9 – Kimberly Beck, actress * January 10 ** Shawn Colvin, singer ** George Merrill (songwriter), George Merrill, singer-songwriter and keyboard player * January 11 ** Big Bank Hank, rapper (d. 2014) ** Robert Earl Keen, singer-songwriter and guitarist * January 13 – Janet Hubert, African-American actress * January 18 ** Sharon Mitchell, American sexologist ** Jim Mothersbaugh, American rock drummer * January 19 – Carman (singer), Carman, singer (d. 2021) * January 20 – Bill Maher, actor, comedian and political analyst * January 21 ** Robby Benson, actor, voice actor, director, singer and educator ** Geena Davis, actress * January 26 – Pat Musick, voice actress * January 27 ** Susanne Blakeslee, actress ** Mimi Rogers, actress * January 29 – Irlene Mandrell, actress and singer

February

* February 3 ** Nathan Lane, actor (''The Birdcage'') ** Lee Ranaldo, musician (Sonic Youth) * February 6 – Terry Teachout, writer and director (d. 2022) * February 11 – Catherine Hickland, actress * February 13 – Paul Stojanovich, television producer (d. 2003) * February 18 – Bruce Rauner, businessman, politician, philanthropist and the 42nd governor of Illinois * February 19 ** Kathleen Beller, actress ** Roderick MacKinnon, biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003 * February 22 – Hugh Hewitt, lawyer, academic and radio host * February 24 ** Judith Butler, philosopher ** Eddie Murray, baseball player ** Paula Zahn, television journalist (''CBS News'') * February 29 ** Aileen Wuornos, serial killer (d. 2002) ** Mike Compton (musician), Mike Compton, mandolin player

March

Tim Daly - Monte-Carlo Television Festival

Bryan Cranston at the 2018 Berlin Film Festival (2)

* March 1 – Tim Daly, actor * March 5 – Teena Marie, singer (d. 2010) * March 7 – Bryan Cranston, actor * March 11 – Rob Paulsen, voice actor * March 13 ** Dana Delany, actress ** Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase * March 24 – Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft * March 28 – Susan Ershler, mountaineer

April

* April 1 – Jeffrey Beecroft, production designer and art director * April 3 – Ray Combs, game show host and comedian (d. 1996) * April 4 – David E. Kelley, writer and television producer * April 5 – Diamond Dallas Page, professional wrestler * April 7 – Christopher Darden, lawyer * April 14 – Barbara Bonney, soprano * April 16 – David M. Brown, astronaut (Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Space Shuttle ''Columbia'' disaster) (d. 2003) * April 18 ** John James (actor), John James, actor (''Dynasty'') ** Melody Thomas Scott, actress ** Eric Roberts, American actor * April 21 – Phillip Longman, demographer * April 23 - Greg Colson, American artist * April 27 – Bryan Harvey (musician), Bryan Harvey, American musician (d. 2006)

May

* May 4 – David Guterson, writer * May 5 – Lisa Eilbacher, American actress * May 6 – Cindy Lovell, American educator and writer * May 7 – S. Scott Bullock, American actor and voice actor * May 10 – Paige O'Hara, American actress, voice actress, singer and painter * May 12 – Greg Phillinganes, keyboardist * May 15 – Dan Patrick (sportscaster), Dan Patrick, sports commentator * May 17 ** Sugar Ray Leonard, boxer ** Bob Saget, actor, comedian and television host (d. 2022) * May 19 – Steven Ford, actor * May 20 – Dean Butler (actor), Dean Butler, actor and producer * May 23 – Buck Showalter, baseball player and manager * May 26 – Lisa Niemi, actress and dancer, spouse of Patrick Swayze * May 28 – Jerry Douglas, dobro player * May 29 – La Toya Jackson, singer

June

* June 1 – Lisa Hartman Black, actress, singer * June 3 **Brad Nessler, sportscaster **Danny Wilde (musician), Danny Wilde, singer-songwriter and guitarist * June 4 – Keith David, actor * June 5 – Kenny G, grammy-award-winning saxophonist * June 9 – Patricia Cornwell, novelist * June 11 ** Joe Montana, football player ** Jamaaladeen Tacuma, jazz bassist and bandleader * June 14 – Fred Funk, golfer and coach * June 15 – Robin Curtis, actress * June 17 – Kelly Curtis, actor * June 19 – Danny Chauncey, guitarist * June 21 – Thomas James O'Leary, American actor * June 22 – Tim Russ, actor, film director, screenwriter and musician * June 23 – Randy Jackson, musician and talent judge * June 25 – Anthony Bourdain, chef, author and television personality (d. 2018) * June 26 – Chris Isaak, musician * June 30 ** David Alan Grier, actor, comedian ** Ronald Winans, musician (d. 2005)

July

* July 1 – Alan Ruck, actor * July 2 – Jerry Hall, model and actress * July 9 – Tom Hanks, actor and director * July 11 – Sela Ward, actress * July 12 ** Mel Harris, actress ** Sandi Patty, gospel singer ** Gregg L. Semenza, cellular biologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2019 * July 13 – Michael Spinks, African-American boxer * July 16 – Tony Kushner, playwright * July 18 ** The Aldridge Sisters, Sheila Aldridge, singer (The Aldridge Sisters) ** Razor Shines, baseball player, manager and coach * July 24 ** Charlie Crist, politician ** Pat Finn (game show host), Pat Finn, game show host and producer * July 25 – Frances Arnold, biochemist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2018 * July 30 – Delta Burke, actress * July 31 ** Michael Biehn, actor ** Deval Patrick, 71st Governor of Massachusetts

August

* August 1 – Steve Green (singer), Steve Green, Christian musician * August 2 – Jim Neidhart, professional wrestler * August 4 – Gerry Cooney, boxer * August 5 – Maureen McCormick, actress (''The Brady Bunch'') * August 6 – Stepfanie Kramer, actress (''Hunter'') * August 10 ** Fred Ottman, professional wrestler ** Charlie Peacock, Christian producer, singer-songwriter * August 14 – Jackée Harry, actress and television personality * August 18 ** Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz, drummer ** Kelly Willard, Christian singer * August 19 – Adam Arkin, actor * August 20 – Joan Allen, actress * August 21 – Jon Tester, U.S. Senator from Montana * August 22 – Paul Molitor, baseball player * August 24 ** John Culberson, politician ** Kevin Dunn, actor * August 26 – Mark Mangino, football coach * August 29 – Mark Morris (choreographer), Mark Morris, choreographer

September

* September 1 – Bernie Wagenblast, editor and broadcaster * September 6 – Bill Ritter, 41st Governor of Colorado * September 7 – Michael Feinstein, singer and pianist * September 8 – Maurice Cheeks, basketball player and coach * September 11 – Phillip D. Bissett, politician * September 12 ** Chip Beck, golfer ** Sam Brownback, U.S. Senator from Kansas ** Ricky Rudd, race car driver * September 15 – George Howard (jazz), George Howard, jazz saxophone musician (d. 1998) * September 16 – David Copperfield (illusionist), David Copperfield, illusionist * September 17 – Brian Andreas, writer, sculptor, painter and publisher * September 20 ** Gary Cole, actor ** Debbi Morgan, actress * September 21 – Jack Givens, basketball player * September 24 – Greg Panos, Gregory Peter Panos, futurist, writer, inventor, virtual reality expert, human simulation visionary * September 25 – Jamie Hyneman, television co-host (''MythBusters'') * September 26 – Linda Hamilton, actress (''The Terminator'') * September 30 – Carol Jenkins Barnett, businesswoman and philanthropist (d. 2021)

October

* October 8 – Stephanie Zimbalist, actress (''Remington Steele'') * October 13 ** Chris Carter (screenwriter), Chris Carter, director, producer, and screenwriter ** Don Paige, runner * October 16 – Marin Alsop, orchestral conductor * October 17 ** Mae Jemison, astronaut ** Stephen Palumbi, American academic and author ** Ken Morrow, American ice hockey player * October 18 ** Jim Talent, U.S. Senator from Missouri ** Craig Bartlett, Animator, writer, storyboard artist, director and voice actor * October 21 – Carrie Fisher, actress (''Star Wars'') (d. 2016) * October 22 – Frank DiPino, baseball player and coach * October 23 ** Darrell Pace, archer ** Dwight Yoakam, country singer, musician and actor * October 24 ** Dale Maharidge, journalist and author ** Jeff Merkley, U.S. Senator from Oregon ** David Stergakos, American-Greek basketball player * October 26 – Rita Wilson, actress and producer * October 28 – Dave Wyndorf, singer-songwriter and guitarist

November

* November 3 – Dru C. Gladney, anthropologist (d. 2022) * November 7 – Judy Tenuta, American comedian and musician (d. 2022) * November 8 – Steven Miller (record producer), Steven Miller, record producer * November 10 – Sinbad (comedian), Sinbad, stand-up comedian and actor * November 13 ** Charlie Baker, American politician, 72nd Governor of Massachusetts ** Cynthia Carroll, businesswoman * November 14 ** Paul Mitchell (politician), Paul Mitchell, politician and businessman (d. 2021) ** Steve Stockman, accountant and politician * November 15 ** Michael Hampton, guitarist and producer (Parliament-Funkadelic and Kiddo) ** Death of Brian Wells, Brian Wells, crime victim (d. 2003) * November 16 – Terry Labonte, Race Car Driver * November 17 – Kelly Ward, actor * November 18 – Warren Moon, football player * November 20 – Bo Derek, actress and model * November 21 – Terri Welles, actress and adult model * November 22 ** Donald Baechler, painter and sculptor (d. 2022)Donald Baechler, New York Artist Known for His Cerebral Approach to Simplistic Imagery, Has Died at 65
/ref> ** Richard Kind, actor * November 26 – Dale Jarrett, race car driver * November 27 – William Fichtner, actor * November 29 ** Bill Baker (ice hockey), Bill Baker, ice hockey player ** Eric Laakso, football player ** Leo Laporte, author and television host

December

* December 1 – Julee Cruise, musician (d. 2022) * December 6 – Randy Rhoads, guitarist (d. 1982) * December 7 – Larry Bird, basketball player * December 10 ** Rod Blagojevich, politician Governor of Illinois ** Jacquelyn Mitchard, journalist and author * December 11 – Lani Brockman, playwright * December 18 – Ron White, comedian * December 26 – David Sedaris, essayist * December 30 ** Patricia Kalember, actress ** Sheryl Lee Ralph, actress

Deaths

* January 9 – Marion Leonard, stage & silent film actress (born 1881 in the United States, 1881) * January 10 – Zonia Baber, geographer and geologist (born 1862 in the United States, 1862) * January 12 – Norman Kerry, silent film actor (born 1894 in the United States, 1894) * January 29 – H. L. Mencken, writer (born 1880 in the United States, 1880) * February 2 ** Bob Burns (comedian), Bob Burns, comedian (born 1890 in the United States, 1890) ** Charley Grapewin, vaudeville, stage & film actor (born 1869 in the United States, 1869) * February 3 – Robert Yerkes, psychologist and ethologist (born 1876 in the United States, 1876) * February 8 – Connie Mack, baseball executive and manager (born 1862 in the United States, 1862) * February 15 – J. H. Smith (Mayor of Everett), J. H. Smith, politician and pioneer (born 1858 in the United States, 1858) * February 26 – Elsie Janis, singer and actress (born 1889 in the United States, 1889) * March 14 – David Browning, Olympic diver; in aviation accident (born 1931 in the United States, 1931) * March 17 – Fred Allen, comedian (born 1894 in the United States, 1894) * March 18 – Louis Bromfield, writer and conservationist (born 1896 in the United States, 1896) * March 21 – Edwin Thanhouser, actor, businessman and film producer (born 1865 in the United States, 1865) * March 22 – George Sarton, historian of science (born 1884 in Belgium) * March 25 – Lou Moore, racing driver and team owner (born 1904 in the United States, 1904) * April 15 – Kathleen Howard, opera singer and film actress (born 1884 in Canada) * April 21 ** Samuel Gottesman, pulp-paper merchant (born 1885 in the United States, 1885) ** Charles MacArthur, playwright and screenwriter (born 1895 in the United States, 1895) * April 26 – Edward Arnold (actor), Edward Arnold, film actor (born 1890 in the United States, 1890) * April 30 – Alben W. Barkley, 35th Vice President of the United States from 1949 to 1953 (born 1877 in the United States, 1877) * May 11 – Walter Sydney Adams, astronomer (born 1876 in the United States, 1876) * May 12 – Louis Calhern, actor (born 1895 in the United States, 1895) * May 15 – Arthur Talmage Abernethy, poet, journalist, theologian and minister (born 1872 in the United States, 1872) * May 24 – Guy Kibbee, actor (born 1882 in the United States, 1882) * May 26 – Al Simmons, baseball player (Philadelphia Athletics) (born 1902 in the United States, 1902) * June 1 – Jesse H. Jones, entrepreneur, 9th United States Secretary of Commerce (born 1874 in the United States, 1874) * June 2 – Richard S. Edwards, admiral (born 1885 in the United States, 1885) * June 4 – Katherine MacDonald, silent film actress (born 1891 in the United States, 1891) * June 6 – Hiram Bingham III, explorer, discoverer of Machu Picchu (born 1875 in the United States, 1875) * June 11 – Ralph Morgan, character actor (born 1883 in the United States, 1883) * June 25 – Ernest King, Fleet Admiral (born 1878 in the United States, 1878) * June 26 – Clifford Brown, jazz trumpeter (born 1930 in the United States, 1930) * July 4 – Udo Keppler, cartoonist (''Puck (magazine), Puck'') (born 1872 in the United States, 1872) * August 2 – Albert Woolson, last surviving Union veteran of the American Civil War (born 1850 in the United States, 1850) * August 11 – Jackson Pollock, painter (born 1912 in the United States, 1912) * August 13 – Lyonel Feininger, German American painter (born 1871 in the United States, 1871) * August 16 ** Bela Lugosi, actor (born 1882 in Hungary) ** Lynde D. McCormick, admiral (born 1895 in the United States, 1895) * August 23 – Peaches Browning, divorcee and vaudeville actress (born 1910 in the United States, 1910) * August 24 – Mitchell Lewis (actor), Mitchell Lewis, actor (born 1880 in the United States, 1880) * August 25 – Alfred Kinsey, sex researcher (born 1894 in the United States, 1894) * September 6 – Felix Borowski, composer and teacher (born 1872 in the United Kingdom) * September 27 ** Milburn G. Apt, test pilot (born 1924 in the United States, 1924) ** Babe Zaharias, golfer (born 1911 in the United States, 1911) * October 1 – Albert Von Tilzer, songwriter (born 1878 in the United States, 1878) * October 2 – George Bancroft (actor), George Bancroft, film actor (born 1882 in the United States, 1882) * October 9 – Marie Doro, stage & silent film actress (born 1882 in the United States, 1882) * October 19 – Isham Jones, bandleader (born 1894 in the United States, 1894) * October 27 – Charles S. Johnson, sociologist (born 1893 in the United States, 1893) * November 1 – Tommy Johnson (musician), Tommy Johnson, Delta blues falsetto singer & guitarist (born 1896 in the United States, 1896) * November 5 – Art Tatum, jazz pianist (born 1909 in the United States, 1909) * November 6 – Paul Kelly (actor), Paul Kelly, actor (born 1899 in the United States, 1899) * November 10 ** Harry F. Sinclair, entrepreneur (born 1876 in the United States, 1876) ** Victor Young, composer (born 1900 in the United States, 1900) * November 26 – Tommy Dorsey, trombonist and bandleader (born 1905 in the United States, 1905) * November 27 – Hugo Ballin, artist, film production designer and director (born 1879 in the United States, 1879) * December 9 – Charles Joughin, baker on RMS ''Titanic'' (born 1878 in the United Kingdom) * December 17 – Eddie Acuff, actor (born 1903 in the United States, 1903) * December 21 – Lewis Terman, psychologist (born 1877 in the United States, 1877) * December 30 – Ruth Draper, monologuist (born 1884 in the United States, 1884)

References

External links

* {{Year in North America, 1956 1956 in the United States, 1950s in the United States 1956 by country, United States 1956 in North America, United States Years of the 20th century in the United States