Significant Events
- Jan 23 Israeli Knesset resolves Jerusalem is capital of Israel
- Jan 31 US President Harry Truman publicly announces support for the development of a hydrogen bomb
- Feb 27 General Chiang Kai-shek elected president of Nationalist China
- Jun 25 North Korea invades South Korea, beginning the Korean War
- Jun 27 North Korean troops reach Seoul, UN asks members to aid South Korea, Harry Truman orders US Air Force & Navy into Korean conflict
- Sep 24 "Operation Magic Carpet" sees all Jews from Yemen move to Israel
- Oct 21 Chinese forces occupy Tibet
- Nov 24 UN troops begin an assault intending to end Korean War by Christmas
- Dec 19 Tibet's Dalai Lama flees Chinese invasion
- Dec 30 Vietnam, Laos & Cambodia become Independent states within the French Union
1950 in Film & TV
- Feb 25 "Your Show of Shows" with Sid Caesar & Imogene Coca premieres on NBC Writers include Mel Brooks, Neil Simon & Woody Allen
- Jul 10 "Your Hit Parade" premieres on NBC (later CBS) TV (broadcast on radio from 1935)
- Jul 20 "Arthur Murray Party" premieres on ABC TV (later DuMont, CBS, NBC)
- Aug 19 ABC begins Saturday morning kid shows (Animal Clinic & Acrobat Ranch)
- Aug 27 1st transmission of a TV programme from continental Europe shown on BBC
1950 in Music
- Nov 24 "Guys & Dolls" opens at 46th St Theater NYC for 1200 performances
1950 in Sport
- Apr 25 Chuck Cooper becomes the 1st African American to be drafted into the NBA (for Boston Celtics)
- May 13 First ever race of the FIA World Championship of Drivers Champonship held at Silverstone, England and won by Giuseppe Farina of Alfa Romeo
- Sep 3 Giuseppe "Nino" Farina wins inaugural FIA World Championship of Drivers by taking out the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in an Alfa Romeo; wins by 3 points from Juan Manuel Fangio
- Oct 18 Connie Mack retires as manager of Philadelphia Athletics after 50 years, longest serving manager in MLB history
- Nov 1 Celtics' forward Chuck Cooper becomes first African American to play in the NBA in Boston's 107-84 loss at Fort Wayne Pistons; future Hall of Famer Bob Cousy also debuts for Celtics
World Leaders in 1950
Harry Truman
33rd US President
Joseph Stalin
Soviet General Secretary
Mao Zedong
Chinese Revolutionary and Chairman of the Communist Party
Famous People in 1950
José Ferrer
Oscar for Best Actor
Judy Holliday
Oscar for Best Actress
Bill Murray
John Candy
Richard Branson
Robbie Coltrane
Steve Wozniak
Stevie WonderFamous Weddings
- Feb 17 Natural history broadcaster David Attenborough (24) weds Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel
- Mar 24 Actress Ingrid Bergman (34) weds Roberto Rossellini
- Apr 14 Baseball manager Tom Lasorda (22) weds Joan Miller
- Apr 28 King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand marries Mon Rajawongse Sirikit at Sra Pathum Palace after a quiet engagement in Lausanne, Switzerland July 19, 1949.
- Apr 29 Actor Sidney Poitier (23) weds model Juanita Hardy
Famous Divorces
- Mar 1 Actress Ingrid Bergman (34) divorces dentist Petter Aron Lindström after 12 years of marriage
- Jul 5 Actress Bette Davis (42) divorces artist William Grant Sherry after more than 4 years of marriage
Charles R. Drew
Emil Jannings
George Bernard Shaw
George Orwell
Mackenzie King
Willis Carrier