What Happened in 1950

Important 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 concludes after having transported 45,000 Yemenite Jews 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
More Historical Events

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)

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 Formula 1 World Drivers Championship is run at Silverstone, England and won by Giuseppe Farina of italy in an Alfa Romeo
  • Sep 3 Giuseppe "Nino" Farina wins inaugural Formula 1 World Drivers Championship 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

Did You Know?

FBI's "10 Most Wanted Fugitives" program begins

On March 14, 1950

Famous People Born in 1950

More Famous Birthdays

World Leaders in 1950

Famous People in 1950

Famous Weddings

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
More Weddings & Divorces

Famous Deaths

More Famous Deaths