What Happened in 1956

Important Events

  • Feb 25 Nikita Khrushchev denounces Joseph Stalin at the 20th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
  • Mar 2 Morocco tears up the Treaty of Fez, declaring independence from France
  • Apr 26 First modern container ship, the Ideal X, leaves Port Newark, New Jersey for Houston, Texas
  • Jun 13 The last British troops leave the Suez Canal Zone in Egypt
  • Sep 13 IBM introduces the RAMAC 305, 1st commercial computer with a hard drive that uses magnetic disk storage, weighs over a ton
  • Sep 14 1st prefrontal lobotomy performed in Washington, D.C.
  • Sep 25 First transatlantic telephone cable goes into operation from Newfoundland to Oban
  • Oct 6 Dr Albert Sabin discovers oral polio vaccine
  • Nov 5 Britain and France land airborne forces at Port Said in Egypt, escalating the Suez Crisis
  • Nov 13 US Supreme court rules race separation on buses in Alabama unconstitutional
More Historical Events

1956 in Film & TV

1956 in Music

  • Jan 8 Elvis Presley's "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" single goes #1 & stays #1 for a record 11 weeks (for a single)
  • Jan 27 "Heartbreak Hotel" single released by Elvis Presley, his first million-selling single
  • Apr 21 Elvis Presley's 1st hit record, "Heartbreak Hotel", becomes #1
  • May 24 1st Eurovision Song Contest: Lys Assia for Switzerland wins singing "Refrain" in Lugano

1956 in Sport

  • Mar 3 Dutch swimmer Cockie Gastelaars breaks 20-year old world record for 100m freestyle (1:04.2)
  • Apr 27 Heavyweight champ, Rocky Marciano, retires undefeated from boxing

Did You Know?

Colo is born, the first gorilla to be bred in captivity at Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, Columbus, Ohio

On December 22, 1956

Famous People Born in 1956

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World Leaders in 1956

Famous People in 1956

Famous Weddings

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Famous Deaths

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Articles on Events in 1956