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200 events on this timeline
  1. Josip Broz Tito

    Tito visited the USSR

    1956Soviet Union, (Russia)

    Tito visited the USSR in 1956, which signaled to the world that animosity between Yugoslavia and USSR was easing.

  2. Mobile Phones

    The First Fully automated Mobile Phone System For Vehicles

    1956Sweden

    The first fully automated mobile phone system for vehicles was launched in Sweden in 1956. Named MTA (Mobiltelefonisystem A), it allowed calls to be made and received in the car using a rotary dial. The car phone could also be paged. Calls from the car were direct dial, whereas incoming calls required an operator to locate the nearest base station to the car. It was developed by Sture Laurén and other engineers at Televerket network operator. Ericsson provided the switchboard while Svenska Radioaktiebolaget (SRA) and Marconi provided the telephones and base station equipment. MTA phones consisted of vacuum tubes and relays, and weighed 40 kilograms (88 lb).

  3. Christine Lagarde

    Birth

    Sunday Jan 1, 1956Paris, France

    Lagarde was born in Paris, France.

  4. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Relations between Hungary and The United States began to Improve

    1956Hungary

    In the summer of 1956, relations between Hungary and the United States began to improve. At that time, the United States responded very favourably to Hungary's overtures about a possible expansion of bilateral trade relations. Hungary's desire for better relations was partly attributable to the country's catastrophic economic situation. Before any results could be achieved, however, the pace of negotiations was slowed by the Hungarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, which feared that better relations with the West might weaken Communist rule in Hungary.

  5. Cypriot intercommunal violence

    Turkish Cypriot policemen were killed by EOKA members and this provoked some intercommunal violence

    1956Cyprus

    In 1956, some Turkish Cypriot policemen were killed by EOKA members and this provoked some intercommunal violence in the spring and summer, but these attacks on policemen were not motivated by the fact that they were Turkish Cypriots.

  6. Statue of Liberty

    Liberty Island

    1956New York, U.S.

    In 1956, an Act of Congress officially renamed Bedloe's Island as Liberty Island, a change advocated by Bartholdi generations earlier. The act also mentioned the efforts to found an American Museum of Immigration on the island, which backers took as federal approval of the project, though the government was slow to grant funds for it

  7. World Bank

    International Finance Corporation (IFC)

    1956Washington D.C., U.S.

    The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries. The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It was established in 1956, as the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, to advance economic development by investing in for-profit and commercial projects for poverty reduction and promoting development.

  8. Visa Inc.

    Williams convinced senior BofA executives

    1956Fresno, California, U.S.

    The original idea was the brainchild of BofA's in-house product development think tank, the Customer Services Research Group, and its leader, Joseph P. Williams. Williams convinced senior BofA executives in 1956 to let him pursue what became the world's first successful mass mailing of unsolicited credit cards (actual working cards, not mere applications) to a large population.

  9. Samuel Little

    Little was condemned in Omaha

    1956Omaha, Nebraska, United States

    In 1956, Little was convicted of breaking into a property in Omaha, Nebraska, Little was held in an institution for juvenile offenders.

  10. Raúl Castro

    Winning in Santiago de Cuba without a fight

    Sunday Jan 1, 195606:00:00 PMSantiago de Cuba, Cuba

    The two Castro brothers with their army arrived on the outskirts of Santiago de Cuba and said their forces would storm the city at 6 PM 1 January if it did not first surrender. The commander (Colonel Rego Rubido) surrendered Santiago de Cuba without a fight. The war was over and Fidel was able to take power in Havana when he arrived on 8 January 1959.

  11. Warren Buffett

    Buffett Partnership

    1956Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

    Buffett created Buffett Partnership, Ltd in 1956.

  12. Eiffel Tower

    Damage of the top of the tower

    Tuesday Jan 3, 1956Paris, France

    A fire started in the television transmitter on 3 January 1956, damaging the top of the tower. Repairs took a year, and in 1957, the present radio aerial was added to the top.

  13. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

    The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in order to give young people

    1956United Kingdom

    In 1956, the Duke, with Kurt Hahn, founded The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in order to give young people "a sense of responsibility to themselves and their communities".

  14. Qaboos bin Said al Said

    Bury St Edmunds

    1956Bury St Edmunds, England, United Kingdom

    He received his primary and secondary education at Salalah, and was sent to a private educational establishment at Bury St Edmunds in England at age 16.

  15. Neil Armstrong

    1st Marriage

    Saturday Jan 28, 1956Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.

    Armstrong met Janet Elizabeth Shearon, who was majoring in home economics, at a party hosted by Alpha Chi Omega. According to the couple, there was no real courtship, and neither could remember the exact circumstances of their engagement. They were married on January 28, 1956, at the Congregational Church in Wilmette, Illinois.

  16. DC Comics

    Showcase

    Mar, 1956U.S.

    In the mid-1950s, editorial director Irwin Donenfeld and publisher Liebowitz directed editor Julius Schwartz (whose roots lay in the science-fiction book market) to produce a one-shot Flash story in the try-out title Showcase.

  17. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

    Philip also established the Commonwealth Study Conferences

    1956United Kingdom

    In the same year, Philip also established the Commonwealth Study Conferences.

  18. Mother's Day

    Mother's Day (Egypy)

    Wednesday Mar 21, 1956Egypt

    The idea (Mother's Day) was first ridiculed by president Gamal Abdel Nasser but he eventually accepted it and Mother's Day was first celebrated on 21 March 1956.

  19. Neil Armstrong

    His First Flight Incident

    Thursday Mar 22, 1956Edwards Air Force Base, California, U.S.

    On March 22, 1956, he was in a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, which was to air-drop a Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket. He sat in the right-hand pilot seat while the left-hand seat commander, Stan Butchart, flew the B-29. As they climbed to 30,000 feet (9 km), the number-four engine stopped and the propeller began windmilling (rotating freely) in the airstream. Hitting the switch that would stop the propeller's spinning, Butchart found it slowed but then started spinning again, this time even faster than the others; if it spun too fast, it would break apart. Their aircraft needed to hold an airspeed of 210 mph (338 km/h) to launch its Skyrocket payload, and the B-29 could not land with the Skyrocket attached to its belly. Armstrong and Butchart brought the aircraft into a nose-down attitude to increase speed, then launched the Skyrocket. At the instant of launch, the number-four engine propeller disintegrated. Pieces of it damaged the number-three engine and hit the number-two engine. Butchart and Armstrong were forced to shut down the damaged number-three engine, along with the number-one engine, due to the torque it created. They made a slow, circling descent from 30,000 ft (9 km) using only the number-two engine, and landed safely.

  20. James Bond

    Diamonds Are Forever was published

    Monday Mar 26, 1956United Kingdom

    Diamonds Are Forever novel was published. Diamonds Are Forever is the fourth novel by the English author Ian Fleming to feature his fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond.

  21. Vietnam War

    The last French soldiers

    Apr, 1956Vietnam

    The last French soldiers were to leave Vietnam in April 1956.

  22. Algerian War

    Abbas flew to Cairo

    Apr, 1956Cairo, Egypt

    In April 1956, Abbas flew to Cairo, where he formally joined the FLN. This action brought in many évolués who had supported the UDMA in the past.

  23. Anna May Wong

    Wong did guest spots on television series

    1956U.S.

    Wong also did guest spots on television series such as Adventures in Paradise, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.

  24. Warren Buffett

    A Securities Analyst at Buffett Partnership

    1956Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

    Buffett worked as a securities analyst; from 1956 to 1969 at Buffett Partnership, Ltd.

  25. Ho Chi Minh

    The Idea of overthrowing the South Vietnamese Government

    Jun, 1956Vietnam

    As early as June 1956 the idea of overthrowing the South Vietnamese government was presented at a politburo meeting.

  26. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

    Philip opened the 1956 Summer Olympics

    1956Melbourne, Australia

    Philip opened the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.

  27. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Surgery for a bowel

    Saturday Jun 9, 1956Virginia, U.S.

    The president also suffered from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the intestine, which necessitated surgery for a bowel obstruction on June 9, 1956. To treat the intestinal block, surgeons bypassed about ten inches of his small intestine. His scheduled meeting with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was postponed so he could recover at his farm. He was still recovering from this operation during the Suez Crisis.

  28. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

    Philip visited the Antarctic

    1956Antarctica

    Philip visited the Antarctic, becoming the first royal to cross the Antarctic Circle.

  29. Algerian War

    Two FLN prisoners were executed

    Tuesday Jun 19, 1956Algeria

    On 19 June 1956 two FLN prisoners were executed by guillotine at the Barberousse Prison.

  30. Algerian War

    Immediate reprisals

    Thursday Jun 21, 1956Algeria

    Abane Ramdane ordered immediate reprisals against the French and Yacef Saâdi, who had assumed command in Algiers following Bitat's arrest was ordered to "shoot down any European, from 18 to 54. No women, no children, no elder." A series of random attacks in the city followed with 49 civilians shot by the FLN between 21 and 24 June.

  31. Marilyn Monroe

    3rd Marriage

    Friday Jun 29, 1956Westchester, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Monroe and Miller were married in a civil ceremony at the Westchester County Court in White Plains, New York, on June 29, and two days later had a Jewish ceremony at the Waccabuc, New York home of Kay Brown, who was Miller's literary agent.

  32. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Eisenhower championed and signed the bill that authorized the Interstate Highway System

    Friday Jun 29, 1956U.S.

    Eisenhower championed and signed the bill that authorized the Interstate Highway System in 1956.

  33. Anna May Wong

    Bold Journey

    1956U.S.

    In 1956, Wong hosted one of the first U.S. documentaries on China narrated entirely by a Chinese American. Broadcast on the ABC travel series Bold Journey, the program consisted of film footage from her 1936 trip to China.

  34. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Rákosi was deposed as General Secretary of The Hungarian Working People's Party

    Wednesday Jul 18, 1956Hungary

    After Khrushchev's "secret speech" of February 1956, which denounced Stalin and his protégés, Rákosi was deposed as General Secretary of the Party and replaced by Ernő Gerő on 18 July 1956.

  35. Pelé

    Santos

    Sunday Jul 29, 1956Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    In 1956, de Brito took Pelé to Santos, an industrial and port city located near São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos FC, telling the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world."

  36. Vietnam War

    The death penalty against any activity deemed communist in August 1956

    Aug, 1956South Vietnam

    Beginning in the summer of 1955, Diệm launched the "Denounce the Communists" campaign, during which suspected communists and other anti-government elements were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, or executed. He instituted the death penalty against any activity deemed communist in August 1956.

  37. Algerian War

    The internals

    Aug, 1956Algeria

    In August and September 1956, the leadership of the FLN guerrillas operating within Algeria (popularly known as "internals") met to organize a formal policy-making body to synchronize the movement's political and military activities. The highest authority of the FLN was vested in the thirty-four member National Council of the Algerian Revolution (Conseil National de la Révolution Algérienne, CNRA), within which the five-man Committee of Coordination and Enforcement (Comité de Coordination et d'Exécution, CCE) formed the executive.

  38. Algerian War

    73 Algerian are killed

    Wednesday Aug 1, 1956Algeria

    On the night of 10 August 1956, helped by members of Robert Martel's Union française nord-africaine, Achiary planted a bomb at Thèbes Road in the Casbah targeted at the FLN responsible for the June shootings, the explosion killed 73 Algerian.

  39. Flag of Bhutan

    The second version

    1956Bhutan

    The second version of the national flag was developed in 1956 for the visit of the third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuk to eastern Bhutan. During the trip the Druk Gyalpo's Secretariat began to use flags of a new design based upon a photograph of the first national flag of 1949, with the colour of the dragon changed from green to white. The retinue of the Druk Gyalpo included a convoy consisting of over one hundred ponies.

  40. Pelé

    Debut

    Tuesday Aug 7, 1956Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    He made his senior team debut on 7 September 1956 at the age of 15 against Corinthians Santo Andre and had an impressive performance in a 7–1 victory, scoring the first goal in his prolific career during the match.

  41. Audrey Hepburn

    Natasha Rostova in War and Peace

    Tuesday Aug 21, 1956U.S.

    Having become one of Hollywood's most popular box-office attractions, she starred in a series of successful films during the remainder of the decade, including her BAFTA- and Golden Globe-nominated role as Natasha Rostova in War and Peace (1956), an adaptation of the Tolstoy novel set during the Napoleonic wars, starring Henry Fonda and her husband Mel Ferrer.

  42. IBM

    Artificial Intelligence

    1956Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.

    In 1956 the company demonstrated the first practical example of artificial intelligence when Arthur L. Samuel of IBM's Poughkeepsie, New York, laboratory programmed an IBM 704 not merely to play checkers but "learn" from its own experience.

  43. Algerian War

    The Milk Bar bombed

    Sunday Sep 30, 1956Algeria

    On the evening of 30 September 1956, a trio of female FLN militants recruited by Yacef Saâdi, Djamila Bouhired, Zohra Drif and Samia Lakhdari, carried out the first series of bomb attacks on three civilian targets in European Algiers. The bombs at the Milk Bar on Place Bugeaud and the Cafeteria on Rue Michelet killed 3 and injured 50, while the bomb at the Air France terminus failed to explode due to a faulty timer.

  44. Algerian War

    The French Air Force intercepted a Moroccan DC-3 bound for Tunis

    Oct, 1956Algiers, Algeria

    In October 1956, the French Air Force intercepted a Moroccan DC-3 bound for Tunis, carrying Ahmed Ben Bella, Mohammed Boudiaf, Mohamed Khider and Hocine Aït Ahmed, and forced it to land in Algiers. Lacoste had the FLN external political leaders arrested and imprisoned for the duration of the war. This action caused the remaining rebel leaders to harden their stance.

  45. Theresa May

    Birth

    Monday Oct 1, 1956Eastbourne, Sussex, England

    Born on 1 October 1956 in Eastbourne, Sussex.

  46. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    László Rajk was Reburied

    Saturday Oct 6, 1956Hungary

    On 6 October 1956, László Rajk, who had been executed by the Rákosi government, was reburied in a moving ceremony that strengthened the party opposition.

  47. Bank of America

    Bank of America

    1956U.S.

    The passage of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 prohibited banks from owning non-banking subsidiaries such as insurance companies. Bank of America and Transamerica were separated, with the latter company continuing in the insurance sector. However, federal banking regulators prohibited Bank of America's interstate banking activity, and Bank of America's domestic banks outside California were forced into a separate company that eventually became First Interstate Bancorp, later acquired by Wells Fargo and Company in 1996.

  48. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Resurrect MEFESZ Student Union

    Monday Oct 22, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    By 22 October 1956, Technical University students had resurrected the banned MEFESZ student union.

  49. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Technical University Students Staged a demonstration

    Tuesday Oct 23, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    Technical University students staged a demonstration on 23 October that set off a chain of events leading directly to the revolution.

  50. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Protesters Convened Next To The Statue of József Bem

    Tuesday Oct 23, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On the afternoon of 23 October 1956, approximately 20,400 protesters convened next to the statue of József Bem—a national hero of Poland and Hungary.

  51. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Incident at Radio Budapest building

    Tuesday Oct 23, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    A large crowd gathered at the Radio Budapest building, which was heavily guarded by the ÁVH. The flash point was reached as a delegation attempting to broadcast their demands was detained and the crowd grew increasingly unruly as rumours spread that the protesters had been shot. Tear gas was thrown from the upper windows and the ÁVH opened fire on the crowd, killing many. The ÁVH tried to re-supply itself by hiding arms inside an ambulance, but the crowd detected the ruse and intercepted it. Hungarian soldiers sent to relieve the ÁVH hesitated and then, tearing the red stars from their caps, sided with the crowd. Provoked by the ÁVH attack, protesters reacted violently. Police cars were set ablaze, guns were seized from military depots and distributed to the masses and symbols of the Communist regime were vandalised.

  52. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Ernő Gerő Requested Soviet Military Intervention

    Tuesday Oct 23, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    During the night of 23 October, Hungarian Working People's Party Secretary Ernő Gerő requested Soviet military intervention "to suppress a demonstration that was reaching an ever greater and unprecedented scale". The Soviet leadership had formulated contingency plans for intervention in Hungary several months before.

  53. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Ernő Gerő broadcast a Speech Condemning The writers' and Students' Demands

    Tuesday Oct 23, 195608:00:00 PMHungary

    At 20:00, First Secretary Ernő Gerő broadcast a speech condemning the writers' and students' demands.

  54. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Removal of Stalin's Bronze Statue

    Tuesday Oct 23, 195609:30:00 PMBudapest, Hungary

    Angered by Gerő's hard-line rejection, some demonstrators decided to carry out one of their demands, the removal of Stalin's 30-foot-high (9.1 m) bronze statue that was erected in 1951 on the site of a church, which was demolished to make room for the monument. By 21:30, the statue was toppled and crowds celebrated by placing Hungarian flags in Stalin's boots, which was all that was left of the statue.

  55. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Soviet Tanks Entered Budapest

    Wednesday Oct 24, 195602:00:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    By 02:00 on 24 October, acting in accordance with orders of Georgy Zhukov, the Soviet defense minister, Soviet tanks entered Budapest.

  56. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Politburo discussed The Political Upheavals In Poland and Hungary

    Wednesday Oct 24, 1956Moscow, Russian SFSR

    On 24 October, the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (the Politburo) discussed the political upheavals in Poland and Hungary.

  57. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Imre Nagy Replaced András Hegedüs as Prime Minister

    Wednesday Oct 24, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On 24 October, Imre Nagy replaced András Hegedüs as Prime Minister. On the radio, Nagy called for an end to violence and promised to initiate political reforms that had been shelved three years earlier. The population continued to arm itself as sporadic violence erupted.

  58. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Soviet Tanks were stationed outside the Parliament

    Wednesday Oct 24, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    By noon, on 24 October, Soviet tanks were stationed outside the Parliament, and Soviet soldiers guarded key bridges and crossroads. Armed revolutionaries quickly set up barricades to defend Budapest, and were reported to have already captured some Soviet tanks by mid-morning.

  59. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    A mass of Protesters Gathered in Front of The Parliament Building

    Thursday Oct 25, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On 25 October, a mass of protesters gathered in front of the Parliament Building. ÁVH units began shooting into the crowd from the rooftops of neighbouring buildings. Some Soviet soldiers returned fire on the ÁVH, mistakenly believing that they were the targets of the shooting. Supplied by arms taken from the ÁVH or given by Hungarian soldiers who joined the uprising, some in the crowd started shooting back.

  60. Kroger

    The Kroger Company bought out Big Chain Stores

    1956Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

    In January 1956, the company bought out Big Chain Stores, Inc., a chain of seven stores based in Shreveport, Louisiana, later combining it with the Child's group. All of these chains adopted the Kroger banner in 1966.

  61. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Military Action Towards The demonstrations in Front of The Office of State Security and The Local Jail

    Friday Oct 26, 1956Kecskemét, Hungary

    In the town of Kecskemét on 26 October, demonstrations in front of the office of State Security and the local jail led to military action by the Third Corps under the orders of Major General Lajos Gyurkó, in which seven protesters were shot and several of the organizers were arrested.

  62. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Army Units Were brought In To Secure Csepel and Restore Order

    Saturday Oct 27, 1956Csepel, Budapest, Hungary

    On 27 October, army units were brought in to secure Csepel and restore order.

  63. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    A Ceasefire Was Arranged

    Sunday Oct 28, 1956Hungary

    Hungarian general Béla Király, freed from a life sentence for political offences and acting with the support of the Nagy government, sought to restore order by unifying elements of the police, army and insurgent groups into a National Guard. A ceasefire was arranged on 28 October.

  64. Shimon Peres

    1956 Suez War

    Monday Oct 29, 1956Suez Canal, Egypt

    From 1954, as Director-General of the Ministry of Defense, Peres was involved in the planning of the 1956 Suez War, in partnership with France and Britain against Egypt.

  65. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Army Units withdrew from Csepel

    Monday Oct 29, 1956Hungary

    The army units withdrew from Csepel on 29 October, after which the rebels seized control of the area.

  66. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    There Were 71 Cases of Armed Clashes between The Army and The Populace In Fifty Communities

    Monday Oct 29, 1956Hungary

    From 24 to 29 October, however, there were 71 cases of armed clashes between the army and the populace in fifty communities, ranging from the defence of attacks on civilian and military objectives to fighting with insurgents depending on the commanding officer.

  67. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Presidium decided not to temove the New Hungarian Government

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Moscow, Russian SFSR

    After some debate, the Presidium on 30 October decided not to remove the new Hungarian government.

  68. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Attacking The Central Committee of The Communist Party building

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On 30 October, Király's forces attacked the Central Committee of the Communist Party building.

  69. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Most Soviet Troops had Withdrawn from Budapest

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    By 30 October most Soviet troops had withdrawn from Budapest to garrisons in the Hungarian countryside.

  70. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Local Revolutionary Councils Had been Officially Sanctioned

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Hungary

    Local revolutionary councils formed throughout Hungary, generally without involvement from the preoccupied National Government in Budapest, and assumed various responsibilities of local government from the defunct Communist party. By 30 October, these councils had been officially sanctioned by the Hungarian Working People's Party, and the Nagy government asked for their support as "autonomous, democratic local organs formed during the Revolution".

  71. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Armed Protesters Attacked The ÁVH detachment Guarding The Budapest Hungarian Working People's Party Headquarters

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On 30 October, armed protesters attacked the ÁVH detachment guarding the Budapest Hungarian Working People's Party headquarters on Köztársaság tér (Republic Square), incited by rumours of prisoners held there and the earlier shootings of demonstrators by the ÁVH in the city of Mosonmagyaróvár.

  72. Ho Chi Minh

    The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Vietnam

    Thursday Nov 1, 1956Vietnam

    On 1 November 1956, Hồ Chí Minh became the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Vietnam.

  73. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Khrushchev left Moscow to Meet with his Warsaw Pact Allies

    Thursday Nov 1, 1956Moscow, Russian SFSR

    From 1 to 3 November, Khrushchev left Moscow to meet with his Warsaw Pact allies and inform them of the decision to intervene.

  74. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Nagy Formally declared Hungary's Withdrawal From The Warsaw Pact

    Thursday Nov 1, 1956Hungary

    On 1 November, in a radio address to the Hungarian people, Nagy formally declared Hungary's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact as well as Hungary's stance of neutrality.

  75. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Soviet Forces Had Entered Hungary From The East

    Thursday Nov 1, 1956Hungary

    On 1 November, Imre Nagy received reports that Soviet forces had entered Hungary from the east and were moving towards Budapest. Nagy sought and received assurances (which proved false) from Soviet ambassador Yuri Andropov that the Soviet Union would not invade. The Cabinet, with János Kádár in agreement, declared Hungary's neutrality, withdrew from the Warsaw Pact, and requested assistance from the diplomatic corps in Budapest and Dag Hammarskjöld, UN Secretary-General, to defend Hungary's neutrality. Ambassador Andropov was asked to inform his government that Hungary would begin negotiations on the removal of Soviet forces immediately.

  76. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Negotiations On The Soviet Withdrawal

    Saturday Nov 3, 1956Tököl, Hungary

    On 3 November, a Hungarian delegation led by the Minister of Defense Pál Maléter was invited to attend negotiations on Soviet withdrawal at the Soviet Military Command at Tököl, near Budapest. At around midnight that evening, General Ivan Serov, Chief of the Soviet Security Police (KGB) ordered the arrest of the Hungarian delegation, and the next day, the Soviet army again attacked Budapest.

  77. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Soviet Army Had Completely Encircled Budapest

    Saturday Nov 3, 195609:30:00 PMBudapest, Hungary

    The second Soviet intervention, codenamed "Operation Whirlwind", was launched by Marshal Ivan Konev. And By 21:30 on 3 November, the Soviet Army had completely encircled Budapest.

  78. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Soviet Tanks Penetrated Budapest

    Sunday Nov 4, 195603:00:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    At 03:00 on 4 November, Soviet tanks penetrated Budapest along the Pest side of the Danube in two thrusts: one up the Soroksári road from the south and the other down the Váci road from the north.

  79. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Armoured Units Crossed Into Buda and Fired The First Shots at The Army Barracks on Budaörsi Road

    Sunday Nov 4, 195604:25:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    Thus before a single shot was fired, the Soviets had effectively split the city in half, controlled all bridgeheads, and were shielded to the rear by the wide Danube river. Armoured units crossed into Buda and at 04:25 fired the first shots at the army barracks on Budaörsi Road. Soon after, Soviet artillery and tank fire was heard in all districts of Budapest.

  80. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Imre Nagy Broadcast His Final Plea To The Nation and The World

    Sunday Nov 4, 195605:20:00 AMHungary

    At 05:20 on 4 November, Imre Nagy broadcast his final plea to the nation and the world, announcing that Soviet Forces were attacking Budapest and that the Government remained at its post.

  81. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    János Kádár Proclaimed The "Hungarian Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government"

    Sunday Nov 4, 195606:00:00 AMSzolnok, Hungary

    At 06:00, on 4 November, in the town of Szolnok, János Kádár proclaimed the "Hungarian Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government". His statement declared "We must put an end to the excesses of the counter-revolutionary elements. The hour for action has sounded. We are going to defend the interest of the workers and peasants and the achievements of the people's democracy."

  82. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Organised Defence of The City Evaporated

    Sunday Nov 4, 195608:00:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    By 08:00 organised defense of the city evaporated after the radio station was seized, and many defenders fell back to fortified positions. During the same hour, the parliamentary guard laid down their arms, and forces under Major General K. Grebennik captured Parliament and liberated captured ministers of the Rákosi–Hegedüs government.

  83. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Free Kossuth Rádió Stopped Broadcasting

    Sunday Nov 4, 195608:07:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    The radio station, Free Kossuth Rádió, stopped broadcasting at 08:07. An emergency Cabinet meeting was held in the Parliament but was attended by only three ministers. As Soviet troops arrived to occupy the building, a negotiated evacuation ensued, leaving Minister of State István Bibó as the last representative of the National Government remaining at his post. He wrote For Freedom and Truth, a stirring proclamation to the nation and the world.

  84. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Fighting Ceased

    Sunday Nov 4, 1956Hungary

    Fighting ceased between 28 October and 4 November, as many Hungarians believed that Soviet military units were withdrawing from Hungary.

  85. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Establishment of The "Revolutionary Workers'-Peasants' Government of Hungary"

    Sunday Nov 4, 1956Hungary

    During the early hours of 4 November, Ferenc Münnich announced on Radio Szolnok the establishment of the "Revolutionary Workers'-Peasants' Government of Hungary".

  86. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Councils decided To End The Nationwide Labour Strikes and Resume Work

    Monday Nov 5, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    In total there were approximately 2,100 local revolutionary and workers councils with over 28,000 members. These councils held a combined conference in Budapest, deciding to end the nationwide labour strikes and resume work on 5 November, with the more important councils sending delegates to the Parliament to assure the Nagy government of their support.

  87. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    United States presidential election of 1956

    Tuesday Nov 6, 1956U.S.

    The United States presidential election of 1956 was held on November 6, 1956. Eisenhower, the popular incumbent, successfully ran for re-election. The election was a re-match of 1952, as his opponent in 1956 was Stevenson, a former Illinois governor, whom Eisenhower had defeated four years earlier. Compared to the 1952 election, Eisenhower gained Kentucky, Louisiana, and West Virginia from Stevenson, while losing Missouri. His voters were less likely to bring up his leadership record. Instead what stood out this time, "was the response to personal qualities— to his sincerity, his integrity and sense of duty, his virtue as a family man, his religious devotion, and his sheer likeableness".

  88. Prince Charles

    Education

    Wednesday Nov 7, 1956Knightsbridge, London, England

    Buckingham Palace announced in 1955 that Charles would attend school rather than have a private tutor, making him the first heir apparent to be educated in that manner. On 7 November 1956, Charles commenced classes at Hill House School, in west London.

  89. United Nations

    UN peacekeeping force was established to end the Suez Crisis

    Wednesday Nov 7, 1956U.S.

    On 7 November 1956, the first UN peacekeeping force was established to end the Suez Crisis; however, the UN was unable to intervene against the USSR's simultaneous invasion of Hungary following that country's revolution.

  90. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Most of Budapest Became Under Soviet Control

    Thursday Nov 8, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    With most of Budapest under Soviet control by 8 November, Kádár became Prime Minister of the "Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government" and General Secretary of the Hungarian Communist Party. Few Hungarians rejoined the reorganised Party, its leadership having been purged under the supervision of the Soviet Praesidium, led by Georgy Malenkov and Mikhail Suslov.

  91. Xerox

    Haloid formed a joint venture in the UK with Rank Organisation whose Rank Precision Industries Ltd.

    1956United Kingdom

    In 1956, Haloid formed a joint venture in the UK with Rank Organisation whose Rank Precision Industries Ltd. subsidiary was charged with anglicizing the US products. Rank's Precision Industries went on to develop the Xeronic computer printer and Rank Data Systems Ltd was set up to bring the product to market. It used cathode ray tubes to generate the characters and forms could be overlaid from microfilm images. Initially, they planned for the Ferranti and AEI computer companies to sell the Xeronic as an on-line peripheral, but due to interface problems, Rank switched to a magnetic tape off-line technique. In 1962, Lyons Computers Ltd. placed an order for use with their LEO III computer, and the printer was delivered in 1964. It printed 2,888 lines per minute, slower than the target of 5,000 lpm.

  92. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Eisenhower forced an end to the combined British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt

    Nov, 1956U.S.

    In November 1956, Eisenhower forced an end to the combined British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt in response to the Suez Crisis, receiving praise from Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Simultaneously he condemned the brutal Soviet invasion of Hungary in response to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

  93. Martial arts

    World Judo Championships

    1956Tokyo, Japan

    World Judo Championships have been held since 1956.

  94. International Monetary Fund

    Per Jacobsson

    Wednesday Nov 21, 1956Washington D.C., U.S.

    Per Jacobsson (5 February 1894 – 5 May 1963) was a Swedish economist, and managing director of the International Monetary Fund from 21 November 1956 until his death in 1963.

  95. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Nagy and His Group Were Arrested

    Thursday Nov 22, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    Imre Nagy along with Georg Lukács, Géza Losonczy, and László Rajk's widow, Júlia, took refuge in the Embassy of Yugoslavia as Soviet forces overran Budapest. Despite assurances of safe passage out of Hungary by the Soviets and the Kádár government, Nagy and his group were arrested when attempting to leave the embassy on 22 November and taken to Romania.

  96. Che Guevara

    Cuba's Revolution

    Sunday Nov 25, 1956Cuba

    The first step in Castro's revolutionary plan was an assault on Cuba from Mexico via the Granma, an old, leaky cabin cruiser. They set out for Cuba on November 25, 1956. Attacked by Batista's military soon after landing, many of the 82 men were either killed in the attack or executed upon capture; only 22 found each other afterwards.

  97. Che Guevara

    Batista's attack

    Sunday Nov 25, 1956Cuba

    The first step in Castro's revolutionary plan was an assault on Cuba from Mexico via the Granma, an old, leaky cabin cruiser. They set out for Cuba on November 25, 1956. Attacked by Batista's military soon after landing, many of the 82 men were either killed in the attack or executed upon capture; only 22 found each other afterwards.

  98. Fidel Castro

    The Yacht Granma

    Sunday Nov 25, 1956Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico

    After purchasing the decrepit yacht Granma, on 25 November 1956, Castro set sail from Tuxpan, Veracruz, with 81 armed revolutionaries.The 1,200-mile (1,900 km) crossing to Cuba was harsh, with food running low and many suffering seasickness. At some points, they had to bail water caused by a leak, and at another, a man fell overboard, delaying their journey.

  99. Nuclear Power

    Calder Hall (the world's first nuclear power station)

    Nov, 1956United Kingdom

    Calder Hall, was first connected to the grid on 27 August 1956 and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 October 1956, It was the world's first nuclear power station to provide electricity on a commercial scale to a public grid.

  100. Fidel Castro

    MR-26-7 members led an armed uprising days of intermittent attacks

    Friday Nov 30, 1956Manzanillo and Santiago, Cuba

    The plan had been for the crossing to take 5 days, and on the Granma's scheduled day of arrival, 30 November, MR-26-7 members ("26th of July Movement") under Frank País led an armed uprising in Santiago and Manzanillo. However, the Granma's journey ultimately lasted 7 days, and with Castro and his men unable to provide reinforcements, País and his militants dispersed after two days of intermittent attacks.

  101. Josip Broz Tito

    Tito visited the USSR

    1956Soviet Union, (Russia)

    Tito visited the USSR in 1956, which signaled to the world that animosity between Yugoslavia and USSR was easing.

  102. Mobile Phones

    The First Fully automated Mobile Phone System For Vehicles

    1956Sweden

    The first fully automated mobile phone system for vehicles was launched in Sweden in 1956. Named MTA (Mobiltelefonisystem A), it allowed calls to be made and received in the car using a rotary dial. The car phone could also be paged. Calls from the car were direct dial, whereas incoming calls required an operator to locate the nearest base station to the car. It was developed by Sture Laurén and other engineers at Televerket network operator. Ericsson provided the switchboard while Svenska Radioaktiebolaget (SRA) and Marconi provided the telephones and base station equipment. MTA phones consisted of vacuum tubes and relays, and weighed 40 kilograms (88 lb).

  103. Christine Lagarde

    Birth

    Sunday Jan 1, 1956Paris, France

    Lagarde was born in Paris, France.

  104. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Relations between Hungary and The United States began to Improve

    1956Hungary

    In the summer of 1956, relations between Hungary and the United States began to improve. At that time, the United States responded very favourably to Hungary's overtures about a possible expansion of bilateral trade relations. Hungary's desire for better relations was partly attributable to the country's catastrophic economic situation. Before any results could be achieved, however, the pace of negotiations was slowed by the Hungarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, which feared that better relations with the West might weaken Communist rule in Hungary.

  105. Cypriot intercommunal violence

    Turkish Cypriot policemen were killed by EOKA members and this provoked some intercommunal violence

    1956Cyprus

    In 1956, some Turkish Cypriot policemen were killed by EOKA members and this provoked some intercommunal violence in the spring and summer, but these attacks on policemen were not motivated by the fact that they were Turkish Cypriots.

  106. Statue of Liberty

    Liberty Island

    1956New York, U.S.

    In 1956, an Act of Congress officially renamed Bedloe's Island as Liberty Island, a change advocated by Bartholdi generations earlier. The act also mentioned the efforts to found an American Museum of Immigration on the island, which backers took as federal approval of the project, though the government was slow to grant funds for it

  107. World Bank

    International Finance Corporation (IFC)

    1956Washington D.C., U.S.

    The International Finance Corporation (IFC) is an international financial institution that offers investment, advisory, and asset-management services to encourage private-sector development in less developed countries. The IFC is a member of the World Bank Group and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. in the United States. It was established in 1956, as the private-sector arm of the World Bank Group, to advance economic development by investing in for-profit and commercial projects for poverty reduction and promoting development.

  108. Visa Inc.

    Williams convinced senior BofA executives

    1956Fresno, California, U.S.

    The original idea was the brainchild of BofA's in-house product development think tank, the Customer Services Research Group, and its leader, Joseph P. Williams. Williams convinced senior BofA executives in 1956 to let him pursue what became the world's first successful mass mailing of unsolicited credit cards (actual working cards, not mere applications) to a large population.

  109. Samuel Little

    Little was condemned in Omaha

    1956Omaha, Nebraska, United States

    In 1956, Little was convicted of breaking into a property in Omaha, Nebraska, Little was held in an institution for juvenile offenders.

  110. Raúl Castro

    Winning in Santiago de Cuba without a fight

    Sunday Jan 1, 195606:00:00 PMSantiago de Cuba, Cuba

    The two Castro brothers with their army arrived on the outskirts of Santiago de Cuba and said their forces would storm the city at 6 PM 1 January if it did not first surrender. The commander (Colonel Rego Rubido) surrendered Santiago de Cuba without a fight. The war was over and Fidel was able to take power in Havana when he arrived on 8 January 1959.

  111. Warren Buffett

    Buffett Partnership

    1956Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

    Buffett created Buffett Partnership, Ltd in 1956.

  112. Eiffel Tower

    Damage of the top of the tower

    Tuesday Jan 3, 1956Paris, France

    A fire started in the television transmitter on 3 January 1956, damaging the top of the tower. Repairs took a year, and in 1957, the present radio aerial was added to the top.

  113. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

    The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in order to give young people

    1956United Kingdom

    In 1956, the Duke, with Kurt Hahn, founded The Duke of Edinburgh's Award in order to give young people "a sense of responsibility to themselves and their communities".

  114. Qaboos bin Said al Said

    Bury St Edmunds

    1956Bury St Edmunds, England, United Kingdom

    He received his primary and secondary education at Salalah, and was sent to a private educational establishment at Bury St Edmunds in England at age 16.

  115. Neil Armstrong

    1st Marriage

    Saturday Jan 28, 1956Wilmette, Illinois, U.S.

    Armstrong met Janet Elizabeth Shearon, who was majoring in home economics, at a party hosted by Alpha Chi Omega. According to the couple, there was no real courtship, and neither could remember the exact circumstances of their engagement. They were married on January 28, 1956, at the Congregational Church in Wilmette, Illinois.

  116. DC Comics

    Showcase

    Mar, 1956U.S.

    In the mid-1950s, editorial director Irwin Donenfeld and publisher Liebowitz directed editor Julius Schwartz (whose roots lay in the science-fiction book market) to produce a one-shot Flash story in the try-out title Showcase.

  117. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

    Philip also established the Commonwealth Study Conferences

    1956United Kingdom

    In the same year, Philip also established the Commonwealth Study Conferences.

  118. Mother's Day

    Mother's Day (Egypy)

    Wednesday Mar 21, 1956Egypt

    The idea (Mother's Day) was first ridiculed by president Gamal Abdel Nasser but he eventually accepted it and Mother's Day was first celebrated on 21 March 1956.

  119. Neil Armstrong

    His First Flight Incident

    Thursday Mar 22, 1956Edwards Air Force Base, California, U.S.

    On March 22, 1956, he was in a Boeing B-29 Superfortress, which was to air-drop a Douglas D-558-2 Skyrocket. He sat in the right-hand pilot seat while the left-hand seat commander, Stan Butchart, flew the B-29. As they climbed to 30,000 feet (9 km), the number-four engine stopped and the propeller began windmilling (rotating freely) in the airstream. Hitting the switch that would stop the propeller's spinning, Butchart found it slowed but then started spinning again, this time even faster than the others; if it spun too fast, it would break apart. Their aircraft needed to hold an airspeed of 210 mph (338 km/h) to launch its Skyrocket payload, and the B-29 could not land with the Skyrocket attached to its belly. Armstrong and Butchart brought the aircraft into a nose-down attitude to increase speed, then launched the Skyrocket. At the instant of launch, the number-four engine propeller disintegrated. Pieces of it damaged the number-three engine and hit the number-two engine. Butchart and Armstrong were forced to shut down the damaged number-three engine, along with the number-one engine, due to the torque it created. They made a slow, circling descent from 30,000 ft (9 km) using only the number-two engine, and landed safely.

  120. James Bond

    Diamonds Are Forever was published

    Monday Mar 26, 1956United Kingdom

    Diamonds Are Forever novel was published. Diamonds Are Forever is the fourth novel by the English author Ian Fleming to feature his fictional British Secret Service agent James Bond.

  121. Vietnam War

    The last French soldiers

    Apr, 1956Vietnam

    The last French soldiers were to leave Vietnam in April 1956.

  122. Algerian War

    Abbas flew to Cairo

    Apr, 1956Cairo, Egypt

    In April 1956, Abbas flew to Cairo, where he formally joined the FLN. This action brought in many évolués who had supported the UDMA in the past.

  123. Anna May Wong

    Wong did guest spots on television series

    1956U.S.

    Wong also did guest spots on television series such as Adventures in Paradise, The Barbara Stanwyck Show, and The Life and Legend of Wyatt Earp.

  124. Warren Buffett

    A Securities Analyst at Buffett Partnership

    1956Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.

    Buffett worked as a securities analyst; from 1956 to 1969 at Buffett Partnership, Ltd.

  125. Ho Chi Minh

    The Idea of overthrowing the South Vietnamese Government

    Jun, 1956Vietnam

    As early as June 1956 the idea of overthrowing the South Vietnamese government was presented at a politburo meeting.

  126. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

    Philip opened the 1956 Summer Olympics

    1956Melbourne, Australia

    Philip opened the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne.

  127. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Surgery for a bowel

    Saturday Jun 9, 1956Virginia, U.S.

    The president also suffered from Crohn's disease, a chronic inflammatory condition of the intestine, which necessitated surgery for a bowel obstruction on June 9, 1956. To treat the intestinal block, surgeons bypassed about ten inches of his small intestine. His scheduled meeting with Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was postponed so he could recover at his farm. He was still recovering from this operation during the Suez Crisis.

  128. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh

    Philip visited the Antarctic

    1956Antarctica

    Philip visited the Antarctic, becoming the first royal to cross the Antarctic Circle.

  129. Algerian War

    Two FLN prisoners were executed

    Tuesday Jun 19, 1956Algeria

    On 19 June 1956 two FLN prisoners were executed by guillotine at the Barberousse Prison.

  130. Algerian War

    Immediate reprisals

    Thursday Jun 21, 1956Algeria

    Abane Ramdane ordered immediate reprisals against the French and Yacef Saâdi, who had assumed command in Algiers following Bitat's arrest was ordered to "shoot down any European, from 18 to 54. No women, no children, no elder." A series of random attacks in the city followed with 49 civilians shot by the FLN between 21 and 24 June.

  131. Marilyn Monroe

    3rd Marriage

    Friday Jun 29, 1956Westchester, Los Angeles, California, USA

    Monroe and Miller were married in a civil ceremony at the Westchester County Court in White Plains, New York, on June 29, and two days later had a Jewish ceremony at the Waccabuc, New York home of Kay Brown, who was Miller's literary agent.

  132. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Eisenhower championed and signed the bill that authorized the Interstate Highway System

    Friday Jun 29, 1956U.S.

    Eisenhower championed and signed the bill that authorized the Interstate Highway System in 1956.

  133. Anna May Wong

    Bold Journey

    1956U.S.

    In 1956, Wong hosted one of the first U.S. documentaries on China narrated entirely by a Chinese American. Broadcast on the ABC travel series Bold Journey, the program consisted of film footage from her 1936 trip to China.

  134. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Rákosi was deposed as General Secretary of The Hungarian Working People's Party

    Wednesday Jul 18, 1956Hungary

    After Khrushchev's "secret speech" of February 1956, which denounced Stalin and his protégés, Rákosi was deposed as General Secretary of the Party and replaced by Ernő Gerő on 18 July 1956.

  135. Pelé

    Santos

    Sunday Jul 29, 1956Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    In 1956, de Brito took Pelé to Santos, an industrial and port city located near São Paulo, to try out for professional club Santos FC, telling the directors at Santos that the 15-year-old would be "the greatest football player in the world."

  136. Vietnam War

    The death penalty against any activity deemed communist in August 1956

    Aug, 1956South Vietnam

    Beginning in the summer of 1955, Diệm launched the "Denounce the Communists" campaign, during which suspected communists and other anti-government elements were arrested, imprisoned, tortured, or executed. He instituted the death penalty against any activity deemed communist in August 1956.

  137. Algerian War

    The internals

    Aug, 1956Algeria

    In August and September 1956, the leadership of the FLN guerrillas operating within Algeria (popularly known as "internals") met to organize a formal policy-making body to synchronize the movement's political and military activities. The highest authority of the FLN was vested in the thirty-four member National Council of the Algerian Revolution (Conseil National de la Révolution Algérienne, CNRA), within which the five-man Committee of Coordination and Enforcement (Comité de Coordination et d'Exécution, CCE) formed the executive.

  138. Algerian War

    73 Algerian are killed

    Wednesday Aug 1, 1956Algeria

    On the night of 10 August 1956, helped by members of Robert Martel's Union française nord-africaine, Achiary planted a bomb at Thèbes Road in the Casbah targeted at the FLN responsible for the June shootings, the explosion killed 73 Algerian.

  139. Flag of Bhutan

    The second version

    1956Bhutan

    The second version of the national flag was developed in 1956 for the visit of the third Druk Gyalpo Jigme Dorji Wangchuk to eastern Bhutan. During the trip the Druk Gyalpo's Secretariat began to use flags of a new design based upon a photograph of the first national flag of 1949, with the colour of the dragon changed from green to white. The retinue of the Druk Gyalpo included a convoy consisting of over one hundred ponies.

  140. Pelé

    Debut

    Tuesday Aug 7, 1956Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

    He made his senior team debut on 7 September 1956 at the age of 15 against Corinthians Santo Andre and had an impressive performance in a 7–1 victory, scoring the first goal in his prolific career during the match.

  141. Audrey Hepburn

    Natasha Rostova in War and Peace

    Tuesday Aug 21, 1956U.S.

    Having become one of Hollywood's most popular box-office attractions, she starred in a series of successful films during the remainder of the decade, including her BAFTA- and Golden Globe-nominated role as Natasha Rostova in War and Peace (1956), an adaptation of the Tolstoy novel set during the Napoleonic wars, starring Henry Fonda and her husband Mel Ferrer.

  142. IBM

    Artificial Intelligence

    1956Poughkeepsie, New York, U.S.

    In 1956 the company demonstrated the first practical example of artificial intelligence when Arthur L. Samuel of IBM's Poughkeepsie, New York, laboratory programmed an IBM 704 not merely to play checkers but "learn" from its own experience.

  143. Algerian War

    The Milk Bar bombed

    Sunday Sep 30, 1956Algeria

    On the evening of 30 September 1956, a trio of female FLN militants recruited by Yacef Saâdi, Djamila Bouhired, Zohra Drif and Samia Lakhdari, carried out the first series of bomb attacks on three civilian targets in European Algiers. The bombs at the Milk Bar on Place Bugeaud and the Cafeteria on Rue Michelet killed 3 and injured 50, while the bomb at the Air France terminus failed to explode due to a faulty timer.

  144. Algerian War

    The French Air Force intercepted a Moroccan DC-3 bound for Tunis

    Oct, 1956Algiers, Algeria

    In October 1956, the French Air Force intercepted a Moroccan DC-3 bound for Tunis, carrying Ahmed Ben Bella, Mohammed Boudiaf, Mohamed Khider and Hocine Aït Ahmed, and forced it to land in Algiers. Lacoste had the FLN external political leaders arrested and imprisoned for the duration of the war. This action caused the remaining rebel leaders to harden their stance.

  145. Theresa May

    Birth

    Monday Oct 1, 1956Eastbourne, Sussex, England

    Born on 1 October 1956 in Eastbourne, Sussex.

  146. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    László Rajk was Reburied

    Saturday Oct 6, 1956Hungary

    On 6 October 1956, László Rajk, who had been executed by the Rákosi government, was reburied in a moving ceremony that strengthened the party opposition.

  147. Bank of America

    Bank of America

    1956U.S.

    The passage of the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 prohibited banks from owning non-banking subsidiaries such as insurance companies. Bank of America and Transamerica were separated, with the latter company continuing in the insurance sector. However, federal banking regulators prohibited Bank of America's interstate banking activity, and Bank of America's domestic banks outside California were forced into a separate company that eventually became First Interstate Bancorp, later acquired by Wells Fargo and Company in 1996.

  148. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Resurrect MEFESZ Student Union

    Monday Oct 22, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    By 22 October 1956, Technical University students had resurrected the banned MEFESZ student union.

  149. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Technical University Students Staged a demonstration

    Tuesday Oct 23, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    Technical University students staged a demonstration on 23 October that set off a chain of events leading directly to the revolution.

  150. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Protesters Convened Next To The Statue of József Bem

    Tuesday Oct 23, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On the afternoon of 23 October 1956, approximately 20,400 protesters convened next to the statue of József Bem—a national hero of Poland and Hungary.

  151. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Incident at Radio Budapest building

    Tuesday Oct 23, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    A large crowd gathered at the Radio Budapest building, which was heavily guarded by the ÁVH. The flash point was reached as a delegation attempting to broadcast their demands was detained and the crowd grew increasingly unruly as rumours spread that the protesters had been shot. Tear gas was thrown from the upper windows and the ÁVH opened fire on the crowd, killing many. The ÁVH tried to re-supply itself by hiding arms inside an ambulance, but the crowd detected the ruse and intercepted it. Hungarian soldiers sent to relieve the ÁVH hesitated and then, tearing the red stars from their caps, sided with the crowd. Provoked by the ÁVH attack, protesters reacted violently. Police cars were set ablaze, guns were seized from military depots and distributed to the masses and symbols of the Communist regime were vandalised.

  152. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Ernő Gerő Requested Soviet Military Intervention

    Tuesday Oct 23, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    During the night of 23 October, Hungarian Working People's Party Secretary Ernő Gerő requested Soviet military intervention "to suppress a demonstration that was reaching an ever greater and unprecedented scale". The Soviet leadership had formulated contingency plans for intervention in Hungary several months before.

  153. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Ernő Gerő broadcast a Speech Condemning The writers' and Students' Demands

    Tuesday Oct 23, 195608:00:00 PMHungary

    At 20:00, First Secretary Ernő Gerő broadcast a speech condemning the writers' and students' demands.

  154. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Removal of Stalin's Bronze Statue

    Tuesday Oct 23, 195609:30:00 PMBudapest, Hungary

    Angered by Gerő's hard-line rejection, some demonstrators decided to carry out one of their demands, the removal of Stalin's 30-foot-high (9.1 m) bronze statue that was erected in 1951 on the site of a church, which was demolished to make room for the monument. By 21:30, the statue was toppled and crowds celebrated by placing Hungarian flags in Stalin's boots, which was all that was left of the statue.

  155. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Soviet Tanks Entered Budapest

    Wednesday Oct 24, 195602:00:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    By 02:00 on 24 October, acting in accordance with orders of Georgy Zhukov, the Soviet defense minister, Soviet tanks entered Budapest.

  156. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Politburo discussed The Political Upheavals In Poland and Hungary

    Wednesday Oct 24, 1956Moscow, Russian SFSR

    On 24 October, the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (the Politburo) discussed the political upheavals in Poland and Hungary.

  157. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Imre Nagy Replaced András Hegedüs as Prime Minister

    Wednesday Oct 24, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On 24 October, Imre Nagy replaced András Hegedüs as Prime Minister. On the radio, Nagy called for an end to violence and promised to initiate political reforms that had been shelved three years earlier. The population continued to arm itself as sporadic violence erupted.

  158. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Soviet Tanks were stationed outside the Parliament

    Wednesday Oct 24, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    By noon, on 24 October, Soviet tanks were stationed outside the Parliament, and Soviet soldiers guarded key bridges and crossroads. Armed revolutionaries quickly set up barricades to defend Budapest, and were reported to have already captured some Soviet tanks by mid-morning.

  159. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    A mass of Protesters Gathered in Front of The Parliament Building

    Thursday Oct 25, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On 25 October, a mass of protesters gathered in front of the Parliament Building. ÁVH units began shooting into the crowd from the rooftops of neighbouring buildings. Some Soviet soldiers returned fire on the ÁVH, mistakenly believing that they were the targets of the shooting. Supplied by arms taken from the ÁVH or given by Hungarian soldiers who joined the uprising, some in the crowd started shooting back.

  160. Kroger

    The Kroger Company bought out Big Chain Stores

    1956Cincinnati, Ohio, United States

    In January 1956, the company bought out Big Chain Stores, Inc., a chain of seven stores based in Shreveport, Louisiana, later combining it with the Child's group. All of these chains adopted the Kroger banner in 1966.

  161. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Military Action Towards The demonstrations in Front of The Office of State Security and The Local Jail

    Friday Oct 26, 1956Kecskemét, Hungary

    In the town of Kecskemét on 26 October, demonstrations in front of the office of State Security and the local jail led to military action by the Third Corps under the orders of Major General Lajos Gyurkó, in which seven protesters were shot and several of the organizers were arrested.

  162. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Army Units Were brought In To Secure Csepel and Restore Order

    Saturday Oct 27, 1956Csepel, Budapest, Hungary

    On 27 October, army units were brought in to secure Csepel and restore order.

  163. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    A Ceasefire Was Arranged

    Sunday Oct 28, 1956Hungary

    Hungarian general Béla Király, freed from a life sentence for political offences and acting with the support of the Nagy government, sought to restore order by unifying elements of the police, army and insurgent groups into a National Guard. A ceasefire was arranged on 28 October.

  164. Shimon Peres

    1956 Suez War

    Monday Oct 29, 1956Suez Canal, Egypt

    From 1954, as Director-General of the Ministry of Defense, Peres was involved in the planning of the 1956 Suez War, in partnership with France and Britain against Egypt.

  165. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Army Units withdrew from Csepel

    Monday Oct 29, 1956Hungary

    The army units withdrew from Csepel on 29 October, after which the rebels seized control of the area.

  166. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    There Were 71 Cases of Armed Clashes between The Army and The Populace In Fifty Communities

    Monday Oct 29, 1956Hungary

    From 24 to 29 October, however, there were 71 cases of armed clashes between the army and the populace in fifty communities, ranging from the defence of attacks on civilian and military objectives to fighting with insurgents depending on the commanding officer.

  167. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Presidium decided not to temove the New Hungarian Government

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Moscow, Russian SFSR

    After some debate, the Presidium on 30 October decided not to remove the new Hungarian government.

  168. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Attacking The Central Committee of The Communist Party building

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On 30 October, Király's forces attacked the Central Committee of the Communist Party building.

  169. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Most Soviet Troops had Withdrawn from Budapest

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    By 30 October most Soviet troops had withdrawn from Budapest to garrisons in the Hungarian countryside.

  170. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Local Revolutionary Councils Had been Officially Sanctioned

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Hungary

    Local revolutionary councils formed throughout Hungary, generally without involvement from the preoccupied National Government in Budapest, and assumed various responsibilities of local government from the defunct Communist party. By 30 October, these councils had been officially sanctioned by the Hungarian Working People's Party, and the Nagy government asked for their support as "autonomous, democratic local organs formed during the Revolution".

  171. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Armed Protesters Attacked The ÁVH detachment Guarding The Budapest Hungarian Working People's Party Headquarters

    Tuesday Oct 30, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    On 30 October, armed protesters attacked the ÁVH detachment guarding the Budapest Hungarian Working People's Party headquarters on Köztársaság tér (Republic Square), incited by rumours of prisoners held there and the earlier shootings of demonstrators by the ÁVH in the city of Mosonmagyaróvár.

  172. Ho Chi Minh

    The First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Vietnam

    Thursday Nov 1, 1956Vietnam

    On 1 November 1956, Hồ Chí Minh became the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Vietnam.

  173. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Khrushchev left Moscow to Meet with his Warsaw Pact Allies

    Thursday Nov 1, 1956Moscow, Russian SFSR

    From 1 to 3 November, Khrushchev left Moscow to meet with his Warsaw Pact allies and inform them of the decision to intervene.

  174. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Nagy Formally declared Hungary's Withdrawal From The Warsaw Pact

    Thursday Nov 1, 1956Hungary

    On 1 November, in a radio address to the Hungarian people, Nagy formally declared Hungary's withdrawal from the Warsaw Pact as well as Hungary's stance of neutrality.

  175. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Soviet Forces Had Entered Hungary From The East

    Thursday Nov 1, 1956Hungary

    On 1 November, Imre Nagy received reports that Soviet forces had entered Hungary from the east and were moving towards Budapest. Nagy sought and received assurances (which proved false) from Soviet ambassador Yuri Andropov that the Soviet Union would not invade. The Cabinet, with János Kádár in agreement, declared Hungary's neutrality, withdrew from the Warsaw Pact, and requested assistance from the diplomatic corps in Budapest and Dag Hammarskjöld, UN Secretary-General, to defend Hungary's neutrality. Ambassador Andropov was asked to inform his government that Hungary would begin negotiations on the removal of Soviet forces immediately.

  176. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Negotiations On The Soviet Withdrawal

    Saturday Nov 3, 1956Tököl, Hungary

    On 3 November, a Hungarian delegation led by the Minister of Defense Pál Maléter was invited to attend negotiations on Soviet withdrawal at the Soviet Military Command at Tököl, near Budapest. At around midnight that evening, General Ivan Serov, Chief of the Soviet Security Police (KGB) ordered the arrest of the Hungarian delegation, and the next day, the Soviet army again attacked Budapest.

  177. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Soviet Army Had Completely Encircled Budapest

    Saturday Nov 3, 195609:30:00 PMBudapest, Hungary

    The second Soviet intervention, codenamed "Operation Whirlwind", was launched by Marshal Ivan Konev. And By 21:30 on 3 November, the Soviet Army had completely encircled Budapest.

  178. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Soviet Tanks Penetrated Budapest

    Sunday Nov 4, 195603:00:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    At 03:00 on 4 November, Soviet tanks penetrated Budapest along the Pest side of the Danube in two thrusts: one up the Soroksári road from the south and the other down the Váci road from the north.

  179. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Armoured Units Crossed Into Buda and Fired The First Shots at The Army Barracks on Budaörsi Road

    Sunday Nov 4, 195604:25:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    Thus before a single shot was fired, the Soviets had effectively split the city in half, controlled all bridgeheads, and were shielded to the rear by the wide Danube river. Armoured units crossed into Buda and at 04:25 fired the first shots at the army barracks on Budaörsi Road. Soon after, Soviet artillery and tank fire was heard in all districts of Budapest.

  180. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Imre Nagy Broadcast His Final Plea To The Nation and The World

    Sunday Nov 4, 195605:20:00 AMHungary

    At 05:20 on 4 November, Imre Nagy broadcast his final plea to the nation and the world, announcing that Soviet Forces were attacking Budapest and that the Government remained at its post.

  181. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    János Kádár Proclaimed The "Hungarian Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government"

    Sunday Nov 4, 195606:00:00 AMSzolnok, Hungary

    At 06:00, on 4 November, in the town of Szolnok, János Kádár proclaimed the "Hungarian Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government". His statement declared "We must put an end to the excesses of the counter-revolutionary elements. The hour for action has sounded. We are going to defend the interest of the workers and peasants and the achievements of the people's democracy."

  182. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Organised Defence of The City Evaporated

    Sunday Nov 4, 195608:00:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    By 08:00 organised defense of the city evaporated after the radio station was seized, and many defenders fell back to fortified positions. During the same hour, the parliamentary guard laid down their arms, and forces under Major General K. Grebennik captured Parliament and liberated captured ministers of the Rákosi–Hegedüs government.

  183. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Free Kossuth Rádió Stopped Broadcasting

    Sunday Nov 4, 195608:07:00 AMBudapest, Hungary

    The radio station, Free Kossuth Rádió, stopped broadcasting at 08:07. An emergency Cabinet meeting was held in the Parliament but was attended by only three ministers. As Soviet troops arrived to occupy the building, a negotiated evacuation ensued, leaving Minister of State István Bibó as the last representative of the National Government remaining at his post. He wrote For Freedom and Truth, a stirring proclamation to the nation and the world.

  184. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Fighting Ceased

    Sunday Nov 4, 1956Hungary

    Fighting ceased between 28 October and 4 November, as many Hungarians believed that Soviet military units were withdrawing from Hungary.

  185. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Establishment of The "Revolutionary Workers'-Peasants' Government of Hungary"

    Sunday Nov 4, 1956Hungary

    During the early hours of 4 November, Ferenc Münnich announced on Radio Szolnok the establishment of the "Revolutionary Workers'-Peasants' Government of Hungary".

  186. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    The Councils decided To End The Nationwide Labour Strikes and Resume Work

    Monday Nov 5, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    In total there were approximately 2,100 local revolutionary and workers councils with over 28,000 members. These councils held a combined conference in Budapest, deciding to end the nationwide labour strikes and resume work on 5 November, with the more important councils sending delegates to the Parliament to assure the Nagy government of their support.

  187. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    United States presidential election of 1956

    Tuesday Nov 6, 1956U.S.

    The United States presidential election of 1956 was held on November 6, 1956. Eisenhower, the popular incumbent, successfully ran for re-election. The election was a re-match of 1952, as his opponent in 1956 was Stevenson, a former Illinois governor, whom Eisenhower had defeated four years earlier. Compared to the 1952 election, Eisenhower gained Kentucky, Louisiana, and West Virginia from Stevenson, while losing Missouri. His voters were less likely to bring up his leadership record. Instead what stood out this time, "was the response to personal qualities— to his sincerity, his integrity and sense of duty, his virtue as a family man, his religious devotion, and his sheer likeableness".

  188. Prince Charles

    Education

    Wednesday Nov 7, 1956Knightsbridge, London, England

    Buckingham Palace announced in 1955 that Charles would attend school rather than have a private tutor, making him the first heir apparent to be educated in that manner. On 7 November 1956, Charles commenced classes at Hill House School, in west London.

  189. United Nations

    UN peacekeeping force was established to end the Suez Crisis

    Wednesday Nov 7, 1956U.S.

    On 7 November 1956, the first UN peacekeeping force was established to end the Suez Crisis; however, the UN was unable to intervene against the USSR's simultaneous invasion of Hungary following that country's revolution.

  190. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Most of Budapest Became Under Soviet Control

    Thursday Nov 8, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    With most of Budapest under Soviet control by 8 November, Kádár became Prime Minister of the "Revolutionary Worker-Peasant Government" and General Secretary of the Hungarian Communist Party. Few Hungarians rejoined the reorganised Party, its leadership having been purged under the supervision of the Soviet Praesidium, led by Georgy Malenkov and Mikhail Suslov.

  191. Xerox

    Haloid formed a joint venture in the UK with Rank Organisation whose Rank Precision Industries Ltd.

    1956United Kingdom

    In 1956, Haloid formed a joint venture in the UK with Rank Organisation whose Rank Precision Industries Ltd. subsidiary was charged with anglicizing the US products. Rank's Precision Industries went on to develop the Xeronic computer printer and Rank Data Systems Ltd was set up to bring the product to market. It used cathode ray tubes to generate the characters and forms could be overlaid from microfilm images. Initially, they planned for the Ferranti and AEI computer companies to sell the Xeronic as an on-line peripheral, but due to interface problems, Rank switched to a magnetic tape off-line technique. In 1962, Lyons Computers Ltd. placed an order for use with their LEO III computer, and the printer was delivered in 1964. It printed 2,888 lines per minute, slower than the target of 5,000 lpm.

  192. Dwight D. Eisenhower

    Eisenhower forced an end to the combined British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt

    Nov, 1956U.S.

    In November 1956, Eisenhower forced an end to the combined British, French and Israeli invasion of Egypt in response to the Suez Crisis, receiving praise from Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser. Simultaneously he condemned the brutal Soviet invasion of Hungary in response to the Hungarian Revolution of 1956.

  193. Martial arts

    World Judo Championships

    1956Tokyo, Japan

    World Judo Championships have been held since 1956.

  194. International Monetary Fund

    Per Jacobsson

    Wednesday Nov 21, 1956Washington D.C., U.S.

    Per Jacobsson (5 February 1894 – 5 May 1963) was a Swedish economist, and managing director of the International Monetary Fund from 21 November 1956 until his death in 1963.

  195. Hungarian Revolution of 1956

    Nagy and His Group Were Arrested

    Thursday Nov 22, 1956Budapest, Hungary

    Imre Nagy along with Georg Lukács, Géza Losonczy, and László Rajk's widow, Júlia, took refuge in the Embassy of Yugoslavia as Soviet forces overran Budapest. Despite assurances of safe passage out of Hungary by the Soviets and the Kádár government, Nagy and his group were arrested when attempting to leave the embassy on 22 November and taken to Romania.

  196. Che Guevara

    Cuba's Revolution

    Sunday Nov 25, 1956Cuba

    The first step in Castro's revolutionary plan was an assault on Cuba from Mexico via the Granma, an old, leaky cabin cruiser. They set out for Cuba on November 25, 1956. Attacked by Batista's military soon after landing, many of the 82 men were either killed in the attack or executed upon capture; only 22 found each other afterwards.

  197. Che Guevara

    Batista's attack

    Sunday Nov 25, 1956Cuba

    The first step in Castro's revolutionary plan was an assault on Cuba from Mexico via the Granma, an old, leaky cabin cruiser. They set out for Cuba on November 25, 1956. Attacked by Batista's military soon after landing, many of the 82 men were either killed in the attack or executed upon capture; only 22 found each other afterwards.

  198. Fidel Castro

    The Yacht Granma

    Sunday Nov 25, 1956Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico

    After purchasing the decrepit yacht Granma, on 25 November 1956, Castro set sail from Tuxpan, Veracruz, with 81 armed revolutionaries.The 1,200-mile (1,900 km) crossing to Cuba was harsh, with food running low and many suffering seasickness. At some points, they had to bail water caused by a leak, and at another, a man fell overboard, delaying their journey.

  199. Nuclear Power

    Calder Hall (the world's first nuclear power station)

    Nov, 1956United Kingdom

    Calder Hall, was first connected to the grid on 27 August 1956 and officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II on 17 October 1956, It was the world's first nuclear power station to provide electricity on a commercial scale to a public grid.

  200. Fidel Castro

    MR-26-7 members led an armed uprising days of intermittent attacks

    Friday Nov 30, 1956Manzanillo and Santiago, Cuba

    The plan had been for the crossing to take 5 days, and on the Granma's scheduled day of arrival, 30 November, MR-26-7 members ("26th of July Movement") under Frank País led an armed uprising in Santiago and Manzanillo. However, the Granma's journey ultimately lasted 7 days, and with Castro and his men unable to provide reinforcements, País and his militants dispersed after two days of intermittent attacks.