What happened in 1956
44 entries recorded for 1956, listed by date. That was 70 years ago.
1956 at a glance
- Years ago
- 70 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1950s
- Generation born
- Baby Boomers
- Entries here
- 44
- Breakdown
- 43 historical events · 1 deaths
January
- January 8
Evangelicalism
Five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States were killed by the Huaorani in the rainforest of Ecuador shortly after making contact with them.
- January 18
Shia Islam
Iranian Shia cleric Navvab Safavi, founder of the fundamentalist group Fada'iyan-e Islam, was executed for attempting to assassinate Prime Minister Hossein Ala'.
- January 26
Porkkalanniemi
Soviet Union cedes Porkkala back to Finland.
February
- February 18
Gustave Charpentier
Gustave Charpentier, French composer (born 1860)
- February 20
United States Merchant Marine Academy
The United States Merchant Marine Academy becomes a permanent Service Academy.
- February 25
On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences
In a speech to the 20th Congress of the Communist Party, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev denounced the personality cult and dictatorship of his predecessor Joseph Stalin.
March
- March 9
Tbilisi
In Tbilisi, Georgia, soldiers suppressed mass demonstrations against Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev's policy of de-Stalinization.
- March 9
Red Army
Soviet forces suppress mass demonstrations in the Georgian SSR, reacting to Nikita Khrushchev's de-Stalinization policy.
- March 15
My Fair Lady
The musical My Fair Lady, based on George Bernard Shaw's play Pygmalion, debuted at the Mark Hellinger Theatre in New York City.
April
- April 13
Vietnamese National Army
The Vietnamese National Army captured Ba Cụt, a military commander of the religious sect Hòa Hảo, which ran a de facto state in South Vietnam in opposition to Prime Minister Ngô Đình Diệm.
- April 19
Grace Kelly
American actress Grace Kelly (pictured) became the princess consort of Monaco upon her marriage to Rainier III.
May
- May 24
Eurovision Song Contest 1956
The first edition of the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Lugano, Switzerland.
June
- June 23
1956 Egyptian referendum
In a nationwide referendum, Gamal Abdel Nasser (pictured) was elected President of Egypt, a post he held until his death in 1970.
- June 28
Poznań
In Poznań, workers from HCP factory go to the streets, sparking one of the first major protests against communist government both in Poland and Europe.
- June 28
1956 Poznań protests
Polish workers demanding better working conditions began massive protests in Poznań, but were later violently repressed by the Polish People's Army and the Internal Security Corps.
- June 29
Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956
The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 is signed by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower, officially creating the United States Interstate Highway System.
July
- July 9
1956 Amorgos earthquake
The 7.7 Mw Amorgos earthquake shakes the Cyclades island group in the Aegean Sea with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent). The shaking and the destructive tsunami that followed left fifty-three people dead. A damaging M7.2 aftershock occurred minutes after the mainshock.
- July 13
Dartmouth workshop
The Dartmouth workshop is the first conference on artificial intelligence.
August
- August 6
1955
After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster DuMont Television Network makes its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena in New York in the Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena series.
- August 8
Marcinelle mining disaster
A mining disaster killed 262 workers, mainly Italian nationals, at the Bois du Cazier coal mine in Belgium.
- August 9
Women's March (South Africa)
About 20,000 women marched on Pretoria, South Africa, to protest the introduction of pass laws for black women under apartheid.
- August 27
Calder Hall nuclear power station
The nuclear power station at Calder Hall in the United Kingdom was connected to the national power grid becoming the world's first commercial nuclear power station to generate electricity on an industrial scale.
September
- September 23
Tropical cyclone
A tropical storm originating in the eastern Pacific Ocean passes into the Gulf of Mexico and is upgraded and named Hurricane Flossy just hours before striking the Gulf Coast and causing 15 deaths and an estimated US$24.8 million in damages.
- September 25
TAT-1
TAT-1, the first submarine transatlantic telephone cable system, is inaugurated.
October
- October 8
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball pitcher Don Larsen threw the only perfect game in World Series history.
- October 8
Don Larsen
The New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitches the only perfect game in a World Series.
- October 14
Queen Elizabeth Way
The Queen Elizabeth Way, North America's first intercity divided highway, opens.
- October 14
B. R. Ambedkar
B. R. Ambedkar, a leader of India's "Untouchable" caste, publicly converted to Buddhism and became the leader of the Dalit Buddhist movement.
- October 19
Soviet–Japanese Joint Declaration of 1956
The Soviet Union and Japan sign a Joint Declaration, officially ending the state of war between the two countries that had existed since August 1945.
- October 23
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
The Hungarian Revolution began as a peaceful student demonstration that attracted thousands while marching through central Budapest to the parliament building.
- October 26
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Hungarian Revolution: In the towns of Mosonmagyaróvár and Esztergom, Hungarian secret police forces massacre civilians. As rebel strongholds in Budapest hold, fighting spreads throughout the country.
- October 28
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
Hungarian Revolution: A de facto ceasefire comes into effect between armed revolutionaries and Soviet troops, who begin to withdraw from Budapest. Communist officials and facilities come under attack by revolutionaries.
- October 29
Israel Border Police
Israeli Border Police massacred 48 Arab citizens of Kafr Qasim, among them women and children who were returning from work.
- October 29
Suez Canal
Following the nationalisation of the Egypt's Suez Canal, Israel, France, and the United Kingdom invaded the Sinai Peninsula.
November
- November 1
Kerala
The Indian states Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka were formally created under the States Reorganisation Act.
- November 3
Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis: During an invasion of the Gaza Strip, Israeli soldiers shot and killed hundreds of Palestinian refugees and local inhabitants in Khan Yunis.
- November 12
Suez Crisis
Suez Crisis: During an invasion of Rafah, Israeli soldiers shot and killed an estimated 111 Palestinian refugees and local inhabitants.
- November 18
Nikita Khrushchev
At the Polish embassy in Moscow, a phrase in an address by Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev was translated into English as "We will bury you", prompting Western envoys to leave the room.
December
- December 2
Cuban Revolution
Cuban Revolution: The yacht Granma, carrying Fidel Castro, Che Guevara and 80 other members of the 26th of July Movement, reached the shores of Cuba.
- December 6
Blood in the Water match
In what became known as the Blood in the Water match at the Melbourne Olympics, the Hungarian water polo team defeated the Soviet Union 4–0 against the background of the Hungarian Revolution.
- December 6
1956 Summer Olympics
At the Melbourne Olympics, 14-year-old swimmer Sandra Morgan became the youngest Australian to win an Olympic gold medal.
- December 12
United Nations Security Council Resolution 121
United Nations Security Council Resolution 121 relating to acceptance of Japan to the United Nations is adopted.
- December 19
John Bodkin Adams
British physician and suspected serial killer John Bodkin Adams was arrested in connection with the death of Edith Alice Morrell.
- December 28
Chin Peng
Chin Peng, David Marshall and Tunku Abdul Rahman meet in Baling, Malaya to try to resolve the Malayan Emergency situation.
Questions about 1956
What happened in 1956?
This site records 44 entries for 1956, including Evangelicalism on January 8. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1956?
70 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1956 turns 70 this year.
Which century is 1956 in?
1956 falls in the 20th century, in the 1950s.
Which generation was born in 1956?
Baby Boomers (1946–1964). Born in the post-war birth surge.
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