Explore 5191 historical events from 1950–1959.
The Kyshtym disaster, sometimes referred to as the Mayak disaster or Ozyorsk disaster in newer sources, was a radioactive contamination accident that occurred on 29 September 1957 …
The Kyshtym disaster is the third-worst nuclear accident ever recorded.
"In God We Trust" is the United States national motto, as well as the official motto of the U.S. state of Florida, and the nation of Nicaragua. It was adopted by the U.S. Congress …
The motto In God We Trust first appears on U.S. paper currency.
The superior courts of California are the state trial court system of the U.S. state of California. They have general jurisdiction to hear and decide any civil or criminal action w…
The California State Superior Court rules that the book Howl and Other Poems is not obscene.
Sputnik 1, often referred to as simply Sputnik, was the first artificial Earth satellite. It was launched into an elliptical low Earth orbit by the Soviet Union on 4 October 1957 a…
Sputnik 1 becomes the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth.
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th president of the United States, serving from 1953 to 1961. In his previous military career, he commanded the Allied Expeditionary Force d…
U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower apologizes to Ghanaian finance minister Komla Agbeli Gbedemah after he is refused…
Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor. Often described as one of the greatest actors in the history of cinema, he is best known for intense method acting portrayed…
Daniel Day-Lewis, British actor
Afioga Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa is a Samoan politician and High Chief (matai) who served as the seventh Prime Minister of Samoa from 2021 to 2025. She has led the Samoa Uniting Party (…
Fiamē Naomi Mataʻafa, Samoan politician, 7th Prime Minister of Samoa
Michael Anthony Wright, known professionally as Wonder Mike, is an American hip hop recording artist and member of the Sugarhill Gang. The group was part of the hip hop movement in…
Wonder Mike, American rapper and songwriter
Warrick Maxwell Darling, known as Rick Darling, is a former Australian Test cricketer.
Rick Darling, Australian cricketer
The Windscale fire of 10 October 1957 was the worst nuclear accident in the United Kingdom's history, ranked in severity at level 5 out of 7 on the International Nuclear Event Scal…
The Windscale fire results in Britain's worst nuclear accident.
The Boeing X-20 Dyna-Soar was a United States Air Force (USAF) program to develop a spaceplane that could be used for a variety of military missions, including aerial reconnaissanc…
The United States Air Force starts the X-20 Dyna-Soar crewed space program.
David Ben-Gurion was the primary national founder and first prime minister of the State of Israel. As head of the Jewish Agency from 1935, and later president of the Jewish Agency …
Israel's prime minister David Ben-Gurion and five of his ministers are injured when Moshe Dwek throws a grenade into…
Nicholas Peter John Hornby is an English writer. He is best known for his memoir Fever Pitch (1992) and novels High Fidelity (1995) and About a Boy (1998), all of which were adapte…
Nick Hornby, English novelist, essayist, lyricist, and screenwriter
Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani is an Indian businessman. He is the chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, the largest public company in India by market capitalisation in 2…
Mukesh Ambani, Indian businessman, chairman of Reliance Industries
Donald Franciszek Tusk is a Polish politician and historian who has served as the prime minister of Poland since 2023, previously holding the office from 2007 to 2014. Tusk was Pre…
Donald Tusk, Polish journalist and politician, 14th Prime Minister of Poland
Count Uberto Pasolini Dall'Onda is an Italian film producer, director, and former investment banker known for producing the 1997 film The Full Monty and directing and producing the…
Uberto Pasolini, Italian banker, director, and producer
Rodney Cory Langway is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Montreal Canadiens and Washington Capitals in the National Hockey League (NHL) and B…
Rod Langway, Taiwanese-American ice hockey player and coach
Katharine Kreiner-Phillips is a former World Cup alpine ski racer and Olympic gold medalist from Canada.
Kathy Kreiner, Canadian skier
Richard E. Grant is a Swazi-English actor and presenter. He made his film debut as Withnail in the comedy Withnail and I (1987). Grant received critical acclaim for his role as Jac…
Richard E
Neville Stanley Brody is an English graphic designer, typographer and art director. He is known for his work on The Face magazine (1981–1986), Arena magazine (1987–1990), and desig…
Neville Brody, English graphic designer, typographer, and art director
Janet Vivian Hooks was an American actress and comedian. She was best known for her tenure on the NBC sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, where she was a repertory player fro…
Jan Hooks, American actress and comedian (died 2014)
Joseph D. Morelle is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for New York's 25th congressional district since 2018. A Democrat, he was formerly a member of the Ne…
Joseph Morelle, American politician
William Laird Cowher is an American former professional football linebacker and coach who served as the head coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL)…
Bill Cowher, American football player, coach, and analyst
Michael Nesbitt, MLA is a Northern Irish politician and former broadcaster. He has been Minister of Health since 28 May 2024. Nesbitt became Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party (UU…
Mike Nesbitt, Northern Irish journalist and politician