1956 34672 225192769 2008-07-12T11:20:29Z CalendarWatcher 2292203 [[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225186940 by [[Special:Contributions/125.239.31.13|125.239.31.13]] ([[User talk:125.239.31.13|talk]]) [[Image:Chevrolet Bel Air 500px.jpg|right|thumb|300px|A car from 1956]] {{year nav|1956}} {{C20YearInTopicX}} Year '''1956''' ('''[[Roman numerals|MCMLVI]]''') was a [[leap year starting on Sunday]] (link will display full calendar) of the [[Gregorian calendar]]. {{C20YearTOC|1956|Ship events}} == Events of 1956 == {{Month3|1|6|1}} ===January=== <!-- Link dates even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[January 1]] **End of [[United Kingdom|Anglo]]-[[Egypt]]ian Condominium in [[Sudan]]. **124 die in a crash at a shrine in [[Niigata Prefecture|Niigata]], [[Japan]]. * [[January 8]] - [[Operation Auca]]: Five [[United States|U.S.]] [[missionary|missionaries]] are killed by the [[Huaorani]] of [[Ecuador]] shortly after making contact with them. * [[January 16]] - [[Gamal Abdal Nasser]], leader of [[Egypt]], vows to reconquer [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]]. * [[January 25]]-[[January 26|26]] - [[Finland|Finnish]] troops re-occupy [[Porkkala]] after [[Soviet]] troops vacate its military base. Civilians can return [[February 4]]. * [[January 26]] - [[1956 Winter Olympics|1956 Winter Olympic Games]] open in [[Cortina d'Ampezzo]], [[Italy]]. {{Month3|0|2|1}} ===February=== * [[February 11]] - British spies [[Guy Burgess]] and [[Donald Duart Maclean|Donald Maclean]] resurfaced in the [[Soviet Union]] after being missing for five years. *[[February 16]] - The film version of [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s ''[[Carousel (film)|Carousel]]'', starring [[Gordon MacRae]] and [[Shirley Jones]], is released. * [[February 22]] - [[Elvis Presley]] enters the [[United States]] music charts for the first time, with "[[Heartbreak Hotel]]." * [[February 23]] - Norma Jean Mortenson changes her name to [[Marilyn Monroe]]. * [[February 25]] - [[Nikita Khrushchev]] attacks the veneration of [[Joseph Stalin]] as a "[[On the Personality Cult and its Consequences|cult of personality]]." <!-- reset to left margin, for future images above --> ===March=== {{Month3|3|3|1}} * [[March 1]] - the [[International Air Transport Association]] finalizes a draft of the [[Radiotelephony spelling alphabet]] for the [[International Civil Aviation Organization]]. * [[March 2]] - [[Morocco]] declares its independence from [[France]]. * [[March 9]] - British deport Archbishop [[Makarios]] from [[Cyprus]] to [[Seychelles]]. * [[March 11]] - [[Laurence Olivier]]'s film, ''[[Richard III (film)|Richard III]]'', adapted from [[Shakespeare]]'s play, premieres in the U.S. in theatres and on [[NBC]] television on the same day, as an afternoon [[matinee]]. It is one of the first such experiments of its kind. Olivier is later nominated for an [[Academy Award|Oscar]] for his performance. * [[March 12]] **96 U.S. Congressmen sign the [[Southern Manifesto]], a protest against the 1954 [[U.S. Supreme Court]] ruling ([[Brown vs. Board of Education]]) desegregating public education. **The [[Dow Jones Industrial Average]] closes above 500 for the [[Closing milestones of the Dow Jones Industrial Average|first time]] rising 2.40 points, or 0.48%, to 500.24. * [[March 13]] - [[Elvis Presley]] releases his first [[Gold Album]] titled ''Elvis Presley''. * [[March 15]] - The Broadway musical ''[[My Fair Lady]]'' opens in [[New York City]]. * [[March 19]] - At age 48, Dutch boxer [[Bep van Klaveren]] contests his last match in [[Rotterdam]]. * [[March 20]] - [[Tunisia]] gains [[independence]] from [[France]]. * [[March 21]] - [[28th Academy Awards]] ceremony * [[March 23]] - [[Pakistan]] becomes the first [[Islamic republic]] and a [[Public holiday|national holiday]] is observed in the country including the former [[East Pakistan]] state. {{Month3|4|6|1}} ===April=== * [[April 7]] - [[Spain]] relinquishes its [[protectorate]] in [[Morocco]]. * [[April 9]] - [[Habib Bourgiba]] is elected prime minister of [[Tunisia]]. {{noMention}} * [[April 14]] - [[Videotape]] is first demonstrated at the 1956 NARTB (now [[National Association of Broadcasters|NAB]]) convention in [[Chicago]] by [[Ampex]]. It was the demonstration of the first practical and commercially successful videotape format known as [[2" Quadruplex]]. * [[April 17]] - [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Queen Elizabeth II]] inaugurated [[Chew Valley Lake]]. * [[April 18]] - Maria Desylla-Kapodistria is elected mayor of [[Corfu (city)|Corfu]] and becomes the first female mayor in Greece. * [[April 19]] **British diver [[Lionel Crabb]] dives into the [[Portsmouth]] harbor to investigate visiting [[Soviet]] cruiser and vanishes. **Actress [[Grace Kelly]] marries Prince [[Rainier III, Prince of Monaco|Rainier III of Monaco]]. * [[April 21]] **First daughter [[Margaret Truman]] married [[Clifton Daniel]]. ===May=== {{Month3|5|1|1}} <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[May 2]] - The [[United Methodist Church|Methodist Church]] in America decides at its General Conference to grant women full [[ordained]] [[clergy]] status. It also calls for an end to [[racial segregation|segregation]] in the denomination. * [[May 8]] **[[Austria]] and [[Israel]] form [[diplomatic relations]]. {{noMention}} **Constitutional union between [[Indonesia]] and [[Netherlands]] is dissolved. [[John Osborne]]'s [[Look Back in Anger]] opened at the Royal Court Theatre, changing the scope of theatrical and other forms of drama in England. * [[May 9]] - First ascent of [[Manaslu]], eighth highest mountain in the world. * [[May 18]] - First ascent of [[Lhotse]] (main), fourth highest mountain. * [[May 23]] - French minister [[Pierre Mendès-France]] resigns due to his government's policy on [[Algeria]]. * [[May 24]] - The first [[Eurovision Song Contest]] is broadcast from [[Lugano]], [[Switzerland]]. The winning song is ''Refrain'' by [[Lys Assia]] (music by Géo Voumard, text by Émile Gardaz). ===June=== {{Month3|6|4|1}} * [[June 1]] - [[Vyacheslav Molotov]] resigns as a foreign minister of [[Soviet Union]]; he later becomes ambassador in [[Mongolia]]. * [[June 3]] - [[British Rail]] renamed 'Third Class' passenger facilities as 'Second Class' (Second Class facilities had been abolished in [[1875]], leaving just First Class and Third Class). * [[June 6]] - In [[Singapore]], chief minister [[David Saul Marshall|David Marshall]] resigns after breakdown of talks about internal self government in London. * [[June 8]] - [[General Electric]]/Telechron introduces model 7H241 "The Snooz Alarm", first snooze [[alarm clock]] ever. {{noMention}}<!--http:www.telechron.net/eod/7h241.htm--><!-- confirmed here --> * [[June 10]] - [[1956 Summer Olympics]]: [[Equestrianism|Equestrian]] events open in [[Stockholm]], [[Sweden]]. (All other events held in November in Melbourne, Australia.) * [[June 14]] - President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] authorizes the phrase "under God" should be added to the [[Pledge of Allegiance]]. <!-- confirmed here --> The [[Flag of the United States Army]] was formally dedicated.{{Fact|date=February 2008}} * [[June 15]] - [[Eindhoven University of Technology]] is founded in [[Eindhoven]], The [[Netherlands]]. * [[June 18]] - Last foreign troops leave [[Egypt]]. * [[June 23]] - [[Gamal Abdel Nasser]] becomes the second president of [[Egypt]]. * [[June 28]] - MP [[Sydney Silverman]]'s bill for abolition of [[death penalty]] passes the [[British House of Commons]]. * [[June 28]] **[[Poznań 1956 protests|Labour riots at Poznań]], [[Poland]], are crushed with heavy loss of life. [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] troops fire at crowd that protests high prices - 53 dead. **The film version of [[Rodgers and Hammerstein]]'s ''[[The King and I]]'', starring [[Deborah Kerr]] and [[Yul Brynner]], is released only a few months after the film version of R&H's ''Carousel''. * [[June 29]] **Actress [[Marilyn Monroe]] marries playwright [[Arthur Miller]]. **President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the [[Federal-Aid Highway Act]], creating the [[Interstate Highway System]] * [[June 30]] - A [[TWA]] [[Lockheed Constellation]] and [[United Airlines]] [[Douglas DC-7]] collide in mid-air over the [[Grand Canyon]] in [[Arizona]] and [[1956 Grand Canyon mid-air collision|crash]]. All 128 people aboard the two aircraft are killed in the disaster. The accident prompts tighter air traffic control to be implemented in the United States. ===July=== {{Month3|7|6|1}} * [[July 2]] A lab experiment at Sylvania Electric Products results in an [[Sylvania Electric Products explosion|explosion]]. * [[July 8]] - First ascent of [[Gasherbrum II]]. * [[July 10]] - British [[House of Lords]] defeats the abolition of death penalty. * [[July 24]] - At [[New York City]]'s Copacabana Club, [[Dean Martin]] and [[Jerry Lewis]] perform their last comedy show together which started on [[July 25]], [[1946]]. * [[July 25]] - 72 kilometers (45 miles) south of [[Nantucket Island]], the Italian ocean liner [[SS Andrea Doria|SS ''Andrea Doria'']] sinks after colliding with the Swedish ship [[SS Stockholm|SS ''Stockholm'']] in heavy [[fog]], killing 51. * [[July 26]] - [[Egypt]]ian leader [[Gamal Nasser]] nationalizes the [[Suez Canal]] sparking international condemnation. * [[July 30]] - A Joint Resolution of the [[Congress of the United States|U.S. Congress]] is signed by President [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]], authorizing "[[In God We Trust]]" as the U.S. national [[motto]]. * [[July 31]] - Cricket: [[Jim Laker]] sets extraordinary record at [[Old Trafford (cricket)|Old Trafford]] in the fourth [[Test cricket|Test]] of taking nineteen wickets in a first class match (the previous best was seventeen). ===August=== {{Month3|8|2|1}} * Exhibition ''[[This Is Tomorrow]]'' at [[Whitechapel Art Gallery]]. * [[August 6]] - After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster [[DuMont Television Network]] has its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena. * [[August 8]] - 262 miners die in fire in a coal mine in [[Marcinelle]], [[Belgium]]. * [[August 11]] - [[Jackson Pollock]] dies after crashing his car, aged 44. * [[August 17]] - [[West Germany]] bans [[Communist Party of Germany]]. ===September=== {{Month3|9|5|1}} * [[September 9]] - [[Elvis Presley]] appeared on [[The Ed Sullivan Show]] for the first time. * [[September 13]] - The [[Hard Disk Drive]] is invented by an [[IBM]] team led by [[Reynold B. Johnson]]. * [[September 16]] - Television broadcasting [[Australian television broadcasting|commences in Australia]]. * [[September 21]] - Nicaraguan dictator [[Anastasio Somoza García]] is assassinated. * [[September 25]] - Submarine [[Transatlantic telephone cable]] opened. {{Month3|10|0|1}} ===October=== * [[October 8]] - Baseball pitcher [[Don Larsen]] of the [[New York Yankees]] throws the first, and only [[perfect game]] in [[World Series]] history in Game 5 of the [[1956 World Series]] against the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]]. [[Yogi Berra]] caught the game. [[Dale Mitchell]] was the final out. The [[New York Yankees]] won the series. [[Larsen]] was named series MVP. * [[October 10]] - [[Finland]] joins [[UNESCO]]. * [[October 14]] - Dr. [[B. R. Ambedkar]], [[India]]n [[Dalit (outcaste)|Untouchable]] leader, converts to [[Buddhism]] along with 385,000 followers. See [[Neo-Buddhism]]. * [[October 15]] **[[Royal Air Force|RAF]] retires its last [[Lancaster bomber]]. **[[Fidel Castro]] and [[Che Guevara]] depart from [[Tuxpan, Veracruz]], [[Mexico]], enroute to [[Santiago de Cuba]] aboard the yacht ''[[Granma (yacht)|Granma]]'' with 82 men. After the ship passes a storm, it lands at [[Belici]], [[Cuba]], on [[December 2]] * [[October 17]] - The 13 years old [[Bobby Fischer]] beats GM Donald Byrne in the NY Rosenwald chess tournament (The Game of the Century). * [[October 23]] - [[Hungarian Revolution, 1956|Hungarian revolution]] against the pro-Soviet government. [[Soviet Union]] intervenes. [[Hungary]] attempts to leave the [[Warsaw Pact]]. * [[October 26]] - [[Red Army]] troops invade [[Hungary]]. * [[October 29]] **The ''[[Huntley-Brinkley Report]]'' debuts on [[NBC]]-TV. **[[Suez Crisis]] begins: [[Israel]] invades the [[Sinai Peninsula]] and push [[Egypt]]ian forces back toward the [[Suez Canal]]. **[[Tangier Protocol]] signed: The [[international city]] [[Tangier]] is reintegrated into [[Morocco]]. **The first [[hard disk]] drive (5MB) is born at [[IBM]]. * [[October 31]] - [[Suez Crisis]]: The [[United Kingdom]] and [[France]] begin bombing [[Egypt]] to force the reopening of the [[Suez Canal]]. ===November=== {{Month3|11|3|1}} <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[November 1]] - the [[States Reorganisation Act]] of [[India]] reformed the boundaries and names of Indian states. * [[November 3]] - [[MGM]]'s screen classic, ''[[The Wizard of Oz (1939 film)|The Wizard of Oz]]'', is shown on television for the first time by [[CBS]], as the final installment of their ''[[Ford Star Jubilee]]''. * [[November 4]] - [[1956 Hungarian Revolution]]: more [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] troops invade [[Hungary]] to crush a revolt that started on [[October 23]]. Thousands are killed, more are wounded and nearly a quarter million leave the country. * [[November 6]] - [[U.S. presidential election, 1956]]: [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] incumbent [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] is reelected by defeating [[United States Democratic Party|Democrat]] challenger [[Adlai Stevenson|Adlai E. Stevenson]] in a rematch of their contest four years earlier. * [[November 6]] - [[Enoch A. Holtwick]] defeated as presidential candidate of [[Prohibition Party]]. * [[November 7]] - [[Suez Crisis]]: The [[United Nations]] General Assembly adopts a resolution calling for the [[United Kingdom]], [[France]] and [[Israel]] to withdraw their troops from Arab lands immediately. * [[November 14]] - Fighting ends in Hungary. {{noMention}} * [[November 15]] - [[Middle East Technical University]] founded in [[Ankara]], [[Turkey]]. * [[November 16]] - Israel is denounced by UN {{noMention}} * [[November 20]] - In [[Yugoslavia]], former prime minister [[Milovan Đilas|Milovan Djilas]] is arrested after he criticized [[Josip Broz Tito]]. * [[November 22]] - Beginning of the [[1956 Summer Olympics]] in [[Melbourne, Australia]]. * [[November 23]] - [[Suez Crisis]] causes petrol [[rationing]] in Britain.<ref>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/29/newsid_3247000/3247805.stm Motorists panic as petrol rations loom, BBC news]</ref> ===December=== {{Month3|12|5|1}} * [[December 2]] **[[Fidel Castro]] and his followers land on [[Cuba]] in the boat ''[[Granma (yacht)|Granma]]''. **A [[pipe bomb]] explodes at a movie theater in [[Brooklyn]] (work of [[George Metesky]]), injuring six people.{{noMention}} * [[December 5]] - [[Rose Heilbron]] becomes Britain's first female judge. * [[December 9]] - [[Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810]] crashes into a mountain in British Columbia. All 62 people on board die, making this one of the worst airline crashes in the world at that date. * [[December 12]] - [[Japan]] becomes member of the [[United Nations]]. * [[December 18]] - ''[[To Tell The Truth]]'' debuts on [[CBS]]-TV. * [[December 19]] - [[John Bodkin Adams]] arrested for the murder of two patients in [[Eastbourne]], [[Great Britain]]. * [[December 23]] - British and French troops leave [[Suez Canal]] region. * [[December 31]] - [[Bob Barker]] makes his TV debut as host of the Game Show ''[[Truth or Consequences]]''. ==Undated== * [[Minamata disease]] is discovered. * Founding of the [[Alpine Club of Canada]], [[Toronto]] section ===Ongoing=== * [[Cold War]] ==Births== {{Year in other calendars|japanese=[[Shōwa]] 31}} ===January-February=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> *[[January 1]] - [[Mark R. Hughes]], American entrepreneur (d. [[2000]]) *[[January 1]] - [[Kōji Yakusho]], Japanese actor *[[January 3]] - [[Mel Gibson]], Australian actor and director *[[January 4]] - [[Bernard Sumner]], British guitarist ([[Joy Division]] and [[New Order]]) *[[January 5]] - [[Chen Kenichi]], Japan-born Chinese chef *[[January 7]] - [[David Caruso]], American actor *[[January 9]] - [[Imelda Staunton]], British actress *[[January 10]] - [[Shawn Colvin]], American singer *[[January 14]] [[Ben Heppner]], Canadian tenor **[[Martyn Davies]], ITV National Weather forecaster *[[January 16]] - [[Martin Jol]], Dutch football manager *[[January 17]] - [[Paul Young]], English musician *[[January 20]] - [[Bill Maher]], American actor, comedian, and political analyst *[[January 21]] - [[Geena Davis]], American actress *[[January 25]] - [[Bronwyn Pike]], Australian politician *[[January 27]] - [[Mimi Rogers]], American actress *[[January 31]] - [[Johnny Rotten]], British singer ([[Sex Pistols]]) *[[February 1]] - [[Mike Kitchen]], Canadian ice hockey player and coach * [[February 3]] - [[Nathan Lane]], American actor * [[February 11]] - [[Didier Lockwood]], French jazz violinist * [[February 11]] - [[Catherine Hickland]], American actress * [[February 12]] **[[Brian Robertson]], British guitarist ([[Thin Lizzy]], [[Wild Horses (British band)|Wild Horses]], and [[Motörhead]]) **[[Ultan Quigley]], Irish poet, playwright and polemecist. * [[February 13]] **[[Peter Hook]], British bassist ([[Joy Division]] and [[New Order]]) **[[Yiannis Kouros]], Greek-Australian ultramarathoner * [[February 14]] - [[Tom Burlinson]], Australian actor * [[February 15]] - [[Desmond Haynes]], West Indian cricketer * [[February 18]] - [[Thomas Gradin]], Swedish hockey player * [[February 19]] - [[Roderick MacKinnon]], American biologist, recipient of the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] * [[February 24]] **[[Judith Butler]], Prominent American philosopher **[[Paula Zahn]], American television journalist * [[February 25]] - [[Davie Cooper]], Scottish footballer (d. [[1995]]) * [[February 26]] - [[Keisuke Kuwata]], Japanese musician * [[February 28]] - [[Jimmy Nicholl]], Canadian-born footballer * [[February 29]] **[[Bob Speller]], Canadian politician **[[Aileen Carol Wuornos]], American serial killer (d. [[2002]]) ===March-April=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[March 1]] - [[Tim Daly]], American actor * [[March 11]] - [[Rob Paulsen]], American voice actor * [[March 12]] - [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]], British bass player, founding member of [[Iron Maiden]] *[[March 19]] - [[Yegor Gaidar]], Russian economist and politician * [[March 21]] - [[Ingrid Kristiansen]], Norwegian runner * [[March 23]] - [[José Manuel Barroso]], Prime-minister of Portugal * [[March 24]] - [[Steve Ballmer]], CEO of Microsoft * [[April 3]] **[[Ray Combs]], American game show host and comedian (d. [[1996]]) **[[Boris Miljkovic]], Serbian TV & theatre director and video artist * [[April 4]] **[[Kerry Chikarovski]], Australian politician **[[David E. Kelley]], American writer and television producer * [[April 6]] - [[Dilip Vengsarkar]], Indian cricketer * [[April 12]] - [[Andy Garcia]], American actor * [[April 12]] - [[Yasuo Tanaka]], Japanese politician, novelist * [[April 13]] - [[Peter 'Possum' Bourne]], New Zealand rally car driver (d. [[2003]]) * [[April 14]] - [[Barbara Bonney]], American soprano * [[April 16]] **[[David M. Brown]], astronaut (d. [[2003]]) **[[Lise-Marie Morerod]], Swiss skier * [[April 19]] - [[Sue Barker]], British tennis player and television presenter * [[April 21]] - [[Phillip Longman]], American demographer * [[April 23]] - [[Judy Davis]], Australian actress * [[April 26]] - [[Koo Stark]], British actress * [[April 28]] - [[Jimmy Barnes]], Australian musician * [[April 28]] - [[Paul Phillips]], American conductor-composer * [[April 30]] - [[Lars von Trier]], Danish film director ===May-June=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> *[[May 1]] - [[Alexander Ivanov]], chess Grandmaster * [[May 4]] **[[David Guterson]], American writer **[[Ulrike Meyfarth]], German high jumper * [[May 6]] - [[Vladimir Lisin]], Russian [[oligarch]] * [[May 7]] **[[Jan Peter Balkenende]], [[Prime Minister of the Netherlands]] **[[Jean Lapierre]], Canadian politician and television host * [[May 10]] **[[Francis Kish]] (born Kiss Francisc), award-winning American Professional Visual Artist, Filmmaker, Director-3D Animator/CGI, Photographer, Poet **[[Vladislav Listyev|Vladislav Nikolayevich Listyev]], [[Russia]]n [[journalist]] (d. [[1995]]). * [[May 11]] - [[Andrew Hidalgo]], American entrepreneur * [[May 13]] **[[Sri Sri Ravi Shankar]], Indian guru **[[Steve Blackwood]], American actor and musician * [[May 15]] **[[Dan Patrick]], American sportscaster **[[Kjartan Poskitt]], English author * [[May 16]] - [[Olga Korbut]], Russian gymnast * [[May 17]] **[[Sugar Ray Leonard]], American boxer **[[Bob Saget]], American actor * [[May 20]] **[[Ingvar Ambjørnsen]], Norwegian author **[[Dean Butler (actor)|Dean Butler]], American actor * [[May 23]] **[[Buck Showalter]], baseball player and manager **[[Ursula Plassnik]], Austrian politician * [[May 24]] - [[Michael Jackson (Anglican bishop)|Michael Jackson]], Irish Anglican bishop * [[May 28]] - [[Jerry Douglas (musician)|Jerry Douglas]], American [[dobro]] player * [[June 6]] - [[Björn Borg]], Swedish tennis player * [[June 9]] - [[Patricia Cornwell]], American novelist * [[June 10]] - [[Georg Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg]], head of the [[House of Mecklenburg-Strelitz]] * [[June 11]] - [[Joe Montana]], American football player * [[June 20]] - [[Cho Chikun]], Korean professional Go player * [[June 23]] **[[Glenn Danzig]], American musician ([[Danzig (band)|Danzig]]) **[[Randy Jackson]], American musician * [[June 25]] - [[Boris Trajkovski]], [[President of the Republic of Macedonia]] (d. [[2004]]) * [[June 26]] - [[Chris Isaak]], American musician * [[June 27]] - [[Heiner Dopp]], German field hockey player * [[June 28]] - [[Noel Mugavin]], [[Australian Rules Football]] player * [[June 30]] - [[Ronald Winans]], American musician (d. [[2005]]) ===July-August=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[July 2]] - [[Jerry Hall]], American model and actress * [[July 3]] - [[Rick Ducommun]], Canadian actor and comedian * [[July 5]] - [[Sheila Walsh]], Scottish musician * [[July 6]] - [[Casey Sander]], American actor * [[July 9]] - [[Tom Hanks]], American actor * [[July 11]] - [[Sela Ward]], American actress * [[July 12]] - [[Sandi Patty]], American Christian musician * [[July 14]] **[[Vladimir Kulich]], Czech actor **[[King Diamond]], Danish heavy metal musician * [[July 15]] **[[Ian Curtis]], British musician ([[Joy Division]]) (d. [[1980]]) **[[Barry Melrose]], Canadian hockey player, coach, and commentator **[[Marky Ramone]] American drummer ([[The Ramones]]) * [[July 16]] - [[Tony Kushner]], American playwright * [[July 18]] - [[The Aldridge Sisters|Sheila Aldridge]], American singer, ''The Aldridge Sisters'' * [[July 20]] - [[Thomas Nkono]], Cameroonian footballer * [[July 24]] - [[Pat Finn]], American game show host and producer * [[July 26]] - [[Andy Goldsworthy]], British sculptor and photographer * [[July 31]] - [[Michael Biehn]], American actor **[[Deval Patrick]], Governor of Massachusetts <!--AUGUST--> * [[August 1]] **[[Martin Harris]], English Builder and Consultant **[[Steve Green]], American musician * [[August 5]] - [[Maureen McCormick]], American actress * [[August 14]] - [[Rusty Wallace]], American race car driver * [[August 20]] - [[Joan Allen]], American actress * [[August 21]] **[[Kim Cattrall]], Canadian actress **[[Anselmo Feleppa]], clothes designer * [[August 22]] - [[Paul Molitor]], baseball player * [[August 23]] - [[Andreas Floer]], German mathematician (d. [[1991]]) * [[August 24]] - [[John Culberson]], American politician * [[August 26]] - [[Mark Mangino]], American football coach * [[August 29]] - [[Mark Morris]], American choreographer * [[August 31]] - [[Masashi Tashiro]], Japanese television performer ===September-October=== * [[September 1]] - [[Bernie Wagenblast]], American editor and broadcaster * [[September 2]] - [[Angelo Fusco]], Provisional Irish Republican Army member * [[September 3]] - [[Pat McGeown]], Provisional Irish Republican Army member * [[September 11]] - [[Phil Bissett]], American politician * [[September 12]] - [[Leslie Cheung]], Hong Kong actor (d. [[2003]]) * [[September 12]] - [[Ricky Rudd]], American race car driver * [[September 14]] **[[Kostas Karamanlis]], Greek politician **[[Ray Wilkins]], English footballer and coach * [[September 16]] **[[Mickey Rourke]], American actor **[[David Copperfield (illusionist)|David Copperfield]], American illusionist * [[September 17]] - [[Brian Andreas]], American writer, sculptor, painter and publisher. * [[September 20]] - [[Gary Cole]], American actor * [[September 21]] - [[Jack Givens]], American basketball player * [[September 24]] - [[Peter Fox]], Australian, CEO/GM Venues (Aquatics, Major Events) Non-Profits, Community Recreation, Mgt Consultant * [[September 24]] - [[Greg Panos|Gregory Peter Panos]], American futurist, writer, inventor, virtual reality expert, human simulation visionary * [[September 25]] - [[Jamie Hyneman]], Mythbusters co-host * [[September 26]] - [[Linda Hamilton]], American actress * [[September 29]] **[[Sebastian Coe]], British athlete, co-ordinator of [[London 2012]] [[Olympic Games]] **[[Kenneth Newby]], Canadian Media Artist <!--OCTOBER--> * [[October 8]] - [[Stephanie Zimbalist]], American actress * [[October 10]] - [[Amanda Burton]], Irish actress * [[October 11]] - [[Nicanor Duarte Frutos]], [[President of Paraguay]] * [[October 17]] - [[Mae Jemison]], astronaut * [[October 18]] - [[Martina Navratilova]], Czech-born tennis player * [[October 19]] - [[Carlo Urbani]], Italian physician (d. [[2003]]) * [[October 23]] - [[Dwight Yoakam]], country singer/musician and actor * [[October 27]] - [[Jaq D. Hawkins]], British author, occultist and lecturer * [[October 28]] - [[Mahmoud Ahmadinejad]], Iranian president ===November-December=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[November 4]] - [[Jordan Rudess]], American musician ([[Dream Theater]]) * [[November 8]] - [[Steven Miller]], American record producer * [[November 10]] - [[Mohsen Badawi]], [[Entrepreneur]], political activist and writer * [[November 14]] - [[Avi Cohen]], Israeli football player * [[November 18]] **[[Noel Brotherston]], Irish footballer (d. [[1995]]) **[[Warren Moon]], American football player * [[November 20]] - [[Bo Derek]], American actress * [[November 21]] - [[Ed Kaz]], American journalist * [[November 23]] **[[Shane Gould]], Australian swimmer **[[Nikolay Sidorov]], former Soviet athlete, winner of the gold medal in the 4x100 m relay at the 1980 Summer Olympics. * [[November 26]] - [[Dale Jarrett]], American race car driver * [[November 27]] - [[William Fichtner]], American actor * [[November 28]] - [[Lucy Gutteridge]], British actress * [[November 29]] **[[Leo Laporte]], American author and television host **[[Eric Laakso]], Retired [[Miami Dolphins]] [[National Football League|NFL]] [[Offensive tackle]] * [[December 5]] **[[Krystian Zimerman]], Polish pianist **[[Brian Backer]], American actor * [[December 6]] **[[Peter Buck]], American guitarist ([[R.E.M. (band)|R.E.M.]]) **[[Randy Rhoads]], American guitarist ([[Quiet Riot]] and [[Ozzy Osbourne]]) (d. [[1982]]) * [[December 7]] - [[Larry Bird]], American basketball player * [[December 8]] - [[Warren Cuccurullo]], American musician ([[Missing Persons]] and [[Duran Duran]]) * [[December 11]] - [[Lani Brockman]], Playwright * [[December 12]] **[[Johan Van der Velde]], Dutch cyclist **[[Ana Alicia]], Mexican actress * [[December 13]] - [[Majida El Roumi]], Lebanese singer * [[December 17]] - [[Mike Mills]], American guitarist ([[R.E.M. (band)|R.E.M.]]) * [[December 18]] - [[Ron White]], American comedian * [[December 23]] **[[Michele Alboreto]], Italian race car driver (d. [[2001]]) **[[Dave Murray (musician)|Dave Murray]], British guitarist * [[December 26]] - [[David Sedaris]], American essayist * [[December 28]] - [[Nigel Kennedy]], English violinist * [[December 29]] - [[Fred MacAulay]], Scottish comedian * [[December 30]] - [[Sheryl Lee Ralph]], American actress * [[December 31]] - [[Ahmed Salah]], Djiboutian Marathon Player *''date unknown'' **[[Ronan Bennett]], Irish writer **[[Shelagh Rogers]], Canadian radio host **[[George Howard (jazz)|George Howard]], American jazz saxophone musician (d. [[1998]]) **[[Miladin Šobić]], [[Montenegro|Montenegrin]] singer **[[Susan Solomon]], atmospheric chemist ==Deaths== === January - June=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> *[[January 3]] **[[Alexander Grechaninov]], Russian composer (b. [[1864]]) **[[Joseph Wirth]], [[Chancellor of Germany]] (b. [[1876]]) * [[January 5]] - [[Mistinguett]], French singer (b. [[1875]]) * [[January 13]] - [[Lyonel Feininger|Lyonel Charles Feininger]], German painter (b. [[1871]]) * [[January 14]] - [[Sheila Kaye-Smith]], English writer (b. [[1887]]) * [[January 18]] - [[Konstantin Päts]], [[President of Estonia]] (b. [[1874]]) * [[January 21]] - [[Sam Langford]], Canadian boxer (b. [[1883]]) * [[January 24]] - Sir [[Alexander Korda]], Hungarian-born film director (b. [[1893]]) * [[January 27]] - [[Erich Kleiber]], German conductor (b. [[1890]]) * [[January 29]] - [[H. L. Mencken]], American writer (b. [[1880]]) * [[January 31]] - [[A. A. Milne]], English author (b. [[1882]]) * [[February 8]] - [[Connie Mack (baseball)|Connie Mack]], baseball executive and manager (b. [[1862]]) * [[February 18]] - [[Gustave Charpentier]], French composer (b. [[1860]]) * [[March 17]] - [[Irène Joliot-Curie]], French physicist, recipient of the [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry]] (b. [[1897]]) * [[March 18]] - [[Louis Bromfield]], American writer (b. [[1896]]) * [[March 20]] **[[Fanny Durack]], Australian swimmer (b. [[1889]]) **[[Wilhelm Miklas]], Austrian politician and third President of Austria * [[March 25]] - [[Robert Newton]], English film actor (b. [[1905]]) * [[March 30]] - [[Edmund Clerihew Bentley]], English inventor (b. [[1875]]) * [[March 31]] - [[Ralph DePalma]], Italian-born race car driver (b. [[1884]]) * [[April 19]] - [[Ernst Robert Curtius]], Alsatian philologist (b. [[1886]]) * [[April 30]] - [[Alben Barkley]], [[Vice-President of the United States]] (b. [[1877]]) * [[May 12]] - [[Louis Calhern]], American actor (b. [[1895]]) * [[May 17]] - [[Austin Osman Spare]], English magician (b. [[1886]]) * [[May 18]] - [[Maurice Tate]], English cricketer (b. [[1895]]) * [[May 20]] - [[Max Beerbohm]], English theater critic (b. [[1872]]) * [[May 26]] - [[Al Simmons]], baseball player (b. [[1902]]) * [[May 31]] - [[Diedrich Hermann Westermann]], German linguist (b. [[1875]]) * [[June 17]] - [[Paul Rostock]], German official, surgeon, and university professor (b. [[1892]]) * [[June 22]] - [[Walter de la Mare]], English poet, short story writer, and novelist (b. [[1873]]) * [[June 23]] - [[Reinhold Glière]], Russian composer (b. [[1875]]) * [[June 26]] - [[Clifford Brown]], American jazz trumpeter (auto accident) (b. [[1930]]) === July - December=== <!-- Link all dates, even if repeated, for date-format preferences. --> * [[July 7]] - [[Gottfried Benn]], German poet (b. [[1886]]) * [[July 8]] - [[Giovanni Papini]], Italian essayist, poet, novelist (b. [[1881]]) * [[July 10]] - [[Joe Giard]], American baseball player (b. [[1898]]) * [[July 20]] - [[James Alexander Calder]], Canadian politician (b. [[1856]]) * [[August 2]] - [[Albert Woolson]], last surviving Union veteran of the American Civil War (b. [[1847]]) * [[August 11]] - [[Jackson Pollock]], American painter (b. [[1912]]) * [[August 14]] - [[Bertolt Brecht]], German playwright (b. [[1898]]) * [[August 16]] - [[Bela Lugosi]], Hungarian-born film actor (b. [[1882]]) * [[August 23]] - [[Peaches Browning]], American actress (b. [[1910]]) * [[August 25]] - [[Alfred Kinsey]], American sex researcher (b. [[1894]]) * [[September 11]] - [[Billy Bishop]], Canadian pilot (b. [[1894]]) * [[September 20]] - [[Flora Eldershaw]], Australian novelist, critic, and historian (b. [[1897]]) * [[September 22]] - [[Frederick Soddy]], English chemist, [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry|Nobel Prize]] laureate (b. [[1877]]) * [[September 27]] - [[Babe Didrikson Zaharias]], American athlete and golfer (b. [[1911]]) * [[September 29]] - [[Anastasio Somoza García]], [[President of Nicaragua]] (b. [[1896]]) * [[October 12]] - [[Don Lorenzo Perosi]], Italian composer (b. [[1872]]) * [[October 17]] - [[Anne Crawford]], British actress (b. [[1920]]) * [[October 19]] - [[Isham Jones]], American musician (b. [[1894]]) * [[October 26]] - [[Walter Gieseking]], French conductor (b. [[1895]]) * [[November 5]] - [[Art Tatum]], American jazz pianist (b. [[1909]]) * [[November 10]] - [[Harry F. Sinclair]], American entrepreneur (b. [[1876]]) * [[November 24]] - [[Guido Cantelli]], Italian conductor (b. [[1920]]) * [[November 26]] - [[Tommy Dorsey]], American trombonist and bandleader (b. [[1905]]) * [[December 6]] - Dr. [[B. R. Ambedkar]], Indian [[dalit|untouchable]] leader (b. [[1891]]) * [[December 7]] - [[Huntley Gordon]], Canadian actor (b. [[1887]]) * [[December 16]] - [[Nina Hamnett]], Welsh artist (b. [[1890]]) *''date unknown'' **[[James Alexander Allan]], Australian poet (b. [[1889]]) **[[James Cousins]], Irish writer (b. [[1873]]) ==Ship events== * [[List of ship launches in 1956]] * [[List of ship commissionings in 1956]] * [[List of ship decommissionings in 1956]] ==Nobel prizes== * [[Nobel Prize in Physics|Physics]] - [[William Bradford Shockley]], [[John Bardeen]], [[Walter Houser Brattain]] * [[Nobel Prize in Chemistry|Chemistry]] - Sir [[Cyril Norman Hinshelwood]], [[Nikolay Nikolaevich Semenov]] * [[Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine|Physiology or Medicine]] - [[André Frédéric Cournand]], [[Werner Forssmann]], [[Dickinson W. Richards]] * [[Nobel Prize in Literature|Literature]] - [[Juan Ramón Jiménez]] * [[Nobel Peace Prize|Peace]] - Not Awarded ==Notes== {{reflist}} {{commonscat}} ==External links== *[http://www.coinpage.com/1956-pictures.html 1956 Coin Pictures] __NOTOC__ [[Category:1956| ]] [[af:1956]] [[am:1956 እ.ኤ.አ.]] [[ar:1956]] [[an:1956]] [[frp:1956]] [[ast:1956]] [[av:1956]] [[az:1956]] [[bn:১৯৫৬]] [[zh-min-nan:1956 nî]] [[map-bms:1956]] [[be:1956]] [[be-x-old:1956]] [[bh:१९५६]] [[bs:1956]] [[br:1956]] [[bg:1956]] [[ca:1956]] [[cv:1956]] [[cs:1956]] [[co:1956]] [[cy:1956]] [[da:1956]] [[de:1956]] [[et:1956]] [[el:1956]] [[es:1956]] [[eo:1956]] [[eu:1956]] [[fa:۱۹۵۶ (میلادی)]] [[fo:1956]] [[fr:1956]] [[fy:1956]] [[ga:1956]] [[gv:1956]] [[gd:1956]] [[gl:1956]] [[gan:1956年]] [[ko:1956년]] [[hy:1956]] [[hi:1956]] [[hif:1956]] [[hr:1956.]] [[io:1956]] [[ilo:1956]] [[bpy:মারি ১৯৫৬]] [[id:1956]] [[ia:1956]] [[ie:1956]] [[os:1956]] [[is:1956]] [[it:1956]] [[he:1956]] [[jv:1956]] [[pam:1956]] [[kn:೧೯೫೬]] [[ka:1956]] [[csb:1956]] [[kk:1956]] [[kw:1956]] [[sw:1956]] [[ht:1956 (almanak gregoryen)]] [[ku:1956]] [[la:1956]] [[lv:1956]] [[lb:1956]] [[lt:1956 m.]] [[lij:1956]] [[hu:1956]] [[mk:1956]] [[mi:1956]] [[mr:इ.स. १९५६]] [[ms:1956]] [[nah:1956]] [[nl:1956]] [[new:ई सं १९५६]] [[ja:1956年]] [[nap:1956]] [[no:1956]] [[nn:1956]] [[nrm:1956]] [[nov:1956]] [[oc:1956]] [[uz:1956]] [[pi:१९५६]] [[nds:1956]] [[pl:1956]] [[pt:1956]] [[ty:1956]] [[ksh:Joohr 1956]] [[ro:1956]] [[ru:1956 год]] [[se:1956]] [[sco:1956]] [[sq:1956]] [[scn:1956]] [[simple:1956]] [[sk:1956]] [[sl:1956]] [[so:1956]] [[sr:1956]] [[sh:1956]] [[su:1956]] [[fi:1956]] [[sv:1956]] [[tl:1956]] [[ta:1956]] [[tt:1956]] [[te:1956]] [[th:พ.ศ. 2499]] [[vi:1956]] [[tg:1956]] [[tr:1956]] [[tk:1956]] [[uk:1956]] [[vec:1956]] [[wa:1956]] [[vls:1956]] [[yo:1956]] [[zh-yue:1956年]] [[cbk-zam:1956]] [[bat-smg:1956]] [[zh:1956年]]