What Happened in 1956

"Bus Stop" Is Released

Bus Stop, also known as The Wrong Kind of Girl, is a 1956 motion picture directed by Joshua Logan for 20th Century Fox, starring Marilyn Monroe,... Read more

Elvis Presley First Appears on The Ed Sullivan Show

Elvis, wearing a loud plaid jacket, greeted the audience from a set decorated with stylized guitar shapes. He announced that the show was “probably... Read more

"Lust For Life" Is Released

Lust for Life (1956) is a MGM biographical film about the life of the Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, based on the 1934 novel by Irving Stone and... Read more

"The Silent World" Is Released

The Silent World (French: Le Monde du silence) is a French documentary film released in 1956, co-directed by the famed French oceanographer... Read more

'If I Ran the Circus' is Published

Behind Mr. Sneelock's ramshackle store, there's an empty lot. Little Morris McGurk is convinced that if he could just clear out the rusty cans, the... Read more

Agatha Christie publishes Dead Man's Folly

When Ariadne Oliver, the mystery novelist, summons Poirot to join her at a country house in Devon, he is respectful enough of her “intuition” to do... Read more

Suez Crisis/Tripartite Aggression

The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, was a military attack on Egypt by Britain, France, and Israel beginning on 29... Read more

1956 World Series

The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees (representing the American League) and the defending... Read more

The Ten Commandments (film) released

The Ten Commandments is a 1956 motion picture that dramatized the biblical story of Moses, an adopted Egyptian prince-turned deliverer of the... Read more

Don Larsen Pitches a Perfect Game

Donald James Larsen (born August 7, 1929 in Michigan City, Indiana) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for 14 seasons. Larsen is... Read more

Pan Am Flight 6 Crashes

In October 1956, they were passengers aboard a commercial aircraft that also lost two engines, forcing the pilot to land on open water - in their... Read more

Elvis Presley releases Elvis

Elvis is the second album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono, LPM 1382, in October 1956. Recording sessions took place on... Read more

Operation Kadesh Begins

The Suez Crisis, also referred to as the Tripartite Aggression, (Arabic: أزمة السويس - العدوان الثلاثي‎ ʾAzmat al-Sūwais/Al-ʿIdwān al-Thalāthī;... Read more

Games of the XVI Olympiad Held in Melbourne, Australia

The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne,... Read more

"Giant" Is Released

Giant is a 1956 drama film directed by George Stevens from a screenplay adapted by Fred Guiol and Ivan Moffat from the novel by Edna Ferber. The... Read more

"Friendly Persuasion" Is Released

Friendly Persuasion is a 1956 Palme d'Or-winning Civil War film starring Gary Cooper, Dorothy McGuire, Anthony Perkins, Richard Eyer, Robert... Read more

"The Girl Can't Help It" Is Released

The Girl Can't Help It is a 1956 comedy/musical film, starring Jayne Mansfield, Tom Ewell, and Edmond O'Brien. It was produced and directed by... Read more

"The Great Man" Is Released

The Great Man is a 1956 drama film directed by José Ferrer and based on a novel by Al Morgan. It was loosely based on the controversial career of... Read more

Fidel Castro leads group in a rebellion to overthrow Fulgencio Batista

Since regular contacts with a KGB agent named Nikolai Sergeevich Leonov in Mexico City had not resulted in the hoped for weapon supply, they... Read more

Nelson Mandela and 150 others arrested and charged with treason

Initially committed to nonviolent resistance, Mandela and 150 others were arrested on 5 December 1956 and charged with treason. The marathon... Read more

Larry Bird is born

Dec. 7, 1956 Larry Joe Bird is born at Bedford (Ind.) Medical Center, the fourth of six children (five boys, one girl) of Joe and Georgia Bird of... Read more

Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 Crash

An east-bound Trans-Canada Air Lines plane vanished Sunday night with 62 persons aboard ini turbulent weather over the mountains of southwest... Read more

Milorad "Rod" Blagojevich born

Politician. The youngest of two children, Rod Blagojevich was born in Chicago, Illinois, on December 10th, 1956. His father, Radisa Blagojevich,... Read more

Paul Hornung Wins Heisman Trophy

The blond, 220-pound Golden Boy, despite a mediocre Notre Dame team, carried the ball 94 times his senior year for 420 yards for an average of 4.5... Read more

"Anastasia" Is Released

Anastasia is a 1956 20th Century Fox historical drama film directed by Anatole Litvak. The film stars Ingrid Bergman, Yul Brynner, and Helen Hayes.... Read more