1956

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1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

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Events

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April

April 7 - Spain relinquishes its protectorate in Morocco.
April 9 - Habib Bourgiba is elected prime minister of Tunisia. Template:NoMention
April 14 - Videotape is first demonstrated at the 1956 NARTB (now NAB) convention in Chicago, Illinois by Ampex. It was the demonstation of the first practical and commercially successful videotape format known as 2" Quadruplex.
April 17 - Queen Elizabeth II inaugurated Chew Valley Lake.
April 19 - British diver Lionel Crabb dives into the Portsmouth harbor to investigate visiting Soviet cruiser and vanishes.
April 19 - Actress Grace Kelly marries Prince Rainier III of Monaco.

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May

early May - The Methodist Church in America decides at its General Conference to grant women full ordained clergy status.
May 8 - Austria and Israel form diplomatic relations. Template:NoMention
May 8 - Constitutional union between Indonesia and Netherlands is dissolved.
May 9 - First ascent of Manaslu, eighth highest mountain in the world.
May 18 - First ascent of Lhotse (main), fourth highest mountain.
May 21 - Nuclear testing: In the Pacific Ocean, Bikini Atoll is nearly obliterated by the first airborne explosion of a hydrogen bomb.
May 23 - French minister Pierre Mendes-France resigns due to government's policy on Algeria.
May 24 - The first Eurovision Song Contest is broadcast from Lugano, Switzerland.

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June

June 1 - Vyacheslav Molotov resigns as a foreign minister of Soviet Union; he later becomes ambassador in Mongolia.
June 6 - In Singapore, chief minister 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. Template:NoMention
June 10 - 1956 Summer Olympics: Equestrian events open in Stockholm, Sweden.
June 14 - President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the phrase "under God" should be added to the Pledge of Allegiance
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 - Labour riots at Poznan, Poland, are crushed with heavy loss of life. Soviet troops fire at crowd that protests high prices - 53 dead.
June 29 - Actress Marilyn Monroe marries the playwright Arthur Miller.
June 29 - 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 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.

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July

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 - 45 miles south of Nantucket Island, the Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria sinks after colliding with the Swedish ship SS Stockholm in heavy fog, killing 51.
July 26 - Egyptian leader Gamal Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal sparking international condemnation.
July 30 - A Joint Resolution of the U.S. Congress is signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, authorizing "In God We Trust" as the U.S. national motto.
July 31 - Jim Laker sets extraordinary record at Old Trafford in the fourth Test of taking nineteen wickets in a first class match (the previous best was seventeen).

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August

Exhibition This is Tomorrow at Whitechapel Art Gallery
August 17 - West Germany bans communist party Template:NoMention

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September

September 25 - Submarine Transatlantic telephone cable opened

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October

October 10 - Finland joins UNESCO
October 14 - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Indian Untouchable leader, converts to Buddhism along with 385,000 followers. See Neo-Buddhism.
October 15 - RAF retires its last Lancaster bomber
October 15 - Fidel Castro and Che Guevara depart from Tuxpan, Mexico enroute to Santiago de Cuba aboard ship Granma with 82 men. After the ship passes a storm, it lands on Belici, Cuba, December 2
October 23 - Hungarian revolution against the pro-Soviet government. Soviet Union intervenes. Hungary attempts to leave the Warsaw Pact.
October 26 - Warsaw Pact troops invade Hungary.Template:NoMention
October 29 - Suez Crisis begins: Israel invades the Sinai Peninsula and push Egyptian forces back toward the Suez Canal.
October 29 - Tangier Protocol signed: The international city Tangier is reintegrated into Morocco.
October 31 - Suez Crisis: The United Kingdom and France begin bombing Egypt to force the reopening of the Suez Canal.

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November

November 4 - 1956 Hungarian Revolution: more 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: Republican incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower is reelected by defeating Democrat challenger Adlai E. Stevenson in a rematch of their contest four years earlier.
November 6 - Enoch A. Holtwick defeated as presidential candidate of Prohibition Mass 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. Template:NoMention
November 16 - Israel is denounced by UN Template:NoMention
November 20 - In Yugoslavia, former prime minister 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.Template:NoMention

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December

December 2 - Fidel Castro and his followers land on Cuba in the boat Granma.
December 2 - A pipe bomb explodes at a movie theater in Brooklyn (work of George Metesky), injuring six people.Template:NoMention
December 5 - Rose Heilbron becomes Britain's first female judge
December 12 - Japan becomes member of the United Nations.
December 23 - British and French troops leave Suez Canal region

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Unknown date

Eindhoven University of Technology founded in Eindhoven, The Netherlands
First hard disk (5MB) invented by IBM.
Minamata disease discovered
Founding of the Alpine Club of Canada, Toronto section (who have their own site)

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Births

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January

January 1 - Mark R. Hughes, American entrepreneur (d. 2000)
January 3 - Mel Gibson, Australian actor and director
January 4 - Bernard Sumner, British guitarist (Joy Division and New Order)
January 5 - Chen Kenichi, Japanese chef
January 7 - David Caruso, American actor
January 10 - Shawn Colvin, American singer
January 14 - Ben Heppner, Canadian tenor
January 16 - Martin Jol, Dutch football manager
January 17 - Paul Young, English musician
January 17 - Steve Harvey, American actor
January 20 - Bill Maher, American actor, comedian, and political analyst
January 21 - Geena Davis, American actress
January 27 - Mimi Rogers, American actress
January 31 - Johnny Rotten, British singer (Sex Pistols)

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February

February 3 - Nathan Lane, American actor
February 11 - Didier Lockwood, French jazz violinist
February 13 - Peter Hook, British bassist (Joy Division and New Order)
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 - Paula Zahn, American television journalist
February 26 - Keisuke Kuwata, Japanese musician
February 28 - Jimmy Nicholl, Canadian-born footballer
February 29 - Bob Speller, Canadian politician
February 29 - Aileen Carol Wuornos, American serial killer (d. 2002)

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March

March 11 - Rob Paulsen, American voice actor
March 21 - Ingrid Kristiansen, Norwegian runner
March 24 - Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft

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April

April 3 - Ray Combs, American game show host and comedian
April 4 - Kerry Chikarovski, Australian politician
April 4 - David E. Kelley, American writer and television producer
April 6 - Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer
April 12 - Andy Garcia, American actor
April 13 - Peter 'Possum' Bourne, New Zealand rally car driver (d. 2003)
April 13 - Alison Wheeler, British activist
April 14 - Barbara Bonney, American soprano
April 16 - David M. Brown, astronaut (d. 2003)
April 16 - Lise-Marie Morerod, Swiss skier
April 19 - Sue Barker, British tennis player and television presenter
April 23 - Judy Davis, Australian actress
April 26 - Koo Stark, British actress
April 28 - Jimmy Barnes, Australian musician
April 30 - Jorge Chaminé, Portuguese baritone
April 30 - Lars von Trier, Danish film director

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May

May 4 - David Guterson, American writer
May 4 - Ulrike Meyfarth, German high jumper
May 7 - Jan Peter Balkenende, Prime Minister of the Netherlands
May 11 - Andrew Hidalgo, American entrepreneur
May 13 - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Indian guru
May 13 - Steve Blackwood, American actor and musician
May 15 - Dan Patrick, American sportscaster
May 16 - Olga Korbut, Russian gymnast
May 17 - Sugar Ray Leonard, American boxer
May 17 - Bob Saget, American actor
May 20 - Ingvar Ambjørnsen, Norwegian author
May 23 - Buck Showalter, baseball player and manager
May 23 - Ursula Plassnik, Austrian politician
May 24 - Michael Jackson, Irish Anglican bishop

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June

June 6 - Björn Borg, Swedish tennis player
June 9 - Patricia Cornwell, American novelist
June 11 - Joe Montana, American football player
June 23 - Glenn Danzig, American musician (Danzig)
June 23 - Randy Jackson, American musician
June 25 - Boris Trajkovski, President of the Republic of Macedonia (d. 2004)
June 27 - Heiner Dopp, German field hockey player
June 30 - Ronald Winans, American musician (d. 2005)

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July

July 2 - Jerry Hall, American model and actress
July 9 - Tom Hanks, American actor
July 11 - Sela Ward, American actress
July 15 - Ian Curtis, British musician (Joy Division) (d. 1980)
July 15 - Barry Melrose, Canadian hockey player, coach, and commentator
July 15 - Marky Ramone American drummer (The Ramones)
July 16 - Tony Kushner, American playwright
July 31 - Michael Biehn, American actor

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August

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
August 22 - Paul Molitor, baseball player
August 23 - Andreas Floer, German mathematician (d. 1991)
August 24 - John Culberson, American politician
August 31 - Masashi Tashiro, Japanese television performer

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September

September 11 - Phil Bissett, American politican
September 12 - Ricky Rudd, American race car driver
September 14 - Costas Caramanlis, Greek politician
September 14 - Ray Wilkins, English footballer and coach
September 16 - David Copperfield, American Illusionist
September 20 - Gary Cole, American actor
September 22 - Masayuki Suzuki, Japanese singer (Rats & Star)
September 26 - Linda Hamilton, American actress
September 30 - Fran Drescher, American actress

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October

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 28 - Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iranian president

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November

November 18 - Noel Brotherston, Irish footballer (d.1995)
November 18 - Warren Moon, American football player
November 21 - Ed Kaz, American journalist
November 23 - Shane Gould, Australian swimmer
November 26 - Dale Jarrett, American race car driver
November 27 - William Fichtner, American actor
November 28 - Lucy Gutteridge, British actress
November 28 - Andreas Augustin, Austrian author
November 29 - Leo Laporte, American author and television host

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December

December 5 - Krystian Zimerman, Polish pianist
December 5 - Brian Backer, American actor
December 6 - Peter Buck, American guitarist (R.E.M.)
December 6 - Randy Rhoads, American guitarist (Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne) [d. 1982]
December 7 - Larry Bird, American basketball player
December 7 - Mark Rolston, American actor
December 8 - Warren Cuccurullo, American musician (Missing Persons and Duran Duran)
December 12 - Johan Van der Velde, Dutch cyclist
December 17 - Mike Mills, American guitarist (R.E.M.)
December 18 - Ron White, American comedian
December 23 - Michele Alboreto, Italian race car driver
December 23 - Dave Murray, British guitarist
December 26 - David Sedaris, American essayist
December 28 - Nigel Kennedy, English violinist

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Unknown dates

Ronan Bennett, Irish writer
Shelagh Rogers, Canadian radio host

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Deaths

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January

January 3 - Alexander Grechaninov, Russian composer (b. 1864)
January 3 - Joseph Wirth, Chancellor of Germany (b. 1876)
January 5 - Mistinguett, French singer (b. 1875)
January 13 - Lyonel Charles Feininger, German painter (b. 1871)
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)

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February

February 8 - Connie Mack, baseball executive and manager (b. 1862)
February 18 - Gustave Charpentier, French composer (b. 1860)

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March

March 17 - Irène Joliot-Curie, French physicist, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (b. 1897)
March 20 - Fanny Durack, Australian swimmer (b. 1889)
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)

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April

April 19 - Ernst Robert Curtius, Alsatian philologist (b. 1886)
April 30 - Alben Barkley, Vice-President of the United States (b. 1877)

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May

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)

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June

June 17 - Paul Rostock, German official, surgeon, and university professor (b. 1892)
June 23 - Reinhold Glière, Russian composer (b. 1875)
June 26 - Clifford Brown, American jazz trumpeter (auto accident) (b. 1930)