The 50s

Date Events Hit records Movies
1950
  • Petrol rationing ends (May)
  • Korean War begins (June)
  • Sunset Boulevard
  • The Blue Lamp
1951
  • Festival of Britain
  • Burgess and Maclean defect to the USSR
  • Winston Churchill elected Prime Minister
  • The African Queen
  • A Streetcar Named Desire
1952
  • George VI dies
  • The last London tram runs
  • The first popular music chart published
  • Here in My Heart (Al Martino)
  • Limelight
  • Singing in the Rain
1953
  • Conquest of Everest
  • The Coronation
  • The Korean War ends
  • I Believe (Frankie Lane)
  • Look at that Girl (Guy Mitchell)
  • Answer Me (Frankie Lane)
  • From Here to Eternity
  • The Robe
  • Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
  • Roman Holiday
1954
  • All rationing ends
  • Roger Bannister runs a mile in under 4 minutes
  • Oh Mein Papa (Eddie Calvert)
  • Secret Love (Doris Day)
  • Cara Mia (David Whitfield)
  • On the Waterfront
  • The Caine Mutiny
  • Rear Window
1955
  • Anthony Eden succeeds Churchill
  • Commercial television begins
  • Jeans become fashionable in the UK
  • Ruth Ellis is hanged
  • Give Me Your Word (Tennessee Ernie Ford)
  • Rose Marie (Slim Whitman)
  • The Man from Laramie (Jimmy Young)
  • Rock Around the Clock (Bill Hailey and his Comets)
  • Rebel Without a Cause
  • Blackboard Jungle
  • Rock Around the Clock
1956
  • The Suez Crisis
  • I'll be Home (Pat Boone)
  • No Other Love (Ronnie Hilton)
  • Whatever Will Be Will Be (Doris Day)
  • Just Walking in the Rain (Johnnie Ray)
  • Baby Doll
  • The King and I
1957
  • Anthony Eden resigns - Harold Macmillan replaces him
  • Sputnik the first artificial satellite launched by the USSR
  • ERNIE picks the first premium bond winners
  • Young Love (Tab Hunter)
  • All Shook Up (Elvis Presley)
  • Mary's Boy Child (Harry Belafonte)
  • The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • Twelve Angry Men
1958
  • CND started
  • The Common Market started
  • Riots at Notting Hill
  • The first stretch of the M6 opened
  • Magic Moments (Perry Como)
  • Who's Sorry Now (Connie Francis)
  • All I Have to Do is Dream/Claudette (The Everly Brothers)
  • When (Kalin Twins)
  • Carolina Moon/Stupid Cupid (Connie Francis)
  • It's Only Make Believe (Conway Twitty)
  • Vertigo
1959
  • The first Hovercraft trip across the English Channel
  • Postcodes used for the first time
  • Duty free drinks are sold at UK airports
  • A Fool Such as I/I Need Your Love Tonight (Elvis Presley)
  • Living Doll (Cliff Richard and the Shadows)
  • Travellin' Light (Cliff Richard and the Shadows)
  • What Do You Want to Make Those Eyes at Me For (Emile Ford and the Checkmates)
  • Some Like it Hot
  • Gigi
  • Ben Hur
  • North by North West