1956

Years: 1953 1954 1955 - 1956 - 1957 1958 1959
Decades: 1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s
Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century 1956 in art 1956 in aviation 1956 in film 1956 in literature 1956 in music 1956 in radio 1956 in science 1956 in sports 1956 in television

Events

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.

June 10 - 1956 Summer Olympics: Equestrian events open in Stockholm, Sweden.
June 14 - U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill into law that places the words "under God" to the United States' Pledge of Allegiance.
June 18 - Last foreign troops leave 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
June 29 - Marilyn Monroe marries the playwright Arthur Miller

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 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 United States Congress is signed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower, authorizing "In God We Trust" as the U.S. national motto.

October 14 - Dr. B. R. Ambedkar, Indian Untouchable leader, converts to Buddhism along with 385,000 followers. See Neo-Buddhism.
October 23 - Hungarian revolution against the communist government. Soviet Union intervenes. Hungary attempts to leave the Warsaw Pact
October 26 - Warsaw Pact troops invade Hungary
October 29 - Suez Crisis begins: Israel invades the Sinai Peninsula and push Egyptian forces back toward the Suez Canal
October 29 - 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

November 4 - 1956 Hungarian Revolution: 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 7 - Suez Crisis: The United Nations General Assembly adopts a resolution calling for the United Kingdom, France and Israel to withdraw their troops from Egypt immediately.
November 14 - Fighting ends in Hungary
November 16 - Suez canal blocked
November 23 - Suez Crisis causes petrol rationing in Britain

December 2 - Fidel Castro and his followers land on Cuba
December 2 - Pipe bomb explodes at a movie theater in Brooklyn (work of George Metesky)- six people injured
December 5 - Rose Heilbron becomes Britain's first female judge
December 12 : Japan becomes member of the United Nations