Year by year · 20th century

1956

1956 in world history: 18 events, 7 births, 14 deaths, 4 works, 2 states founded and 14 that came to an end. 345 recorded states existed that year.

Events

  1. 1 January

    Sudan becomes independent from Britain and Egypt

    Sudan's parliament ended the Anglo-Egyptian condominium and the country became a sovereign republic. It was among the first African states to gain independence after the Second World War.

    Second World War

  2. 26 July

    Nasser nationalises the Suez Canal

    Egypt's President Nasser announced the nationalisation of the Suez Canal Company to fund the Aswan Dam. Britain, France and Israel invaded in October, but US pressure forced a humiliating withdrawal.

  3. 9 September

    Elvis Presley first appears on The Ed Sullivan Show

    Some 60 million Americans, over 80 per cent of the TV audience, watched Elvis's first appearance on Sullivan's show. The 'waist up' camera shots came only on his third appearance in 1957.

  4. 17 October

    The Queen opens Calder Hall nuclear power station

    Elizabeth II opened Calder Hall in Cumberland, the world's first nuclear power station to supply electricity to a national grid on a commercial scale. It also produced plutonium for Britain's weapons programme.

  5. 23 October

    The Hungarian Revolution begins in Budapest

    A student demonstration in Budapest grew into a national uprising against the communist government and Soviet control. Soviet forces crushed it in November, leaving some 2,500 Hungarians dead and 200,000 in exile.

    Budapest

  6. 31 October

    Britain and France begin bombing Egypt over Suez

    British and French aircraft attacked Egyptian airfields after Egypt rejected their ultimatum to withdraw from the Suez Canal zone. US and Soviet pressure forced a humiliating withdrawal.

  7. 4 November

    Soviet tanks move in to crush the Hungarian Revolution

    Soviet forces launched a massive assault on Budapest at dawn, overthrowing Imre Nagy's government. Thousands were killed, and the West did not intervene.

    Budapest

  8. Crisis · War

    Suez Crisis

    The Suez Crisis was the international crisis of 1956 in which Britain, France and Israel invaded Egypt after Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal.

ProfileState333 states with a known seat in 1956Open the atlas at 1956 →

In the profiles

  • British EmpireThe Suez Crisis exposes Britain's inability to act against US wishes
  • United KingdomThe Suez Crisis exposes the limits of British power
  • Hyderabad StateHyderabad State is divided on linguistic lines
  • United State of RajasthanAjmer and Mount Abu are added and the office of Rajpramukh abolished
  • French West AfricaThe loi-cadre Defferre gives power to elected territorial assemblies
  • BuddhismB. R. Ambedkar and hundreds of thousands of his followers become Buddhists at Nagpur

Wars and longer events

Born in 1956 7

Died in 1956 14

Works 4

States founded 2

States that came to an end 14

Great speeches

Nasser Nationalises the Suez CanalGamal Abdel Nasser

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). 1956. In The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1956
MLA
“1956.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1956. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “1956.” The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1956.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘1956’, The Epoch Institute, Year by Year. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/years/1956 (Accessed: ).