This page offers an insight into life in 1956 and includes World news, political leaders, prices, population statistics and information about the popular culture of 1956.
The year 1956 began on a Sunday and was a leap year.
1956 In The News
2nd March – Morocco gained independence from France
19th April– Grace Kelly married Prince Rainier of Monaco
24th May– The first Eurovision Song Contest was won by Switzerland.
29th June– Marilyn Monroe married Arthur Miller
26th July– Nasser of Egypt nationalised the Suez Canal beginning the Suez Crisis.
23rd October– The Hungarian Revolution began.
Life in 1956 – Prices
Average house:
UK – £1,975; USA – $11,700
Petrol per gallon:
UK – £0.23; USA – $0.23
Loaf of Bread:
UK – £0.04; USA – $0.18
Gold per ounce:
UK – $34.99, USA – $35.3
Life in 1956 – Population
World: – 2,834,465,145
Australia: – 9,500,606
Canada: – 16,445,087
China: – 619,135,936
India: – 411,946,688
Soviet Union: 112,859,296
United States: – 168,088,000
United Kingdom: – 51,184,000
Life in 1956 – Music
Best Selling Single:
UK – I’ll Be Home – Pat Boone
USA – Heartbreak Hotel – Elvis Presley
AUS – Just Walking in the Rain – Johnnie Ray
CAN – No data – Charts began 1957
Best Selling Album:
UK – No data – Charts began 1956
USA – Calypso – Harry Belafonte
AUS – No data – Charts began 1966
CAN – No data – Charts began 1968
Popular Artists:
Louis Armstrong, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Bill Haley and the Comets, Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Little Richard
On the Bookshelves
Books Published in 1956:
Night – Elie Wiesel
The Last Battle – C.S. Lewis
The Fall – Albert Camus
The City and the Stars – Arthur C. Clarke
The 101 Dalmatians – Dodie Smith
At the Movies
1956 Top Movies (USA box office figures):
1. The Ten Commandments – $34.2 million
2. Around the World in 80 Days – $22 million
3. Giant – $12 million
4. Seven Wonders of the World $9.3 million
5. The King and I – $8.5 million
Life in 1956 – World Leaders
Australia Prime Minister – Robert Menzies
Canada Prime Minister – Louis St Laurent
China President – Mao Zedong
India Prime Minister – Jawaharlal Nehru
Soviet Union Leader – Nikita Khruschchev
United States President – Dwight Eisenhower
United Kingdom Prime Minister – Anthony Eden
Born in 1956
3rd January – Mel Gibson (Actor, Director)
19th April – Sue Barker (Tennis Player)
29th May – La Toya Jackson (Singer)
6th June – Bjorn Borg (Tennis Player)
9th July – Tom Hanks (Actor, Director)
29th September – Sebastian Coe (Athlete)
1st October – Theresa May (Politician)
Died in 1956
31st January – A. A. Milne (Author)
6th June – Hiram Bingham (Explorer)
16th August – Bela Lugosi (Actor)
26th November – Tommy Dorsey (Bandleader)
1956 Sport Highlights
Football – Manchester City won the FA Cup
Cycling – Roger Walkowiak (FRA) won the Tour de France
Winter Olympics – Held in Italy won by the Soviet Union
Summer Olympics – Held in Australia won by the Soviet Union
Baseball – New York Yankees won the World Series
Horse Racing –Limber Hill won the Cheltenham Gold Cup; Needles won the Kentucky Derby
Christmas Wishlist
Hot Wheels toy cars
Paper dolls
Mr Potato Head
Play Doh
Matchbox Cars
Gumby toys
What Was New?
Hovercraft invented
Videotape recorder created
Computer hard disk created
Liquid Paper invented
First published 2020; updated and republished Mar 23 2022 @ 9:20 pm – Updated –
