Centuries: Year in Review 20th Century (19th century - 20th century - 21st century)
Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
Years: 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 - 1952 - 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957
Births
- March 11 - Douglas Adams, science-fiction author
- May 21 - Mr. T, American actor, is born Laurence Tureaud, in Chicago
Deaths
Events
- April 29 - Australia, New Zealand, United States security treaty comes into force.
- The Summer Olympic Games are held in Helsinki.
- Eisenhower is elected president of the United States.
- Queen Elizabeth II comes to the throne in the United Kingdom.
- The first hydrogen bomb is exploded.
- Physics - Felix Bloch, - Edward Mills Purcell
- Chemistry - Archer John Porter Martin, Richard Laurence Millington Synge
- Medicine - Selman Abraham Waksman
- Literature - François Mauriac
- Peace - Albert Schweitzer