1949

What Was Happening in 1949

NATO is forged, Germany divides, and Communist China rises as the Cold War hardens.

Born in

Number 1 Songs in 1949 — UK and US Charts

UK #1

"Riders in the Sky"

Vaughn Monroe

This cowboy-themed ballad with its eerie melody was a transatlantic hit, capturing the public's fascination with the American West.

US #1

"Riders in the Sky (A Cowboy Legend)"

Vaughn Monroe

A dramatic Western ballad about ghost riders in the sky, it topped the Billboard chart and spawned dozens of cover versions.

Biggest Films of 1949 — Box Office Hits

Samson and Delilah

Box Office: $11.5 million

Cecil B. DeMille's biblical epic starring Hedy Lamarr and Victor Mature was a lavish Technicolor spectacle and the highest-grossing film of the year.

Fashion and Style of 1949

Fashion, clothing and visual culture from the era

Architecture and Buildings of 1949

Buildings completed and structures opened in 1949

More About 1949

What Was Happening — A journey through the years