World Events in 1951
Festival of Britain
Opened on the South Bank in London on 3 May 1951, the Festival celebrated British achievement in arts, science, and industry. The Royal Festival Hall was its centrepiece and the only permanent structure built for the event. It attracted 8.5 million visitors and helped lift national morale.
Korean War stalemate
After dramatic swings in territory, the Korean War settled into a grinding stalemate roughly along the 38th parallel. Truce talks began at Kaesong in July but broke down repeatedly. Casualties continued to mount on both sides.
Iran nationalises its oil industry
Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh nationalised the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, sparking a major international crisis. Britain imposed economic sanctions and a naval blockade. The dispute would simmer until a CIA-backed coup toppled Mosaddegh in 1953.
ANZUS Treaty signed
Australia, New Zealand, and the United States signed a mutual defence pact in San Francisco on 1 September. The treaty committed each nation to recognise an attack on any of them as a threat to all. It remains in force to this day.
Winston Churchill returns as Prime Minister
The Conservative Party won the general election in October, bringing 76-year-old Winston Churchill back to 10 Downing Street. Labour under Clement Attlee actually won more total votes but fewer seats. Churchill would serve until his resignation in 1955.
Music in 1951
"No official UK singles chart until 1952"
N/A
Sheet music sales and radio plays dominated the British music scene. Popular artists included Vera Lynn, Donald Peers, and Teddy Johnson.
"Too Young"
Nat King Cole
This romantic ballad held the number one spot on the Billboard chart for five weeks and became the best-selling single of 1951 in America.
#1 Film of 1951
Quo Vadis
Box Office: $30 million (worldwide)
MGM's lavish Roman epic starring Robert Taylor and Deborah Kerr was the highest-grossing film of 1951, filmed on location in Rome with thousands of extras.
Born in 1951
Sting
Singer-songwriter, frontman of The Police, and successful solo artist
Robin Williams
Beloved comedian and Oscar-winning actor known for Good Will Hunting and Mrs. Doubtfire
Mark Hamill
Actor best known as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise
Sally Ride
First American woman in space
Kurt Russell
Actor known for Escape from New York, The Thing, and numerous action films
Lost in 1951
Ernest Bevin
British Foreign Secretary and key architect of NATO
Age 70
Ivor Novello
Welsh composer, singer, and actor — the Brit Awards are named after him
Age 58
William Randolph Hearst
American newspaper magnate who inspired Citizen Kane
Age 88
Ludwig Wittgenstein
One of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century
Age 62
Technology in 1951
Commercial computing took its first steps as the Ferranti Mark 1, the world's first commercially available general-purpose computer, was delivered to Manchester University. Nuclear power was being developed, and jet airliners were in testing. Television ownership in Britain climbed towards 1.5 million sets.
- ● UNIVAC I becomes the first commercial computer delivered in the US
- ● First direct-dial transcontinental telephone call made in North America
- ● Electric power generated from nuclear energy for the first time at EBR-I in Idaho
- ● Ferranti Mark 1 delivered — first commercial general-purpose computer
Cost of Living in 1951
| Item | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| Average house price | £1,600 | $7,800 |
| Average salary | £420/year | $3,400/year |
| Pint of milk | 2½d | $0.22 |
| Loaf of bread | 4½d | $0.16 |
| Dozen eggs | 2s 8d | $0.72 |
| Pint of beer | 1s 1d | $0.36 |
| Gallon of petrol/gas | 3s 2d | $0.27 |
| Cinema ticket | 1s 6d | $0.53 |
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The Zeitgeist of 1951
Britain celebrated the Festival of Britain on the South Bank, a tonic of optimism after years of rationing and rubble. American teenagers were discovering rhythm and blues on late-night radio. Sport thrived — the legendary Randolph Turpin defeated Sugar Ray Robinson for the world middleweight title, and baseball's Bobby Thomson hit the 'Shot Heard Round the World'.
In the News in 1951
The Rosenbergs were sentenced to death for espionage in the United States. British spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean defected to the Soviet Union. The first Miss World contest was held in London. Dennis the Menace debuted in The Beano comic.