New decade, new hope

January 6 - The UK recognised the People's Republic of China. The Republic of China severed diplomatic relations with Britain in response.
January 24 - Klaus Fuchs, a German émigré and physicist, walked into London's War Office and confessed to being a Soviet spy. Over a seven year period he passed top secret data on US and British nuclear weapons research to the Soviet Union.
February 1 - The Labour Party formed a new government.
February 9 - In a speech in West Virginia, Senator Joseph McCarthy accused the United States Department of State of being filled with 205 Communists.
March 8 - The Soviet Union claimed to have an atomic bomb.
March 8 - The first Volkswagen Type 2 van - also known as the Volkswagen Microbus - rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg, Germany.
March 12 - A plane carrying returning rugby fans from Ireland to Wales crashed near Llandow with the loss of 80 lives.
March 22 - Egypt demanded that Britain remove all its troops in Suez Canal.
March 23 - The 22nd Academy Awards ceremony was held in Hollywod.
April 27 - In South Africa, the Group Areas Act was passed, formally segregating races.
April 27 - Britain formally recognised Israel.
June 3 - First ascent of Annapurna I, 10th highest mountain in the world.
June 25 - The Korean War began. Americans started hoarding supplies in case of rationing and shortages.
June 29 - The United States beat England 1-0 in the FIFA World Cup.
August 8 - Winston Churchill supported the idea of pan-European army allied with Canada and USA.
August 23 - Black singer-actor Paul Robeson, whose passport had been revoked because of his alleged Communist affiliations, met US officials in an effort to get it reinstated. He was unsuccessful, and it was not reinstated until 1958.
October 2 - The comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz was first published in seven US newspapers.
October 26 - Sister Mary Teresa began her charity work in Calcutta and became known as Mother Teresa.
November 10 - A US Air Force B-50 Superfortress bomber, experiencing an in-flight emergency, jettisoned and detonated a Mark 4 nuclear bomb over Quebec, Canada. The device lacked its plutonium core.
November 22 - Anti-British riots in Egypt.
November 22 - Shirley Temple announced her retirement from show business.
December 24-December 25 - Scottish nationalists took the Stone of Scone from Westminster Abbey.
December 28 - The Peak District became Britain's first National Park.

ALSO IN 1950:
*The first regular colour TV transissions began in America.
*The first tape recorder manufactured by TTK - part of Sony.
*The first world championship Grand Prix motor race was held at Silverstone.
*Original Ark Royal aircraft carrier launched.
*South Pacific won the Pulizer Prize.
*Actor William Hurt born.
*Boxer Joe Bugner born.
*Petrol rationing ended.
*First broadcast by the BBC of radio serial The Archers.
*Prince Ranier became ruler of Monaco.
*Dan Dare made his first appearance in The Eagle comic.
*In April an official announcement said that Princess Elizabeth was expecting a baby in August.
*Senator Joe McCarthy launched his campaign against communist infiltration of the US federal government.
*Two Puerto Rican nationalists tried to assassinate American President Harry Truman.
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BORN IN 1950
January 21 - Billy Ocean, West Indian-born musician
January 29 - Jody Scheckter, South African race car driver
February 3 - Morgan Fairchild, American actress
February 6 - Natalie Cole, American singer
February 10 - Mark Spitz, American swimmer
February 13 - Peter Gabriel, British musician
February 16 - Peter Hain, British politician
February 18 - Cybill Shepherd American Actress, Singer and Former Fashion Model
March 2 - Karen Carpenter, American singer and drummer (d. 1983)
March 30 - Robbie Coltrane, British actor and comedian
April 3 - Sally Thomsett, British actress
May 13 - Stevie Wonder, American musician
July 5 - Huey Lewis, American musician
July 18 - Sir Richard Branson, British entrepreneur
September 16 - Loyd Grossman, American television presenter and chef
September 21 - Charles Clarke, British politician
October 20 - Tom Petty, American singer
December 15 - Don Johnson, American actor
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THEY DI|ED IN 1950
January 21 - George Orwell, English author (b. 1903)
March 19 - Edgar Rice Burroughs, American author (b. 1875)
October 23 - Al Jolson, American musician (b. 1886)
October 29 - King Gustaf V of Sweden (b. 1858)
November 2 - George Bernard Shaw, Irish writer, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1856)

Written by The Editor - 10/06/2001 16:54:20

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