- Kennedy replaces Eisenhower as US presidnet, Vienna talks, construction of berlin wall (august)
- Castro signs a trade agreement with Khrushchev, U2 incident at the Paris Summit conference, failed bay of pigs invasion
- (april) Prague Spring, Nuclear Non Proliferation treaty signed, Brezhnev doctrine, soviet invasion of czechoslovakia (august)
- the SU increased the size of its army (red army) to 5.6 million *only 2.8 five years before), west Germany allowed to join NATO, formation of Warsaw Pact (communist military defence alliance including the USSR, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, East Germany)
- Korean war over, USSR tested the H-bomb (august), death of Stalin (march), Eisenhower replaced Truman (january)
- Comecon established, NATO formed, FDR and GDR established, establishment of the People's Republic of China, USSR develops atom bomb
- North Korea invaded South Korea, UN force from 16 countries dominated by US soldiers pushed the North Koreans back across the 38th parallel, almost to China, Chinese leader Mao Zedong sent a force of 200,000 Chinese soldiers to stop the UN advance, final peace in Korea left border at 38th parallel (1953)
- The USA, Britain, France, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand and Pakistan formed the Southeast Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) intended to stop the spread of communism through southeast Asia
- Truman doctrine announced, marshall plan set up, cominform set up, Ghandi assassinated
- Education Act, 1st Married women's property act
- after this event usa get involved in WWII
- Yalta and Potsdam conferences, end of second world war, united nations founded
- Berline Blockade, declaration of the state of Israel
- Trades Union Act: trade unions become legal
- Labour representation Committee founded
- Trade Union Congress, Disraeli becomes PM, Gladstone's first liberal government
- Indian Mutiny: revolt against the British East India Company
- National Union of Women's Suffrage Societies founded
- Great Exhibition held at Crystal Palace
- Nationalist Socialist German Worker's Party