[IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER]

1. I JOINED THE ROYAL NAVY 2 YEARS AND 3 MONTHS AFTER THE END OF THE WAR WITH GERMANY HAD BEEN DECLARED BY BRITAIN AND OUR ALLIES. OFFICIALLY, THE WAR STARTED ON THE 3rd SEPTEMBER 1939 AND FINISHED AT 4PM ON THE 10^th JULY 1951 i.e., IT LASTED FOR OVER 11 YEARS.

2. EVEREST WAS CLIMBED FOR THE FIRST TIME BY THE BRITISH

3. THE QUEEN WAS CROWNED AT HER CORONATION IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY

4. TOSCANINI WAS ILL AND UNABLE TO MAKE HIS FIRST APPOINTMENT AS THE CONDUCTOR OF NEW YORKS NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY

5. GATWICK AIRPORT MIGHT BE EXTENDED TO BE AN ALTERNATIVE LANDING GROUND TO LONDON AIRPORT.

6. THE U.S. TO TEST THE HYDROGEN BOMB AT BIKINI IN THE PACIFIC

7. THE NEW ROYAL YACHT WAS NAMED BRITANNIA BY THE QUEEN – CAME INTO SERVICE IN 1954.

8. SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL MADE A KNIGHT OF THE GARTER BY THE QUEEN

9. J.R.H. CHRISTIE SENTENCED TO DEATH BY HANGING FOR MURDER.

10. SCHOOL MEALS TO INCREASE BY 2d FROM 7d to 9d [ 2d = 0.83p] – COST PER SCHOOL DAY = 3.75p OR APPROXIMATELY 19p PER SCHOOL WEEK.

11. DERECK BENTLEY WAS HANGED IN LONDON FOR THE MURDER OF A POLICEMAN.

12. CHARLES CHAPLIN BANNED FROM WORKING IN THE USA.

13. HOUSE OF LORDS TRIES TO GET MOTOR CYCLISTS TO WEAR CRASH HELMETS BUT FAILS.

14. WAR ENDS IN KOREA.

15. COMMERCIAL TV ARRIVES – ADVERTISERS’ ALLOWED 6 MINUTES IN EVERY HOUR.

16. LONDON AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT TO BE COMPLETED BY 1960 TO MAKE IT THE FINEST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD.

17. WHITE BREAD WILL BE SOLD IN THE SHOPS AGAIN AFTER A 13 YEAR ABSENCE. A 14 OUNCE WHITE LOAF WILL BE 5½d IN LONDON AND 6d EVERYWHERE ELSE

18. HUNDREDS DIE IN THE UK IN EAST COAST FLOODS. THOUSANDS DIE IN EUROPE AT LARGE.

19. MAU MAU TERRORIST LEADER JOMO KENYATTA AND HIS LIEUTENANTS GIVEN MAXIMUM GAOL SENTENCES OF 8 YEARS.

20. WORLD AIR SPEED RECORD SET UP BY BRITISH OVER LIBYA – 737.6 MPH – BY LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MICHAEL LITHGOW ROYAL NAVY IN A NAVY FIGHTER AIRCRAFT.

21. STALIN DIES IN MOSCOW.

22. LATER IN YEAR, STALIN’S HENCH MEN ARE SHOT BY FIRING SQUAD FOR TREASON TO THE STATE [8 OF THEM].

23. ALBERT SCHWEITZER AWARDED NOBEL PEACE PRIZE.

24. WINSTON CHURCHILL AWARDED NOBEL LITERARY PRIZE.

25. MAJOR GREEK EARTHQUAKE – 1000 DEAD.

26. POLITICALLY, BRITAIN AND ICELAND FIGHT OVER FISHING RIGHTS.

27. SWEETS COME OFF RATION. ALL FOOD PRODUCTS TO STAY ON RATION UNTIL NEXT YEAR [1954].

28. 3-D CINEMA HITS THE BIG SCREEN.

29. SENATOR McCARTHY GAINS POWER IN THE STATES ON HIS WITCH HUNTS.

30. KATHLEEN FERRIER DIES AT 41.

31. ICE SKATING STAR DROPS DOWN DEAD IN FRONT OF AUDIENCE IN MUNICH. SHE WAS AGED 26. HER HUSBAND WITNESSED HER DEATH.

32. QUEEN MARY DIES.

33. TOM SHARKEY ONE OF THE WORLD GREATEST BOXERS FROM THE LATE 19^TH CENTURY DIES AGED 79.

34. DYLAN THOMAS DIES AT 39.

35. HILAIRE BELLOC DIES AT 83.

36. MABEL LOVE, WORLD FAMOUS BEAUTY, DIES AGED 78.

37. SERGEI PROKOFIEV DIES IN RUSSIA.

38. AT LE MANS, BRITISH JAGUARS TAKE 1^ST, 2^nd, 4^th and 9^th IN THE TWENTY FOUR HOUR RACE.

39. AT FOOTBALL ENGLAND 3 HUNGARY 6.

40. ARSENAL WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE SEVENTH TIME AFTER WHICH JOE MERCER TOLD THE CROWD THAT HE WAS QUITTING FROM FOOTBALL.

41. ENGLAND BEAT THE AUSSIES AT CRICKET AFTER A TWENTY YEAR PERIOD IN THE DOLDRUMS.

42. BERYL WAS A GIRL OF 13¼.

43. MY PARENTS WERE BOTH DAYS AWAY FROM THEIR 46^th BIRTHDAY.

44. THE YOUNGEST CHILD IN THE FAMILY [BRENDA] WAS 8 YEARS 8 MONTHS OLD, AND THE ELDEST, BRIAN, WAS 18 YEARS AND 8 MONTHS OLD. I WAS THE FIRST CHILD TO LEAVE HOME AGED 15¼.. BRIAN LATER WENT INTO THE ARMY [AS A CLERK] AND GORDON INTO THE RAF [AS A COOK] BOTH DOING NATIONAL SERVICE. VERNON AND PETER MISSED THE CALL-UP BECAUSE BY THE TIME VERNON GOT TO BE 18 YEARS OLD, IT HAD BEEN ABOLISHED.