[IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER]
- 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 10th JULY 1951 i.e., IT LASTED
FOR OVER 11 YEARS.
- EVEREST WAS CLIMBED FOR THE FIRST
TIME BY THE BRITISH
- THE QUEEN WAS CROWNED AT HER
CORONATION IN WESTMINSTER ABBEY
- TOSCANINI WAS ILL AND UNABLE TO MAKE HIS FIRST APPOINTMENT AS THE
CONDUCTOR OF NEW YORKS NATIONAL BROADCASTING COMPANY
- GATWICK AIRPORT MIGHT BE EXTENDED TO BE AN ALTERNATIVE LANDING GROUND TO LONDON AIRPORT.
- THE U.S. TO TEST THE HYDROGEN BOMB AT BIKINI IN THE PACIFIC
- THE NEW ROYAL YACHT WAS NAMED
BRITANNIA BY THE QUEEN – CAME INTO SERVICE IN 1954.
- SIR WINSTON CHURCHILL MADE A KNIGHT
OF THE GARTER BY THE QUEEN
- J.R.H. CHRISTIE SENTENCED TO DEATH
BY HANGING FOR MURDER.
- 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.
- DERECK BENTLEY WAS HANGED IN LONDON
FOR THE MURDER OF A POLICEMAN.
- CHARLES CHAPLIN BANNED FROM WORKING
IN THE USA.
- HOUSE OF LORDS TRIES TO GET MOTOR
CYCLISTS TO WEAR CRASH HELMETS BUT FAILS.
- WAR ENDS IN KOREA.
- COMMERCIAL TV ARRIVES – ADVERTISERS’
ALLOWED 6 MINUTES IN EVERY HOUR.
- LONDON AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT TO BE
COMPLETED BY 1960 TO MAKE IT THE FINEST AIRPORT IN THE WORLD.
- 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
- HUNDREDS DIE IN THE UK IN EAST COAST
FLOODS. THOUSANDS DIE IN EUROPE AT LARGE.
- MAU MAU TERRORIST LEADER JOMO
KENYATTA AND HIS LIEUTENANTS GIVEN MAXIMUM GAOL SENTENCES OF 8 YEARS.
- 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.
- STALIN DIES IN MOSCOW.
- LATER IN YEAR, STALIN’S HENCH MEN
ARE SHOT BY FIRING SQUAD FOR TREASON TO THE STATE [8 OF THEM].
- ALBERT SCHWEITZER AWARDED NOBEL
PEACE PRIZE.
- WINSTON CHURCHILL AWARDED NOBEL
LITERARY PRIZE.
- MAJOR GREEK EARTHQUAKE – 1000 DEAD.
- POLITICALLY, BRITAIN AND ICELAND
FIGHT OVER FISHING RIGHTS.
- SWEETS COME OFF RATION. ALL FOOD PRODUCTS TO STAY ON RATION
UNTIL NEXT YEAR [1954].
- 3-D CINEMA HITS THE BIG SCREEN.
- SENATOR McCARTHY GAINS POWER IN THE
STATES ON HIS WITCH HUNTS.
- KATHLEEN FERRIER DIES AT 41.
- ICE SKATING STAR DROPS DOWN DEAD IN
FRONT OF AUDIENCE IN MUNICH. SHE WAS AGED 26. HER HUSBAND WITNESSED HER
DEATH.
- QUEEN MARY DIES.
- TOM SHARKEY ONE OF THE WORLD
GREATEST BOXERS FROM THE LATE 19TH CENTURY DIES AGED 79.
- DYLAN THOMAS DIES AT 39.
- HILAIRE BELLOC DIES AT 83.
- MABEL LOVE, WORLD FAMOUS BEAUTY, DIES AGED 78.
- SERGEI PROKOFIEV DIES IN RUSSIA.
- AT LE MANS, BRITISH JAGUARS TAKE 1ST,
2nd, 4th and 9th IN THE TWENTY FOUR HOUR
RACE.
- AT FOOTBALL ENGLAND 3 HUNGARY 6.
- ARSENAL WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE
SEVENTH TIME AFTER WHICH JOE MERCER TOLD THE CROWD THAT HE WAS
QUITTING FROM FOOTBALL.
- ENGLAND BEAT THE AUSSIES AT CRICKET AFTER
A TWENTY YEAR PERIOD IN THE DOLDRUMS.
- BERYL WAS A GIRL OF 13¼.
- MY PARENTS WERE BOTH DAYS AWAY FROM
THEIR 46th BIRTHDAY.
- 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.