The world in
What happened in 1951?
12 events across 5 world regions, each with its sources.
Europe
Cold WarAfter World War II, the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union engaged in a nearly half-century-long political, economic, and military confrontation. Although the two superpowers never fought directly, they competed globally through proxy wars, an arms race, and the Space Race. The Cold War began in the late 1940s and ended with the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: U.S. Army photo Photo Credit: USAMHI / Public domain ↗
Signing of the Treaty on the Creation of the USSROn December 30, 1922, the Treaty on the Creation of the USSR was signed at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, officially establishing the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Plenipotentiary delegates from the Russian, Transcaucasian, Ukrainian, and Byelorussian Soviet republics signed the treaty, along with a declaration serving as its preamble. The treaty legally formalized the political union of the Soviet republics that had existed since 1919, creating a new federal government with centralized functions in Moscow. Legislative power was vested in the Congress of Soviets and the Central Executive Committee, while executive power lay with the Council of People's Commissars.
Establishment of the Lake District National Park in EnglandThe United Kingdom established the Lake District National Park in Cumbria, preserving a scenic landscape of lakes and mountains. The region is renowned for its associations with the Lake Poets like Wordsworth, serves as a popular holiday destination, and was later designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.
- Phoney War
The Phoney War was a period of limited military activity at the start of World War II, lasting from September 1939 to May 1940. Following the Allied declaration of war on Germany, there were virtually no major land operations on the Western Front.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
North America
- ANZUS Security Treaty
ANZUS is a collective security treaty signed in San Francisco in 1951 by Australia, New Zealand, and the United States. It reaffirms the UN Charter, barring force except in self-defence; requires capacity to resist armed attack; consultation on Pacific security; and action, per each constitution, if one is attacked. A council of foreign ministers oversees implementation. New Zealand has been partially suspended since 1986.
SourcesWikipedia ↗
Treaty of San FranciscoOn September 8, 1951, representatives of 49 nations and Japan signed the Treaty of Peace in San Francisco at the War Memorial Opera House, ending the legal state of war and Allied occupation and restoring peaceful relations. The treaty entered into force on April 28, 1952.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Unknown author Unknown author / Public domain ↗
Completion of the Farnsworth HouseThe Farnsworth House was completed in 1951 along the Fox River near Plano, Illinois. Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for nephrologist Edith Farnsworth, it served as her weekend retreat. The glass-and-steel structure is an icon of the International Style and recognized as a masterwork of modern architecture.
East Asia
Korean WarThe Korean War was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula from 1950 to 1953, starting with North Korea's attack on South Korea. The United Nations, led by the United States, supported South Korea, while China and the Soviet Union supported North Korea, turning it into a proxy war of the early Cold War.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: All photographs are works of the United States federal government. / Public domain ↗
Battle of ChamdoIn October 1950, the People's Liberation Army defeated Tibetan forces in the Chamdo region, a campaign launched after talks between the PRC central government and the de facto independent Tibetan government broke down. The victory crushed the main Tibetan army and lowered morale, compelling the Tibetan government to recognize PRC sovereignty over Tibet, paving the way for annexation.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: This map has been uploaded by Electionworld from en.wikipedia.org to enable the Wikimedia Atlas of the World . Original / CC BY-SA 3.0 ↗
South Asia
First Indochina War EruptsOn 19 December 1946, war broke out in French Indochina between France and the Viet Minh and their allies, with most fighting occurring in Vietnam, lasting until 11 August 1954.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Warner Pathé News / Public domain ↗
Malayan EmergencyIn 1948, the British colonial government declared an emergency due to an armed struggle by the Malayan Communist Party. The guerrilla war against the independence-seeking Malayan National Liberation Army, with the involvement of Commonwealth forces, lasted until the lifting of the emergency in 1960.
SourcesWikipedia ↗Image: Australian Government / Public domain ↗
West Asia
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Tofiq Bahramov Stadium openingThis multi-purpose stadium in Baku is one of Azerbaijan's largest, with a capacity of around 30,000. It long served as the national football team's home ground and hosts domestic league and European matches.
Around 1951
These are known only to the century, not to the year. They are listed separately so a rough date is never mistaken for an exact one.
- Emergence of the Green Revolution
- Beginning of the Digital Revolution
- Completion of the Taipei Grand Mosque
- Establishment of Women's Suffrage Worldwide
- Establishment of Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park
- Construction of Grimeton Longwave Radio Station
- Construction of the Trans-Iranian Railway begins
- Construction of the 20th-Century Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright Begins