January 9
January 9
President Truman warns of Cold War dangers
In his 1952 State of the Union address, President Harry S. Truman warns Americans that they are “moving through a perilous time,” and calls for vigorous action to meet the…
A Year In History: 1952
This Year in History:
1952
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 19
January 19
PGA approves participation of Black golfers
On January 19, 1952, Professional Golfers Association president Horton Smith announces that a seven‑man committee “almost unanimously” votes to allow Black golfers to compete in PGA co‑sponsored events. With the…
February 6
February 6
King George VI dies; Elizabeth becomes queen
On February 6, 1952, after a long illness, King George VI of Great Britain and Northern Ireland dies in his sleep at the royal estate at Sandringham. Princess Elizabeth, the…
February 21
February 21
Dick Button wins second Olympic figure skating gold
On February 21, 1952, men’s figure skater Dick Button wins his second Olympic gold medal. Button captured his first gold prize at the 1948 Olympics, becoming the first American to…
March 3
March 3
Supreme Court rules on communist teachers
In a 6‑3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court upholds a New York state law that prohibits communists from teaching in public schools. Coming at the height of the Red Scare…
March 4
March 4
Ronald Reagan and Nancy Davis marry
On March 4, 1952, actor and future President Ronald Reagan marries his second wife, actress Nancy Davis. The couple wed in Los Angeles at the Little Brown Church in the…
March 4
March 4
Ernest Hemingway finishes “The Old Man and the Sea”
Ernest Hemingway completes his short novel The Old Man and the Sea. He wrote his publisher the same day, saying he had finished the book and that it was the…
March 21
March 21
The Moondog Coronation Ball is history’s first rock concert
Breathless promotion on the local radio station. Tickets selling out in a single day. Thousands of teenagers, hours before show time, lining up outside the biggest venue in town. The…
March 27
March 27
Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of the Toyota Motor Corporation, dies
Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of the Toyota Motor Corporation, which in 2008 surpassed America’s General Motors as the world’s largest automaker, dies at the age of 57 in Japan on March…
May 3
May 3
Joseph Fletcher lands first aircraft on the North Pole
A ski‑modified U.S. Air Force C‑47 piloted by Lieutenant Colonel Joseph O. Fletcher of Oklahoma and Lieutenant Colonel William P. Benedict of California becomes the first aircraft to land on…
July 23
July 23
Military seizes power in Egypt
In Egypt, the Society of Free Officers seizes control of the government in a military coup d’etat staged by Colonel Gamal Abdal Nasser’s Free Officers. King Farouk, whose rule had…
August 11
August 11
Hussein succeeds to Jordanian throne
Prince Hussein is proclaimed the king of Jordan after his father, King Talal, is declared unfit to rule by the Jordanian Parliament on grounds of mental illness. Hussein was formally…
August 13
August 13
“Hound Dog” is recorded for the first time by Big Mama Thornton
Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” (1956) is one of the biggest and most instantly recognizable pop songs in history. It’s a song so closely associated with the King of Rock and…
August 27
August 27
“Red Scare” dominates American politics
As the presidential election of 1952 begins to heat up, so do accusations and counteraccusations concerning communism in America. The “Red Scare”—the widespread belief that international communism was operating in…
November 1
November 1
United States tests first hydrogen bomb
The United States detonates the world’s first thermonuclear weapon, the hydrogen bomb, on Eniwetok atoll in the Pacific. The test gave the United States a short‑lived advantage in the nuclear…
November 25
November 25
“The Mousetrap” opens in London
“The Mousetrap,” a murder‑mystery written by the novelist and playwright Agatha Christie, opens at the Ambassadors Theatre in London. The crowd‑pleasing whodunit would go on to become the longest continuously…
November 29
November 29
President Eisenhower goes to Korea
Making good on his most dramatic presidential campaign promise, newly elected Dwight D. Eisenhower goes to Korea to see whether he can find the key to ending the bitter and…
December 4
December 4
Smog kills thousands in England
Heavy smog begins to hover over London, England, on December 4, 1952. It persists for five days, leading to the deaths of at least 4,000 people. It was a Thursday…
December 24
December 24
McCarran‑Walter Act goes into effect, revising immigration laws
The McCarran‑Walter Act takes effect and revises U.S. immigration laws. The law was hailed by supporters as a necessary step in preventing alleged communist subversion in the United States, while opponents…
