WORLD HISTORY · 1951 日本語
Events of 1951Showa 26 (Japan) · Year of the Rabbit
What happened in 1951?
In 1951, Japan signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty with the Allies, as well as the U.S.–Japan Security Treaty. The film Rashomon became the first Japanese movie to win the Golden Lion, and abroad General MacArthur was dismissed.
- Truman dismisses MacArthurNorth America
- European Coal and Steel Community treaty signedEurope
- Sakuragicho commuter train fire occursAsia
- Japan's nine regional power companies launchedAsia
- First commercial computer UNIVAC I deliveredNorth America
- Korean War armistice talks beginAsia
- San Francisco Peace Treaty signedNorth America
- Rashomon wins the Golden LionAsia
Tap an event to jump to it in the timeline below.
1951 at a glance
| Japanese era | Showa 26 |
|---|---|
| Chinese zodiac | Year of the Rabbit |
| Age of people born in 1951 | Turn 75 in 2026 |
| Previous / next year | 1950 (Showa 25) ／ 1952 (Showa 27) |
| Events | 70 |
| AP World History | Unit 8 (Cold War and Decolonization) |
| AP U.S. History | Period 8 |
Famous people born in 1951
Our birthday pages list 705 people born in 1951. Here are some of them.
- Robin WilliamsBorn July 21 · turns 75 this year · American comedian and actor famed for Mork & Mindy, Mrs. Doubtfire, Aladdin, an…
- Phil CollinsBorn January 30 · turns 75 this year · English drummer, singer, and songwriter of Genesis whose solo hits include "In…
- Tommy HilfigerBorn March 24 · turns 75 this year · American fashion designer who founded the Tommy Hilfiger brand, known for prepp…
- Luther VandrossBorn April 20 · turns 75 this year · American R&B and pop singer, songwriter, and producer famed for smooth romantic…
- Sally RideBorn May 26 · turns 75 this year · NASA astronaut and physicist who became the first American woman in space in 19…
- Michael KeatonBorn September 5 · turns 75 this year · American actor known for Beetlejuice, Batman, and Birdman, which earned him a G…
- StingBorn October 2 · turns 75 this year · English singer, songwriter, and bassist who led The Police and went on to a lon…
- Dave WinfieldBorn October 3 · turns 75 this year · American Hall of Fame baseball outfielder who collected more than 3,000 hits an…
- Heizō TakenakaBorn March 3 · turns 75 this year
- Jackie JacksonBorn May 4 · turns 75 this year
- Mamoru OshiiBorn August 8 · turns 75 this year
- Ace FrehleyBorn April 27 · turns 75 this year
Show 28 more
- Bonnie TylerBorn June 8 · turns 75 this year
- Kevin KeeganBorn February 14 · turns 75 this year
- Bob IgerBorn February 10 · turns 75 this year
- Gary NairnBorn January 3 · turns 75 this year
- Linda DobbsBorn January 3 · turns 75 this year
- Don GullettBorn January 6 · turns 75 this year
- Kim WilsonBorn January 6 · turns 75 this year
- Kenny AnthonyBorn January 8 · turns 75 this year
- Crystal GayleBorn January 9 · turns 75 this year
- M. L. CarrBorn January 9 · turns 75 this year
- Charlie HuhnBorn January 11 · turns 75 this year
- Philip TartagliaBorn January 11 · turns 75 this year
- Willie MaddrenBorn January 11 · turns 75 this year
- Chris BellBorn January 12 · turns 75 this year
- Drew PearsonBorn January 12 · turns 75 this year
- Kirstie AlleyBorn January 12 · turns 75 this year
- Rush LimbaughBorn January 12 · turns 75 this year
- O. PanneerselvamBorn January 14 · turns 75 this year
- Ron BehagenBorn January 14 · turns 75 this year
- Ernie DiGregorioBorn January 15 · turns 75 this year
- Bob LatchfordBorn January 18 · turns 75 this year
- Bram BehrBorn January 18 · turns 75 this year
- Martha DavisBorn January 19 · turns 75 this year
- Iván FischerBorn January 20 · turns 75 this year
- Eric HolderBorn January 21 · turns 75 this year
- Ondrej NepelaBorn January 22 · turns 75 this year
- Chesley SullenbergerBorn January 23 · turns 75 this year
- Yakov SmirnoffBorn January 24 · turns 75 this year
Events of 1951 (timeline · 70)
Tip: the PC view is best for studying
On a computer, each region has its own vertical line, so you can follow the flow of events and see what was happening in different parts of the world at the same time.
Korean War: Beginning of the Ganghwa massacre, in the course of which an estimated 200–1,300 South Korean communist sympathizers are slaughtered.
National Airlines Flight 83 crashes during landing at Philadelphia International Airport, killing seven passengers and crew.
The catastrophic eruption of Mount Lamington in Papua New Guinea claims 2,942 lives.
United Nations Security Council Resolution 90 relating to the Korean War is adopted.
The Broker, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derails near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey. The accident kills 85 people and injures over 500 more. The wreck is one of the worst rail disasters in American history.
Korean War: More than 700 suspected communist sympathizers are massacred by South Korean forces.
Korean War: The two-day Geochang massacre begins as a battalion of the 11th Division of the South Korean Army kills 719 unarmed citizens in Geochang, in the South Gyeongsang district of South Korea.
Korean War: Battle of Chipyong-ni, which represented the "high-water mark" of the Chinese incursion into South Korea, commences.
The first Pan American Games are officially opened in Buenos Aires by Argentine President Juan Perón.
The Twenty-second Amendment to the United States Constitution, limiting Presidents to two terms, is ratified.
Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 307 crashes in Lynnhurst, Minneapolis, killing 15 people.
Iranian prime minister Ali Razmara is assassinated by Khalil Tahmasebi, a member of the Islamic fundamentalist Fada'iyan-e Islam, outside a mosque in Tehran.
Korean War: Operation Ripper: United Nations troops led by General Matthew Ridgway begin an assault against Chinese forces.
Fujiyoshida, a city located in Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, in the center of the Japanese main island of Honshū is founded.
Remington Rand delivers the first UNIVAC I computer to the United States Census Bureau.
Cold War: Ethel and Julius Rosenberg are sentenced to death for spying for the Soviet Union.
Korean War: President Truman relieves Douglas MacArthur of the command of American forces in Korea and Japan.
The Stone of Scone, the stone upon which Scottish monarchs were traditionally crowned, is found on the site of the altar of Arbroath Abbey. It had been taken by Scottish nationalist students from its place in Westminster Abbey.
Korean War: The Chinese People's Volunteer Army begin assaulting positions defended by the Royal Australian Regiment and the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry at the Battle of Kapyong.
Cold War: American journalist William N. Oatis is arrested for espionage by the Communist government of Czechoslovakia.
Korean War: Assaulting Chinese forces are forced to withdraw after heavy fighting with UN forces, primarily made up of Australian and Canadian troops, at the Battle of Kapyong.
The United States Senate Committee on Armed Services and United States Senate Committee on Foreign Relations begin their closed door hearings into the relief of Douglas MacArthur by U.S. President Harry Truman.
The 400th anniversary of the founding of the National University of San Marcos is commemorated by the opening of the first large-capacity stadium in Peru.
Trains run on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales for the first time since preservation, making it the first railway in the world to be operated by volunteers.
The first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights begin between Idlewild Airport (now John F Kennedy International Airport) in New York City and Heathrow Airport in London, operated by El Al Israel Airlines.
The opening of the Ninth Street Show, otherwise known as the 9th Street Art Exhibition: A gathering of a number of notable artists, and the stepping-out of the post war New York avant-garde, collectively known as the New York School.
The Uniform Code of Military Justice takes effect as the legal system of the United States Armed Forces.
Washington State Ferries, the largest ferry system in the United States, begins operation under state ownership after a buyout of the Puget Sound Navigation Company.
Cold War: A court in Czechoslovakia sentences American journalist William N. Oatis to ten years in prison on charges of espionage.
Vuoristorata, one of the oldest still-operating wooden roller coasters in Europe, is opened at the Linnanmäki amusement park in Helsinki, Finland.
Ferrari take their first Formula One grand prix victory at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.
J. D. Salinger publishes his popular yet controversial novel, The Catcher in the Rye.
King Abdullah I of Jordan is assassinated by a Palestinian while attending Friday prayers in Jerusalem.
Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 3505 disappears while flying from Vancouver to Tokyo. The aircraft and its 37 occupants are never found.
Soviet space dogs: Dezik and Tsygan were launched into a sub-orbital spaceflight from Kapustin Yar and became the first dogs to fly in space and the first to safely return.
Walt Disney's 13th animated film, Alice in Wonderland, premieres in London, England, United Kingdom.
The first live transcontinental television broadcast takes place in San Francisco, United States, from the Japanese Peace Treaty Conference.
George VI, king of the United Kingdom, has his left lung removed in an operation after a malignant tumour was found.
CBS makes the first color televisions available for sale to the general public, but the product is discontinued less than a month later.
Korean War: The First Battle of Maryang San pits Commonwealth troops against communist Chinese troops.
Mexican chemist Luis E. Miramontes completes the synthesis of norethisterone, the basis of an early oral contraceptive.
The first Prime Minister of Pakistan, Liaquat Ali Khan, is assassinated in Rawalpindi.
The "Johnny Bright incident" occurs during a football game between the Drake Bulldogs and Oklahoma A&M Aggies.
Operation Buster–Jangle: Six thousand five hundred United States Army soldiers are exposed to 'Desert Rock' atomic explosions for training purposes in Nevada. Participation is not voluntary.
Canada in the Korean War: A platoon of The Royal Canadian Regiment defends a vital area against a full battalion of Chinese troops in the Battle of the Song-gok Spur. The engagement lasts into the early hours the next day.
With the rollout of the North American Numbering Plan, direct-dial coast-to-coast telephone service begins in the United States.
Nikos Beloyannis, along with 11 comrades, is sentenced to death for attempting to reestablish the Communist Party of Greece.
A Miami Airlines Curtiss C-46 Commando crashes in Elizabeth, New Jersey, killing all 58 aboard including dancer Doris Ruby.
The American Civil Rights Congress delivers "We Charge Genocide" to the United Nations.
The EBR-1 in Arco, Idaho becomes the first nuclear power plant to generate electricity. The electricity powered four light bulbs.
A bomb explodes at the home of Harry T. Moore and Harriette V. S. Moore, early leaders of the Civil Rights Movement, killing Harry instantly and fatally wounding Harriette.
Cold War: The Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than US$13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Western Europe.
Source: Wikipedia date pages ("January 1" … "December 31") / CC BY-SA 4.0. Regions are assigned by the site editors.
FAQ
What year was 1951 in the Japanese calendar?
1951 was Showa 26 in the Japanese era system.
What Chinese zodiac animal is 1951?
1951 is the Year of the Rabbit.
How old is someone born in 1951?
They turn 75 on their birthday in 2026.
What happened in 1951?
In 1951, Japan signed the San Francisco Peace Treaty with the Allies, as well as the U.S.–Japan Security Treaty. The film Rashomon became the first Japanese movie to win the Golden Lion, and abroad General MacArthur was dismissed.
Dates and events are based on Wikipedia and other references. Summaries and regions are written by the site editors.