360The 1950s: DNA, Everest and the space age
In 1953, scientists revealed the double-helix structure of DNA, and climbers first reached the summit of Everest. King Saud succeeded King Abdulaziz that year. A polio vaccine was approved in 1955, and in 1957 the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite, starting the space age.
In April 1953, James Watson and Francis Crick published the double-helix structure of DNA, building on X-ray images made by Rosalind Franklin and Maurice Wilkins. It explained how living things store and copy genetic information.
On 29 May 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first people confirmed to reach the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest mountain.
King Abdulaziz, founder of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, passed away in November 1953. He was succeeded by his son, King Saud, during whose reign education expanded and King Saud University, the Kingdom's first university, was founded in 1957.
In 1955, the polio vaccine developed by Jonas Salk was declared safe and effective, and mass vaccination began. Polio cases fell sharply around the world.
On 4 October 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite. The United States responded by founding NASA in 1958, and the space race began.
In 1957, six European countries signed the Treaty of Rome, creating the European Economic Community, the forerunner of today's European Union. The Korean War, from 1950 to 1953, ended in an armistice.
- 1953
- DNA structure revealed; Everest climbed
- 1953
- King Saud's reign begins
- 1955
- Polio vaccine approved
- 1957
- Sputnik launched; Treaty of Rome
Sources: Britannica · Saudipedia · NASA.