360What happened in 1952?
6 moments from 1952 on 360n60, each told in 60 words or fewer.
- On this day · 6 February 1952
Elizabeth II becomes Queen
On 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth became Queen of the United Kingdom on the death of her father, King George VI, while she was visiting Kenya. She was 25. She reigned for 70 years, until 2022, the longest reign in British history.
- On this day · 2 May 1952
The first jet airliner passenger service
On 2 May 1952, a de Havilland Comet of the British airline BOAC took off from London for Johannesburg, the world's first scheduled passenger service by jet airliner. Jets flew higher, faster and more smoothly than propeller planes, and soon transformed long-distance travel.
- On this day · 25 November 1952
The Mousetrap opens in London
On 25 November 1952, Agatha Christie's murder mystery play The Mousetrap opened in London's West End. It has run ever since, apart from a pause during the pandemic, making it the longest-running play in the world. Audiences are asked to keep the ending secret.
- On this day · 5 December 1952
The Great Smog of London begins
On 5 December 1952, cold, still weather trapped smoke from coal fires over London, creating a thick, poisonous smog that lasted five days. Thousands of people died from its effects. The disaster led to Britain's Clean Air Act of 1956, an important early law against air pollution.
- 1952 · from The Salk polio vaccine is declared safe and effective
A severe polio epidemic in the United States
- May 1952 · from The structure of DNA is revealed
Franklin's team records Photo 51