1950
Centuries: 19th century - 20th century - 21st century
Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s - 1950s - 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
Years: 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 - 1950 - 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955
Events
- January 6 - The United Kingdom recognizes the Peoples Republic of China.
- January 17 - The Great Brinks Robbery - 11 thieves steal more than $2 million from a armored car in Boston, Massachusetts
- January 21 - Alger Hiss is convicted of perjury
- January 23 - The Knesset passes a resolution that states Jerusalem is the capital of Israel.
- January 26 - India promulgates its constitution forming a republic and Rajendra Prasad is sworn in as its first president.
- January 31 - President Harry S Truman announces a program to develop the hydrogen bomb.
- June 25 - beginning of Korean War
- December 28 - The Peak District becomes Great Britain's first National Park.
Art, Culture & Fashion
- 1950 in film
- All About Eve
- Father of the Bride
- John Ford's Rio Grande starring John Wayne
- Harvey starring Jimmy Stewart
- 1950 in literature
- The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe By C. S. Lewis
- Florence Nightingale by Cecil Woodham-Smith
- Parade's End by Ford Madox Ford
- The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
- The Liberal Imagination by Lionel Trilling
- 1950 in music
- January 3 - Sam Phillips opened Sun Records
- 1950 in sports
- Uruguay wins Football World Cup in Brazil
- British Empire Games held in Auckland, New Zealand
- 1950 in television
- February 2 - What's My Line debuts on CBS.
- February 25 - Your Show of Shows premieres on NBC.
- July 10 - Your Hit Parade premieres on NBC.
- October 10 - The FCC approves CBS color TV system, effective Nov. 20.
- The Burns and Allen Show
- Truth or Consequences
- The number of homes in the U.S. that own a television set reaches the one million mark.
Births
- January 16 - Debbie Allen, actress, dancer, choreographer
- January 21 - Billy Ocean, musician
- February 2 - Barbara Sukowa, actress
- February 3 - Morgan Fairchild, actress
- February 11 -
- Earnest Jim Istook, US-American politician
- Johanna E. Beerens, actress
- Rochelle Fleming, soul music vocalist
- May 18 - Mark Mothersbaugh, composer & musician
- August 15 - Anne Elizabeth Alice Windsor, daughter of Queen Elizabeth II
- September 28 - John Sayles director, screenwriter
- October 31 - John Candy, comedian and actor
- December 1 - Keith Thibodeaux, drummer and actor ("Little Ricky" on I Love Lucy)
- December 13 - Tom Vilsack Iowa Governor
Deaths
- January 3 - Emil Jannings, actor
- January 21 - George Orwell, writer
- January 23 - Richard Dean Anderson, actor
- March 19 - Edgar Rice Burroughs, author
- April 8 - Vaslav Nijinsky, ballet dancer
- December 5 - Shri Aurobindo, guru