January: Hamilton Watch Company introduces the world's first electric watch. The Hamilton Electric 500 is available in a variety of styles.

February: "Toddlers' Truce" a TV closedown between 6pm & 7pm to help parents get children to bed is abolished in the UK.

March: Elvis Presley, aged 22, buys Graceland on 3734 Bellevue Boulevard (Highway 51 South) for $100,000.

April: The Sky at Night is first broadcast. It was presented by Patrick Moore until his death in 2012, making it a record breaker.

May: Anne Frank Foundation founded to prevent demolition of Amsterdam house she hid in during German occupation.

June: Jimmy Dorsey, known as "JD", dies aged 53. He was a clarinetist, saxophonist, trumpeter, composer & big band leader.

July: John Glenn flies an F8U supersonic jet from California to New York in a record breaking 3 hours & 23 minutes.

August: Juan Manuel Fangio, driving for Maserati, wins his 5th world drivers championship at the Formula One German Grand Prix.

September: 101st Airborne Division of the United States Army escort African-American students ar Little Rock Central High.

October: The Space Age is kickstarted when the Soviet Union launch Sputnik 1, the first artificial satellite to orbit the Earth.

November: The Soviet Union launch Sputnik 2, on board is a dog named Laika, making her the first animal to orbit the Earth.

December: The Boeing 707 airliner makes its maiden flight. This heralds a brand new chapter in commercial aviation history.