Year 1951: Fun Facts, Trivia, and History

This quick read presents a collection of fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1951. Discover the year’s top news stories, most influential people, sports facts, historic firsts, entertainment trivia, and much more.

Take a journey through history in just minutes.

1. In 1951, Harry Truman was the 33rd president of the United States, and Alben Barkley was the nation’s vice president.
2. The 81st Congress was in session until January 4. On that day, the 82nd Congress convened.
3. In 1951, Americans were buying houses in the suburbs and were also busy purchasing new cars, televisions, and refrigerators. Consumerism was on the rise, and Americans were enjoying “a standard of living that no other country could approach.”
4. Unemployment dipped to 3.3%, inflation was 7.88%, and the average annual household income in the U.S. was $3,510.
5. The average cost of a new home was $9,000, the average price for a new car was $1,500, and a gallon of gas averaged 19 cents.
6. On January 27, nuclear testing officially began at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) with the detonation of Shot Able, “a 1-kiloton bomb.”
7. On February 1, the temperature plunged to -50°F in Gavilan, New Mexico, setting a state record.
8. On February 2, the temperature fell to -35°F in Greensburg, Indiana, setting a state record until 1994.
9. On February 6, a Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train derailed near Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, killing 85 people and injuring over 500. It was one of the worst rail disasters in American history.
10. On February 16, New York City passed a bill prohibiting racism in city-assisted housing.
11. On February 16, the dome of San Francisco’s City Hall caught fire. FreeEngineering.com explains that sparks from a coppersmith’s acetylene torch ignited the interior wooden supports of the copper dome sheath. Thankfully, “fast and effective work” by the San Francisco Fire Department held the damage to the dome at approximately $10,000.
12. On February 21, Robert O. Peterson founded the Jack in the Box fast food restaurant chain in San Diego, California.
13. The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution was ratified. AnnenbergClassroom.org explains that “Passed by Congress in 1947 and ratified by the states on February 27, 1951, the Twenty-Second Amendment limits an elected president to two terms in office, a total of eight years. If more than two years remain of the term when the successor assumes office, the new president may serve only one additional term.”
14. On March 19, there were 2,900,000 American soldiers in Korea.
15. On March 29, American citizens Julius and Ethel Rosenberg “were convicted and sentenced to death for conspiracy to commit espionage for the Soviet Union.”
16. On March 29, at the 23rd Academy Awards—which honored the best films of 1950—All About Eve won an Oscar for Best Picture, Jose Ferrer (Cyrano de Bergerac) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Judy Holliday (Born Yesterday) won an Oscar for Best Actress. Joseph L. Mankiewicz (All About Eve) won an Oscar for Best Director, and All About Eve won an Oscar for Best Screenplay. Finally, Sunset Boulevard won an Oscar for Best Story and Screenplay, and Mona Lisa (Captain Carey, U.S.A.) won an Oscar for Best Original Song.
17. On May 16, the first regularly scheduled transatlantic flights between Idlewild Airport (New York) and Heathrow Airport (London) began, courtesy of El Al Airlines. (You might want to know that Idlewild Airport was renamed John F. Kennedy International Airport in 1963 as a tribute to the former president.)
18. In June, the first S&H Green (trading) Stamps were given out at King Soopers, a Denver, Colorado, grocery store chain. The popularity of trading stamps was overwhelming, and S&H Green Stamps soon had many competitors across America, including Greenbax Stamps (offered by Piggly Wiggly), Triple S Stamps (offered by Grand Union), Plaid Stamps (offered by A&P), Top Value Stamps (offered by Kroger), and Eagle Stamps (offered by several divisions of the May Department Stores Company).
19. On June 11, the New York Times reported that the New York subway system would auction off all “found property.”
20. Between June 15 and July 1, fires destroyed thousands of acres of forests in Arizona, British Columbia, California, New Mexico, Oregon, and Washington.
21. On July 10, armistice talks to end the Korean conflict began at Kaesong, North Korea.
22. On August 11, the Mississippi River flooded thousands of acres in Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, and Oklahoma.
23. On August 11, WCBS in New York City aired the first televised MLB game in color. (The Boston Braves beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 8-1.)
24. On September 11, Florence Chadwick became the first woman to swim across the English Channel from England to France. It took 16 hours and 19 minutes.
25. On September 29, NBC aired the first live sporting event that was broadcast coast-to-coast—a college football game between Duke University and the University of Pittsburgh.
26. On October 4, Shoppers World, one of the first shopping malls in the United States, opened in Framingham, Massachusetts.
27. On October 24, President Truman declared an official end to the war with Germany.
28. On October 25, peace talks on ending the Korean War resumed in Panmunjom, South Korea.
29. On October 26, Winston Churchill was re-elected as the British prime minister.
30. On November 10, direct-dial, coast-to-coast telephone service in the U.S. began.
31. On December 31, the Marshall Plan expired after having distributed more than $13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Europe.
32. In a survey conducted with the U.S. armed forces in 1951, banana cream pie was voted the favorite dessert. In another survey conducted that year by the New York Bartenders' Union, Local 15, the three most popular alcoholic beverages were manhattans, martinis, and daiquiris.
33. In 1951, the sitcom I Love Lucy premiered on CBS-TV and ran for six seasons. Other popular shows that debuted in 1951 were Dragnet (NBC), the Hallmark Hall of Fame (CBS, NBC, ABC, and PBS), Search for Tomorrow (CBS), and Love of Life (CBS).
34. Best-selling fiction book: From Here to Eternity by James Jones
35. Most popular films: Quo Vadis?, David and Bathsheba, and Show Boat
36. In 1951, beloved music artists and groups included the Ames Brothers, the Dominoes, the Four Aces, Frank Sinatra, and Frankie Laine.
37. Popular songs: Too Young (Nat King Cole), Because of You (Tony Bennett), and How High the Moon (Les Paul & Mary Ford)
38. Here are some sports facts from 1951: The Los Angeles Rams were the NFL champions, the Toronto Maple Leafs were the Stanley Cup champs, and the New York Yankees won their 14th World Series. In addition, Joe DiMaggio announced his retirement from baseball.

References:

1. https://www.foodreference.com/html/html/yearonlytimeline-1951-1975.html
2. https://www.onthisday.com/events/date/1951
3. https://www.metv.com/lists/17-slang-terms-from-the-1950s-we-want-everyone-to-start-using-again
4. https://fiftiesweb.com/pop/1950s-slang/
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1951_in_the_United_States
6. https://www.merriam-webster.com/time-traveler/1951

Disclaimer: In writing and editing this article, Gregory DeVictor has made every effort to ensure historical accuracy and not to mislead his audience. In addition, the contents of this article, including text, graphics, and captions, are for general informational purposes only.

© 2026 Gregory DeVictor