Contemporary
Death of Joseph Stalin (1953): The Power Struggle That Followed
Stalin died of a stroke; a collective leadership replaced him, Beria was arrested and executed, and Khrushchev emerged as the dominant leader.
Region
Asia
Contemporary
First Taiwan Strait Crisis (1954–1955): Shelling of Quemoy
The People's Republic of China took Yijiangshan and the Tachen Islands, the US signed a defence treaty with Taiwan, and the shelling ended in spring 1955.
Contemporary
Battle of Dien Bien Phu 1954: France's Defeat in Indochina
Decisive Viet Minh victory; the French garrison surrendered and the Geneva Accords ended French rule in Indochina.
Contemporary
Vietnam War (1955–1975): Causes, Course and Consequences
North Vietnam and the Viet Cong won; Saigon fell on 30 April 1975 and Vietnam was reunified under communist rule in 1976.
Contemporary
Bandung Conference 1955: Asia and Africa Meet after Empire
The 29 participating states adopted a final communiqué with ten principles on peace and cooperation, a landmark for decolonisation and non-alignment.
Contemporary
Hundred Flowers Campaign 1956-1957: Mao Invites Criticism
A brief burst of free criticism was followed by the Anti-Rightist Campaign, in which more than 550,000 people were labelled rightists.
Contemporary
Minamata Disease (1956): Industrial Mercury Poisoning in Japan
Thousands were poisoned; the Japanese government recognised the cause only in 1968, and the disaster inspired the global Minamata Convention on Mercury of 2013.
Contemporary
Laika and Sputnik 2 (1957): The First Animal in Orbit
Laika became the first animal to orbit Earth, showing that a living creature could survive launch and weightlessness, but she died within hours from overheating.
Contemporary
Sputnik 1 (1957): The First Satellite and the Space Race
The Soviet Union placed the first artificial satellite in orbit, shocking the West and launching the Space Race between the USSR and the United States.
Contemporary
Great Leap Forward 1958-1962: Mao's Campaign and the Great Famine
The campaign failed and led to the Great Chinese Famine of 1959–1961, with most estimates of excess deaths between 15 and 55 million.
Contemporary
Ho Chi Minh Trail: North Vietnam's Supply Route Through Laos
Despite years of heavy US bombing, the network kept supplying communist forces and made possible the final North Vietnamese offensive of 1975.
Contemporary
1959 Tibetan Uprising: Revolt in Lhasa and the Dalai Lama's Exile
The uprising was suppressed by the People's Liberation Army; the Dalai Lama fled to India and the traditional Tibetan government was dissolved.