1950
Korean War begins
At dawn North Korean tanks rolled across the thirty-eighth parallel and drove south.
McCarthy's Wheeling speech
Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin waved a piece of paper at a Republican women's luncheon and claimed to have the names of two hundred and five Communists…
Population explosion begins
Global population passed two point five billion.
China enters Korean War
As American forces pushed toward the Yalu River, three hundred thousand Chinese People's Volunteers crossed into Korea at night and surprised General MacArthur.
China invades Tibet
Thirty thousand People's Liberation Army troops crossed the Yangtze and overwhelmed Tibet's small, poorly armed forces in a campaign Beijing called a peaceful…
MacArthur lands at Inchon
In a daring amphibious assault behind North Korean lines, American forces under Douglas MacArthur landed at Inchon, outflanking the North Koreans and cutting…
Want 1950 in context? Print the whole 20th century as a one-sheet timeline chart.
Frequently asked
What happened in the year 1950?
Saeculum lists 6 events from 1950. The most significant is Korean War begins: At dawn North Korean tanks rolled across the thirty-eighth parallel and drove south. Within days they had Seoul.
What era was 1950 part of?
1950 falls within the Modern Era (1901-2000). World wars, cold war, and the splitting of the atom.
Which regions saw notable events in 1950?
The events from 1950 span East Asia, North America and Oceania.