1956

The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan after 57 years.

The International Air Transport Association finalizes a draft of the radiotelephony spelling alphabet, for the International Civil Aviation Organization.

Spain relinquishes its protectorate in Morocco.

The constitutional union between Indonesia and the Netherlands is dissolved.

General Electric/Telechron introduces model 7H241 "The Snooz Alarm", the first snooze alarm clock ever.

The film version of Rodgers and Hammerstein's The King and I, starring Deborah Kerr and Yul Brynner, is released only a few months after the film version of R&H's Carousel. It becomes the most financially successful film version of a Rodgers and Hammerstein musical up to this time, and the only one to win an acting Oscar (Yul Brynner wins Best Actor for his performance as the King of Siam). It is also one of two Rodgers and Hammerstein films to be nominated for Best Picture (which it does not win).

The Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria sinks after colliding with the Swedish ship SS Stockholm in heavy fog 72 kilometers (45 mi) south of Nantucket island, killing 51.

The hard disk drive is invented by an IBM team, led by Reynold B. Johnson.

The prototype Lockheed L-1649 Starliner, the final Lockheed Constellation model, makes its first flight.

Tangier Protocol: The international city Tangier is reintegrated into Morocco.

1956 United States presidential election: Republican incumbent Dwight D. Eisenhower defeats Democratic challenger Adlai Stevenson, in a rematch of their contest 4 years earlier.

The Suez Crisis causes petrol rationing in Britain.