As the jubilee approaches, we take a look at key moments of Elizabeth II's reign - beginning in 1952, the year The Queen came to the throne.
On Wednesday, 6 February 1952, Princess Elizabeth received the news of her father’s death and her own accession to the throne. The Coronation took place almost a year later in Westminster Abbey on 2 June 1953.
In 1952, Britain was emerging from the economic and social after-effects of World War II. Tea rationing and wartime identity cards came to an end as the new monarch signalled the dawn of a new age.
Prime Minister – Winston Churchill
Average House Price - £1,900
Music: Top five selling singles
- ‘ Because You’re Mine’ - Mario Lanza
- ‘You Belong To Me’ - Jo Stafford
- ‘Here in my Heart’ - Al Martino
- ‘Comes A-long-A-love’ - Kay Starr
- ‘Isle of Innisfree’ - Bing Crosby
Other key events worldwide
- Summer Olympics are held in Helsinki, Finland.
- Television debuts in Canada as in Montreal, Quebec airs.
- Republican candidate Dwight D. Eisenhower wins the US Presidential election.
- The first TV detector van is commissioned in Britain, as the beginning of a clampdown on the estimated 150,000 British households which have unlicenced television sets.
- Newcastle United win the FA Cup for a record fifth time. Last year’s winners retain the trophy with a 1-0 win over Arsenal at Wembley Stadium. The only goal of the game is scored by Chilean born forward George Robledo, the first foreigner to score in an FA Cup final.
- A one shilling charge is introduced for prescription drugs dispensed under the National Health Service
- The Manchester Guardian prints news, rather than advertisements, on its front page for the first time.
- NME music magazine publishes the first UK Singles Chart.
