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

Churchill

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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.