NEWS: 1956

As 1956 begins, it's clear and 23 degrees F at Baltimore's official weather station. The wind is from the west at 5 miles per hour.

Carl Perkins' record "Blue Suede Shoes" is released in the U.S. (It reaches #2 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 chart in March 1956.)

A stampede during a New Year's event at the Yahiko Shrine in Niigata Prefecture, Japan, results in 124 deaths and 77 people injured.

The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends, with Sudan becoming an independent nation after nearly 136 years of union with Egypt and 56 years of British occupation.

Possession of heroin becomes a criminal offense in the United Kingdom.

This year, Ampex introduces the world's first videotape recorders. The first ones sell for $50,000 each (in 1956 dollars).

This year, Eveready introduces a 9-volt rectangular battery it calls "PP3", originally for early hearing aids and smoke detectors. These 9-volt batteries soon find their way into portable ("pocket") transistor radios as well as many other kinds of electronics, and are produced by many different manufacturers. They come to be often known as "transistor" batteries.  The majority of pocket transistor radios produced in the 1960s are powered by these 9-volt batteries.

Christine Lagarde is born Christine Madeleine Odette Lallouette in Paris, France. She is a French politician and lawyer who is the current President of the European Central Bank, a position she has held since November 1, 2019. Prior to this appointment and between July 2011 and September 2019, she was the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Baltimore weather: Clear, High temp. 39 degrees F, Low temp. 18 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

• 42nd Rose Bowl: #2 Michigan State defeats #4 UCLA 17-14.
• 22nd Sugar Bowl: #9 Georgia Tech over #13 Pittsburgh 7-0.
• 22nd Orange Bowl: #1 Oklahoma wins against #3 Maryland 20-6.
• 20th Cotton Bowl Classic: #15 Mississippi beats #7 Texas Christian 14-7.
• 1956 Sun Bowl: Wyoming is victorious over Texas Tech 21-14.
• 1956 Tangerine Bowl: Missouri Valley and Juniata play to a 6-6 tie.
• 1956 Gator Bowl: #19 Vanderbilt defeats #10 Auburn 25-13.

Bill Hartack, a future Hall of Fame horse-racing jockey who won 417 races in 1955, gets off to a great start in 1956 as he rides four winners at Tropical Park Race Track (closed after 1971) in Florida.

The French legislative election, brought forward from June by Edgar Faure using a constitutional sanction, results in a coalition government led by Guy Mollet.

The British coal-carrying ship Citrine sinks off The Lizard, Cornwall, England. One crew member dies; the rest are rescued by lifeboat.

Liberian-registered tanker SS Melody runs aground at Vlissingen in the Netherlands.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy to cloudy, High temp. 37 degrees F, Low temp. 19 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Mel Gibson is born in Peekskill, New York. He's an actor, film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his action hero roles, particularly his breakout role as Max Rockatansky in the first three films of the post-apocalyptic action series Mad Max and as Martin Riggs in the buddy cop film series Lethal Weapon.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then partly cloudy, then cloudy, High temp. 47 degrees F, Low temp. 31 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Ann Magnuson is born in Charleston, West Virginia. She's an actress, performance artist, and nightclub performer. She was described by The New York Times in 1990 as "An endearing theatrical chameleon who has as many characters at her fingertips as Lily Tomlin does."  A founding member of the 1980s band Bongwater, she starred in the ABC sitcom Anything but Love (1989–92). Her film appearances include The Hunger (1983), Making Mr. Right (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1994), Panic Room (2002), and One More Time (2015).

Bernard Sumner is born in Broughton, England. He's an English singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is a founding member of the bands Joy Division, New Order, and Electronic. Sumner was an early force in several areas, including the post-punk, synthpop, and techno music scenes, as well as their various related genres, and was an early influence on the Manchester music scene that presaged the "Madchester" movement of the late 1980s centered on Factory Records and The Haçienda club in Manchester.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, High temp. 44 degrees F, Low temp. 27 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Elvis Presley appears for the first time on U.S. national television, appearing on Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey's program "Stage Show" on CBS.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then cloudy, High temp. 34 degrees F, Low temp. 15 degrees F, Precipitation: None.  One inch of snow on the ground.

The creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, British author A.A. Milne, dies at age 74. He was born on January 18, 1882.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then mostly cloudy, then clear, windy, High temp. 37 degrees F, Low temp. 24 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Total precipitation for Baltimore in January 1956 is 2.49 inches (liquid), including melted snowand ice, below the normal of 3.08 inches.  The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during January 1956 is 39.8 degrees F, below the normal of 43.2 degrees.  The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during January 1956 is 25.5 degrees F, just above the normal of 25.4 degrees.  A total of 7.4 inches of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at Friendship (now BWI) Arport during January 1956, above the normal of 6.4 inches.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy and windy, High temp. 38 degrees F, Low temp. 20 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during February 1956 is 3.38 inches, including melted snow and ice, above the normal amount of 2.90 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during February 1956 is 47.6 degrees F, above the normal of 46.4 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during February 1956 is 29.7 degrees F, above the normal of 26.9 degrees. A total of 0.4 of an inch of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at Friendship (now BWI) Airport during February 1956, well below the normal amount of 7.5 inches.

The Broadway musical "My Fair Lady" opens in New York, NY, at the Mark Hellinger Theatre. (It lasts for 2,717 performances, ending on September 29, 1962. After playing at the Mark Hellinger Theatre, it transfers to the Broadhurst Theatre and finally to the Broadway Theatre.)

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, High temp. 41 degrees F, Low temp. 34 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Baltimore weather: Variably cloudy, windy at times, High temp. 37 degrees F, Low temp. 25 degrees F, Precipitation: None.  A trace of snow on the ground.

A snowstorm in the northern Mid-Atlantic states and New England began the immediately previous day and ends today, with strong winds and heavy drifting in many areas. This heavy drifting effectively closes roads and highways as well as many railroads, bringing surface travel to a halt in this area.

The Baltimore region gets 5 to 10 inches of snow, with amounts increasing toward the northeast.

Friendship International Airport (renamed Baltimore-Washington Internatioal Airport in 1973) gets 5.4 inches of snow, the greatest snowfall in one day at the airport in 1956.

New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and southern New England generally get 12 to 16 inches of snow, with 18 inches being reported in Newark, New Jersey.

Baltimore weather: Snow (5.4 inches) from mid-morning onward, windy, High temp. 32 degrees F, Low temp. 26 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.46 inches (liquid).  6 inches of snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then a snow shower in the morning (0.2"), then rain showers in late evening, High temp. 41 degrees F, Low temp. 32 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.08 inch (liquid).  A trace of snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather: Mostly cloudy and windy, High temp. 47 degrees F, Low temp. 33 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Total precipitation in Baltimore in March 1956 is 4.11 inches (liquid), including melted ice and snow.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during March 1956 is 4.11 inches, including melted snow and ice, above the normal amount of 4.01 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during March 1956 is 50.3 degrees F, below the normal of 54.8 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during March 1956 is 31.0 degrees F, below the normal of 33.9 degrees. A total of 7.8 inches of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at Friendship (now BWI) Airport during March 1956, well above the normal amount of 2.8 inches.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 30 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any April 25th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then increasing cloudiness and becoming windy, light rain, High temp. 55 degrees F, Low temp. 30 degrees F, Precipitation: Trace.

Baltimore weather: A light rain shower in the early morning; cloudy to partly cloudy; breezy from mid-morning onward; High temp. 77 degrees F, Low temp. 53 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.04 inch.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during April 1956 is 2.18 inches, below the normal amount of 3.39 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during April 1956 is 62.7 degrees F, below the normal of 66.5 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during April 1956 is 40.5 degrees F, below the normal of 43.6 degrees.

Carl Erskine of the Brooklyn Dodgers pitches a 3-0 no-hitter against the New York Giants.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy with light rain, then mostly cloudy; breezy until evening; High temp. 80 degrees F, Low temp. 55 degrees F, Precipitation: Trace.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 95 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any May 14th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy, breezy, High temp. 95 degrees F, Low temp. 65 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Bob Saget is born Robert Lane Saget in Phiadelphia, PA. He became a stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. His acting roles included Danny Tanner on the ABC sitcom Full House (1987–1995), its Netflix sequel Fuller House (2016–2020), and the voice of narrator Ted Mosby on the CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother (2005–2014). From 1989 to 1997, he was the original host of America's Funniest Home Videos. He died at age 65 on January 9, 2022 near Orlando, Florida.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 33 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any May 17th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then increasing cloudiness, light rain showers in the afternoon and evening, High temp. 56 degrees F, Low temp. 33 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.03 inch.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 38 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any May 25th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then partly cloudy, breezy in the evening, High temp. 62 degrees F, Low temp. 38 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Frank Corder is born in Perry Point, Maryland. He gains notoriety for piloting and crashing a stolen Cessna airplane onto the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C., on September 12, 1994. He is killed in the crash at age 38.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy to mostly cloudy; windy in the evening; High temp. 71 degrees F, Low temp. 45 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then becoming mostly cloudy to cloudy; a thunderstorm in the early evening, High temp. 90 degrees F, Low temp. 65 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.46 inch.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during May 1956 is 2.38 inches, below the normal amount of 3.85 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during May 1956 is 73.2 degrees F, below the normal of 75.5 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during May 1956 is 49.4 degrees F, below the normal of 53.3 degrees.

The high temperature in Baltimore reaches 97 degrees F, the highest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any June 13th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Clear then partly cloudy then cloudy, High temp. 97 degrees F, Low temp. 65 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 52 degrees F, a tie for the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any June 20th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This record was first set on June 20, 1954, and will be tied again on June 20, 2005.

Baltimore weather: Mostly cloudy to cloudy, a light rain shower in the early evening, High temp. 67 degrees F, Low temp. 52 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.02 inch.

Two passenger airliners collide over the Grand Canyon in Arizona. Both planes crash into the canyon, killing all 128 people on board the two planes. It is the deadliest commercial airplane accident, up to this point.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then partly clouy; breezy in the afternoon; High temp. 85 degrees F, Low temp. 58 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during June 1956 is 2.11 inches, below the normal amount of 3.98 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during June 1956 is 82.4 degrees F, below the normal of 84.4 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during June 1956 is 61.4 degrees F, below the normal of 62.6 degrees.

Unionville, Maryland, receives 1.23 inches of rainfall in one minute, the heaviest one-minute rainfall ever in the United States.

Baltimore weather: Mostly cloudy to cloudy; light rain showers in the afternoon; thunderstorm and breezy late in the evening; High temp. 85 degrees F, Low temp. 71 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.72 inch.

In the 1956 Major League Baseball All Star Game, the National League defeats the American League 7-3. Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Ted Williams, and Mickey Mantle hit home runs. The game is played at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., and the attendance is 28,843.

Baltimore weather: Variable cloudiness; breezy in the afternoon and evening; High temp. 81 degrees F, Low temp. 65 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Baltimore receives 4.26 inches of precipitation, the most precipitation for Baltimore on any July 20th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy, then cloudy; breezy in the afternoon and evening; showers in the evening, then heavy rain late in the evening; High temp. 77 degrees F, Low temp. 67 degrees F, Precipitation: 4.26 inches.

The Andrea Doria, an Italian passenger ship, collides with another ship, the Stockholm (which survives the collision), and begins to sink in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nantucket, Rhode Island.

Baltimore weather: Fog in the morning; variable cloudiness; High temp. 84 degrees F, Low temp. 62 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The Andrea Doria, an Italian passenger ship, sinks in the Atlantic Ocean off Nantucket, Rhode Island, after colliding with another ship, the Stockholm, the previous evening. Although 46 out of the 1,660 passengers and crew die in the collision, the Andrea Doria is completely empty of people when it capsizes eleven hours after the collision.

Baltimore weather: Variable cloudiness; High temp. 89 degrees F, Low temp. 68 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a measure making "In God We Trust" the national motto, replacing "E Pluribus Unum."

Baltimore weather: Clear to partly cloudy; High temp. 76 degrees F, Low temp. 57 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 54 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any July 31st (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Clear, becoming mostly cloudy; High temp. 81 degrees F, Low temp. 54 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Total precipitation in Baltimore in July 1956 is 7.06 inches, about double the normal amount for July.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during July 1956 is 7.06 inches, well above the normal amount of 4.48 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during July 1956 is 83.7 degrees F, well below the normal of 88.8 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during July 1956 is 65.6 degrees F, below the normal of 67.7 degrees.

The songs "Don't Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog", a two-sided hit record by Elvis Presley, hit Number 1 nationally on Billboard magazine's Top 100 chart and they stay at Number 1 for 11 weeks.

Baltimore weather: Clear, becoming mostly cloudy; breezy in the afternoon; High temp. 95 degrees F, Low temp. 68 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 52 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any August 22nd (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, becoming clear, then partly cloudy, High temp. 75 degrees F, Low temp. 52 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then mostly cloudy, High temp. 91 degrees F, Low temp. 71 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during August 1956 is 1.81 inches, below the normal amount of 4.09 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during August 1956 is 84.2 degrees F, below the normal of 86.5 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during August 1956 is 64.2 degrees F, below the normal of 65.8 degrees.

Elvis Presley makes the first of his three appearances on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on the CBS television network.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then partly cloudy, then clear; High temp. 667degrees F, Low temp. 49 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 41 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any September 10th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then partly cloudy, then mostly cloudy, High temp. 70 degrees F, Low temp. 41 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then variable cloudiness; breezy in the afternoon and evening; a rain shower in the late evening, High temp. 71 degrees F, Low temp. 46 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.11 inch.

The Orioles have a scheduled day off at home. Orioles manager Paul Richards cancels a scheduled team workout at Memorial Stadiun because of gusty winds that begin around noon.  Orioles catcher Tom Gastall, faced with an unexpected free afternoon, decides to pilot his small airplane, taking off from Baltimore Municipal Airport, also known as Harbor Field. (See immediately below.)

A small plane crashes into Chesapeake Bay near Riviera Beach, Maryland, killing the plane's sole occupant: 24-year-old pilot Tom Gastall.  Just before crashing, he sends a distress message via radio: "I'm going down into the water." At the time of the crash, Tom was a catcher for the Orioles. (No trace of the airplane's wreckage is ever found, but Tom's body is discovered washed ashore at Riviera Beach on September 25, 1956.)

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 42 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any September 20th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Rain showers in the early morning; then decreasing cloudiness; windy in the late morning and afternoon; High temp. 64 degrees F, Low temp. 42 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.12 inch.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 37 degrees F, the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any September 21st (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Clear with a few clouds, High temp. 64 degrees F, Low temp. 37 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The first trans-Atlantic telephone cable, TAT-1, officially goes into service. It runs between Gallanach Bay, near Oban, Scotland, and Clarenville, Newfoundland, Canada. It initially carries 36 telephone channels. The inaugural conversation is a ceremonial one between people in New York, Ottawa, and London. (In the cable's first 24 hours of public service, there are 588 London–U.S. calls and 119 from London to Canada. The capacity of the cable is soon increased to 48 channels.)

In their final home game of 1956, the Orioles defeat the New York Yankees, 1-0.

Baltimore weather: Mostly cloudy to cloudy, High temp. 71 degrees F, Low temp. 49 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The Orioles have the day off.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy to mostly cloudy; light rain; windy with increasing winds (29 mph gusts in evening), High temp. 63 degrees F, Low temp. 52 degrees F, Precipitation: Trace.

The Orioles at Senators game is postponed by rain.

Baltimore weather: Rain nearly all day; windy all day (gust to 30 mph at 2:00 AM), High temp. 55 degrees F, Low temp. 45 degrees F, Precipitation: 1.60 inches.

The Orioles lose to the Washngton Senators in Washington, 7-1.

Baltimore weather: Rain showers in the morning, then cloudy; breezy until early afternoon; High temp. 56 degrees F, Low temp. 52 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.18 inch.

The final 1956 Major League Baseball standings are:

American League final standings

National League final standings

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, High temp. 64 degrees F, Low temp. 53 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The Orioles win both games of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators, 4-2 and 6-3.

The Orioles' rightfielder Joe Frazier hits a home run in his last major-league at-bat as the Orioles defeat the Washington Senators in the second game of a doubleheader, 6-3. Frazier had 10 home runs in his major-league career.

Deborah Lea Baranski is born.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then clearing; High temp. 73 degrees F, Low temp. 58 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Total precipitation in Baltimore in September 1956 is 3.42 inches.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during September 1956 is 3.42 inches, below the normal amount of 4.44 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during September 1956 is 75.2 degrees F, below the normal of 79.7 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during September 1956 is 55.8 degrees F, below the normal of 58.8 degrees.

New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen pitches a perfect game in Game 5 of the World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, in a 2-0 victory. It is only the fourth perfect game since 1900 (up to this point) and sixth in the history of Major League Baseball (up to this point). To date it remains the only perfect game in baseball post-season history, and it was also the only no-hitter in the World Series until the Houston Astros pitched a 4-pitcher no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on November 2, 2022. (Don Larsen had a 3-21 win-loss record while pitching for the Orioles in 1954.)

Baltimore weather: Clear, High temp. 69 degrees F, Low temp. 40 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The Dodgers bounce back. Brooklyn's Clem Labine comes out of the bullpen to pitch a 1-0 victory for the Dodgers in Game 6 of the World Series. Yankee Enos Slaughter misjudges Jackie Robinson's fly ball, and Jim Gilliam scores from second base; it turns out to be Robinson's last major league hit. The series is tied at 3 games apiece.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then partly cloudy, then clear, High temp. 69 degrees F, Low temp. 45 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The New York Yankees defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 9-0, in Game 7 of the World Series to win their seventeenth World Series championship, four games to three. Johnny Kucks goes the distance in the victory, allowing only three hits. Yogi Berra hits a pair of 2-run home runs and Bill Skowron hits a grand slam. Don Newcombe takes the loss, his fourth in Series competition. It was the last World Series game played at Brooklyn's Ebbets Field. Yankees pitcher Don Larsen is named World Series Most Valuable Player.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then partly cloudy, then clear, High temp. 58 degrees F, Low temp. 38 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The Maryland State Teachers Association (MSTA) wraps up its 3-day annual convention. This year, the convention is being held at the Lord Baltimore Hotel in Baltimore. On this day, Miss Violet Davis of Street, Maryland, who is the elementary supervisor in the Harford County Public Schools, is elected the new President of the MSTA.

In college football, the University of Maryland loses 34-6 to the University of North Carolina.

A series of squalls, accompanied by hail, hit the Houston and Galveston Bay area of Texas this evening, causing at least two dozen boats to capsize or to be overdue. Two persons are drowned and several dozen more are unaccounted for. Thirteen persons are rescued from the water and from perches on buoys, docks, and jetties.

On a day with clear-blue skies, construction workers compact some of the cables and place temporary bands along them on the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. This is the last day of construction on the bridge for this year. (Construction of the bridge began on May 7, 1954, and it was opened to traffic on November 1, 1957. The bridge spans the Straits of Mackinac to connect the Upper Peninsula with the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.)

Danny Boyle is born in Radcliffe, United Kingdom.  He becomes a film director, co-directing "Slumdog Millionaire" (2008). He also is known for his work on films including Shallow Grave, Trainspotting and its sequel T2 Trainspotting, The Beach, 28 Days Later, Sunshine, 127 Hours, Steve Jobs, and Yesterday.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then partly cloudy, then cloudy. High temp. 62 degress F, low temp. 43 degrees F. Precip.: None.

Carrie Fisher, an actress, screenwriter and novelist, is born.  She played Princess Leia in the first three Star Wars films. She wrote the novel "Postcards from the Edge." She was the daughter of singer Eddie Fisher and actress Debbie Reynolds. She was married to singer Paul Simon, 1983-1984. She died at age 60 on December 27, 2016, in Los Angeles, California.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy;light rain late in the evening; High temp. 64 degrees F, Low temp. 52 degrees F, Precipitation: Trace.

Baltimore receives 2.04 inches of precipitation, the most in Baltimore on any October 22nd (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871.

Baltimore weather: Rain all day, heavy at midday, High temp. 66 degrees F, Low temp. 59 degrees F, Precipitation: 2.04 inches.

The nightly news program "The Huntley-Brinkey Report" begins on the NBC television network. It features news anchors Chet Huntley reporting from New York, NY, and David Brinkley reporting from Washington, D.C. (The show lasts until July 31, 1970.)

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, High temp. 63 degrees F, Low temp. 50 degrees F, Precipitation: None

Baltimore weather: Light rain showers after midnight and in the morning, then heavy rain shower at midday, then mostly cloudy, High temp. 71 degrees F, Low temp. 62 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.43 inch.

Total precipitation in Baltimore in October 1956 is 4.65 inches.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during October 1956 is 4.65 inches, abovethe normal amount of 3.94 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during October 1956 is 66.8 degrees F, below the normal of 68.3 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during October 1956 is 49.1 degrees F, above the normal of 46.5 degrees.

Carol Ann Beninghove is born.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy; rain in the evening, heavy at times; High temp. 68 degrees F, Low temp. 62 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.96 inch.

In the 1956 general election, incumbent U.S. President Dwight D. EIsenhower, a Republican, is re-elected President of the United States. U.S. Vice President Richard M. Nixon is re-elected vice president on the same ticket. Eisenhower defeats Adlai Stevenson II, a Democrat, 57.37 percent to 41.97 percent. Other candidates together get less than 1 percent of the vote. It's the only time in Maryland history when a U.S. presidential candidate carries all Maryland counties plus the City of Baltimore in a general election.

In the 1956 general election, incumbent Republican Maryland U.S. Senator John Marshall Butler is re-elected to a second term in office, defeating Democratic challenger George P. Mahoney, 52.96 percent to 47.04 percent.

In the 1956 general election, a new charter for Baltimore County is approved by voters. Among other things, this charter changes the form of Baltimore County government from a board of commissioners headed by the president of the board of commissioners, to a county council headed by a county executive. The new charter states that the incumbent President of the Board of Commissioners of Baltimore County, Michael J. Birmingham, shall become the first Baltimore County Executive one month after approval of the charter (on December 6, 1956).

Baltimore weather: Clear; a few clouds in the morning; High temp. 67 degrees F, Low temp. 38 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 17 degrees F, a tie for the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any November 24th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This low temperature ties the 17 F recorded in Baltimore on November 24, 1880.

Baltimore weather: Clear, then variable cloudiness, High temp. 33 degrees F, Low temp. 17 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

Snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at Friendship (now BWI) Airport for the first time this snow season.

The low temperature in Baltimore reaches 18 degrees F, a tie for the lowest temperature ever recorded for Baltimore on any November 25th (up to this point) since recordkeeping began in 1871. This low temperature ties the 18 F recorded in Baltimore on November 25, 1950.

Baltimore weather: Partly cloudy to cloudy, light rain shower with a trace of snow in the afternoon, High temp. 37 degrees F, Low temp. 18 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.01 inch (liquid).  No snow on the ground.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, becoming clear; breezy in the afternoon; High temp. 39 degrees F, Low temp. 27 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during November 1956 is 2.69 inches, including melted snow and ice, below the normal amount of 3.13 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during November 1956 is 56.9 degrees F, below the normal of 57.3 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during November 1957 is 35.7 degrees F, below the normal of 36.5 degrees. A trace of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at Friendship (now BWI) Airport during November 1956, below the normal amount of 0.1 of an inch.

Michael J. Birmingham becomes the first Baltimore County Executive. (Prior to this time, the head of Baltimore County government was known as the President of the Board of Commissioners. Michael J. Birmingham was this President at the time the new Baltimore County Charter was approved by voters in the general election of November 6, 1956. The Charter itself named the incumbent President of the Baltimore County Board of Commissioners as first Baltimore County Executive. So by approving the new county charter, Baltimore County voters approved Mr. Birmingham to be the first Baltimore County Executive without voting for him directly.)

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then clearing; High temp. 65 degrees F, Low temp. 44 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The Montgomery (Alabama) Bus Boycott ends as the U.S. Supreme Court declares illegal the Alabama and Montgomery laws that specify racial segregation on buses. The boycott began on December 5, 1955.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy; rain showers in the evening; High temp. 62 degrees F, Low temp. 34 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.17 inch.

The transit system of Montgomery, Alabama, becomes legally racially integrated.  Rosa Parks rides on a Montgomery bus.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy; a light rain shower in the evening; High temp. 61 degrees F, Low temp. 44 degrees F, Precipitation: 0.01 inch.

In college football's Gator Bowl, #4 Georgia Tech defeats #12 Pittsburgh 21-14.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then variably cloudy; snow flurries; windy from mid-morning onward; High temp. 40 degrees F, Low temp. 27 degrees F, Precipitation: Trace (liquid).  No snow on the ground.

The NBC television network re-launches the game show "Truth or Consequences," this time a daytime version hosted by Bob Barker, about three months after the end of the nighttime version. (This daytime version runs until September 24, 1965.)

The U.S. economy grows modestly in 1956, but the economy shrinks slightly during the first and third quarters of the year, while the second and fourth quarters have moderate growth. The U.S. Gross Domestic Product increases about 2 percent in 1956.

Baltimore weather: Cloudy, then clearing; breezy/windy much of the day; High temp. 54 degrees F, Low temp. 22 degrees F, Precipitation: None.

The total precipitation for Baltimore during December 1956 is 3.22 inches, including melted snow and ice, below the normal amount of 3.71 inches. The average daily high temperature for Baltimore during December 1956 is 52.1 degrees F,  well above the normal of 47.5 degrees. The average daily low temperature for Baltimore during December 1956 is 35.0 degrees F, well above the normal of 29.6 degrees. A total of 0.2 of an inch of snow falls at Baltimore's official weather station at Friendship (now BWI) Airport during December 1956, below the normal amount of 2.5 inches.

Total precipitation for Baltimore in 1956 is 39.50 inches, which is 3.17 inches below the normal amount of 42.67 inches.