The Eurovision Song Contest was first held in Lugano, Switzerland, with seven countries taking part, and Switzerland's Lys Assia won the first title. The idea came from the European Broadcasting Union, which wanted to test the possibilities of live international television broadcasting, and it was inspired by the Italian Sanremo festival. Each country submits an original song, and winners are chosen by juries and, later, by a public vote. The contest has become an annual event watched by millions and has launched international careers, notably ABBA, who won in 1974 with Waterloo, and Celine Dion, who won for Switzerland in 1988. The number of participating countries has grown to more than thirty.
Before and after
- 16 November 1955Birth of Guillermo Lasso
- from 1 December 1955 to 20 December 1956Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat
- 28 December 1955Birth of Liu Xiaobo
- 1956Founding of United Nations peacekeeping
- 1956Premiere of Eurovision Song Contest
- 1956Founding of Paris Club
- 1 January 1956Birth of Christine Lagarde
- 1956Founding of International Finance Corporation
- 3 January 1956Birth of Mel Gibson
More in Art, literature & culture
- 17 August 1945Publication of Animal Farm
- 1949Publication of Nineteen Eighty-Four
- c. 1950sRise of pop art
- 1955Publication of Guinness World Records
- from 31 March 1997 to 11 November 2022Premiere of Teletubbies
- 2004Construction of Cam Ranh International Airport
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 20th century.