Look Back To 1951: What Happened That Year

The Festival of Britain, a Conservative return and still no singles chart.

Here's 1951 in full - the music, the news, the screen, the sport and the ordinary details. Good for a birthday card, a party quiz round or a reminiscence session.

Popular music in 1951

• Popularity was still measured by sheet music, with no record chart until the following year.
• 'Too Young' and 'Because of You' were among the year's most-heard songs.
• The Goon Show began on radio in May and changed British comedy.

In the news in 1951

• The Festival of Britain opened on the South Bank in May, with the Skylon and the Dome of Discovery.
• Winston Churchill returned as Prime Minister after the October general election.
• Rationing of most foods continued.

On screen in 1951

• The Lavender Hill Mob and The Man in the White Suit were released by Ealing Studios.
• Television licences passed one million during the year.
• Cinema newsreels were still how most people saw the news move.

In sport in 1951

• Tottenham Hotspur won their first league title.
• Newcastle United won the FA Cup.
• Randolph Turpin beat Sugar Ray Robinson in London in July.

Everyday life in 1951

• Housing shortages were severe and prefabs were still being lived in.
• The Festival brought colour, design and optimism after years of austerity.
• Coal fires and smog went together in every city.

If you were born in 1951

• Anyone born in 1951 was born in the Festival of Britain year.
• They were born the year the Goon Show started on radio.
• Anyone born in 1951 turns 30 in 1981, 40 in 1991, 50 in 2001, 60 in 2011 and 70 in 2021.
• For a milestone card, the strongest line is usually the number one from the week they were born rather than the year's biggest events - it's personal, and it takes two minutes to find.
• For a reminiscence session, read one section at a time and stop on whatever gets a reaction. The point is the conversation, not the facts.

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How to write it so it lands

• The number one from the week they were born beats the year's headlines on a card.
• Read one section at a time in a reminiscence session and stop where the conversation starts.
• Use it as a guess-the-year round by reading three facts and hiding the date.

Where to shop next

• Look back to 1954
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• The 1950s: the whole decade
• 1950s party playlist
• Wartime and 1950s party games
• Playground games by region
• Clapping games and skipping rhymes
• Seaside and beach games
• Sweets that disappeared
• The 2020s so far
• The 2010s: the whole decade
• The 2000s: the whole decade
• The 1990s: the whole decade
• The 1980s: the whole decade
• The 1970s: the whole decade
• The 1960s: the whole decade
• The 1940s: the whole decade
• The 1930s: the whole decade
• The 1920s: the whole decade
• Decade calendar: every year from 1920
• Decade trivia: fun facts by era
• Decade trivia game: play for points
• Decade guides: books, films and TV by era
• Decade recipes: dishes and food trends by era
• Decade travel: destinations and holidays by era
• Decade tech: gadgets and computers by era
• Decade films: best movies and directors by era
• Decade art: artists, styles and trends by era
• Decade books: best novels, authors and reading trends
• Music by decade: albums, artists and songs
• Decade fashion: clothes, hair and accessories by era
• Nostalgia gift shop
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• Nostalgia birthday party by decade
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• Guess the year quiz
• Care home reminiscence quiz
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• Milestone birthday cards
• Shop birthday cards
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas
• Pin badges
• All guides

Frequently asked questions

What was the Festival of Britain?

A national exhibition in 1951, centred on London's South Bank, marking a century since the Great Exhibition and intended to lift the country after austerity.

Who was Prime Minister in 1951?

Clement Attlee until October, then Winston Churchill after the Conservatives won the general election.

How old is someone born in 1951?

Subtract 1951 from the current year. They turn 40 in 1991, 50 in 2001, 60 in 2011 and 70 in 2021.

Do you sell anything to do with this year?

We make greeting cards, art prints and pin badges in the UK, including milestone birthday cards. This page itself is free to read and free to copy.