A 'year by year' collection of news stories from 1950 through to 1989: The Cold War, The Space Race, births, deaths, marriages and divorces . . . You can see the Berlin Wall go up - and if you stay for the ride you can see it come down again. 

The 1950s saw Britain change from a land that was war-torn, bleak and economically depressed into one that was more affluent, confident and colourful. Many of the conventions of the past were swept away and the western way of life saw huge improvement with full employment and rapidly rising wages. Much of the drudgery of everyday life was removed by a new sophisticated network of electricity and mod cons in the home, while the arrival of mass car-ownership brought greater mobility and independence.

June 2nd, 1953 marked the dawning of the new Elizabethan age in Britain. A 25-year-old princess was crowned Queen Elizabeth II amidst scenes of national celebration. The coronation was the first great television event in 20th century Britain with more than twenty million watching the ceremony on their black and white televisions.

1950 | 1951 | 1952 | 1953 | 1954 | 1955 | 1956 | 1957 | 1958 | 1959