The year 1952 saw significant developments across the political, scientific, cultural, and technological landscapes.
Politics and World Affairs
January 20: Dwight D. Eisenhower officially announces his candidacy for President of the United States. This marked a turning point in post-war American politics, as the popular general entered the fray, challenging the incumbent Democratic party.
February 6: Elizabeth II ascends to the throne of the United Kingdom upon the death of her father, King George VI. This event signaled the beginning of a new Elizabethan era.
February 18: Turkey joins NATO, strengthening the alliance's southeastern flank amidst Cold War tensions. Greece also joined at the same time.
April 28: The end of the Allied occupation of Japan officially concludes. This event marked Japan's full return to sovereignty after the Second World War.
May 26: The signing of the Bonn–Paris agreements restores sovereignty to West Germany. This was a critical step in the integration of West Germany into the western alliance.
July 11: Israeli Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion presents $1 billion reparations claim to West Germany. Negotiations between Israel and West Germany on this matter began in earnest, addressing the moral and material consequences of the Holocaust.
July 25: Puerto Rico officially becomes a Commonwealth of the United States, giving it greater autonomy in governance.
November 4: Dwight D. Eisenhower wins the US presidential election in a landslide victory over Adlai Stevenson. This marked a significant shift in United States politics and heralded a new era of Republican leadership.
November 20: The Slánský trial begins in Czechoslovakia, targeting high-ranking Communist officials in a show trial orchestrated by the Soviet Union.
Science and Technology
March 24: First flight of the de Havilland Comet, the world's first commercial jet airliner. This signaled a revolution in air travel, paving the way for faster and more efficient long-distance flights.
April 15: The United States Air Force reports its first official encounter with a UFO. Project Blue Book, established to investigate such reports, investigates this incident.
November 1: The United States detonates Ivy Mike, the first hydrogen bomb, at Enewetak Atoll in the Marshall Islands. This marked a significant escalation in the Cold War arms race and demonstrated the immense destructive power of thermonuclear weapons. Jonas Salk begins developing the polio vaccine.
Culture and Society
February 15:An American in Paris premieres, a musical film starring Gene Kelly and Leslie Caron, wins Best Picture at the Academy Awards.
March 19: The film High Noon premieres in United States, starring Gary Cooper.
July 3: The final episode of The Lone Ranger airs on radio.
July 5: Elvis Presley makes his first recording, "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin", at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. This pivotal event launched the career of one of the most influential figures in music history.
December 17: The film Singin' in the Rain premieres, starring Gene Kelly, Donald O'Connor, and Debbie Reynolds.
Popular Culture: The concept of the "teenager" gains increased cultural recognition in the United States, driven by economic prosperity and burgeoning youth culture.
Disasters
December 5 – December 9: The Great Smog of London causes thousands of deaths.