1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Entry
A massive total of 74 racing cars were registered for this event, of which 69 arrived for practice. Only 59 qualified for the race. Adding to the build-up to the event, was the announcement that five European factory teams were planning to race in Florida. Those teams were Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, Maserati and Porsche.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Entry
With Ferrari determined to recapture the manufacturer's championship they lost Mercedes-Benz in 1955, Scuderia Ferrari was making its first factory appearance at Sebring. Accompanying the pair of 860 Monzas and a 857 S, were some of the best drivers in the world. They included the reigning World Champion, Juan Manuel Fangio, Eugenio Castellotti, Luigi Musso, Harry Schell, Alfonso de Portago and Olivier Gendebien.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Entry
Mike Hawthorn returned after winning in 1955, driving a factory Jaguar D-Type along with Desmond Titterington, Duncan Hamilton, Ivor Bueb, Bill Spear. Hawthorn's entrant from the previous year, Briggs Cunningham was now with the factory outfit, as was Indianapolis 500 winner, Bob Sweikert. A total of nine D-Types would start the race. The other English factory team, Aston Martin was led by Stirling Moss. He had won the opening race of the season, 1000km Buenos Aires for Maserati, but due to race for Aston Martin in Florida, partnership by Peter Collins, whom himself had switched from Ferrari. Their team-mates were Texan Carroll Shelby, Roy Salvadori, Tony Brooks and Reg Parnell with John Wyer managing the team.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Entry
Maserati was represented by a pair of 300Ss in the hands Jean Behra and Piero Taruffi driving one car while Carlos Menditéguy and Cesare Perdisa drove the other. Porsche send two of their Porsche 550 Spyder for Hans Herrmann and Wolfgang von Trips in one, and Ed Crawford and Herbert Linge in the other. In a private 550 Spyder, entered by John Edgar Enterprises were Jack McAfee and Pete Lovely.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Entry
Taking note of the press interest surrounding the race, General Motors dispatched John Fitch to Florida, in February 1956, in order to get a team of Chevrolet Corvettes sorted out for the 12-hour race. Much to Fitch's dismay the factory prepared ‘race-cars’ were totally unsuitable for the rough Sebring airport course.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Qualifying
Because they were no qualifying sessions to set the grid, the starting positions were decided according to engine size with the 5.2 litre Corvette of John Fitch and Walt Hansgen in first place. Next was the 5.0 litre Ferrari 375 Plus of Troy Ruttman and Howard Hively. In third place should have been the 4.4 litre Ferrari 735 LM of Jim Kimberly and Ed Linken, however during practice, the car had more than once thrown a flywheel, so Kimberly withdraw the car. Scuderia Ferrari allowed Kimberly to drive with Alfonso de Portago in their 857 Monza. Next in line were three Corvettes with their 4.3 litre engines, and then came eight 3.4 litre Jaguars.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
The race was held over 12 hours on the 5.2 miles Sebring International Raceway. An estimated 47,000 spectators showed on a warm and dry raceday. With the race starting promptly at 10am.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
As his car was effective on pole position, Fitch's Corvette was the first car to cross the start line, but before he travelled 300 yards down to the first corner, he was passed by the fuel injected Jaguar D-Type of Mike Hawthorn. This, despite starting down in eighth. To some observes, Stirling Moss was the first to drive away from the grid, but as he started down in 26th he had his work cut out. At the end of the first lap, he was running second to Hawthorn by ten seconds. Juan Manuel Fangio was further six seconds adrift. Carroll Shelby was fourth another twelve seconds down the road. The dubious distinction of being the first retirement of the race went to the factory Corvette of Dale Duncan when the axle broke after just three laps.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
After 60 minutes, Hawthorn's D-Type still held the lead followed by Moss in his Aston Martin, Fangio and Musso in their Ferrari, Hamilton in another D-Type. As it would transpire, a close battle between the factory entered D-Types and the 860 Monzas, would ensue for almost eight hours, with the lead changing nine times, as a leader would pit and almost immediately give up it to  a competitor and then regain the lead when that car had to pit.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
Just after the start of the third hour, the Maserati 300S of Menditéguy, hit hay bales in the Esses and flipped. As a result, he suffered serious injuries with skull fractures and deep lacerations in the face and arm. After a short delay while he laid bleeding trackside, Menditéguy was rushed to the American Red Cross mobile hospital. There, they stabilized him before transferring him to the Weems Hospital in Sebring. Meanwhile, he co-driver would transfer to the Behra/Taruffi 300S.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
Around this time, Moss pitted and expressed his doubts that his car could last the distance. The mechanics did what they could and sent Collins out for his stint. Already the hot Florida day, the punishing pace and the rough Sebring track had taken their toll with seventeen cars having to be retired. At the head of the field, Hawthorn was leading from Behra, Fangio took up third, Collins fourth, with de Portago moving into fifth. For the next couple of hours, the lead changed several times between these drivers, with Shelby competing for a spot in the top five.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
The D-Type of Hamilton/Bueb suffered an exploded brake cylinder and retired, around the fifth hour mark, while the Aston Martin of Moss/Collins was parked out on course with a terminal gearbox problem.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
At the half-way point, the Hawthorn/Titteringham Jaguar was now back in the lead, when Fangio/Castellotti pitted. By now, more than a third of the field had retired. An hour later, Hawthorn was still leading, from Fangio, Musso, Spear and Portago, although Portago's Ferrari, with Kimberly driving, swallowed a valve and became the first Scuderia Ferrari to retire. A valve problem also took the D-Type of Spear and Sherwood Johnston out of the race. For the next four hours, the top three positions frequently changed between the Hawthorn/Titteringham Jaguar, the Fangio/Castellotti Ferrari and the Musso/Schell Ferrari.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
Finally the pace was too much for the Hawthorn /Titterington Jaguar and it retired on lap 162 with just over ninety minutes to go in the race. Their D-Type had either led or was in second place for most of the race until the very last pit stop. When Hawthorn pulled into the pits for the last time the brakes were useless. They had locked up on him going into one of the turns and then stopped working. It seems that a brake piston gave way and he lost all brake fluid. The Jaguar mechanics worked on the car for more than fifteen minutes but by then it was too late. Having lost too many laps to the Ferrari of Fangio and Castellotti, they withdrew the car.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
Castellotti began driving at a slower pace now that the Jaguar challenge was gone. He was determined that the car would finish, and started to lap slower than most of the remaining cars left in the race. However, he made sure not to slow down enough to give his team-mates Musso and Schell any chance of catching him. At 10pm, and after 12 hours of racing, Castellotti took the chequered flag, with his 860 Monza completing 194 laps, and a record distance of 1,008.8 miles, averaging a speed of 84.07 mph. This was the first time the thousand mile mark has been arching at the 12 Hours of Sebring.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Report, Race
Coming home in second was the Scuderia Ferrari 860 Monza of Musso and Schell, having completed 192 laps. On their first trip to Sebring, Maranello scored the first one-two sweep ever by a manufacturer. The podium was complete by the Jaguar D-Type of Sweikert, co-driven by Jack Ensley, the American pairing salvaging some honour for the English marque. In fourth, and also a class winner was the Aston Martin of Salvadori and Shelby. Only 24 of the original 59 starters were there at the finish.


1956 12 Hours of Sebring, Standings after the race
Championship points were awarded for the first six places in each race in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. Manufacturers were only awarded points for their highest finishing car with no points awarded for positions filled by additional cars. Only the best 3 results out of the 5 races could be retained by each manufacturer. Points earned but not counted towards the championship totals are listed within brackets in the above table.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans was a race for Sports Cars, and took place on 28 and 29 July 1956 on the Circuit de la Sarthe. The race was won by Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson driving a Jaguar D-Type for the new Ecurie Ecosse team. This race also marked the golden jubilee of the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) founded in 1906, however because of the previous year's terrible accident, celebrations were deferred to 1957 to go along with the imminent 25th anniversary of the race.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans
Following the events of 1955, the front stretch and pit lane were redesigned in order to enhance driver and spectator safety. This involved a change to the layout of the Dunlop curve, shortening the overall length of the track by 31 meters.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans
This race saw the death of French driver Louis Héry when his Monopole was involved in an accident early in the race.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Regulations
The official enquiry into the 1955 Le Mans disaster found severe deficiencies in the track layout along the main straight and for quite some time there were serious concerns for the future of the race. However, the ACO took all the recommendations on board and was able to convince the French government for continuation. The extensive renovations cost FF300 million, moving 70000 cubic metres of earth and meant the race was delayed 7 weeks to the end of July.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Regulations
The pit straight was redesigned: it was widened by 13m (giving room for a deceleration lane), the small kink removed by straightening the approach, and the Dunlop curve realigned, steepened and eased, moving the Dunlop Bridge. This all had the effect of shortening the lap by 31 metres. The grandstand was demolished and rebuilt with new spectator terraces beyond a ditch between the track. The postwar pits were also torn down and a new 3-storey complex built giving more space for crews and with hospitality suites above (although there was still no barrier out to the racing line). This limited the number of starters to 52, down from 60.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Regulations
Elsewhere on the track, the Indianapolis and Maison Blanche corners were also widened and resurfaced, and a dangerous hump on the road after Arnage was removed. A new “signalling pits” was built just after the Mulsanne corner (in the same place Bentley had used 20 years earlier with a phone-link back to the pits) so as to reduce crew congestion and driver distraction on the critical pit straight area.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Regulations
Regarding new regulations, the ACO also set a number of new restrictions with a view to limit maximum speeds. Prototypes were now given a maximum engine size of 2.5L. Production cars had to have 50 units “built, sold or provided for” and were still unrestricted in engine capacity. These new limits put the ACO out of step with the FIA and hence the race was dropped from the 1956 World Sportscar Championship. Full -width windscreens, at least 200mm, high were also mandatory further trimming top-speed.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Regulations
Other effects to encourage economy limited all fuel tanks to a maximum size of 130 litres, and the liquids replenishment (fuel, oil, water) window was extended again, from 32 to 34 laps (458 km / 284 miles) meaning a minimum practical fuel economy of 10.8mpg would be needed. Finally, drivers were now only allowed to do 72 consecutive laps and 14 hours in total.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
Although Mercedes-Benz and Cunningham had withdrawn from racing, there was still strong support from the car manufacturers and 14 sent works-entries.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
To some surprise, Jaguar and Aston Martin were able to present cases to the ACO that their current cars qualified as production models. Jaguar brought three of its updated D-types (now 130 kg lighter and up to 275 bhp), the lead car of Mike Hawthorn / Ivor Bueb equipped with fuel-injection. Their other drivers were the experienced Jack Fairman and Ken Wharton, and Paul Frère with new team-member Desmond Titterington. The team arrived in red-hot form after a comprehensive 1-2-3-4 result at the Reims 12-hour race. The reliable ally, Equipe Nationale Belge, fielded a new production D-Type.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
It also saw the arrival of Scotsman David Murray (racing driver)’s new Ecurie Ecosse under team manager Walter “Wilkie” Wilkinson. Murray's drivers were fellow-Scots Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson, stepping up from the smaller classes. In the absence of the big Cunninghams and Talbots this year, the Jaguars had the S-5000 class to themselves.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
Two true production cars, privately entered into the race, were a Jaguar XK140 and a gull-wing Mercedes-Benz 300SL.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
Aston Martin returned with a pair of the DBR3S, nominally production models but allowed non-standard components. Again, a strong driver line-up was represented, including Stirling Moss (this year a Maserati F1 works driver, but who were not at Le Mans this year) with Peter Collins and Roy Salvadori with Peter Walker. The team, having abandoned its Lagonda project, instead arrived with its own new 2.5L prototype – the DBR1/250. Its smaller engine still managed to produce virtually the same power (212 bhp) as its big brothers. It was driven by F1 drivers Reg Parnell and Tony Brooks


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
Ferrari, without the production facilities to compete with the British, instead had to create a new 2.5L ‘prototype’ for, essentially, the one-off duel at Le Mans. Engineer Vittorio Jano developed last year's 2.5L S-4 grand-prix engine and put it into a chassis adapted from the new 500 TR (the inaugural version of the “Testarossa”). Called the 625 LM, it gave 225 bhp giving a maximum speed of 230 km/h – 10 km/h slower than the Jaguars.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
Team drivers were race-winner Maurice Trintignant and Olivier Gendebien, Phil Hill and André Simon and Spanish noble 'Marquis' Alfonso de Portago with Duncan Hamilton (fired from Jaguar for ignoring team orders at the Rheims race once too often). Although the 2.0L V12 in the 500 TR was considered too weak by the factory to take on the Jaguars, there were three private-entries including a second car for the Equipe Nationale Belge.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
Like Ferrari, French manufacturers Gordini and Talbot could not produce enough to meet the ACO requirements and therefore would have to enter their cars as prototypes. Gordini had two 2.5L cars and a smaller car in the S-1500 category. The larger cars trialled different engines: one using the 2.5L Straight-8 in the Grand Prix cars, and the other a new, more powerful, Straight-6 version (giving about 230 bhp). Talbot, now in receivership and in a change of tack, had adapted the 2.5L grand-prix engine from the Maserati 250F to their new road-cars. Two cars were entered for Jean Behra with Louis Rosier and Jean Lucas with pre-war Maserati veteran Geoffredo “Freddie” Zehender.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
After their great success in the previous race, Porsche returned in force with new cars: a pair of 550A Coupés and a 356 Carrera production model. The new car had famously recently beaten the bigger works Ferraris and Maseratis in the non-Championship Targa Florio. The factory also supported a further a pair of older, privately entered 550 RS spyders and a 356A. Competing in the S-1500 class were a pair of private Maseratis and Colin Chapman’s Lotus 11 with the new FWB-Climax engine. His two other cars still used the smaller 1098cc FWA-Climax engine. The other entrants in the S-1100 class were Cooper’s T39 using the same Climax engine, and a tiny French RB fitted with an OSCA 1093cc engine.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
For once the smallest, S-750, class was not the preserve of the French. Italian manufacturers Stanguellini and Moretti both sent two-car entries, and OSCA a single car. They were up against a strong DB-works entry of four cars, and three Monopoles. Panhard had closed its racing department after the 1955 disaster and appointed Monopole, effectively as its works team.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Entries
Over the flying kilometre on the Mulsanne straight, the following top speeds this year were recorded this year:


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Practice
This year there were only the two practice sessions assigned – on the Wednesday and Thursday. Hawthorn set the fastest lap of 4:16.0 early on. Titterington was barely 3 seconds slower but then he demolished his car in an accident, forcing the team to prepare the spare car for the race. The best Moss could do in the Aston Martin was a 4:27 Meanwhile, the team was also finding the fuel consumption of their prototype DBR1, easily the noisiest car in the field, was excessive and therefore needed to trim it back to be able to get through the race. Most of the other larger cars were also doing checks on their fuel consumption for the new regulations, and having to adjust their engine settings accordingly


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Practice
As a comparison, some of the lap-times recorded during practice were:


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Start
The allure of the race was as great as ever and huge crowds returned, keen restore the traditional festive atmosphere. An immaculately observed minute's silence was held before the start of the race for the previous year's victims and a simple commemorative plaque unveiled.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Start
The race started in light drizzle, making the new track surface treacherously greasy. As usual, Moss was lightning-quick and first off the line in his Aston Martin. Hawthorn's more powerful Jaguar blasted past him on the back straight and led at the end of the first lap. On lap three, Paul Frère got it sideways in the narrow Esses and spun his Jaguar. Fairman, close behind in the sister car, slammed on the brakes and also spun, then de Portago arrived unsighted and with nowhere to go broadsided Fairman.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Start
All three cars got going again: Frère limped on but came to a halt on the Mulsanne straight. De Portago got a bit further but the Ferrari's oil cooler was smashed. Fairman got to the pits but the damage was too severe to repair. Ten minutes gone and three of the leading works entries were already eliminated. Hill's Ferrari barely managed to skate through his teammate's oil, but soon his clutch started to fail. More drama occurred minutes later when Hawthorn came in from the lead with an engine misfire. It was eventually traced to a hairline crack in a fuel line – the delay and repair cost an hour, and 21 laps, and dropped the remaining works Jaguar out of contention.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Start
But worse had happened between these issues: Louis Héry, local garage owner in his second Le Mans, crashed his private Monopole-Panhard heavily at Maison Blanche. The car rolled and tore itself apart. Héry, critically injured, died in the ambulance en route to the hospital.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Start
On lap 7, Flockhart used his superior speed to get his Ecosse Jaguar into the lead, but the veteran drivers Moss and Walker kept their Aston Martins in contact. After the first pit-stops and driver-changes Sanderson put the Ecosse Jaguar onto a more conservative race strategy and Collins took the lead in the 3rd hour as the rain got heavier. The two remaining works Ferraris moved up to 3rd and 4th when the Walker/Salvadori Aston was delayed by ignition problems. Yet again Gordini was quick and competitive – the T15 of Manzon and Guichet, with the 2.5L F1 engine, holding a solid 5th place, and its sister car a couple of places behind tussling with the Belgian Jaguar.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Night
Being run a month later, the night was that bit longer and intermittent showers persisted through the night. Just before 10pm on the run from Maison Blanche to the pits Fernand Tavano's Testarossa went off the road, spun and hit the bank. Facing the opposite direction, his headlights blinded ’Helm’ Glöckler whose Porsche Carrera ran straight into the Ferrari. Tavano was thrown clear by the heavy impact as his car was shoved into the roadside ditch, but the Porsche rolled and burst into flames. Glöckler was pulled out by rescuers with minor burns and a broken leg.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Night
By midnight Sanderson had retaken the lead, yet as the track got damp again, the experience of the F1 racers showed and Moss & Collins retook the lead by 3am, with Gendebien/Trintignant third, four laps down. Hill/Simon running 4th, had been changing gears with no clutch until they were forced out with rear axle failure just before half-time. The remarkable Porsche 550s were running 5th and 6th. Near the end of the night though Maglioli's leading Porsche was slowed and eventually stopped by engine issues.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Night
The prototype Aston Martin was surprising many, running in the top-10, and by the early hours of the morning had climbed up to 4th. Sadly for the partisan crowd, both Gordinis had fallen by the wayside with engine problems. In the small hours Cliff Allison’s Lotus, doing 190 km/h, struck a dog chasing a rabbit on the Mulsanne Straight wrecking the radiator.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Morning
The rain stopped for a while around dawn and that suited the bigger Jaguar, and they retook the lead and by 8am had built a 3-minute margin. Soon after dawn the last of the 2-litre class was out – the Ferrari of Jean Lucas, having got into the top-10, was disqualified for refuelling two laps too early. Around 7.30, in a sudden downpour, Peter Walker, running 8th, crashed heavily at the Dunlop bridge just after the pits.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Morning
The car rolled and sat in the middle of the road but the driver was able to get out with just cuts, bruises and a broken finger. Later in the morning Moss and Collins lost their 2nd gear, limiting their chase and they gradually gave up ground. Around noon the Talbot of Behra/Rosier was stopped by a broken rear axle. They had barely kept up with the Aston Martin, Ferraris and Gordinis in its class, but through attrition, had been able to move up to 8th by the time they retired.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Finish and post-race
The leading cars remained reliable and reached the finish, except the Aston Martin prototype which, having slipped to 7th with engine problems, broke its rear suspension in the final hour.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Finish and post-race
The Ecosse Jaguar won by a lap from the Aston Martin. The Ferraris were never able to compete with the leaders but Gendebien/Trintignant came home third a further six laps back. Yet again the Belgian Jaguar had a good run, this time finishing 4th, fully 16 laps behind the winner. The leading Porsche of von Trips and von Frankenberg was 5th, just missing out on the Index of Performance, but finishing an enormous 37 laps ahead of the only other class-finisher: the privateer Maserati of Bourillot/Perroud in 9th. Having been driving up from the back of the field for 23 hours, Hawthorn and Bueb finished a commendable 6th place, with Hawthorn's determination getting him the race's fastest lap, albeit well down on the previous year.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Finish and post-race
The rivalry between the Climax-engined kit-cars went the way of Lotus. Jopp and Bicknell had retaken the S-1100 lead around 11am after the Cooper of Americans Hugus and Bentley had held it for 12 hours, and finished just over a lap ahead with the cars finishing 7th and 8th overall. The DB works team did well again with three of their four cars finishing (in 10th, 11th and 12th overall), and taking the valuable Index of Performance prize


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Finish and post-race
A mere 13 finishers were classified (the lowest ratio of the decade), and given the wet conditions it was no surprise that there were 16 major accidents. It was a credit to the preparation and organisation of the fledgling Ecurie Ecosse team to win on its first attempt at Le Mans.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Race, Finish and post-race
Although not one of the event's most exciting races it was, nevertheless, a testament to the dedication and tradition of the ACO that it was able to overcome the disaster of the 1955 race. This was the final race overseen by Charles Faroux, engineer and journalist, who was the co-founder of the race; he died the following February aged 74. Closely involved in international motor-racing administration he was also the race director for the Monaco Grand Prix.


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Official results
Results taken from Quentin Spurring's book, officially licensed by the ACO


1956 24 Hours of Le Mans, Statistics
Taken from Quentin Spurring's book, officially licensed by the ACO


1956 A Group
Statistics of Bulgarian A Football Group in the 1956 season.


1956 A Group, Overview
It was contested by 12 teams, and CSKA Sofia won the championship.


1956 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 1956 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament was held in Raleigh, North Carolina, at Reynolds Coliseum from March 1–3, 1956. NC State defeated Wake Forest, 76–64, to win the championship. Vic Molodet of NC State was named tournament MVP.


1956 AFC Asian Cup
The 1956 AFC Asian Cup was the first AFC Asian Cup, held every four years and organised by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC). The final tournament was held in Hong Kong from 1 September to 15 September 1956. It was won by South Korea.


1956 AFC Asian Cup, Goalscorers
With four goals, Nahum Stelmach is the top scorer in the tournament. In total, 27 goals were scored by 15 different players, with none of them credited as own goal.


1956 AFC Asian Cup qualification
The qualification for the 1956 AFC Asian Cup consisted of 19 teams separated in three zones. The winner of each zone would join hosts Hong Kong in the final tournament. Qualification was done on a two-legged format, home and away games.


1956 AFC Asian Cup squads
Squads for the 1956 AFC Asian Cup played in Hong Kong.


1956 Air Force Falcons football team
The 1956 Air Force Falcons football team represented the United States Air Force Academy in the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. The Falcons did not have an official stadium during the season, and remained without one until the 1962 season when Falcon Stadium opened. Led by first-year head coach Buck Shaw, it was the second season for the football program. The Falcons were independent, and finished with a record of 6–2–1.


1956 Akron Zips football team
The 1956 Akron Zips football team was an American football team that represented the University of Akron in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) during the 1956 NCAA College Division football season. In its third season under head coach Joe McMullen, the team compiled a 3–5–1 record (3–5–1 against OAC opponents) and outscored opponents by a total of 216 to 171. Jerry Reeves and John Williams the team captains. The team played its home games at the Rubber Bowl in Akron, Ohio.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
The 1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team (variously "Alabama", "UA" or "Bama") represented the University of Alabama in the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Crimson Tide's 62nd overall and 23rd season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Jennings B. Whitworth, in his second year, and played their home games at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Legion Field in Birmingham and at Ladd Stadium in Mobile, Alabama. They finished with a record of two wins, seven losses and one tie (2–7–1 overall, 2–5 in the SEC).


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team
In 1956 the Crimson Tide improved somewhat from the year before—but not much. Alabama opened the season with four straight losses by a combined score of 99–26 to Rice, Vanderbilt, TCU and Tennessee. At this point, the all-time school record losing streak ran to 17 consecutive games, and the winless streak reached 20 games back to the 1954 season. Then against Mississippi State, Alabama won a game for the first time since October 16, 1954. The Tide scored with 2½ minutes to go and kicked the extra point to beat Maroons 13–12. After a loss to Georgia Alabama managed a 13–7 victory over Tulane. They then closed the season with a 13–13 tie with Mississippi Southern between losses to Georgia Tech and  Auburn.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Rice
The Crimson Tide opened the 1956 season with their 14th consecutive loss, while their opponent, the Rice Owls, ended their own seven-game losing streak with their 20–13 victory at Houston. The Owls scored the first touchdown of the game on their opening drive when Frank Ryan threw a 12-yard pass to Buddy Dial. Alabama responded in the final minute of the quarter with a one-yard Clay Walls touchdown run to tie the game at 7–7. Rice then took a 14–7 halftime lead after King Hill threw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Bobby Williams in the second quarter. After a 17-yard Donald Comstock touchdown run brought the Crimson Tide within a point of the Owls lead, Rice closed the game with an 18-yard Ryan touchdown pass to Dial in the fourth to win 20–13. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Rice to 0–3.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Vanderbilt
In their annual home game at Ladd Stadium, the Crimson Tide were defeated by the Vanderbilt Commodores 32–7 to open conference play. After a scoreless first quarter, the Commodores took a 13–0 halftime lead with second-quarter touchdowns scored on a short pass from Donald Orr to Gerald Hudson and later on a three-yard Danny McCall run. Hudson extended the Vandy lead to 19–0 with his three-yard touchdown run before the Crimson Tide scored their only points of the game on a one-yard Donald Comstock touchdown run that made the score 19–7. Vanderbilt then closed the game with a pair of touchdowns on runs of 25-yards by Phil King and three-yards by William Smith to win 32–7. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Vanderbilt to 18–16–1.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, TCU
For the second consecutive season, Alabama played host to the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs of the Southwest Conference, and for the second time in as many years lost 23–6. TCU took a 7–0 first quarter lead on a 46-yard Ken Wineburg touchdown run that capped an 81-yard drive. In the second quarter, the Frogs scored on an 11-yard Buddy Dike touchdown run and on a 21-yard Vernon Hallbeck field goal and took a 16–0 halftime lead. After a 41-yard Wineburg run in the third gave TCU a 23–0 lead, Alabama scored their lone points in the fourth on a 10-yard James Loftin touchdown run that made the final score 23–6. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against TCU to 0–2.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Tennessee
In their annual rivalry game against Tennessee, Alabama was shut out for the second consecutive year by the Volunteers in a 24–0 loss in Knoxville. In the game, Tennessee scored a touchdown in all four quarters. The Vols took a 12–0 halftime lead after Tommy Bronson scored on a three-yard run in the first and Al Carter scored on a 44-yard run in the second. After Johnny Majors scored on a short run to open the third quarter, Carter scored the final touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter on a one-yard run that made the final score 24–0. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Tennessee to 18–15–5.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Mississippi State
On homecoming in Tuscaloosa, the Crimson Tide upset the Mississippi State Maroons 13–12 at Denny Stadium that ended both a 17-game losing streak that stretched back to the 1954 season and gave Whitworth his first victory as Crimson Tide head coach. The Maroons took a 12–0 first quarter lead on touchdown runs of two-yards by Frank Sabbatini and 22-yards by Billy Stacy. The Crimson Tide responded in the second quarter on a 46-yard Clay Walls touchdown pass to Jimmy Bowdoin that made the halftime score 12–6. After a scoreless third quarter, Walls tied the game 12–12 with his one-yard touchdown run in the fourth. The Pete Reeves extra point that followed gave Alabama the 13–12 victory and ended their 17-game losing streak. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi State to 29–9–3.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Georgia
One week after they won their first game in nearly two years, the Crimson Tide lost to the Georgia Bulldogs 16–13 at Legion Field. Alabama took a 7–0 lead into halftime after Charles Nelson scored on a one-yard touchdown run in the first quarter. After Georgia tied the game 7–7 in the third quarter on an 80-yard J. B. Davis punt return, they took a 10–7 lead early in the fourth quarter after Clenton Cooper kicked a 29-yard field goal. They extended their lead further to 16–7 after a short William Hearn touchdown run, before Alabama scored their final points on a 24-yard Marshall Brown touchdown run that made the final score 16–13. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Georgia to 21–17–4.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Tulane
On the road in New Orleans, the Crimson Tide won their second game of the season with this 13–7 victory over the Tulane Green Wave. After a scoreless first quarter, Alabama scored both of their touchdowns in the second quarter. Both were scored on one-yard runs, first from Donald Comstock and second from George Salem. After a scoreless third, Tulane made the final score 13–7 on a 29-yard Fred Wilcox touchdown pass to T. Eugene Newton. The victory improved Alabama's all-time record against Tulane to 17–8–2.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Georgia Tech
Against Georgia Tech, Alabama was shut out, 27–0, by the Yellow Jackets at Grant Field. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Georgia Tech to 18–17–3.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Mississippi Southern
In their final non-conference game of the season, Alabama tied the Mississippi Southern Southerners 13–13 at Denny Stadium. After a scoreless first quarter, Bo Dickinson scored on a 38-yard touchdown run for Southern and then Bobby Smith threw a 52-yard touchdown pass to Donald Comstock for Alabama to tie the game 7–7 at halftime. In the third quarter, Smith threw a 15-yard touchdown pass to Comstock for the Crimson Tide and the Dickinson scored on a 37-yard touchdown run to again tie the game 13–13, which stood as the final score after a scoreless fourth quarter. The tie brought Alabama's all-time record against Mississippi Southern to 6–2–1.


1956 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, Game summaries, Auburn
Against the rival Auburn Tigers, Alabama lost 34–7 at Legion Field in the season finale. The loss brought Alabama's all-time record against Auburn to 9–11–1.


1956 Albanian National Championship
The 1956 Albanian National Championship was the nineteenth season of the Albanian National Championship, the top professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1930.


1956 Albanian National Championship, Overview
It was contested by 9 teams, and Dinamo Tirana won the championship.


1956 All England Badminton Championships
The 1956 All England Championships was a badminton tournament held at the Empress Hall, Earls Court, London, England, from 14 to 17 March 1956.


1956 All England Badminton Championships, Final results
Both June White and Irish Cooley married and competed under their married names of June Timperley and Iris Rogers.


1956 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team
The 1956 All-Atlantic Coast Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various selectors for their All-Atlantic Coast Conference ("ACC") teams for the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. Selectors in 1956 included the Associated Press (AP) and United Press (UP). Players named to the first team by both the AP and UP are listed below in bold.


1956 All-Big Seven Conference football team
The 1956 All-Big Seven Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations for All-Big Seven Conference teams for the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. The selectors for the 1956 season included the Associated Press (AP) and the United Press (UP). Players selected as first-team players by both the AP and UP are designated in bold.


1956 All-Big Ten Conference football team
The 1956 All-Big Ten Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations to the All-Big Ten Conference teams for the 1956 Big Ten Conference football season.


1956 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
The 1956 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship was the 25th staging of the All-Ireland Minor Football Championship, the Gaelic Athletic Association's premier inter-county Gaelic football tournament for boys under the age of 18.


1956 All-Ireland Minor Football Championship
On 7 October 1956, Dublin won the championship following a 5-14 to 2-2 defeat of Leitrim in the All-Ireland final. This was their fifth All-Ireland title overall and their third in succession.


1956 All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
The 1956 All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship was the 26th staging of the All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1928.


1956 All-Ireland Minor Hurling Championship
On 23 September 1956, Tipperary won the championship following a 4-16 to 1-5 defeat of Kilkenny in the All-Ireland final. This was their second All-Ireland title in-a-row and their tenth title overall.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship
The 1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship was the high point of the 1956 season in Camogie. The championship was won by Antrim who defeated Cork by a four-point margin in the final, having created a major surprise by defeating serial champions Dublin in the semi-final,  and interrupting what would otherwise have been a run of 19 championships in a row by Dublin. The championship featured what were reportedly two of the best camogie matches in the history of the game in its 12-a-side phase, the final and the semi-final between Antrim and Dublin.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, Structure
Mayo refused to play Cork in the All-Ireland semi-final because of concerns about the polio outbreak there. The semi-final between Dublin and Antrim prevented a run of 19 Al Ireland finals in succession for Dublin. Maeve Gilroy scored 2-2 and Grace Connolly two goals, Mairead Rainey and Marian Kearns a goal each in Antrim’s 6-2 to 6-1 victory. The Irish News described it as


1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, Structure
“what was generally voted the greatest camogie game ever played in Ulster. The game was characterised by spates of clever play on both side, with Dublin on the whole the more finished in accurate ground and overhead stickwork. At the three quarter stage they led 5-0 to 4-2 only to fall two points behind when Antrim scored their fifth goal. Dublin however regained the lead with their sixth goal a few minutes later. In a great rally, amid tense excitement, the Ulster champions fought back with great determination for Ita O’Reilly to place Marian Kearns, who crashed home what proved to the match winning goal with a magnificent cross-shot, which caught the Dublin defence out of position and their goalkeeper unsighted.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, Final
Teresa Kearns, the 14-year-old Antrim goalkeeper from Cloughmills, made a huge contribution to victory, stopping an array of shots from the Cork attack, including a memorable save from Noreen Duggan. Mitchel Cogley wrote in the Irish Independent


1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, Final
The youngest player on the field made probably the most significant contribution to Antrim’s victory. This was the 14-tyear-old Theresa Kearns, who with Antrim leading 4-3 to 4-2 and Cork pressing desperately, brought off a save from star Cork forward Noreen Duggan which equaled that of Art Foley from Christy Ring the previous week. The parallel went further for, from this escape, Antrim swept away for their fifth goal, which lcinched the issue and brought the title up north. There was nothing between two teams in fleetness of foot, skilful stickwork and length of striking, but Antrim’s defence was the sounder under heavy pressure and the positional play of the forwards was better than that of the Cork girls.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final
The 1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final was the 25th All-Ireland Final and the deciding match of the 1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship, an inter-county camogie tournament for the top teams in Ireland.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Camogie Championship Final
Antrim had ended Dublin's eight-year win streak and so were favourites to take the All-Ireland title. They led 4-3 to 4-2 near the end when Antrim's goalkeeper Teresa Kearns made a brilliant save, and the Glenswomen rushed down the field to score a fifth goal and secure victory.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship
The 1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship was played from May to October, 1956. Galway were the winners, defeating Cork in the final.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
The 1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship final was a Gaelic football match played at Croke Park on 7 October 1956 to determine the winners of the 1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, the 70th season of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship. The  tournament was organised by the Gaelic Athletic Association for the champions of the four provinces of Ireland. The final was contested by Cork of Munster and Galway of Connacht, with Galway winning by 2–13 to 3–7.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
The All-Ireland final between Galway and Cork was their first championship meeting since the 1945 All-Ireland semi-final when Cork triumphed by 2–12 to 2–8. An outbreak of polio in Cork led to the game, like its hurling counterpart the previous month, being postponed by the Central Council of the GAA following a request from public health officials in Dublin, who were worried by the prospect of large numbers of Cork people descending on the city.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
The game itself was described as one of the best finals yet. After some end to end action, Gerry Kirwan pointed for Galway, then Frank Stockwell punched the ball over the bar for another. A few minutes later Stockwell soloed through the defence and pointed again. Cork levelled the score but then Seán Purcell took a sideline kick and floated the ball into the square. Billy O'Neill jumped high and palmed the ball to Stockwell who was running towards goal, and he forced the ball into the net.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
Again Cork fought back to get within a point of Galway, but then Purcell received a pass from Jackie Coyle out on the wing. As soon as he saw this Frank Stockwell was off and running, leaving his marker behind. Purcell expertly flighted the ball into his hands and he buried it in the net. By half time Galway were leading by 2–6 to 0–6.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
Galway went eight points clear before Cork staged one of the most remarkable comebacks in All-Ireland final history. Two quick goals from Johnny Creedon and Denis "Toots" Kelleher put them right back in contention. Galway then scored two points but Cork got a third goal from Kelleher which left them just a point behind, however, Galway fought back. First Purcell pointed a free, and then seconds later took a sideline kick and, with great accuracy, found Stockwell who swivelled around and put the ball over the bar.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
Galway's All-Ireland victory was their first since 1938. The win gave them their fourth All-Ireland title over all and put them joint fifth on the all-time roll of honour along with Kildare and Tipperary.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
Cork's All-Ireland defeat was their first since 1907. Defeat at the hands of Galway was the first of back-to-back All-Ireland defeats for Cork.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
For Billy O'Neill the victory was bittersweet. Although playing for Galway he was a native of Carrigtwohill, County Cork and claimed a winners' medal at the expense of his own county.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship Final
Due to the similarity of the colour of their jerseys a change was necessary. Galway wore the all white strip of Connacht while Cork wore the blue of Munster.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
The 1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship was the 70th staging of the All-Ireland hurling championship since its establishment by the Gaelic Athletic Association in 1887. The championship began on 22 April 1956 and ended on 23 September 1956.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship
Wexford were the defending champions, and retained their All-Ireland crown following a 2-14 to 2-8 defeat of Cork.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, Teams
A total of thirteen teams contested the championship, a reduction of one on the previous championship. Wicklow withdrew and did not field a team in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
The 1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final was the 69th All-Ireland Final and the culmination of the 1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship, an inter-county hurling tournament for the top teams in Ireland. The match was held at Croke Park, Dublin, on 23 September 1956, between Cork and Wexford. The Munster champions lost to their Leinster opponents on a score line of 2-14 to 2-8.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final
With 83,096 spectators present, this game has the second highest attendance of any hurling final since 1887. The final was delayed for a number of weeks because of an outbreak of polio in Cork.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Overview
Sunday 23 September was the date of the 1956 All-Ireland senior hurling final between Cork and Wexford. The game was postponed by three weeks due an outbreak of polio across Munster. Cork were appearing in their fourth championship decider in five years, having won the previous three finals. Wexford last appeared in the championship decider in 1955 when they defeated Galway to capture their second All-Ireland title ever. Cork and Wexford last met in the All-Ireland final in 1954 with Cork taking the spoils on that occasion.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Overview
Once again a huge crowd of 83,096 turned out in Croke Park to see another eagerly anticipated All-Ireland hurling final between these two great teams. While the attendance was marginally smaller than these sides last encounter the interest was just as great. Christy Ring was going for his ninth All-Ireland winners’ medal while Wexford were seeking the ultimate endorsement of greatness: victory over Cork in an All-Ireland final and second championship in-a-row.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Match report
At 3:15pm the sliothar was thrown-in and the game began in earnest. Cork got off to a bad start with a point by Tim Flood and a goal by Padge Kehoe giving Wexford a strong lead after just three minutes. Cork’s fortunes failed to turn when Tony O'Shaughnessy was forced to retire early with a head injury while Vincy Twomey came on as the substitute. Three points by Christy Ring and one each by Mick Regan and Éamonn Goulding kept Cork within striking distance at the interval.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Match report
Wexford could have been in real trouble in the first half but for the quick thinking of Mick Morrissey who swept the sliothar away from the goal line deny Cork an almost certain goal. Tim Flood, Nicky Rackard, Martin Codd and Tom Dixon chipped in with further points for Wexford to ensure a 1-6 to 0-5 lead at half-time.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Match report
In the dressing room at half-time the Cork selectors toyed with the idea of reintroducing Tony O’Shaughnessy while also moving Willie John Daly up to the attack where he could be more effective. This plan was rejected and Cork made no changes at the break. Wexford were much better immediately after the restart with the Rackard brothers, Nicky and Bobby, converting two more frees. Martin Codd had Wexford seven points ahead shortly afterwards when Martin Codd sent the sliothar between he posts after a lively solo run.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Match report
Just when it looked as if the game was running away from Cork Christy Ring stood up to take a close-in free. He had only one thing on his mind as the sliothar ended up being rifled into the Wexford net for a goal. Immediately after the puck-out Ring went on the attack again, racing through the Wexford defence before sending a left-handed shot over the crossbar for another point. These scores lifted Cork, however, Padge Kehoe fought back with a fine point before Paddy Barry responded with an even finer score that went straight between the posts.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Match report
Cork were definitely on the way up after these scores. Terry Kelly sent the sliothar in towards the goal mouth and it was promptly gobbled up by Paddy Barry. The Sarsfields hurler headed toward goalkeeper Art Foley and there was no mistake in sending the sliothar straight into the net. Cork had taken a remarkable lead as the red and white flags and bunting popped up all over the stadium. Soon afterwards the sliothar came to Ring who busted through the defence once again.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Match report
Although hindered by Bobby Rackard he was still able to palm the sliothar over the crossbar to give Cork a one-point lead with ten minutes left to play. The Wexford men, who were in the same position two years earlier steadied themselves and began the fight back. The play moved to the other end of the field and Nicky Rackard made no mistake in scoring the equalizer within a minute of Ring’s point. The Cork defence was under severe trouble and conceded two frees which Rackard promptly converted. Wexford had a two-point cushion once again.


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Final moments
The decisive passage of play came with three minutes to go. In the blink of an eye the play switched to the Cork attackers as Christy Ring caught the sliothar in the left full-forward position. He made a dash across the goalmouth shouldering his team mate Paddy Barry out of the way en route. Ring sent in a shot towards the net but Art Foley blocked it, deflected it into his hand and cleared it down the field. A whole host of legends have developed about the save that has gone down in history as one of the most important in the history of the championship. Michael O'Hehir, commentating live on Radio Éireann, described it as follows:


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Final moments
Moments later, following another intervention by Foley, Wexford struck for their second goal. The sliothar was moved up the field where it was caught by Tom Ryan. Ryan passed the sliothar to Nicky Rackard who made no mistake in sending it into the Cork net past goalkeeper Mick Cashman. This score, which clinched the game for Wexford, was quickly followed by the final score of the game, a point for Wexford by Tom Dixon. This passage of play was described by O'Hehir as follows:


1956 All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship Final, All-Ireland final, Final moments
A score line of 2-14 to 2-8 gave victory to Wexford and a first-ever defeat over Cork. When the final whistle was sounded the huge crowd at Croke Park witnessed an unprecedented display of sportsmanship as an exuberant Nick O’Donnell, a shy and soft-spoken farmer, planted a large kiss on Ring’s cheek. He then helped Bobby Rackard and Art Foley to carry Ring shoulder-high off the pitch. Wexford had won the game but there was no doubt in their minds that Ring was the hurling hero of the hour.


1956 All-Pacific Coast football team
The 1956 All-Pacific Coast Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations for All-Pacific Coast teams for the 1956 NCAA University Division football season.


1956 All-Pacific Coast football team, Key
AP = Associated Press, with newsmen and sportscasters making the selections


1956 All-Pro Team
The Associated Press (AP), Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), New York Daily News (NYDN), The Sporting News (SN), and United Press (UP) were among selectors of All-Pro teams comprising players adjudged to be the best at each position in the National Football League (NFL) during the 1956 NFL season. The AP, NEA, NYDN, and UPI selected a first and second team.


1956 All-SEC football team
The 1956 All-SEC football team consists of American football players selected to the All-Southeastern Conference (SEC) chosen by various selectors for the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. Tennessee won the conference.


1956 All-SEC football team, Key
Bold = Consensus first-team selection by both AP and UP


1956 All-Southwest Conference football team
The 1956 All-Southwest Conference football team consists of American football players chosen by various organizations for All-Southwest Conference teams for the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. The selectors for the 1956 season included the United Press (UP).


1956 All-Southwest Conference football team, Key
Bold = Consensus first-team selection of both the AP and UP


1956 Allan Cup
The 1956 Allan Cup was the Canadian national senior ice hockey championship for the 1955-56 Senior "A" season. The event was hosted by the Vernon Canadians and Vernon, Kelowna, and Kamloops, British Columbia. The 1956 playoff marked the 48th time that the Allan Cup has been awarded.


1956 Amorgos earthquake
The 1956 Amorgos earthquake occurred at 03:11 UTC on July 9. It had a magnitude of 7.7 on the moment magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of IX on the Mercalli intensity scale. The epicentre was to the south of the island of Amorgos, the easternmost island of the Cyclades in the Aegean Sea. There was significant damage on Amorgos and the neighbouring island of Santorini. It was the largest earthquake in Greece in the 20th century. It was followed 13 minutes later by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake near Santorini. It triggered a major tsunami with a maximum run-up of 30 m. The combined effects of the earthquake shaking and the tsunami caused the deaths of 53 people with a further 100 injured.


1956 Amorgos earthquake, Tectonic setting
The Cyclades island group lies within a zone of extensional tectonics in the Aegean Sea Plate, between the South Aegean Volcanic Arc to the south and the continuation of the North Anatolian Fault to the north. The extension is a result of the bulging out of the Hellenic arc due to flat-slab subduction of the African Plate.


1956 Amorgos earthquake, Earthquake
The earthquake's focal mechanism is consistent with normal faulting, trending SW-NE. From the distribution of aftershocks, it is possible to discriminate between the two nodal planes implied by the focal mechanism, indicating that the fault plane dips to the southeast at about 25°. The rupture area is estimated to be about 110 km along strike and 26 km in depth, extending into the upper mantle.


1956 Amorgos earthquake, Tsunami
The tsunami affected a large part of the Aegean Sea. The variable distribution of the observed run-ups, combined with inconsistent timing of the wave arrivals at different locations, suggest that earthquake-triggered underwater landslides were the main cause of the observed tsunami.


1956 Amorgos earthquake, Damage
Damage was severe, particularly on Santorini. The earthquake demolished 529 houses and left many others damaged. Fifty-three people were killed as a result of the earthquake, with another three killed by the associated tsunami.


1956 Anjar earthquake
The  1956 Anjar earthquake occurred at 15:32 UTC on 21 July, causing maximum damage in town of Anjar in Kutch, Gujarat, India. It had an estimated magnitude of 6.1 on the surface wave magnitude scale and a maximum perceived intensity of IX on the Mercalli intensity scale.


1956 Anjar earthquake, Earthquake
The epicenter of earthquake of 21 July 1956 was at somewhere between Anjar and Bhadresar, very close to that of 1819 Kutch earthquake, between 50 and 120 km away depending on the epicentral location chosen for the earlier event. It caused considerable damage and casualties, especially in and around town of Anjar, India. The area of maximum damage was of 2000 km2 and radius of perceptibility was 300 km. The cause of earthquake was reverse faulting, similar to that which caused the 1819 Rann of Kutch earthquake.


1956 Anjar earthquake, Damage
The town of Anjar and the Taluka of Anjar were the most affected region with 2000 houses damaged, of which half of them were in Anjar town alone. The other towns affected were Bhuj, Kera, Bhachau, Gandhidham and port town of Kandla. At least 115 people were reported to have died and casualties numbered to 254 as per government records. It was estimated that more than 3,000 houses in 25 villages developed huge cracks, losses ran up to ₹10 million.


1956 Anjar earthquake, Damage
Such devastation wreaked by the quake made it one of the worst calamity to hit Kutch in the past 100 years. More than 8,000 people migrated from the district a few days after the quake. The earthquake was followed by heavy rains, which added to the misery of thousands living in temporary camps.


1956 Anjar earthquake, Damage
Anjar, which is a historic town and very congested in the old parts was largely destroyed in this earthquake of 1956. Later, new houses were raised on old foundations, and in due course of time also the new township of Naya Anjar or New Anjar township was founded after this earthquake for rehabilitation purpose. The railway track near Anjar was damaged as the earth gave way over a length of nearly 50 feet, however, other major railway lines, roads, bridges, culverts, were not affected by this earthquake.


1956 Anjar earthquake, Other events
The next major earthquake in the region was of 26 January 2001, which again was due to a similar style of faulting as the 1819 earthquake.


1956 Antiguan general election
General elections were held in Antigua and Barbuda on 1 November 1956. The Antigua Labour Party retained all 8 seats and the party's leader Vere Bird became Minister of Trade and Production after a ministerial system of government was established. Voter turnout was 57.0%.


1956 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1956 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 22 January 1956 at Buenos Aires. It was race 1 of  8 in the 1956 World Championship of Drivers.


1956 Argentine Grand Prix
With the withdrawal of Mercedes from Formula One, Fangio and Moss would begin the season with new teams. Fangio would join Ferrari while Moss would lead the Maserati team. The grid at Argentina was completely composed of Italian cars. Ferrari and Maserati showed up with five cars each. The other three cars were Maseratis: two private entries and Hawthorn for the B.R.M. team.


1956 Argentine Grand Prix
Ferrari dominated practice and occupied the first three grid positions with Fangio's pole time 2.2 sec faster than second. However, Maserati dominated the early race with Menditeguy and Moss leading the field. Fangio was a non factor with a faulty fuel pump. He took over Musso's car on lap 29 and re-entered in fifth place. Fangio quickly passed Behra but lost his position after spinning. From laps 40-43 disaster struck the leaders. While third Castellotti's gearbox broke, Menditguy left the lead with a broken driveshaft, and new leader Moss's engine began to smoke.


1956 Argentine Grand Prix
Fangio, who had overtaken Behra, passed the ailing Moss on lap 66 and finished unchallenged after Behra spun late. The race was not without controversy when the Maserati team manager lodged a protest that Fangio was push-started after the earlier spin. However, the protest was rejected by both the stewards and the F.I.A.


1956 Argentine Primera División
The 1956 Argentine Primera División was the 65th season of top-flight football in Argentina. The season began on April 15 and ended on December 2.


1956 Argus Trophy
The 1956 Argus Trophy was a Formula Libre motor race held at the Albert Park Circuit in Victoria, Australia on 18 March 1956. The race was contested over 48 laps, a total distance of 150 miles. It was staged by the Light Car Club of Australia  as the feature event on the second Sunday of the two-day "Moomba Meeting", which was held with the co-operation of the Moomba Festival organisers.


1956 Argus Trophy
The race was won by Reg Hunt driving a Maserati 250F.


1956 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The 1956 Arizona State Sun Devils football team was an American football team that represented Arizona State College (later renamed Arizona State University) in the Border Conference during the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Dan Devine, the Sun Devils compiled a 9–1 record (3–1 against Border opponents) and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 306 to 83.


1956 Arizona State Sun Devils football team
The team's statistical leaders included Dave Graybill with 58 passing yards, Bobby Mulgado with 721 rushing yards, and Gene Mitcham with 256 receiving yards.


1956 Arizona State–Flagstaff Lumberjacks football team
The 1956 Arizona State–Flagstaff Lumberjacks football team was an American football team that represented Arizona State College at Flagstaff (now known as Northern Arizona University) in the Frontier Conference during the 1956 NAIA football season. In their first year under head coach Max Spilsbury, the Lumberjacks compiled an 8–2 record (3–0 against conference opponents), won the Frontier Conference championship, and outscored opponents by a total of 311 to 93.


1956 Arizona State–Flagstaff Lumberjacks football team
The team played its home games at Skidmore Field in Flagstaff, Arizona.


1956 Arizona Wildcats baseball team
The 1956 Arizona Wildcats baseball team represented the University of Arizona in the 1956 NCAA baseball season. The Wildcats played their home games at UA Field and Hi Corbett Field in Tucson, Arizona. The team was coached by Frank Sancet in his seventh season at Arizona.


1956 Arizona Wildcats baseball team
The Wildcats reached the College World Series, finishing as the runner up to Minnesota.


1956 Arizona Wildcats football team
The 1956 Arizona Wildcats football team represented the University of Arizona in the Border Conference during the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. In their fifth and final season under head coach Warren B. Woodson, the Wildcats compiled a 4–6 record (1–2 against Border opponents) and were outscored by their opponents, 182 to 180. The team captains were Paul Hatcher and Art Luppino. The team played its home games in Arizona Stadium in Tucson, Arizona.


1956 Arizona Wildcats football team
The team's statistical leaders included Ralph Hunsaker with 823 passing yards, Sal Gonzalez with 337 rushing yards, and Eddie Sine with 163 receiving yards.


1956 Arizona gubernatorial election
The 1956 Arizona gubernatorial election took place on November 6, 1956. Incumbent Governor Ernest McFarland ran for reelection to a second term. Ernest McFarland defeated longtime The Arizona Republic journalist and Republican nominee Horace B. Griffen in the general election by a wide margin.


1956 Arkansas Razorbacks football team
The 1956 Arkansas Razorbacks football team represented the University of Arkansas in the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. In their third year under head coach Jack Mitchell, the Razorbacks compiled a 6–4 record (3–3 against SWC opponents), finished in fourth place in the SWC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 160 to 155.


1956 Arkansas gubernatorial election
The 1956 Arkansas gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1956.


1956 Arkansas gubernatorial election
Incumbent Democratic Governor Orval Faubus won election to a second term, defeating Republican nominee Roy Mitchell with 80.65% of the vote.


1956 Arkansas gubernatorial election, Primary elections
Primary elections were held on July 31, 1956. By winning over 50% of the vote, Faubus avoided a run-off which would have been held on August 14, 1956.


1956 Army Cadets football team
The 1956 Army Cadets football team represented the United States Military Academy in the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. In their 16th year under head coach Earl Blaik, the Cadets compiled a 5–3–1 record and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 223 to 153. In the annual Army–Navy Game, the Cadets tied the Midshipmen by a 7 to 7 score. The Cadets also lost to Michigan, Syracuse, and Pittsburgh.


1956 Army Cadets football team
Army guard Stan Slater was honored by the United Press as a third-team player on the 1956 College Football All-America Team.


1956 Artek
1956 Artek, provisional designation 1969 TX1, is a dark Themistian asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 19 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 8 October 1969, by Soviet–Russian astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj. It was named after Artek, a Soviet Young Pioneer camp.


1956 Artek, Orbit and classification
Artek is a dark C-type asteroid and a member of the Themis family, a dynamical family of outer-belt asteroids with nearly coplanar ecliptical orbits. It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.9–3.5 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,094 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 1° with respect to the ecliptic. The first precovery was taken at Goethe Link Observatory in 1954, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 15 years prior to its discovery.


1956 Artek, Physical characteristics
A rotational lightcurve was obtained from photometric observations made by Italian astronomers Roberto Crippa and Federico Manzini in February 2006. The fragmentary lightcurve gave a rotation period of 9.4±0.2 hours with a low brightness variation of 0.07 magnitude (U=1+).


1956 Artek, Physical characteristics
According to the space-based surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 18.0 and 19.2 kilometers in diameter with a corresponding albedo of 0.099 of 0.074, respectively. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.08 and calculates a diameter of 18.7 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.1.


1956 Artek, Naming
This minor planet was named after the Soviet Artek (Арте́к) camp, the first All-Union Young Pioneer camp on the Crimean peninsula. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 30 June 1977 (M.P.C. 4190).


1956 Atlantic R6D-1 disappearance
The 1956 Atlantic R6D-1 disappearance involved a Douglas R6D-1 Liftmaster (BuNo 131588) of the United States Navy which disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean on 10 October 1956 with the loss of all 59 people on board.


1956 Atlantic R6D-1 disappearance, Accident
The R6D-1 – the U.S. Navy version of the United States Air Force C-118 Liftmaster and the civilian Douglas DC-6B airliner – was carrying a crew of nine and 50 passengers on a scheduled Military Air Transport Service flight from RAF Lakenheath, England, to Lajes Field in the Azores on 10 October 1956 when it disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean about 590 km (370 miles) southwest of Land’s End, England, at approximately 22:10.


1956 Atlantic R6D-1 disappearance, Accident
All of the passengers were personnel of the U.S. Air Force's 307th Bombardment Wing stationed at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska, returning to the United States from 90 days of temporary duty in England. The disappearance was the second major accident involving a Navy R6D-1 in 19 months, an R6D-1 having crashed in Hawaii in March 1955.


1956 Atlantic R6D-1 disappearance, Accident
A 14-day search for the aircraft and survivors found only wheels and a life raft floating 596 km (370 miles) southwest of Land's End. No trace of the crew or passengers was ever found.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season
The 1956 Atlantic hurricane season featured a decent number of tropical cyclones, although most tropical storms and hurricanes affected land. There were twelve tropical storms, a third of which became hurricanes. One of the hurricanes strengthened to the equivalent of a major hurricane, which is a Category 3 or greater on the Saffir–Simpson scale. The strongest hurricane of the season was Betsy, which was also the most damaging storm of the season: it destroyed 15,000 houses and left $40 million in damage in Puerto Rico. Betsy was also the deadliest of the season, having killed 18 people in the French West Indies, two from a shipwreck in the Caribbean Sea, and 16 in Puerto Rico. Tropical Storm Dora struck Mexico in September and killed 27 people.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season
The season officially started on June 15, although an unnamed storm developed about a week prior over the western North Atlantic Ocean. A later storm that formed over the Gulf of Mexico on June 12 alleviated drought conditions in the south-central United States. Hurricane Anna developed in late July and hit Mexico. Tropical storms Carla and Ethel both formed near the Bahamas and moved northeastward until dissipating. The lone hurricane that hit the contiguous United States was Hurricane Flossy.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season
One of the final storms of the year, Greta, was an unusually large hurricane that produced high waves from Florida to the Lesser Antilles. It developed in the western Caribbean and moved across much of the southeastern United States, causing $24.8 million in damage and 15 deaths. There were also several tropical depressions, as well as one subtropical cyclone, in the season.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
The season officially began on June 15, the date that the Weather Bureau office in Miami, Florida, under the direction of Gordon Dunn, began daily monitoring of all tropical disturbances and cyclones across the northern Atlantic Ocean. The agency had access to the hurricane hunters, a fleet of aircraft that obtain data by flying into storms. The Weather Bureau, in collaboration with other agencies, began a five–year project in 1956 to obtain and analyze data on the structure of hurricanes. The season officially ended on November 15.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
There were a total of twelve tropical storms during the season, five of which were unnamed. Of all the storms, four were hurricanes. Compared to the average activity from the previous two decades, the season's activity was below normal despite average sea surface temperatures and a normal number of tropical waves. Instead, the inactivity was the result of the subtropical ridge being located further south than normal, which decreased the atmospheric instability across much of the basin. Such a pattern was different from the more active 1954 and 1955 seasons. Several tropical depressions formed that did not attain tropical storm status, many of which formed beneath an unfavorable upper-level trough.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Season summary
The season's activity was reflected with a cumulative accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) rating of 54, which is categorized as being "below normal". ACE is, broadly speaking, a measure of the power of the hurricane multiplied by the length of time it existed, so storms that last a long time, as well as particularly strong hurricanes, have high ACEs. ACE is only calculated for full advisories on tropical systems at or exceeding 34 knots (39 mph, 63 km/h) or tropical storm strength. Subtropical cyclones are excluded from the total.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm One
A dissipating cold front off the southeastern United States spawned a low-pressure area on June 6. On the next day, the system organized into a tropical storm off the coast of North Carolina. The storm moved southward and reached peak winds of 45 mph (70 km/h), based on reports from ships. During its duration, the storm failed to develop an inner core, affected by cool, dry air to the northwest. The structure was likely akin to a subtropical storm, based on its formation beneath an upper-level trough. On June 8, the storm accelerated to the northeast ahead of an approaching cold front, weakening to a tropical depression the next day, and becoming an extratropical cyclone within the front on June 10. The system dissipated later that day as a larger storm developed within the front.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Two
In early June, a trough extended from the Gulf of Mexico to the western Atlantic Ocean. On June 12, the interaction between the trough and a tropical wave spawned a tropical depression in the Bay of Campeche. The newly developed tropical cyclone tracked northward, quickly intensifying into a tropical storm. It attained peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) on June 13, although it never developed a well-defined circulation. In addition, it had characteristics of both a tropical and extratropical cyclone, with cooler air aloft. Late on June 13, the storm made landfall near Cocodrie, Louisiana, and its lowest pressure of 1,001 millibars (29.56 inHg) was measured over land, suggesting it did not weaken substantially after landfall. After moving inland, it dissipated on June 15 over Arkansas.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Two
As the storm moved ashore, it did not develop rainbands, unlike other tropical cyclones. The heaviest rainfall occurred in a 100 mi (160 km) region east of where it moved ashore. Precipitation fell across the entire United States gulf coast, and the highest rainfall total was 8.89 in (226 mm) in Golden Meadow, Louisiana. The rains were beneficial to farmers, due to drought conditions persisting in the region. The storm produced higher than normal tides, peaking at 4.7 ft (1.4 m) in Biloxi, Mississippi; this was the highest since the 1947 Fort Lauderdale hurricane.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Two
The tides left damage to the Freeport Sulphur Company, as well as to boats, beaches, and piers. Three people died after their boat capsized, and there was another death after a driver skidded off the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway. A barge in the lake became disabled due to the storm and caused light damage to the causeway. Sustained winds during the storm's passage peaked at 55 mph (89 km/h) near Grand Isle, Louisiana, and a boat reported a gust of 60 mph (97 km/h) near Pilottown, Louisiana. Damage was estimated at $50,000.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, June tropical depression
Shortly after the previous storm dissipated, another tropical depression developed on June 17 from a trough, about 500 mi (800 km) east of the southern Florida coast. Although it briefly produced wind gusts of 40 mph (64 km/h), it never intensified beyond tropical depression status, and it dissipated on June 18.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, July tropical depression
A weak circulation developed late on July 4 beneath a cold mid-level trough in the Gulf of Mexico. It moved north-northwestward, and hit near Pensacola, Florida, on July 6. It dissipated on July 9. Although it never intensified beyond tropical depression status, the system produced wind gusts of 47 mph (76 km/h) in Panama City, Florida. As it moved ashore, the depression dropped heavy amounts of precipitation, with a total of 14.22 in (361 mm) reported in Whatley, Alabama. The rains washed away or eroded several highways and bridges, and also resulted in some agricultural damage. A train line from Mobile to Birmingham, Alabama, was washed out near Suggsville. Overall the damage was estimated at $503,000, and there were no associated deaths.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Anna
A westward-moving tropical wave traversed the Lesser Antilles on July 20. It moved across the Caribbean, and its thunderstorms increased on July 23 while passing south of Cuba and beneath a high-pressure area. There is evidence that it could have developed a circulation on July 24 before it struck the Yucatán Peninsula. It is confirmed to have developed into a tropical depression on July 25 in the Bay of Campeche. As it continued west-northwestward, it rapidly intensified into Tropical Storm Anna, and before moving ashore in Mexico near Ozuluama, Veracruz, on July 26 it attained hurricane status.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Anna
Peak winds reached 85 mph (135 km/h), although Anna rapidly dissipated on July 27 as it moved further inland. The high winds wrecked several homes in poor regions of Tampico, Tamaulipas, while rainfall of 2.5 in (64 mm) resulted in flooding. The high winds severed telegraph lines from Tampico to San Luis Potosí. The same area was affected by several hurricanes in the previous year. Damage totaled around $50,000, and there were no deaths.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Betsy
A tropical wave moved off the coast of Africa on August 4. It developed into Tropical Storm Betsy developed on August 9 to the east of the Lesser Antilles. It rapidly developed into a 105 mph (170 km/h) hurricane before striking Guadeloupe with a minimum central pressure of 979 mb (28.91 inHg). There, Betsy heavily damaged 1,000 houses and left severe crop destruction, and led to 18 deaths. As Betsy continued into the northeastern Caribbean, it capsized a ship, killing its crew of two.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Betsy
On August 12, a slightly weakened Betsy struck southeastern Puerto Rico near Maunabo with winds of 100 mph (160 km/h) and quickly crossed the island. Damage was heaviest where it moved ashore and in the territory's central portion. 15,023 houses were destroyed by Betsy, and multiple locations reported heavy crop damage, including Camuy, which reported a complete loss of the corn crop.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Betsy
After exiting Puerto Rico, Betsy strengthened steadily as it headed generally northwestward, becoming a major hurricane on August 13 while centered north of the Turks and Caicos Islands. It attained peak winds of 120 mph (195 km/h) the next day to the east of the Bahamas. Betsy later turned northeastward, attaining its lowest central pressure of 954 mbar (28.17 inHg) on August 17. It later became extratropical early on August 18. The remnants dissipated two days later to the north of the Azores.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Betsy
Hurricane Betsy was the first hurricane to be observed from the San Juan radar, and also resulted in the first hurricane warning on the island that was released on television. The hurricane left $40 million in damage and 16 deaths, which prompted the declaration of a federal disaster area. Locally the hurricane was known as the Santa Clara Hurricane.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, August tropical depression
A vigorous tropical wave spawned a tropical depression on August 28 near the Cape Verde islands. As it passed through the islands, the depression produced a minimum central pressure of 1,004 mbar (29.6 inHg) on the island of Sal. Ships in the area reported winds as strong as 46 mph (74 km/h). The depression maintained a general westward track, eventually dissipating on September 6 to the northeast of the Lesser Antilles.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Carla
The origins of Tropical Storm Carla were from a tropical wave that spawned a depression near the Bahamas on September 7. It moved generally to the north, intensifying to a tropical storm the following day. An upper-level low located to the northeast of Carla produced hostile conditions that prevented significant strengthening, and Carla had a structure which resembled a subtropical storm. An approaching cold front turned the storm to the northeast, and despite the unfavorable atmosphere, Carla intensified, reaching peak winds of 60 mph (95 km/h) late on September 9.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Carla
The interaction between the storm and a high-pressure system over the Great Lakes yielded a strong pressure gradient that produced gale-force winds over New England. After Carla passed to the north of Bermuda, it became extratropical on September 10, according to HURDAT—the official hurricane database—and the annual report in the Monthly Weather Review. As a post-tropical cyclone, ex-Carla strengthened to 70 mph (115 km/h) before weakening and dissipating by September 16.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Dora
On September 10, a tropical depression developed over the Bay of Campeche. Later that day, hurricane hunters observed winds of tropical storm force, indicating that the depression had become Tropical Storm Dora, with winds of about 40 mph (65 km/h). Dora moved generally westward due to a ridge to its north. A reconnaissance flight on September 11 estimated hurricane-force winds, but reanalysis assessed these as being unrepresentative of Dora's true strength. Early on September 12, Dora peaked at 60 mph (95 km/h) shortly before striking land near Tuxpan with a minimum central pressure of 1,000 mb (29.53 inHg).


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Dora
It quickly dissipated early the next day, although the storm produced heavy rains across the region. The deluge caused a landslide as well as flooding, including along a river near San Andrés Tuxtla. In Puebla, there were 13 deaths and 20 injuries after a bus crashed into a washed out portion of the highway from Tuxpan to Mexico City. Overall, Dora caused 27 deaths in the country, but minor damage.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Ethel
On September 11, a tropical depression developed along the southern end of a quasi-stationary cold front over Grand Exuma Island in the Bahamas. It moved to the northeast and encountered cold air from the north. This resulted in significant instability that allowed in quick strengthening. A hurricane hunters flight on September 12 reported winds of 76 mph (122 km/h) in the storm's northeast quadrant; as a result, the depression was upgraded to Tropical Storm Ethel. The flight observed a well-developed eye 20 mi (32 km) in diameter, although they only observed hurricane-force winds in one quadrant.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Ethel
Reassessment, however, discounted the observations of hurricane-force winds from the aircraft as being unrepresentative of Ethel's strength, and analyzed that Ethel peaked at 60 mph (95 km/h) late on September 12, with the lowest pressure reported being 999 mbar (29.50 inHg). Shortly after reaching peak intensity, Ethel began weakening and dissipated on September 14 to the southwest of Bermuda.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, September tropical depression
A vigorous tropical depression moved through the Cape Verde islands on September 13, although the complete history of the cyclone is unknown. It dissipated before affecting the Lesser Antilles.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Flossy
Hurricane Flossy originated from a tropical wave that moved through the Caribbean. A tropical depression formed on September 20 just east of the Yucatán Peninsula and headed northwest across the landmass. Upon entering the Gulf of Mexico on September 22, it quickly intensified into Tropical Storm Flossy. Continuing to intensify, the storm turned to the north and attained hurricane status on September 23. Bearing winds of 85 mph (135 km/h), Flossy struck near Venice, Louisiana, on September 24 after turning to the northeast, crossing the Mississippi River Delta.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Flossy
The hurricane again moved into the Gulf of Mexico, continuing to the northeast and intensifying further until moving ashore near Miramar Beach, Florida, on September 25 as a strong Category 1 hurricane with winds of 90 mph (145 km/h) and a minimum pressure of 974 mbar (28.76 inHg). Later that day, Flossy became extratropical over Georgia after weakening into a tropical storm. The extratropical remnants moved through the southeast United States and emerged from North Carolina into the western Atlantic on September 27. The storm was last observed on October 3, near southernmost Newfoundland.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Flossy
Flossy was the only hurricane of the season to strike the United States. Winds in Louisiana reached 84 mph (135 km/h), although an oil rig offshore Grand Isle reported a gust of 95 mph (153 km/h). The storm dropped heavy rainfall along its path, peaking at 16.7 in (420 mm) in Golden Meadow, Louisiana. The rainfall and the hurricane's accompanying storm surge caused widespread flooding and beach erosion in southeast Louisiana. The flooding surmounted the eastern seawall in New Orleans, submerging an area of 2.5 sq mi (6.5 km2). Across the region, the resulting flooding drowned cattle and caused heavy crop damage. Hurricane Flossy left about $27.8 million in damage (1956 USD), mostly from crop damage, as well as 15 deaths. The rainfall extended through the Mid-Atlantic states, which alleviated drought conditions.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, October Central Atlantic depression
On October 9, a tropical depression developed about 1,300 mi (2,100 km) east of Puerto Rico. Ships in the area reported winds as strong as 45 mph (72 km/h), although the system dissipated within 24 hours.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Nine
A tropical wave exited the west coast of Africa in early October. By October 9, a tropical storm developed with winds of 45 mph (70 km/h), based on ship reports. On October 10, the storm turned to the north and weakened to a tropical depression. It drifted northeast for two days, dissipating on October 12.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, October Mid-Atlantic depression
On October 10, another tropical depression formed further to the north of the Central Atlantic depression. It possibly developed from the same tropical wave that spawned the aforementioned depression, although they were not the same system. The depression maintained a general northward movement throughout its duration, dissipating on October 12.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Ten
A low-pressure area formed along a dissipating cold front to the north of Puerto Rico. The system moved westward, developing some tropical characteristics by October 13. The next day, the system became a tropical storm over the Straits of Florida. On October 15, it crossed over South Florida near Homestead with winds of 60 mph (95 km/h). The storm was never fully tropical, as its winds and precipitation extended far away from the center. The storm intensified further over the Florida peninsula, peaking at 65 mph (105 km/h) early on October 16. After affecting Florida, the storm crossed the western Atlantic and moved across the Outer Banks. The storm became extratropical on October 17, and the next day it was absorbed by another extratropical storm.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Ten
The storm produced significant rainfall in a 50 mi (80 km) region of Florida. The highest total in the state was 16.28 in (414 mm) in Kissimmee. There, the rains caused flash flooding that entered over 200 houses. The flooding flooded three state highways, and also left portions of Okeechobee inaccessible after reporting the heaviest rainfall in eight years. Large tomato fields were inundated, resulting in some crop damage. In portions of the state, the rains were beneficial due to previously dry conditions. The storm spawned a tornado in North Miami that injured one person. Damage throughout Florida was estimated at $3 million, mostly in the Kissimmee area. In addition, two surfers drowned during the storm. Precipitation extended as far north as New Jersey, and coastal areas experienced high tides and gusty winds.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Greta
The Intertropical Convergence Zone spawned a tropical depression on October 31 a short distance to south of easternmost Cuba. The system tracked northward and crossed over eastern Cuba, and the system initially had characteristics of an extratropical cyclone. It eventually acquired tropical features and intensified into Tropical Storm Greta on November 1. A high-pressure area east of the Mid-Atlantic states caused the depression to turn to the south on November 2 and loop to the southeast. Later that day the depression intensified into Tropical Storm Greta to the northeast of the Bahamas.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Greta
It attained hurricane status on November 4 while maintaining a large size (in fact, becoming one of the largest tropical cyclones known in the Atlantic basin); such strengthening is unusual in storms moving in a southeast trajectory. Greta turned to the east and later northeast, reaching its peak of 100 mph (160 km/h) late on November 4 due to the energy transfer between levels of the atmosphere. Cooler waters caused subsequent weakening and gradual loss of tropical characteristics, and Greta transitioned into an extratropical storm on November 6, dissipating the next day.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Greta
The extremely large size of Greta, in conjunction with the high-pressure system to its north, produced strong winds and high waves across a large area of the western Atlantic. In Puerto Rico, waves of 20 ft (6.1 m) left heavy damage and killed one person who did not heed an evacuation order. Waves reached 25 ft (7.6 m) in the French West Indies, which destroyed 80% of the structures at the port in Basse-Terre, Guadeloupe. Further west, high waves left heavy damage in and around the beaches of Jacksonville, Florida. Overall damage was estimated at about $3.58 million.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Twelve
In the middle of November, a weakening cold front produced a low-pressure area, which organized into a tropical depression early on November 19, though it is possible it formed a day earlier. The depression moved slowly west for the next 12 hours, becoming a tropical storm thereafter. Due to its slow movement, and based on ship reports, it is estimated that peak winds were 45 mph (70 km/h), with a minimum pressure recorded was 1002 mbar. The system continued to crawl westward, weakening to a depression on November 21 at 12:00 UTC and degenerating later in the day to a trough of low pressure.


1956 Atlantic hurricane season, Storm names
The following names were used for named storms (tropical storms and hurricanes) that formed in the North Atlantic in 1956. All names used for the first time in 1956.


1956 Auburn Tigers football team
The 1956 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 1956 NCAA University Division football season. It was the Tigers' 65th overall and 24th season as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team was led by head coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan, in his sixth year, and played their home games at Cliff Hare Stadium in Auburn and Legion Field in Birmingham, Alabama. They finished with a record of seven wins and three losses (7–3 overall, 4–3 in the SEC).


1956 Auckland City mayoral election
The 1956 Auckland City mayoral election was part of the New Zealand local elections held that same year. In 1956, elections were held for the Mayor of Auckland plus other local government positions including twenty-one city councillors. The polling was conducted using the standard first-past-the-post electoral method.


1956 Auckland City mayoral election, Background
Mayor John Luxford was challenged over his claim of wasteful expenditure by the Council by former Town Clerk Thomas Ashby who claimed Luxford had not remedied the problem with the programmes he had initiated. Ashby was endorsed by the United Independents electoral ticket after Luxford had joined the Citizens & Ratepayers ticket after a falling out with Robinson and his United Independent colleagues who had backed him in his 1953 campaign. The United Independents vote fell, losing their balance of power, with the Citizens & Ratepayers regaining their council majority once again.


1956 Australian Championships
The 1956 Australian Championships was a tennis tournament that took place on outdoor Grass courts at the Milton Courts, Brisbane, Australia from 20 January to 30 January. It was the 44th edition of the Australian Championships (now known as the Australian Open), the 4th held in Brisbane, and the first Grand Slam tournament of the year. The singles titles were won by Lew Hoad and Mary Carter Reitano.


1956 Australian Championships, Champions, Men's Doubles
Lew Hoad /  Ken Rosewall defeated  Don Candy /  Mervyn Rose 10–8, 13–11, 6–4


1956 Australian Championships, Champions, Women's Doubles
Mary Bevis Hawton /  Thelma Coyne Long defeated  Mary Carter /  Beryl Penrose 6–2, 5–7, 9–7


1956 Australian Championships, Champions, Mixed Doubles
Beryl Penrose  /  Neale Fraser defeated  Mary Bevis Hawton /  Roy Emerson 6–2, 6–4


1956 Australian Championships – Men's Singles
First-seeded Lew Hoad defeated Ken Rosewall 6–4, 3–6, 6–4, 7–5 in the final to win the Men's Singles tennis title at the 1956 Australian Championships.


1956 Australian Championships – Men's Singles, Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. Lew Hoad is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1956 Australian Championships – Women's Singles
Second-seeded Mary Carter defeated Thelma Long 3–6, 6–2, 9–7 in the final to win the Women's Singles tennis title at the 1956 Australian Championships.


1956 Australian Championships – Women's Singles, Seeds
The seeded players are listed below. Mary Carter is the champion; others show the round in which they were eliminated.


1956 Australian Grand Prix
The 1956 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race for Formula Libre cars held at Albert Park Street Circuit, in Victoria, Australia on 2 December 1956. The race, which had 22 starters, was held over 80 laps of the five kilometre circuit, the longest of all the Australian Grands Prix at 402 kilometres. It attracted a crowd of over 120,000 spectators.


1956 Australian Grand Prix
The race was the twenty first Australian Grand Prix and the second to be held on a street circuit situated around the Albert Park Lake, the current location of the race. It had been moved to the end of the year, and the rotational system which shifted the race from state to state was suspended to allow the AGP to capitalise on the publicity generated around the 1956 Olympic Games which were being held in Melbourne.


1956 Australian Grand Prix
With the presence of the works Officine Alfieri Maserati racing team, bringing with them Stirling Moss, Jean Behra and a fleet of 250F, and fellow European based racers Ken Wharton, Peter Whitehead and Reg Parnell, the race became the most important motor racing event held in Australia's history to that point.


1956 Australian Grand Prix
Moss and Behra dominated the two-week festival which began the previous weekend with the Australian Tourist Trophy sports car race in which the duo placed first and second, each driving a Maserati 300S. In the Grand Prix the two were again dominant, but Moss was a class above Behra coming close to lapping his teammate.


1956 Australian Grand Prix
The two Scuderia Ambrosiana entered Ferraris of Peter Whitehead and Reg Parnell were not a serious threat but Whitehead did have the measure of the local drivers with the 1938 Australian Grand Prix winner finishing two laps clear of the first of the Australians, Maserati 250F driver Reg Hunt. Parnell finished sixth, behind another domestic Maserati 250F driven by Stan Jones. Both finished on the same lap as Hunt, while Lex Davison's older sports car engined Ferrari 625 was another two laps distant. Doug Whiteford's Talbot-Lago was the first non-Italian car home in eighth place. With defending champion Jack Brabham absent the best of the Cooper sourced machinery was Len Lukey's much modified Cooper-Bristol in ninth. Wharton's European-based Maserati 250F failed to reach the finishing line.


1956 Australian Grand Prix
Moss's fastest lap of 1:52.2 (100.25 mph) was a new lap record for the Albert Park Circuit.


1956 Australian Labor Party leadership spill
A leadership spill of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), then the opposition party in the Parliament of Australia, was held on 16 February 1956.


1956 Australian Labor Party leadership spill, Background
Labor frontbencher Allan Fraser unsuccessfully challenged ALP leader H. V. Evatt. Fraser was a known maverick who thought Evatt unelectable, and was derisive of his handling of the Industrial Groups and the ensuing "split" in the Labor Party.


1956 Australian Labor Party leadership spill, Background
Evatt was re-elected comfortably by 58 votes to 20. Arthur Calwell was re-elected deputy leader, securing 42 votes against 20 for Eddie Ward and 14 for Les Haylen.