What was the biggest event in your birth year?

Shaping history. Each year there is something that stands out in those 365 days. So what was the stand-out event in the year you were born? Going back to 1955, we will tell you!

In February video sharing website 'YouTube' was created by Chad Hurley, Steve Chen, and Jawed Karim. YouTube quickly gained popularity as users started to upload and share videos on the site in record numbers. YouTube is the second-most popular website in the world, Google being the first.

March 11th a series of coordinated, almost simultaneous bombings in the commuter train system of Madrid, Spain, killed 193 people and injured around 2,000. The explosion happened just three days before Spain's general elections.

In August Cristiano Ronaldo made his Premier League debut for Manchester United at the age of 18. He stayed at United for 6 years before joining Real Madrid for 94 million Euros. Breaking records in every league he played in. One of the greatest ever.

On 1 January after a decade of preparations Euro coins and banknotes were introduced in 12 EU countries, the biggest cash changeover in history.
The Euro was actually launched in 1999 but for the first 3 years it was only used for electronic payments and accounting purposes.

September 11th al-Qaeda Terrorists attack the United States using hijacked passenger aircraft destroying the Twin Towers in New York. Then crashed an aircraft into the Pentagon in Arlington County. Almost 3,000 people we killed in total.

June 10th: The new Millennium Bridge crossing the Thames opened. Then two days later is closed for modifications due to safety fears.

A tragedy: On April 20th, two teenage boys went on a killing spree at Columbine High School, murdering 12 students and one teacher before turning the guns on themselves.

No more looking in books, if you want to know the answer Google will find it for you. Larry Page and Sergey Brin were still Ph.D. students at Stanford University and had created the website as a research project.

Photo: firmbee /Unsplash

The world was shocked when on the 31st of August Princess Diana was killed in a car crash with her new partner Dodi Al Fayed. The source of many a conspiracy theory but Britain lost not just a member of the royal family it also lost the people's princess.

In August, Princess Diana and Prince Charles were officially divorced. The end of a fairy tale for the British public. But sadly that was just the beginning.

There was a terrorist bomb attack on the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City killing 168 and injuring over 680 others.

It was the 19th of November when Noel Edmonds and Anthea Turner presented the first lottery draw: the broadcast was watched by 22 million people.

Kim Campbell became the first female Prime Minister of Canada. Sadly her reign didn’t last long and she left office in November of the same year.

The first round of programming that aired on the CN consisted of old Warner Bros., MGM, and Hanna-Barbera cartoons. However, in the late 1990s they produced more original programming such as 'Ed, Edd n Eddy' and 'The Powerpuff Girls.'

The following countries gained independence when the Soviet Union dissolves: Uzbekistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Moldova, Lithuania, Latvia, Belarus, Estonia.

In February, Nelson Mandela was released from prison in South Africa after 27 years of imprisonment. Mandela had been one of the prominent leaders in the anti-apartheid movement.

In April, Gameboy was released in Japan and later in North America in July. The Gameboy was the first 8-bit handheld system that used different cartridges that could be changed and used to play different games.

December 21st: A suspected Libyan terrorist bomb explodes on Pan Am jet over Lockerbie in Scotland. The explosion killed all 259 on board and 11 on the ground.

The first 'The Simpsons' cartoon was shown on 'The Tracey Ullman Show'. The series aired on the new Fox television network and a total of 48 Simpsons short episodes were shown before being turned into their own series in 1989. Of course, they have made some pretty remarkable predictions over the years.

Due to the explosion, massive amounts of radiation and radioactive material were released into the surrounding environment, effecting the health and safety of thousands of people. The story was recounted in one of HBO's most praised TV series.

After sixteen years of being closed (since 1969 under Francisco Franco’s rule), the border between Gibraltar and Spain was officially reopened during February of 1985.

Britain and Ireland's top pop musicians gathered in a studio to form Band Aid and recorded the famous song 'Do They Know It's Christmas' in order to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia.

The video game Mario Bros. was first released as a Nintendo arcade game in Japan. It went on to be highly successful in American arcades and even produced a film. The Mario Bros continue to be successful to this day. There is even a new film being released on December 21 of 2022.

First released in the United States. This classic received nine nominations at the Oscars, winning Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, and Best Sound Editing, and two Golden Globe Awards. The film was re-released in 1985 and then again in 2002 to celebrate its 20th anniversary, with additional scenes and new effects. This year marks its 40th anniversary.

About 7,000 people participated in the first marathon created by former Olympians Chris Brasher and John Disley with the intention to raise money for charity.  It has now become a national institution with 100,000 runners completing the race in 2021.

December. John Lennon was shot and killed outside his apartment in New York. Finding fame with the Beatles and later as a solo artist and obscure art fan. Interesting fact: He was the only Beatle who didn't become a full-time vegetarian.

We couldn’t pick just one so decided not to miss the opportunity to add these classics to a fantastic year of music. 'I Will Survive' by Gloria Gaynor / 'Tragedy' by Bee Gees / 'Knock on Wood' by Ami Stewart / 'Heart of Glass' by Blondie / 'Reunited' by Peaches and Herb / 'Hot Stuff' by Donna Summers. What a year.

Spain restored its democracy and ended forty years of a dictatorship under Francisco Franco. Meanwhile, in science: Louise Brown, the world's first test tube baby, is born in Oldham, Manchester in the United Kingdom in 1978.

August 16th: the world mourns the death of The King of Rock and Roll, Elvis (the pelvis) Presley. At the age of 42 Elvis died of an apparent heart attack after suffering from health issues and an addiction to medication.

April of 1976. The Apple Computer Company is established by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. By the early-2010s, the company became the biggest tech company in the world, valued at over $700 billion.

One of the very first blockbuster films, 'Jaws', was released in June. Bringing us one of the most famous music scores in cinema history and terrifying swimmers for years. Continuing on the theme of vicious predators... Meanwhile, the Conservative party chose its first women leader, Margaret Thatcher.

On October 30th we saw the super hyped boxing match between George Foreman and Muhammad Ali. Muhammad Ali, the legendary boxer considered by most to be the greatest of all time, was stripped of his heavyweight title for refusing to fight in the Vietnam war in 1967. He was also banned from boxing for several years. Ali won by knockout in the eighth round of the match, and became only the second former heavyweight champion to regain his title.

Over 30,000 spectators attended the tennis match in Houston and an estimated 90 million people viewed the televised match worldwide. It was the most viewed tennis match in history. King won - but she not only won the admiration of the people and making a huge statement for female equality, but also a $100,000 prize.

A dark year in history, as terrorism enters the world of sport with the massacre of 11 Israel Athletes by an Arab Gunman. The year also sadly marked the start of the Watergate Scandal, Bloody Friday in Belfast and the miners strike.

The Walt Disney World theme park had its grand opening in October 1971. Sadly, Walt Disney died in 1966 before construction could begin. Located near Orlando, Florida, the grounds were built on swamplands that Walt Disney bought during the 1960s.

The Beatles officially broke up in April when Paul McCartney publicly states that he is leaving the band. One month later, 'Let It Be' is released as their final album.

July 20th: one of man's crowning achievements transpired when American Astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to set foot on the moon and spoke the immortal words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

April 4th, Memphis, on a trip to support the striking sanitation workers. Giving a famous sermon in which he told the people: “I’ve seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight that we, as a people, will get to the Promised Land.” The following evening, while he was standing on the balcony outside his room at a Memphis motel, Dr Marin Luther King JR was assassinated.

Israel launches 'Operation Focus', an opening air strike on airfields around the Sinai Peninsula at the start of the Six-Day War.

June 13th Chief Justice Earl Warren wrote in Miranda v. Arizona that a person in custody must be clearly informed that he has the right to remain silent, and that anything he says will be used against him in court; they have the right to consult with a lawyer and to have the lawyer with him during interrogation. We’ve all seen it in the movies.

August 6 – U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, outlawing literacy tests and other discriminatory voting practices that have been responsible for widespread discrimination in the voting rights of African Americans.

Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment in South Africa (June 11)

President Kennedy shot and killed in Dallas, Texas. Lyndon B. Johnson becomes President on the same day (Nov. 22).

Marilyn Monroe was found dead at her home from an overdose, dramatically ending her decade-long reign as the world’s most talked about film star.

East Germany builds the Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin to halt flood of refugees

Senegal, Ghana, Nigeria, Madagascar, and Zaire (Belgian Congo) gain independence.

Fidel Castro assumes power and Cuban President Batista resigns and flees.

The US Supreme Court rules unanimously that Little Rock, Ark., schools must integrate African American students to the schools

The Soviet Union launches ‘Sputnik 1', the first artificial satellite to orbit the earth.

The Hard Disk Drive is invented by an IBM team led by Reynold B. Johnson.

Rosa Parks refuses to sit at the back of the bus, breaking segregated seating law and becoming a household name.