Born in 1950
Turns 76 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1950
1950 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $51.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $51.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $51.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $51.50
Front Page: New Zealand edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1950 · New Zealand
A little history to go with their gift.
Robert Schuman proposed shared French and German coal and steel, Alan Turing described an imitation game for discussing machine intelligence, and the SEAC computer began operating. The year connected European cooperation with new questions and tools in computing.
What happened in 1950?
The Schuman Declaration proposed shared European industry
Robert Schuman proposed pooling French and German coal and steel on 9 May 1950, laying groundwork for European integration.
Uruguay stunned Brazil at the Maracana
Uruguay defeated host Brazil two to one in the decisive match of the 1950 World Cup final group stage.
Formula One began its championship at Silverstone
Silverstone hosted the opening race of the first Formula One World Championship. Giuseppe Farina won for Alfa Romeo.
Formula One World Championship Limited · Motorsport.com, by Adam Cooper
The Inchon landing reversed the Korean War's momentum
The Battle of Inchon gave United Nations forces a dramatic victory during the opening months of the Korean War.
Firsts and new ideas
Turing asks whether machines can think
In an October 1950 paper, Alan Turing proposed a conversation game to discuss machine intelligence.
Mind, Oxford University Press · The Turing Digital Archive, King’s College Cambridge
SEAC brought electronic computing into a government laboratory
The Standards Eastern Automatic Computer entered operation in 1950, one of America’s early stored-program machines.
National Institute of Standards and Technology · U.S. National Bureau of Standards, Circular 551, Government Printing Office
Number ones and music in 1950
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Stevie Wonder is born in Saginaw
Stevland Judkins, later known worldwide as Stevie Wonder, was born in Saginaw, Michigan, on May 13, 1950.
Classic Motown · Detroit Historical Society, Encyclopedia of Detroit
Tom Petty is born in Gainesville
Thomas Earl Petty was born in Gainesville, Florida, on October 20, 1950.
Florida Department of State, Division of Historical Resources · Biography.com
Prices and everyday money in 1950
New Zealand figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| aggregate weekly wage payout per person, all industrial groups, april survey | 8 pounds 4 shillings 6 pence | NZP per week (original £/s/d currency) New Zealand Official Year-Book 1954 |
| aggregate weekly wage payout per person, all industrial groups, october survey | 8 pounds 15 shillings 9 pence | NZP per week (original £/s/d currency) New Zealand Official Year-Book 1954 |
| Cinema (adult avg.) | 2s 10d | one admission Statistics New Zealand |
| Flour | 7s 7d | 25 lb Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, New Zealand Government Printer |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1950 turns 76 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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