Date in year · 1952 · The 1950s

October 3, 1952

On October 3, 1952, the United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon in the Montebello Islands, Western Australia, to become the world's third nuclear power. Simon Cowell, Louka Katseli, Gerald Early would arrive in the same year.

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1952

1950s

Around 1952

The year in brief

1952 (MCMLII) was a leap year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1952nd year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 952nd year of the 2nd millennium, the 52nd year of the 20th century, and the 3rd year of the 1950s decade.

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What happened

On October 3, 1952

  1. 1952 The United Kingdom successfully tests a nuclear weapon in the Montebello Islands, Western Australia, to become the world's third nuclear power.

    1952 British atomic bomb test in Western Australia

    Operation Hurricane was the first test of a British atomic device. A plutonium implosion device was detonated on 3 October 1952 in Main Bay, Trimouille Island, in the Montebello Islands in Western Australia. With the success of Operation Hurricane, the United Kingdom became the third nuclear power, after the United States and the Soviet Union.

Elsewhere that year

Other moments from 1952

The class of 1952

Others born in 1952

Simon Cowell 1952– English conservationist and author (died 2024)
Louka Katseli 1952– Greek economist and politician
Gerald Early 1952– American author and academic
Cheryl Gillan 1952– British businesswoman and politician, Secretary of State for Wales (died 2021)
Marilyn Chambers 1952– American actress
Junkyard Dog 1952– American professional wrestler (died 1998)

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