1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960   A four-year £212m plan to modernise Britain's road system is announced Albert Einstein dies Eastern Bloc nations join forces with the signing of the Warsaw Pact Ruth Ellis guilty of murdering David Blakely and sentenced to hang Disneyland, costing $17m, opens in California Figure-hugging jeans become the number one bestselling style for women Commercial TV is aired in London James Dean killed in car crash at 24 Princess Margaret decides not to marry divorcee Captain Peter Townsend     Copyright © 1998, NHS