1953
Key events from 1953
1953
- Joseph Stalin dies in the Soviet Union, ending his brutal 29-year reign and beginning a period of de-Stalinization under new leadership.
- The Korean War ends with an armistice that divides Korea at the 38th parallel, creating the border that exists today.
- James Watson and Francis Crick discover the double helix structure of DNA, revolutionizing biology and opening the genetic age.