On This Day

Adnan Menderes elected Prime Minister of Turkey in the country's first democratic elections [1]

Ali Adnan Ertekin Menderes was a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister of Turkey between 1950 and 1960.

Ali Adnan Ertekin Menderes was a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister of Turkey between 1950 and 1960. He was one of the founders of the Democrat Party (DP) in 1946, the fourth legal opposition party of Turkey. He was tried and hanged under the military junta after the 1960 coup d'état, along with two other cabinet members, Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and Hasan Polatkan. During his tenure, Turkey participated in the Korean War, and was admitted to NATO in 1952. He was the last Turkish political leader to be executed after a military coup. He is also one of the four political leaders of the Turkish Republic who have been honored with a mausoleum, the others being Kemal Atatürk, Süleyman Demirel, and Turgut Özal.

Historical Significance

Ali Adnan Ertekin Menderes was a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister of Turkey between 1950 and 1960.

Events Before

  1. US President Harry Truman labels his administration the "Fair Deal"

    Harry S. Truman's tenure as the 33rd president of the United States began on April 12, 1945, upon the death of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and ended on January 20, 1953.

  2. First Israeli election won by David Ben-Gurion's Mapai party

    Constituent Assembly elections were held in newly independent Israel on 25 January 1949. Voter turnout was 86.9%.

  3. 1st US daytime soap on TV "These Are My Children" (NBC in Chicago)

    1st US daytime soap on TV "These Are My Children" (NBC in Chicago)

  4. American diplomat Henry Kissinger (25) weds Ann Fleisher (23) in Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC

    American diplomat Henry Kissinger (25) weds Ann Fleisher (23) in Washington Heights, Manhattan, NYC

  5. "Lovesick Blues" single is released by Hank Williams (Cashbox "Best Hillbilly Record of the Year," Billboard Song of the

    "Lovesick Blues" single is released by Hank Williams (Cashbox "Best Hillbilly Record of the Year," Billboard Song of the Year 1949)

Events After

  1. American actor Burgess Meredith (43) weds (his 4th and final time) Swedish-American ballerina Kaja Sundsten (21), until

    American actor Burgess Meredith (43) weds (his 4th and final time) Swedish-American ballerina Kaja Sundsten (21), until his death in 1997

  2. "La Vie Commence Demain," the first X-rated movie depicting artificial insemination, opens in London

    "La Vie Commence Demain," the first X-rated movie depicting artificial insemination, opens in London

  3. English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor's 1st divorce from American hotel heir Conrad Hilton Jr. after nearly 9 months

    English-American actress Elizabeth Taylor's 1st divorce from American hotel heir Conrad Hilton Jr. after nearly 9 months of marriage

  4. American civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois (83) weds award-winning author Shirley Graham (54) in Queens, New York

    American civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois (83) weds award-winning author Shirley Graham (54) in Queens, New York

  5. American actress and singer Doris Day (29) weds American film and television producer Martin Melcher (35) in Burbank, Ca

    American actress and singer Doris Day (29) weds American film and television producer Martin Melcher (35) in Burbank, California, until his death in 1968

More from the 1950s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 15, 1950?
Ali Adnan Ertekin Menderes was a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister of Turkey between 1950 and 1960. He was one of the founders of the Democrat Party (DP) in 1946, the fourth legal opposition party of Turkey. He was tried and hanged under the military junta after the 1960 coup d'état, along with two other cabinet members, Fatin Rüştü Zorlu and Hasan Polatkan.
Why is Adnan Menderes elected Prime Minister of Turkey in the country's first democr... significant?
Ali Adnan Ertekin Menderes was a Turkish politician who served as Prime Minister of Turkey between 1950 and 1960.

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