The following events occurred in February 1956:
February 1, 1956 (Wednesday) France's Socialist leader, Guy Mollet, becomes prime minister, heading a centre-left coalition called the Republican Front. The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) is activated at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama, to complete the development of the Redstone missile and to develop the Jupiter missile. The Redstone is later used in two Mercury crewed suborbital flights, and in other research and development flights. Born: Brahmanandam, Indian actor and comedian, in Sattenapalli
February 2, 1956 (Thursday) The world première of Eugene O'Neill's semi-autobiographical play Long Day's Journey into Night (written in 1942) takes place at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, Stockholm, in a Swedish language production directed by Bengt Ekerot and starring Lars Hanson. It would not appear on Broadway until November of the same year. The Israeli Defence Force prevents an Egyptian delegation from attending a meeting of the Egypt-Israel Mixed Armistice Commission at Auja al-Hafir. The Austrian Government announced the establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel.
February 3, 1956 (Friday) Panamanian cargo ship Rosalind sinks south of Crete. All crew are rescued by the Italian ship San Carlo. Norwegian cargo ship Dovrefjell runs aground on the Pentland Skerries, Orkney Islands, Scotland. All 41 crew members are rescued by Royal Air Force and Royal Navy helicopters. Sonny Ramadhin takes 6 New Zealand wickets for West Indies cricket team in the first innings of the first Test Match of their tour at Dunedin. Died: Émile Borel, 85, French mathematician
February 4, 1956 (Saturday) East Germany's national airline Deutsche Lufthansa (DLH), established in the previous year, begins scheduled passenger flights between East Berlin and Warsaw, Poland.
February 5, 1956 (Sunday) The 1956 Winter Olympics conclude in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, with a firework display. The Free Cinema movement begins in the UK by showing documentary films at the National Film Theatre, London.
February 6, 1956 (Monday) Born: Natalia Linichuk, Russian ice dancer and coach, in Moscow
February 7, 1956 (Tuesday) Born: John Nielsen, Danish racing driver
February 8, 1956 (Wednesday) 1956 Hawker Hunter multiple aircraft accident: Eight aircraft from RAF West Raynham Hawker Hunter jet fighters are diverted to RAF Marham after completing a combat exercise. Only two manage to land successfully; the remaining six are lost as a result of a combination of poor visibility and fuel shortage. Four pilots eject, one survives a crash and the sixth is killed. The Treaty of London 1956 is signed, establishing the independent Federation of Malaya Died: Connie Mack (Cornelius Alexander McGillicuddy), 93, US baseball player and manager
February 9, 1956 (Thursday) US Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, with the concurrence of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Department of Defense, authorizes an additional 350 US military personnel to go to South Vietnam to salvage an estimated $1 billion worth of military equipment abandoned by French troops.
February 10, 1956 (Friday) The Brazilian cargo ship Loide-Honduras runs aground on Long Sand Bank, in the Thames Estuary, UK. A British ship, ST Rumania, is sent to assist but runs aground on the same sandbank and sinks. The British ship MV Conlea founders off La Corbière, Jersey. In the first stage of an Australian government reshuffle, Howard Beale is replaced as Minister for Supply and Minister for Defence Production by Athol Townley. Shortly afterwards, Beale is appointed Australian Ambassador to the United States of America. Died: Wilbert Coffin, 40, Canadian prospector and convicted murderer, executed after seven reprieves.
February 11, 1956 (Saturday) British spies Guy Burgess and Donald Maclean appear in the Soviet Union, five years after vanishing from the UK. The Rock Island Line Aerotrain “Jet Rocket” begins service between Chicago and Peoria, Illinois. The 1956–57 Israel State Cup football competition opens.
February 12, 1956 (Sunday) In Malta, a referendum on integration with the United Kingdom finds that 77% of voters are in favour of the proposals. Despite this, the plans are never implemented.
February 13, 1956 (Monday) An "Exhibition of works of Soviet artists of 1917-1956" opens in Moscow, featuring Mikhail Avilov, Aleksandr Gerasimov, Aleksandr Deyneka, and other important Soviet artists. The Leningrad Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture named after Ilya Repin graduated Engels Kozlov, Nikolai Pozdneev, Piotr Nazarov, Anatoli Nenartovich, and other famous artists of the future.