Events January–February January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. February 6 Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the British Dominions: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Pakistan and Ceylon. The princess, who is on a visit to Kenya when she hears of the death of her father, King George VI, aged 56, takes the regnal name Elizabeth II. In the United States, a mechanical heart is used for the first time in a human patient. February 14 – February 25 – The Winter Olympics are held in Oslo, Norway. February 15 – The State Funeral of King George VI of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the British Dominions and the last Emperor of India, takes place. George VI's coffin is brought in procession through London to Paddington Station where a royal train brought the King to Windsor, where his funeral and burial took place at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. February 18 – Greece and Turkey join the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. February 21 – In Dhaka, East Pakistan (present-day Bangladesh) police open fire on a procession of students, killing 4 people and starting a country-wide protest, which leads to the recognition of Bengali as one of the national languages of Pakistan. The day is later declared "International Mother Language Day" by UNESCO. February 25 – The Parícutin active volcano in Michoacán, west central Mexico, ceases its discontinuous eruption after spewing forth a gigaton of lava, and burying San Juan Parangaricutiro. February 26 – Vincent Massey is sworn in, becoming the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada. March–April March 10 – General Fulgencio Batista re-takes power in Cuba in a coup. March 15 – 16 – 73 inches (1,870 mm) of rain falls in Cilaos, Réunion, the most rainfall in one day up to that time. March 20 – The United States Senate ratifies a peace treaty with Japan. March 21 The last two executions in the Netherlands take place. Dr. Kwame Nkrumah is elected Prime Minister of the Gold Coast. Tornadoes ravage the lower Mississippi River Valley, leaving 208 dead, through March 22. March 22 – Wernher von Braun publishes the first in his series of articles titled Man Will Conquer Space Soon!, including ideas for crewed flights to