Arthur C Clarke becomes a full time author. Interplanetary Flight: An Introduction to Astronautics is published

Childhood’s End is published to critical acclaim, establishes Arthur C Clarke as a major science fiction writer

Arthur Clarke marries Marilyn Mayfield in Florida; they are separated within a year

Exploring the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, with Mike Wilson (resulting in The Coast of Coral)

Exploring seas around Ceylon with Mike Wilson and Rodney Jonklaas (documented in The Reefs of Taprobane); decides to reside in the Indian Ocean island

Space Age dawns with Sputnik 1, and Arthur C Clarke becomes a much sought after chronicler of space exploration