Citizens, simple farmers ... and celebritiesFamous faces at Schiphol

Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill arrives at Schiphol on 8 May 1946. Seen by many as a hero of the Second World War, Churchill finds a rapturous welcome in the Netherlands as hundreds of thousands of people cheer him all the way to Amsterdam. During his stay, together with Queen Wilhelmina, he takes a boat tour of the damaged port area.

© Photo: National Archives

Fanny Blankers Koen makes history in 1948 when she wins four gold medals at the Olympic Games in London. The ‘Flying Dutchmam’s’ victories include the 100- and 200-metre races. The brand-new champion waits at the airport in London for her plane to Schiphol. © Photo: National Archives

By November 1949, the Netherlands has been at war with Sukarno’s republican army in the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia) for almost four years. Sukarno’s right-hand man, Mohammed Hatta, comes to the Netherlands to negotiate the colony’s independence. When the negotiations are concluded, the Indonesian leader departs Schiphol for Jakarta on ‘The Flying Dutchman’. Six weeks after Hatta’s visit, the Republic of Indonesia is officially declared a sovereign state.

© Photo: Nationaal Archives

The Bolshoi Ballet comes to the Netherlands for the first time in 1960. This is surprising, because this prestigious dance company only started performing outside the Soviet Union in 1956. Before that time, the internationally famous ballet group was largely only to be seen in Moscow, behind the Iron Curtain. The Russian ballerinas find a very warm welcome at Schiphol.

© Photo: National Archives

On 5 June 1964, The Beatles land at Schiphol to a waiting crowd of more than 3,000 fans. Each band member receives flowers, cheese, a herring and a classic Volendam hat. Eventually some members of the press find their way through the security fence, causing chaos, and The Beatles are spirited away as fast as possible.

© Photo: National Archives

On 16 August 1964, Martin Luther King and his wife arrive at Schiphol. It cannot be said that the world-famous preacher receives a warm welcome: there isn’t even anyone there to pick him up from the airport! The next day, King gives a press conference at Schiphol in which he calls for full voting rights for all African Americans.

© Photo: National Archives

American singing duo Sonny and Cher gain international fame in 1965, and in September 1966 the couple come to the Netherlands as part of their world tour. Two months later, their hit ‘Little Man’ takes the number 1 spot in the Netherlands’ Veronica Top 40. Cher also has a solo hit in the same year with ‘Bang’. © Photo: National Archives

Dutchwoman Yvonne Paul receives international attention for setting a new record: she spends 80 days in a departure hall at Schiphol, sleeping on a bench. Paul wants to go to the United States, but she has been denied a visa for reasons of ‘mental illness’. She protests the decision by refusing to leave Schiphol, until after three months the police remove her from the airport.

© Photo: National Archives

The Dutch Olympians beam enthusiastically at the photographer, before beginning their long flight to Mexico. The trip will prove to be worth any discomfort experienced in transit: athletes such as cyclist Joop Zoetemelk and swimmer Ada Kok win gold medals at these Olympic Games. The team bring home a total of seven medals to the Netherlands.

© Photo: National Archives

John Lennon and Yoko Ono wait for their flight at Schiphol after spending a week in Amsterdam on their honeymoon. Their stay at the Hilton hotel is known as the ‘Bed-In’; In these troubled times, during the Vietnam War, Lennon and Ono spend the entire week in their hotel room to promote world peace.

© Photo: National Archives

The great Ella Fitzgerald comes to the Netherlands in 1980 to give a concert. A Schiphol staff member conducts the now-62-year-old American jazz singer to her car via Pier B.

© Photo: National Archives

Pope John Paul II is the first Pope to honour the Netherlands with a visit. Unfortunately, he does not receive an enthusiastic welcome, as the papal visit is marked by loud protests by groups calling for the emancipation of women and gay people. Despite the protests, at Schiphol the Pope shares a cheerful smile with the thousands of believers who come to wave him off.

© Photo: National Archives

In July 1989, President George Bush and his wife Barbara pay a short visit to the Netherlands. He gives a speech at the Pieterskerk (St Peter’s church) in Leiden about political relations between East and West. The president stresses that, after 45 years of Cold War, the relationship between the West and the Soviet Union is greatly improved. It is only a few months later that the Berlin Wall comes down.

© Photo: National Archives