At A Glance

17 March 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
17 March 1959 was a Tuesday.
Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” by The Platters was No. 1 on David Kent's retrospective Australian chart. This chart was compiled later by David Kent from radio station charts.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 March 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 March 1959 was First Quarter.

On this day: 17 March

  • 1950 Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley announce the creation of element 98, which they name "californium".
  • 1958 The United States launches the first solar-powered satellite, which is also the first satellite to achieve a long-term orbit.
  • 1960 U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Security Council directive on the anti-Cuban covert action program that will ultimately lead to the Bay of Pigs Invasion.
  • 1962 A Clockwork Orange, a British dystopian novel by Anthony Burgess, is published.
  • 1969 Golda Meir becomes the first female Prime Minister of Israel.

Famous people born on 17 March

  • Rob Lowe, American actor (born 1964)
  • Pattie Boyd, English model, author, and photographer (born 1944)
  • Grimes, Canadian musician, singer-songwriter, producer, and visual artist (born 1988)
  • Claressa Shields, American boxer and mixed martial artist (born 1995)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1959 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1959 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 26 January – (Australia Day) – Darwin was granted city status
  • 12 February – The Melbourne outdoor performance venue the Sidney Myer Music Bowl is officially opened by Prime Minister Robert Menzies.
  • 15 February – American evangelist Billy Graham begins a tour of Australia.

Life in Australia in 1959

Prime Minister

Robert Menzies

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.04

Loaf of Bread

$0.12

Average House

$5,300

Weekly Wage

$13.00

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1950s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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