At A Glance

2 January 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
2 January 1959 was a Friday.
Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
“Tom Dooley” by The Kingston Trio 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 2 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 2 January 1959 fell in the Year of the Dog.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 2 January 1959 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 2 January

  • 1949 Luis Muñoz Marín is inaugurated as the first democratically elected Governor of Puerto Rico.
  • 1954 India establishes its highest civilian awards, the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan.
  • 1959 Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union.
  • 1963 Vietnam War: The Viet Cong wins its first major victory, at the Battle of Ap Bac.
  • 1967 Ronald Reagan, past movie actor and future President of the United States, is sworn in as Governor of California.

Famous people born on 2 January

  • Jim Bakker, American televangelist (1940–2026)
  • Kemi Badenoch, English politician (born 1980)
  • Dax Shepard, American actor (born 1975)
  • Kate Bosworth, American actress (born 1983)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

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.
More events of 1959 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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Famous Faces Born in the 1950s

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

Angus Young31 March 1955GuitaristView their day →Nick Cave22 September 1957Musician & singerView their day →Pauline Hanson27 May 1954PoliticianView their day →Geoffrey Rush6 July 1951ActorView their day →Deborra-Lee Furness30 November 1955ActressView their day →Chrissy Amphlett25 October 1959SingerView their day →Judy Davis23 April 1955ActressView their day →Malcolm Young6 January 1953GuitaristView their day →

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

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