At A Glance

31 August 1955 at a glance

Day of the week
31 August 1955 was a Wednesday.
Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
“Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley & His Comets 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 1955
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1955 was Lady and the Tramp.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 August is Virgo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 August 1955 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 August 1955 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 31 August

  • 1943 USS Harmon, the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after a black person, is commissioned.
  • 1949 The retreat of the Democratic Army of Greece into Albania after its defeat on Gramos mountain marks the end of the Greek Civil War.
  • 1957 The Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) gains its independence from the United Kingdom.
  • 1962 Trinidad and Tobago becomes independent.
  • 1963 Crown Colony of North Borneo (now Sabah) achieves self-governance.

Famous people born on 31 August

  • Richard Gere, American actor and producer (born 1949)
  • Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (born 1985)
  • Jalen Brunson, American basketball player (born 1996)
  • Caligula, Roman emperor (born 12)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1955 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1955 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 1 January – A cyclone hits Roebourne, Western Australia causing extensive damage.
  • 1 February – For the first time since 1916, hotel bars in New South Wales are permitted to stay open until 10pm marking the end of early closing hours in the state.
  • 19 April – Australian Labor Party split of 1955. Expelled members form the Australian Labor Party (Anti-Communist), predecessor of the Democratic Labor Party (DLP).

Life in Australia in 1955

Prime Minister

Robert Menzies

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.03

Loaf of Bread

$0.11

Average House

$4,200

Weekly Wage

$11.00

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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