UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
31 December 1959 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 31 December 1959 was a Thursday.
- Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
- “Joey's Song / Ooh! Look-a-There, Ain't She Pretty?” 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 1959
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 31 December 1959 was Waxing Crescent.
On this day: 31 December
- 1955 General Motors becomes the first U.S. corporation to make over US$1 billion in a year.
- 1956 The Romanian Television network begins its first broadcast in Bucharest.
- 1961 RTÉ, Ireland's state broadcaster, launches its first national television service.
- 1963 The Central African Federation officially collapses, subsequently becoming Zambia, Malawi and Rhodesia.
- 1965 Jean-Bédel Bokassa, leader of the Central African Republic army, and his military officers begin a coup d'état against the government of President David Dacko.
Famous people born on 31 December
- Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
- Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
- Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
- Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)
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.
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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