At A Glance

5 August 1958 at a glance

Day of the week
5 August 1958 was a Tuesday.
Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
“The Purple People Eater” by Sheb Wooley 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 1958
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1958 was South Pacific.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 August 1958 fell in the Year of the Dog.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 August 1958 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 5 August

  • 1957 American Bandstand, a show dedicated to the teenage "baby-boomers" by playing the songs and showing popular dances of the time, debuts on the ABC television network.
  • 1960 Burkina Faso, then known as Upper Volta, becomes independent from France.
  • 1962 Apartheid: Nelson Mandela is jailed. He would not be released until 1990.
  • 1963 Cold War: The United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union sign the Partial Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
  • 1965 The Indo-Pakistani war of 1965 begins as Pakistani soldiers cross the Line of Control dressed as locals.

Famous people born on 5 August

  • James Gunn, American filmmaker (born 1966)
  • Wendell Berry, American novelist, short story writer, poet, and essayist (1934–2026)
  • Angry Anderson, Australian singer and actor (1947–2026)
  • Neil Armstrong, American pilot, engineer, and astronaut, first man to walk on the Moon (1930–2012)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1958 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1958 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 14 January – Qantas Airways introduces a round-the-world air service from Australia to London.
  • 14 February – to 7 March – Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother visits Australia for the second time.
  • 24 March – Two 18-year-old men and a 19-year-old man attempt to disrupt the official opening of Sydney's new Circular Quay overhead roadway.

Life in Australia in 1958

Prime Minister

Robert Menzies

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.04

Loaf of Bread

$0.12

Average House

$5,000

Weekly Wage

$12.50

Or

Browse by Year

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)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →