At A Glance

8 March 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
8 March 1959 was a Sunday.
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 8 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 March 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 March 1959 was New Moon.

On this day: 8 March

  • 1942 World War II: The Dutch East Indies surrender Java to the Imperial Japanese Army.
  • 1949 President of France Vincent Auriol and ex-Vietnamese emperor Bảo Đại sign the Élysée Accords, giving Vietnam greater independence from France and creating the State of Vietnam to oppose Viet Minh-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
  • 1950 The iconic Volkswagen Type 2 "Bus" begins production.
  • 1963 The Ba'ath Party comes to power in Syria in a coup d'état.
  • 1965 Vietnam War: US Marines arrive at Da Nang.

Famous people born on 8 March

  • Benny Blanco, American record producer (born 1988)
  • James Van Der Beek, American actor (1977–2026)
  • Aidan Quinn, American actor (born 1959)
  • Kit Connor, English actor (born 2004)

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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