At A Glance

8 October 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
8 October 1956 was a Monday.
Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
“Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)” by Doris Day 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 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 October 1956 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 October 1956 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 8 October

  • 1944 World War II: Captain Bobbie Brown earns a Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Crucifix Hill, just outside Aachen.
  • 1956 The New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitches the only perfect game in a World Series.
  • 1962 Der Spiegel publishes an article disclosing the sorry state of the Bundeswehr, leading to accusations of treason.
  • 1969 The opening rally of the Days of Rage occurs, organized by the Weather Underground in Chicago.
  • 1970 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in literature.

Famous people born on 8 October

  • Matt Damon, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1970)
  • Bruno Mars, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (born 1985)
  • Zheng Qinwen, Chinese tennis player (born 2002)
  • Sigourney Weaver, American actress and producer (born 1949)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1956 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1956 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 16 September – Australia's first TV station TCN-9 begins regular transmission in Sydney
  • 4 November – HSV-7 begins as Melbourne's first TV Station.
  • 5 November – The first TV station of the Australian Broadcasting Commission is launched; ABN-2 Sydney.
More events of 1956 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Australia in 1956

Prime Minister

Robert Menzies

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.04

Loaf of Bread

$0.11

Average House

$4,500

Weekly Wage

$11.50

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

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)

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 →