At A Glance

1 August 1953 at a glance

Day of the week
1 August 1953 was a Saturday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “I Believe” by Frankie Laine.
Top Film of 1953
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1953 was Peter Pan.
Star sign
The star sign for 1 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 1 August 1953 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 1 August 1953 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 1 August

  • 1950 Guam is organized as an unincorporated territory of the United States as the President Harry S. Truman signs the Guam Organic Act.
  • 1957 The United States and Canada form the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
  • 1960 Dahomey (later renamed Benin) declares independence from France.
  • 1960 Islamabad is declared the federal capital of the Government of Pakistan.
  • 1961 U.S. Defense Secretary Robert McNamara orders the creation of the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the nation's first centralized military espionage organization.

Famous people born on 1 August

  • Jason Momoa, American actor, director, and producer (born 1979)
  • Sébastien Pocognoli, Belgian footballer (born 1987)
  • John Carroll Lynch, American actor (born 1963)
  • Sam Mendes, English director and producer (born 1965)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1953 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1953 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 13 April – Ian Fleming publishes his first James Bond novel, Casino Royale.
  • 16 April – The Queen launches the Royal Yacht Britannia at John Brown & Company shipbuilders on the Clyde.
  • 2 June – The Times exclusively carries James Morris's scoop of the conquest of Mount Everest by a British expedition on 29 May.

Life in 1953

Prime Minister

Winston Churchill

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

7p

Loaf of Bread

5p

Average House

£1,891

Weekly Wage

£8.90

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 →