At A Glance

1 August 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
1 August 1959 was a Saturday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Living Doll” by Cliff Richard and the Drifters.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 1 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 1 August 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 1 August 1959 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 1 August

  • 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.
  • 1964 The former Belgian Congo is renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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)

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Events of 1959 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1959 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 7 May – Scientist and novelist C. P. Snow delivers an influential Rede Lecture on The Two Cultures, concerning a perceived breakdown of communication between the sciences and humanities, in the Senate House, University of Cambridge.
  • 28 May – The Mermaid Theatre opens in the City of London.
  • 1 June – The first episode of Juke Box Jury airs on BBC Television, chaired by David Jacobs.

Life in 1959

Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

10p

Loaf of Bread

7p

Average House

£2,530

Weekly Wage

£13.05

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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