At A Glance

1 February 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
1 February 1956 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford.
Top Film of 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 1 February is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 1 February 1956 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 1 February 1956 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 1 February

  • 1946 Trygve Lie of Norway is picked to be the first United Nations Secretary-General.
  • 1946 The Parliament of Hungary abolishes the monarchy after nine centuries, and proclaims the Hungarian Republic.
  • 1950 The first prototype of the MiG-17 makes its maiden flight.
  • 1960 Four black students stage the first of the Greensboro sit-ins at a lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina.
  • 1964 The Beatles have their first number one hit in the United States with "I Want to Hold Your Hand".

Famous people born on 1 February

  • Lisa Marie Presley, American singer-songwriter and actress (1968–2023)
  • Harry Styles, English singer-songwriter and actor (born 1994)
  • Julia Garner, American actress (born 1994)
  • Brandon Lee, American actor and martial artist (1965–1993)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1956 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1956 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 17 February – The Midlands becomes the first region outside of London to receive ITV when ATV Midlands begins broadcasting; ABC, the weekend station, launches the following day.
  • 3 May – Granada Television begins broadcasting with a base in Manchester, extending ITV's coverage to Northern England and later Yorkshire.
  • 8 May – First performance of John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger by the newly formed English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre. Alan Bates has his first major role as Cliff.
More events of 1956 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1956

Prime Minister

Anthony Eden

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

9p

Loaf of Bread

6p

Average House

£2,140

Weekly Wage

£11.05

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.

Richard E. Grant5 May 1957ActorView their day →Gary Oldman21 March 1958Actor & filmmakerView their day →Anthony Head20 February 1954ActorView their day →Phil Collins30 January 1951Drummer & singerView their day →Bonnie Tyler8 June 1951SingerView their day →Liam Neeson7 June 1952ActorView their day →Emma Thompson15 April 1959Actress & screenwriterView their day →Rowan Atkinson6 January 1955Actor & comedianView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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