At A Glance

11 October 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
11 October 1959 was a Sunday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 11 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 11 October 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 11 October 1959 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 11 October

  • 1950 CBS's field-sequential color system for television is the first to be licensed for broadcast by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
  • 1954 In accord with the 1954 Geneva Conference, French troops complete their withdrawal from North Vietnam.
  • 1958 NASA launches Pioneer 1, its first space probe, although it fails to achieve a stable orbit.
  • 1962 The Second Vatican Council becomes the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years.
  • 1968 NASA launches Apollo 7, the first successful crewed Apollo mission.

Famous people born on 11 October

  • Michelle Trachtenberg, American actress (1985–2025)
  • Peter Thiel, German and American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist (born 1967)
  • Arman Tsarukyan, Armenian professional mixed martial artist (born 1996)
  • Joan Cusack, American actress (born 1962)

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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