At A Glance

12 April 1949 at a glance

Day of the week
12 April 1949 was a Tuesday.
Top Film of 1949
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1949 was Samson and Delilah.
Star sign
The star sign for 12 April is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 12 April 1949 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 12 April 1949 was Full Moon.

On this day: 12 April

  • 1934 The strongest surface wind gust in the world at the time of 231 mph, is measured on the summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire. It has since been surpassed.
  • 1937 Sir Frank Whittle ground-tests the first jet engine designed to power an aircraft, at Rugby, England.
  • 1945 World War II: The U.S. Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reaches Tangermünde—only 80 kilometres from Berlin.
  • 1955 The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
  • 1961 Space Race: The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first crewed orbital flight, Vostok 1.

Famous people born on 12 April

  • Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress (born 1994)
  • Claire Danes, American actress (born 1979)
  • Shannen Doherty, American actress, director, and producer (1971–2024)
  • Ed O'Neill, American actor and comedian (born 1946)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1949 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1949 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 4 April – Britain signs the North Atlantic Treaty, creating NATO.
  • 26 April – Ealing comedy film Passport to Pimlico makes its premiere in London.
  • 3 May – Parliament passes the Ireland Act guaranteeing the position of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom as long as a majority of its citizens want it to be. The UK Government also formally recognises the existence of the Republic of Ireland.

Life in 1949

Prime Minister

Clement Attlee

Monarch

George VI

Pint of Beer

6p

Loaf of Bread

3p

Average House

£1,600

Weekly Wage

£6.90

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

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 →