At A Glance

14 May 1953 at a glance

Day of the week
14 May 1953 was a Thursday.
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 14 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 14 May 1953 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 14 May 1953 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 14 May

  • 1943 World War II: A Japanese submarine sinks AHS Centaur off the coast of Queensland.
  • 1948 Israel is declared to be an independent state and a provisional government is established. Immediately after the declaration, Israel is attacked by the neighboring Arab states, triggering the 1948 Arab–Israeli War.
  • 1951 Trains run on the Talyllyn Railway in Wales for the first time since preservation, making it the first railway in the world to be operated by volunteers.
  • 1953 Approximately 7,100 brewery workers in Milwaukee perform a walkout, marking the start of the 1953 Milwaukee brewery strike.
  • 1955 Cold War: Eight Communist bloc countries, including the Soviet Union, sign a mutual defense treaty called the Warsaw Pact.

Famous people born on 14 May

  • Mark Zuckerberg, American computer programmer and businessman, co-founder of Facebook (born 1984)
  • George Lucas, American director, producer, and screenwriter, founded Lucasfilm (born 1944)
  • Cate Blanchett, Australian actress (born 1969)
  • Rob Gronkowski, American football player (born 1989)

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.
More events of 1953 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

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)

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 →