UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
16 December 1956 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 16 December 1956 was a Sunday.
- UK Number One
- The UK Number One single was “Just Walking in the Rain” by Johnnie Ray.
- Top Film of 1956
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 16 December is Sagittarius.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 16 December 1956 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 16 December 1956 was Waxing Gibbous.
On this day: 16 December
- 1942 The Holocaust: Schutzstaffel chief Heinrich Himmler orders that Roma candidates for extermination be deported to Auschwitz.
- 1944 World War II: The Battle of the Bulge begins with the surprise offensive of three German armies through the Ardennes forest.
- 1968 Second Vatican Council: Official revocation of the Edict of Expulsion of Jews from Spain.
- 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War and Indo-Pakistani War of 1971: The surrender of the Pakistan Army brings an end to both conflicts. This is commemorated annually as Victory Day in Bangladesh and Vijay Diwas in India respectively.
- 1971 The United Kingdom recognizes Bahrain's independence, which is commemorated annually as Bahrain's National Day.
Famous people born on 16 December
- Theo James, English actor (born 1984)
- Zara Larsson, Swedish singer and songwriter (born 1997)
- Jane Austen, English novelist (1775–1817)
- Catherine of Aragon, Spanish princess, Queen Consort of England (1485–1536)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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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.
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
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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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