At A Glance

17 May 1949 at a glance

Day of the week
17 May 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 17 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 May 1949 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 May 1949 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 17 May

  • 1939 The Columbia Lions and the Princeton Tigers play in the United States' first televised sporting event, a collegiate baseball game in New York City.
  • 1940 World War II: Germany occupies Brussels, Belgium.
  • 1943 World War II: Dambuster Raids commence by No. 617 Squadron RAF.
  • 1954 The United States Supreme Court hands down a unanimous decision in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, outlawing racial segregation in public schools.
  • 1959 In Cuba, the First Agrarian Reform Law – a cornerstone of the Cuban Revolution – is signed by Fidel Castro, aiming to eliminate large foreign-owned estates and redistribute land to over 100,000 peasants.

Famous people born on 17 May

  • Josh Homme, American singer-songwriter, guitarist, and producer (born 1973)
  • Bill Paxton, American actor and director (1955–2017)
  • Dennis Hopper, American actor and director (1936–2010)
  • Bob Saget, American comedian, actor, and television host (1956–2022)

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.
More events of 1949 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Tim Curry19 April 1946ActorView their day →Charles III14 November 1948King of the United KingdomView their day →Freddie Mercury5 September 1946Singer & songwriterView their day →Paul McCartney18 June 1942Musician & member of the BeatlesView their day →David Bowie8 January 1947Musician & actorView their day →John Lennon9 October 1940MusicianView their day →Jeffrey Archer15 April 1940Author & politicianView their day →George Harrison25 February 1943Musician & member of the BeatlesView their day →

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

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