At A Glance

17 May 1951 at a glance

Day of the week
17 May 1951 was a Thursday.
Top Film of 1951
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1951 was Quo Vadis.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 May 1951 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 May 1951 was Waxing 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)

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Events of 1951 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1951 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 1 January – The radio series The Archers begins on the BBC Light Programme. It will still be on the air 75 years later.
  • 21 February – An English Electric Canberra (with Rolls-Royce Avon engines) becomes the first jet to make an unrefuelled Transatlantic flight, taking 4 hours 37 minutes from RAF Aldergrove in Northern Ireland to Gander in Newfoundland.
  • 17 April – The Peak District is established as the first of the national parks of the United Kingdom. The Lake District is designated so in May, and designations of Snowdonia and Dartmoor come into effect on 20 November.
More events of 1951 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in 1951

Prime Minister

Clement Attlee

Monarch

George VI

Pint of Beer

6p

Loaf of Bread

4p

Average House

£1,975

Weekly Wage

£7.50

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.

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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