At A Glance

18 February 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
18 February 1956 was a Saturday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Memories Are Made of This” by Dean Martin.
Top Film of 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 18 February is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 18 February 1956 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 18 February 1956 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 18 February

  • 1943 World War II: The Nazis arrest the members of the White Rose movement.
  • 1945 World War II: American and Brazilian troops kick off Operation Encore in Northern Italy, a successful limited action in the Northern Apennines that prepares for the western portion of the Allied Spring offensive.
  • 1947 First Indochina War: The French gain complete control of Hanoi after forcing the Viet Minh to withdraw to the mountains.
  • 1954 The first Church of Scientology is established in Los Angeles.
  • 1965 The Gambia becomes independent from the United Kingdom.

Famous people born on 18 February

  • John Travolta, American actor, singer and producer (born 1954)
  • Mary I, Queen of England (1516–1558)
  • Yoko Ono, Japanese-American multimedia artist and musician (born 1933)
  • Dr. Dre, American rapper, record producer, and entrepreneur (born 1965)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1950s

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 →