At A Glance

2 September 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
2 September 1959 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Living Doll” by Cliff Richard and the Drifters.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 2 September is Virgo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 2 September 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for September is Sapphire.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 2 September 1959 was New Moon.

On this day: 2 September

  • 1957 President Ngô Đình Diệm of South Vietnam becomes the first foreign head of state to make a state visit to Australia.
  • 1960 The first election of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile. The Tibetan community observes this date as Democracy Day.
  • 1963 CBS Evening News becomes U.S. network television's first half-hour weeknight news broadcast, when the show is lengthened from 15 to 30 minutes.
  • 1968 Operation OAU begins during the Nigerian Civil War.
  • 1970 NASA announces the cancellation of two Apollo missions to the Moon, Apollo 15 (the designation is re-used by a later mission), and Apollo 19.

Famous people born on 2 September

  • Austin Abrams, American actor (born 1996)
  • Keanu Reeves, Canadian actor, singer, and producer (born 1964)
  • Salma Hayek, Mexican-American actress, director, and producer (born 1966)
  • Bradley Barcola, French footballer (born 2002)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1959 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1959 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 7 May – Scientist and novelist C. P. Snow delivers an influential Rede Lecture on The Two Cultures, concerning a perceived breakdown of communication between the sciences and humanities, in the Senate House, University of Cambridge.
  • 28 May – The Mermaid Theatre opens in the City of London.
  • 1 June – The first episode of Juke Box Jury airs on BBC Television, chaired by David Jacobs.

Life in 1959

Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

10p

Loaf of Bread

7p

Average House

£2,530

Weekly Wage

£13.05

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 →