At A Glance

24 January 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
24 January 1956 was a Tuesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Sixteen Tons” by Tennessee Ernie Ford.
Top Film of 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 24 January is Aquarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 24 January 1956 fell in the Year of the Goat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 24 January 1956 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 24 January

  • 1943 World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill conclude a conference in Casablanca.
  • 1946 The United Nations General Assembly passes its first resolution to establish the United Nations Atomic Energy Commission.
  • 1960 Algerian War: Some units of European volunteers in Algiers stage an insurrection known as the "barricades week", during which they seize government buildings and clash with local police.
  • 1968 Vietnam War: The 1st Australian Task Force launches Operation Coburg against the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong during wider fighting around Long Bình and Biên Hòa.
  • 1972 Japanese Sgt. Shoichi Yokoi is found hiding in a Guam jungle, where he had been since the end of World War II.

Famous people born on 24 January

  • Sharon Tate, American model and actress (1943–1969)
  • Tatyana Ali, American actress and singer (born 1979)
  • Neil Diamond, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1941)
  • John Belushi, American actor and screenwriter (1949–1982)

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 →