At A Glance

24 November 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
24 November 1959 was a Tuesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Travellin' Light” by Cliff Richard and the Shadows.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 24 November is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 24 November 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for November is Topaz.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 24 November 1959 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 24 November

  • 1962 Cold War: The West Berlin branch of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany forms a separate party, the Socialist Unity Party of West Berlin.
  • 1962 The influential British satirical television programme That Was the Week That Was is first broadcast.
  • 1965 Joseph-Désiré Mobutu seizes power in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and becomes President; he rules the country (which he renames Zaire in 1971) for over 30 years, until being overthrown by rebels in 1997.
  • 1969 Apollo program: The Apollo 12 command module splashes down safely in the Pacific Ocean, ending the second crewed mission to land on the Moon.
  • 1973 A national speed limit is imposed on the Autobahn in Germany because of the 1973 oil crisis. The speed limit lasts only four months.

Famous people born on 24 November

  • Garret Dillahunt, American actor (born 1964)
  • Katherine Heigl, American actress and producer (born 1978)
  • Colin Hanks, American actor (born 1977)
  • Sarah Hyland, American actress (born 1990)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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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

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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)

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