At A Glance

26 February 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
26 February 1959 was a Thursday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “As I Love You” by Shirley Bassey.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 26 February is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 February 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 February 1959 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 26 February

  • 1945 World War II: US troops reclaim the Philippine island of Corregidor from the Japanese.
  • 1952 Vincent Massey is sworn in as the first Canadian-born Governor General of Canada.
  • 1966 Apollo program: Launch of AS-201, the first flight of the Saturn IB rocket.
  • 1971 U.N. Secretary-General U Thant signs United Nations proclamation of the vernal equinox as Earth Day.
  • 1979 The Superliner railcar enters revenue service with Amtrak.

Famous people born on 26 February

  • Jamal Musiala, German footballer (born 2003)
  • Victor Hugo, French author, poet, and playwright (1802–1885)
  • Max Martin, Swedish-American record producer and songwriter (born 1971)
  • Buffalo Bill, American soldier and hunter (1846–1917)

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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