At A Glance

26 July 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
26 July 1959 was a Sunday.
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 26 July is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 26 July 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for July is Ruby.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 26 July 1959 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 26 July

  • 1953 Cold War: Fidel Castro leads an unsuccessful attack on the Moncada Barracks, thus beginning the Cuban Revolution. The movement took the name of the date: 26th of July Movement
  • 1956 Following the World Bank's refusal to fund building the Aswan Dam, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalizes the Suez Canal, sparking international condemnation.
  • 1958 Explorer program: Explorer 4 is launched.
  • 1963 Syncom 2, the world's first geosynchronous satellite, is launched from Cape Canaveral on a Delta B booster.
  • 1963 The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development votes to admit Japan.

Famous people born on 26 July

  • Sandra Bullock, American actress and producer (born 1964)
  • Jason Statham, English actor (born 1967)
  • Kate Beckinsale, English actress (born 1973)
  • Helen Mirren, English actress (born 1945)

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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