At A Glance

28 May 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
28 May 1959 was a Thursday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “A Fool Such as I / I Need Your Love Tonight” by Elvis Presley.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 28 May is Gemini.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 28 May 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 28 May 1959 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 28 May

  • 1948 Daniel François Malan is elected as Prime Minister of South Africa. He later goes on to implement Apartheid.
  • 1958 Cuban Revolution: Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, heavily reinforced by Frank Pais Militia, overwhelm an army post in El Uvero.
  • 1961 Peter Benenson's article The Forgotten Prisoners is published in several internationally read newspapers. This will later be thought of as the founding of the human rights organization Amnesty International.
  • 1962 The Soviet Kosmos 5 satellite is launched.
  • 1964 The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is founded, with Yasser Arafat elected as its first leader.

Famous people born on 28 May

  • Kylie Minogue, Australian singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (born 1968)
  • Carey Mulligan, English actress (born 1985)
  • Marco Rubio, American lawyer and politician (born 1971)
  • Cameron Boyce, American actor (1999–2019)

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 →