At A Glance

29 May 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
29 May 1959 was a Friday.
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 29 May is Gemini.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 29 May 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 29 May 1959 was Last Quarter.

On this day: 29 May

  • 1948 United Nations Truce Supervision Organization is founded.
  • 1950 The St. Roch, the first ship to circumnavigate North America, arrives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.
  • 1953 Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay become the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on Tenzing Norgay's (adopted) 39th birthday.
  • 1964 The Arab League meets in East Jerusalem to discuss the Palestinian question, leading to the formation of the Palestine Liberation Organization.
  • 1964 Having deposed them in a January coup South Vietnamese leader Nguyễn Khánh has rival Generals Trần Văn Đôn and Lê Văn Kim convicted of "lax morality".

Famous people born on 29 May

  • Annette Bening, American actress (born 1958)
  • John F. Kennedy, 35th President of the United States (1917–1963)
  • Riley Keough, American model and actress (born 1989)
  • Danny Elfman, American film composer, singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (born 1953)

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 →