At A Glance

3 January 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
3 January 1959 was a Saturday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “It's Only Make Believe” by Conway Twitty.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 3 January is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 3 January 1959 fell in the Year of the Dog.
Birthstone
The birthstone for January is Garnet.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 3 January 1959 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 3 January

  • 1957 The Hamilton Watch Company introduces the first electric watch.
  • 1958 The West Indies Federation is formed.
  • 1959 Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state.
  • 1961 Cold War: After a series of economic retaliations against one another, the United States severs diplomatic relations with Cuba.
  • 1961 A protest by agricultural workers in Baixa de Cassanje, Portuguese Angola, turns into a revolt, opening the Angolan War of Independence, the first of the Portuguese Colonial Wars.

Famous people born on 3 January

  • Florence Pugh, English actress (born 1996)
  • Mel Gibson, American-Australian actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1956)
  • Michael Schumacher, German racing driver (born 1969)
  • J. R. R. Tolkien, English writer, poet, and philologist (1892–1973)

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 →