At A Glance

5 May 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
5 May 1956 was a Saturday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “No Other Love” by Ronnie Hilton.
Top Film of 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 5 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 5 May 1956 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 5 May 1956 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 5 May

  • 1945 World War II: The Prague uprising begins as an attempt by the Czech resistance to free the city from German occupation.
  • 1946 The International Military Tribunal for the Far East begins in Tokyo with twenty-eight Japanese military and government officials accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
  • 1955 The General Treaty, by which France, Britain and the United States recognize the sovereignty of West Germany, comes into effect.
  • 1961 Project Mercury: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to travel into outer space, on a sub-orbital flight.
  • 1964 The Council of Europe declares May 5 as Europe Day.

Famous people born on 5 May

  • Aryna Sabalenka, Belarusian tennis player (born 1998)
  • Richard E. Grant, Swazi-English actor, director, and screenwriter (born 1957)
  • Carlos Alcaraz, Spanish tennis player (born 2003)
  • Henry Cavill, English actor (born 1983)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1956 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1956 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 17 February – The Midlands becomes the first region outside of London to receive ITV when ATV Midlands begins broadcasting; ABC, the weekend station, launches the following day.
  • 3 May – Granada Television begins broadcasting with a base in Manchester, extending ITV's coverage to Northern England and later Yorkshire.
  • 8 May – First performance of John Osborne's play Look Back in Anger by the newly formed English Stage Company at the Royal Court Theatre. Alan Bates has his first major role as Cliff.

Life in 1956

Prime Minister

Anthony Eden

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

9p

Loaf of Bread

6p

Average House

£2,140

Weekly Wage

£11.05

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 →