At A Glance

7 July 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
7 July 1956 was a Saturday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “I'll Be Home” by Pat Boone.
Top Film of 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 7 July is Cancer.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 7 July 1956 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for July is Ruby.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 7 July 1956 was New Moon.

On this day: 7 July

  • 1952 The ocean liner SS United States passes Bishop Rock on her maiden voyage, breaking the transatlantic speed record to become the fastest passenger ship in the world.
  • 1953 Ernesto "Che" Guevara sets out on a trip through Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and El Salvador.
  • 1958 US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Alaska Statehood Act into law.
  • 1959 Venus occults the star Regulus. This rare event is used to determine the diameter of Venus and the structure of the Venusian atmosphere.
  • 1963 Buddhist crisis: Police commanded by Ngô Đình Nhu, brother and chief political adviser of South Vietnam President Ngo Dinh Diem, attacked a group of American journalists who were covering a protest.

Famous people born on 7 July

  • Ringo Starr, English singer-songwriter, drummer, and actor (born 1940)
  • Hamish Linklater, American actor and playwright (born 1976)
  • Cree Summer, American-Canadian actress (born 1969)
  • Shelley Duvall, American actress, writer, and producer (1949–2024)

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 →