At A Glance

8 August 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
8 August 1956 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Whatever Will Be, Will Be (Que Sera, Sera)” by Doris Day.
Top Film of 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 August 1956 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 August 1956 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 8 August

  • 1945 The London Charter is signed by France, the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union and the United States, establishing the laws and procedures for the Nuremberg trials.
  • 1946 First flight of the nuclear capable Convair B-36, heaviest mass-produced piston-engined aircraft at the time.
  • 1963 Great Train Robbery: In England, a gang of 15 train robbers steal £2.6 million in bank notes.
  • 1963 The Zimbabwe African National Union (ZANU), the current ruling party of Zimbabwe, is formed by a split from the Zimbabwe African People's Union.
  • 1967 The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is founded by Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.

Famous people born on 8 August

  • Ryan Garcia, American boxer (born 1998)
  • Roger Federer, Swiss tennis player (born 1981)
  • Dustin Hoffman, American actor and director (born 1937)
  • A'ja Wilson, American basketball player (born 1996)

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.
More events of 1956 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

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Famous Faces Born in the 1950s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Richard E. Grant5 May 1957ActorView their day →Gary Oldman21 March 1958Actor & filmmakerView their day →Anthony Head20 February 1954ActorView their day →Phil Collins30 January 1951Drummer & singerView their day →Bonnie Tyler8 June 1951SingerView their day →Liam Neeson7 June 1952ActorView their day →Emma Thompson15 April 1959Actress & screenwriterView their day →Rowan Atkinson6 January 1955Actor & comedianView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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