At A Glance

8 March 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
8 March 1956 was a Thursday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Memories Are Made of This” by Dean Martin.
Top Film of 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 March 1956 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 March 1956 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 8 March

  • 1942 World War II: The Dutch East Indies surrender Java to the Imperial Japanese Army.
  • 1949 President of France Vincent Auriol and ex-Vietnamese emperor Bảo Đại sign the Élysée Accords, giving Vietnam greater independence from France and creating the State of Vietnam to oppose Viet Minh-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
  • 1950 The iconic Volkswagen Type 2 "Bus" begins production.
  • 1963 The Ba'ath Party comes to power in Syria in a coup d'état.
  • 1965 Vietnam War: US Marines arrive at Da Nang.

Famous people born on 8 March

  • Benny Blanco, American record producer (born 1988)
  • James Van Der Beek, American actor (1977–2026)
  • Aidan Quinn, American actor (born 1959)
  • Kit Connor, English actor (born 2004)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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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

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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)

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