At A Glance

8 March 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
8 March 1959 was a Sunday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “As I Love You” by Shirley Bassey.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 March is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 March 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 March 1959 was New Moon.

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 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

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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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