At A Glance

8 October 1956 at a glance

Day of the week
8 October 1956 was a Monday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Lay Down Your Arms” by Anne Shelton.
Top Film of 1956
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1956 was The Ten Commandments.
Star sign
The star sign for 8 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 October 1956 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 October 1956 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 8 October

  • 1944 World War II: Captain Bobbie Brown earns a Medal of Honor for his actions during the Battle of Crucifix Hill, just outside Aachen.
  • 1956 The New York Yankees's Don Larsen pitches the only perfect game in a World Series.
  • 1962 Der Spiegel publishes an article disclosing the sorry state of the Bundeswehr, leading to accusations of treason.
  • 1969 The opening rally of the Days of Rage occurs, organized by the Weather Underground in Chicago.
  • 1970 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn wins the Nobel Prize in literature.

Famous people born on 8 October

  • Matt Damon, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (born 1970)
  • Bruno Mars, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actor (born 1985)
  • Zheng Qinwen, Chinese tennis player (born 2002)
  • Sigourney Weaver, American actress and producer (born 1949)

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

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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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