At A Glance

18 July 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
18 July 1959 was a Saturday.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Star sign
The star sign for 18 July is Cancer.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 18 July 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for July is Ruby.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 18 July 1959 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 18 July

  • 1942 The Germans test fly the Messerschmitt Me 262 using its jet engines for the first time.
  • 1944 World War II: Hideki Tōjō resigns as Prime Minister of Japan because of numerous setbacks in the war effort.
  • 1966 Human spaceflight: Gemini 10 is launched from Cape Kennedy on a 70-hour mission that includes docking with an orbiting Agena target vehicle.
  • 1968 Intel is founded in Mountain View, California.
  • 1976 Nadia Comăneci becomes the first person in Olympic Games history to score a perfect 10 in gymnastics at the 1976 Summer Olympics.

Famous people born on 18 July

  • Kristen Bell, American actress (born 1980)
  • Priyanka Chopra, Indian actress, singer, and film producer (born 1982)
  • James Norton, English actor (born 1985)
  • Vin Diesel, American actor, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1967)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1959 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '1959 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 7 January – Dáil Éireann debated a motion that Éamon de Valera's position as controlling director of the Irish Press newspaper could be regarded as incompatible with his duties as Taoiseach.
  • 23 January – The government was considering the introduction of a pay-as-you-earn system of income tax.
  • 8 April – James Dillon of the Fine Gael party wanted to abolish compulsory Irish language studies at school as he felt they were counter-productive.

Life in Ireland in 1959

Taoiseach

Seán Lemass

Petrol (per litre)

2s 4d/gal

Loaf of Bread

7½d

Average House

£2,100

Weekly Wage

£5 5s

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 →