At A Glance

19 August 1953 at a glance

Day of the week
19 August 1953 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1953
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1953 was Peter Pan.
Star sign
The star sign for 19 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 19 August 1953 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 19 August 1953 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 19 August

  • 1944 World War II: Liberation of Paris: Paris, France rises against German occupation with the help of Allied troops.
  • 1945 August Revolution: Viet Minh led by Ho Chi Minh take power in Hanoi, Vietnam.
  • 1953 Cold War: The CIA and MI6 help to overthrow the government of Mohammad Mosaddegh in Iran and reinstate the Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi.
  • 1960 Cold War: In Moscow, Russia, Soviet Union, downed American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to ten years imprisonment by the Soviet Union for espionage.
  • 1960 Sputnik program: Korabl-Sputnik 2: The Soviet Union launches the satellite with the dogs Belka and Strelka, 40 mice, two rats and a variety of plants.

Famous people born on 19 August

  • Bill Clinton, American lawyer and politician, 40th and 42nd Governor of Arkansas, 42nd President of the United States (born 1946)
  • Kirk Cousins, American football player (born 1988)
  • Matthew Perry, American actor, producer, and screenwriter (1969–2023)
  • Kyra Sedgwick, American actress and producer (born 1965)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1953 in Ireland

A selection from Wikipedia's '1953 in Ireland'. Not a complete list.

  • 18 January – The Sinn Féin party decided to contest all twelve constituencies in the next Westminster elections in Northern Ireland.
  • 15 March – Up to ten thousand civil servants marched on O'Connell Street in Dublin demanding a just wage.
  • 1 May – The first television transmitter in Ireland was brought into service by the BBC at Glencairn.

Life in Ireland in 1953

Taoiseach

Éamon de Valera

Petrol (per litre)

1s 10d/gal

Loaf of Bread

5½d

Average House

£1,500

Weekly Wage

£3 15s

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 →