UK, 
US, 
Australia & 
IrelandAt A Glance
24 December 1959 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 24 December 1959 was a Thursday.
- Top Film of 1959
- The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
- Star sign
- The star sign for 24 December is Capricorn.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 24 December 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 24 December 1959 was Waning Crescent.
On this day: 24 December
- 1951 Libya becomes independent. Idris I is proclaimed King of Libya.
- 1968 Apollo program: The crew of Apollo 8 enters into orbit around the Moon, becoming the first humans to do so. They performed ten lunar orbits, took the Earthrise photograph, broadcast live TV pictures, and read the first ten verses of Genesis.
- 1969 Nigerian troops capture Umuahia, the Biafran capital.
- 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act is passed, allowing residents of Washington, D.C. to elect their own local government.
- 1974 Cyclone Tracy devastates Darwin, Australia.
Famous people born on 24 December
- Howard Hughes, American businessman, engineer, and pilot (1905–1976)
- Ed Miliband, British politician, Foreign Secretary (born 1969)
- Empress Elisabeth of Austria (1837–1898)
- Davante Adams, American football player (born 1992)
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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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
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Famous Faces Born in the 1950s
Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.
Pierce Brosnan16 May 1953ActorView their day →Brendan Gleeson29 March 1955ActorView their day →Fiona Shaw10 July 1958ActressView their day →Gabriel Byrne12 May 1950ActorView their day →Colm Meaney30 May 1953ActorView their day →Bob Geldof5 October 1951Singer-songwriter & political activistView their day →Catherine Connolly5 November 1955President of IrelandView their day →Shane MacGowan25 December 1957Singer-songwriterView their day →Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
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