At A Glance

31 December 1953 at a glance

Day of the week
31 December 1953 was a Thursday.
Top Film of 1953
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1953 was Peter Pan.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 December is Capricorn.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 December 1953 fell in the Year of the Snake.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 December 1953 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 31 December

  • 1946 President Harry S. Truman officially proclaims the end of hostilities in World War II.
  • 1951 Cold War: The Marshall Plan expires after distributing more than US$13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Western Europe.
  • 1955 General Motors becomes the first U.S. corporation to make over US$1 billion in a year.
  • 1956 The Romanian Television network begins its first broadcast in Bucharest.
  • 1961 RTÉ, Ireland's state broadcaster, launches its first national television service.

Famous people born on 31 December

  • Val Kilmer, American actor (1959–2025)
  • Sophia Laforteza, Filipino-American singer (born 2002)
  • Alex Ferguson, Scottish footballer and manager (born 1941)
  • Charles Edward Stuart, Scottish claimant to the throne of England (1720–1788)

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.
More events of 1953 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

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)

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 →