At A Glance

11 October 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
11 October 1959 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Mack the Knife” by Bobby Darin.
Top Film of 1959
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1959 was Ben-Hur.
Bestselling Novel of 1959
“Exodus” by Leon Uris was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1959.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Gunsmoke” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1959–60 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 11 October is Libra.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 11 October 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for October is Opal.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 11 October 1959 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 11 October

  • 1950 CBS's field-sequential color system for television is the first to be licensed for broadcast by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.
  • 1954 In accord with the 1954 Geneva Conference, French troops complete their withdrawal from North Vietnam.
  • 1958 NASA launches Pioneer 1, its first space probe, although it fails to achieve a stable orbit.
  • 1962 The Second Vatican Council becomes the first ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church in 92 years.
  • 1968 NASA launches Apollo 7, the first successful crewed Apollo mission.

Famous people born on October 11

  • Michelle Trachtenberg, American actress (1985–2025)
  • Peter Thiel, German and American entrepreneur, venture capitalist, and political activist (born 1967)
  • Arman Tsarukyan, Armenian professional mixed martial artist (born 1996)
  • Joan Cusack, American actress (born 1962)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1959 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1959 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 3 – Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state (see History of Alaska).
  • January 12 – The Motown record label is founded as Tamla by Berry Gordy in Detroit.
  • May 8 – The first Little Caesars pizza restaurant is opened by Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian in Garden City, Michigan.
More events of 1959 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in the US in 1959

President

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Gas (per gallon)

$0.31

Loaf of Bread

$0.20

Average House

$11,500

Weekly Wage

$83

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Famous Faces Born in the 1950s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Michael Jackson29 August 1958Singer & songwriterView their day →Anthony Bourdain25 June 1956Chef & television personalityView their day →Bruce Willis19 March 1955ActorView their day →Madonna16 August 1958SingerView their day →Annette Bening29 May 1958ActressView their day →Robin Williams21 July 1951Actor & comedianView their day →Steve Jobs24 February 1955Entrepreneur & co-founder of Apple Inc.View their day →Prince7 June 1958MusicianView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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