At A Glance

17 December 1951 at a glance

Day of the week
17 December 1951 was a Monday.
Top Film of 1951
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1951 was Quo Vadis.
Bestselling Novel of 1951
“From Here to Eternity” by James Jones was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1951.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1951–52 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 17 December is Sagittarius.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 17 December 1951 fell in the Year of the Rabbit.
Birthstone
The birthstone for December is Turquoise.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 17 December 1951 was Waning Gibbous.

On this day: 17 December

  • 1943 All Chinese are again permitted to become citizens of the United States upon the repeal of the Act of 1882 and the introduction of the Magnuson Act.
  • 1945 Kurdistan flag day, the flag of Kurdistan is raised for the first time in Mahabad in eastern Kurdistan.
  • 1948 The Finnish Security Police is established to remove communist leadership from its predecessor, the State Police.
  • 1950 The F-86 Sabre's first mission over Korea.
  • 1957 The United States successfully launches the first Atlas intercontinental ballistic missile at Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Famous people born on December 17

  • Sarah Paulson, American actress (born 1974)
  • Milla Jovovich, Ukrainian-American actress (born 1975)
  • Bill Pullman, American actor (born 1953)
  • Pope Francis, Argentinian Pope of the Catholic Church (1936–2025)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1951 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1951 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • February 21 – The Jack in the Box fast-food restaurant chain is founded by Robert O. Peterson in San Diego, California.
  • March 29 – The 23rd Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Fred Astaire, is held at RKO Pantages Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles. Joseph L. Mankiewicz's All About Eve wins six awards, including Best Motion Picture and Mankiewicz's second consecutive Best Director win.
  • April 27 – RKO releases the Howard Hawks sci-fi film The Thing from Another World.

Life in the US in 1951

President

Harry S. Truman

Gas (per gallon)

$0.27

Loaf of Bread

$0.16

Average House

$7,800

Weekly Wage

$58

Or

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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)

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