At A Glance

2 August 1957 at a glance

Day of the week
2 August 1957 was a Friday.
Top Film of 1957
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1957 was The Bridge on the River Kwai.
Bestselling Novel of 1957
“By Love Possessed” by James Gould Cozzens was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1957.
Top-Rated TV Show
“Gunsmoke” (CBS) was No. 1 in the Nielsen ratings for the 1957–58 season.
Star sign
The star sign for 2 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 2 August 1957 fell in the Year of the Rooster.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 2 August 1957 was First Quarter.

On this day: 2 August

  • 1939 Albert Einstein and Leo Szilard write a letter to Franklin D. Roosevelt, urging him to begin the Manhattan Project to develop a nuclear weapon.
  • 1943 World War II: After the Motor Torpedo Boat PT-109 is rammed and sunk by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri, Lt. John F. Kennedy, future U.S. president, saves all but two of his crew.
  • 1944 ASNOM: Birth of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, celebrated as Day of the Republic in North Macedonia.
  • 1944 World War II: The largest trade convoy of the world wars arrives safely in the Western Approaches.
  • 1945 World War II: The Potsdam Conference ends.

Famous people born on August 2

  • JD Vance, American politician, 50th vice president of the United States (born 1984)
  • Charli XCX, English singer-songwriter (born 1992)
  • Mary-Louise Parker, American actress (born 1964)
  • Sam Worthington, English-Australian actor and producer (born 1976)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1957 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1957 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • March 4 – Standard & Poor's first publishes the S&P 500 Index in the United States.
  • July 16 – United States Marine Major John Glenn flies an F8U supersonic jet from California to New York in 3 hours, 23 minutes and 8 seconds, setting a new transcontinental speed record.
  • September 5 – Viking Press publishes On the Road by Jack Kerouac.

Life in the US in 1957

President

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Gas (per gallon)

$0.31

Loaf of Bread

$0.19

Average House

$10,600

Weekly Wage

$77

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 →