At A Glance

21 April 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
21 April 1959 was a Tuesday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Come Softly to Me” by The Fleetwoods.
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 21 April is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 21 April 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 21 April 1959 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 21 April

  • 1960 Brasília, Brazil's capital, is officially inaugurated. At 09:30, the Three Powers of the Republic are simultaneously transferred from the old capital, Rio de Janeiro.
  • 1962 The Seattle World's Fair (Century 21 Exposition) opens. It is the first World's Fair in the United States since World War II.
  • 1963 The first election of the Universal House of Justice is held, marking its establishment as the supreme governing institution of the Baháʼí Faith.
  • 1964 A Transit-5bn satellite fails to reach orbit after launch; as it re-enters the atmosphere, 2.1 pounds (0.95 kg) of radioactive plutonium in its SNAP RTG power source is widely dispersed.
  • 1965 The 1964–1965 New York World's Fair opens for its second and final season.

Famous people born on April 21

  • Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and her other realms (1926–2022)
  • Andie MacDowell, American model, actress, and producer (born 1958)
  • James McAvoy, Scottish actor (born 1979)
  • Glen Hansard, Irish singer-songwriter (1970–2026)

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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