At A Glance

22 February 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
22 February 1959 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Stagger Lee” by Lloyd Price.
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 22 February is Pisces.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 22 February 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for February is Amethyst.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 22 February 1959 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 22 February

  • 1946 The "Long Telegram", proposing how the United States should deal with the Soviet Union, arrives from the US embassy in Moscow.
  • 1958 Following a plebiscite in both countries the previous day, Egypt and Syria join to form the United Arab Republic.
  • 1959 Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500.
  • 1973 Cold War: Following President Richard Nixon's visit to the People's Republic of China, the two countries agree to establish liaison offices.
  • 1974 The Organisation of the Islamic Conference summit begins in Lahore, Pakistan. Thirty-seven countries attend and twenty-two heads of state and government participate. It also recognizes Bangladesh.

Famous people born on February 22

  • George Washington, American general and politician, 1st President of the United States (1732–1799)
  • James Blunt, English singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1974)
  • Steve Irwin, Australian zoologist and television host (1962–2006)
  • Drew Barrymore, American actress, director, producer, and screenwriter (born 1975)

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.

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

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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