At A Glance
23 September 1959 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 23 September 1959 was a Wednesday.
- Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
- The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Sleep Walk” by Santo & Johnny.
- 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 23 September is Libra.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 23 September 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for September is Sapphire.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 23 September 1959 was Waning Gibbous.
On this day: 23 September
- 1950 Korean War: The Battle of Hill 282 is the first US friendly-fire incident on British military personnel since World War II.
- 1951 George VI, king of the United Kingdom, has his left lung removed in an operation after a malignant tumour was found.
- 1952 After being accused of financial improprieties, Senator Richard Nixon delivers his "Checkers speech" nationwide on television and radio, defending his actions and successfully salvaging his nomination as the Republican candidate for Vice President.
- 1957 Little Rock schools integration crisis: President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, and federalizes the Arkansas National Guard, ordering both to support the integration of Little Rock Central High School.
- 1961 U.S. President John F. Kennedy nominates African American civil rights lawyer Thurgood Marshall to the Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, although pro-segregation Southern senators manage to delay his confirmation until September 11, 1962.
Famous people born on September 23
- Augustus, Roman emperor (born -63)
- Bruce Springsteen, American singer-songwriter and guitarist (born 1949)
- Chris Johnson, American football player (born 1985)
- Ray Charles, American singer-songwriter, pianist, and actor (1930–2004)
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
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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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