At A Glance

31 August 1949 at a glance

Day of the week
31 August 1949 was a Wednesday.
Top Film of 1949
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1949 was Samson and Delilah.
Bestselling Novel of 1949
“The Egyptian” by Mika Waltari was No. 1 on Publishers Weekly's US fiction list for 1949.
Star sign
The star sign for 31 August is Virgo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 31 August 1949 fell in the Year of the Ox.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 31 August 1949 was First Quarter.

On this day: 31 August

  • 1939 Nazi Germany mounts a false flag attack on the Gleiwitz radio station, creating an excuse to attack Poland the following day, thus starting World War II in Europe.
  • 1941 World War II: Serbian paramilitary forces defeat Germans in the Battle of Loznica.
  • 1943 USS Harmon, the first U.S. Navy ship to be named after a black person, is commissioned.
  • 1949 The retreat of the Democratic Army of Greece into Albania after its defeat on Gramos mountain marks the end of the Greek Civil War.
  • 1957 The Federation of Malaya (now Malaysia) gains its independence from the United Kingdom.

Famous people born on August 31

  • Richard Gere, American actor and producer (born 1949)
  • Mohammed bin Salman, Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia (born 1985)
  • Jalen Brunson, American basketball player (born 1996)
  • Caligula, Roman emperor (born 12)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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Events of 1949 in the United States

A selection from Wikipedia's '1949 in the United States'. Not a complete list.

  • January 25 – The first Emmy Awards are presented at the Hollywood Athletic Club.
  • March 24 – The 21st Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Robert Montgomery, is held at the Academy Theater in Hollywood, Los Angeles.
  • April 4 – The North Atlantic Treaty is signed in Washington, D.C., creating the NATO defense alliance.

Life in the US in 1949

President

Harry S. Truman

Gas (per gallon)

$0.27

Loaf of Bread

$0.14

Average House

$5,700

Weekly Wage

$52

Or

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Famous Faces Born in the 1940s

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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