At A Glance

8 June 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
8 June 1959 was a Monday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “The Battle of New Orleans” by Johnny Horton.
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 8 June is Gemini.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 8 June 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for June is Pearl.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 8 June 1959 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 8 June

  • 1949 George Orwell's dystopian novel Nineteen Eighty-Four is published in the United States
  • 1953 The United States Supreme Court rules in District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co. that restaurants in Washington, D.C., cannot refuse to serve black patrons.
  • 1959 USS Barbero and the United States Postal Service attempt the delivery of mail via Missile Mail.
  • 1961 Marriage of Prince Edward, Duke of Kent to Katharine Worsley at York Minster.
  • 1972 Vietnam War: Nine-year-old Phan Thị Kim Phúc is burned by napalm, an event captured in a photograph moments later while the young girl is seen running naked down a road, in what would become an iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning photo.

Famous people born on June 8

  • Kanye West, American rapper, producer, director, and fashion designer (born 1977)
  • Bonnie Tyler, Welsh singer-songwriter (1951–2026)
  • Nancy Sinatra, American singer and actress (born 1940)
  • Julianna Margulies, American actress (born 1966)

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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