At A Glance
8 March 1959 at a glance
- Day of the week
- 8 March 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 8 March is Pisces.
- Chinese zodiac
- In the Chinese zodiac, 8 March 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
- Birthstone
- The birthstone for March is Aquamarine.
- Moon phase
- The moon phase on 8 March 1959 was New Moon.
On this day: 8 March
- 1942 World War II: The Dutch East Indies surrender Java to the Imperial Japanese Army.
- 1949 President of France Vincent Auriol and ex-Vietnamese emperor Bảo Đại sign the Élysée Accords, giving Vietnam greater independence from France and creating the State of Vietnam to oppose Viet Minh-led Democratic Republic of Vietnam.
- 1950 The iconic Volkswagen Type 2 "Bus" begins production.
- 1963 The Ba'ath Party comes to power in Syria in a coup d'état.
- 1965 Vietnam War: US Marines arrive at Da Nang.
Famous people born on March 8
- Benny Blanco, American record producer (born 1988)
- James Van Der Beek, American actor (1977–2026)
- Aidan Quinn, American actor (born 1959)
- Kit Connor, English actor (born 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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