At A Glance

9 August 1959 at a glance

Day of the week
9 August 1959 was a Sunday.
Billboard Hot 100 No. 1
The Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 was “Lonely Boy” by Paul Anka.
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 9 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 9 August 1959 fell in the Year of the Pig.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 9 August 1959 was Waxing Crescent.

On this day: 9 August

  • 1945 World War II: The Red Army invades Japanese-occupied Manchuria.
  • 1960 South Kasai secedes from the Congo.
  • 1965 The State of Singapore separates from the Malaysian federation due to a heated ideological conflict between their ruling parties.[citation needed][needs copy edit]
  • 1973 Mars 7 is launched from the USSR.
  • 1974 As a direct result of the Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon becomes the first president of the United States to resign from office. Vice President Gerald Ford becomes president.

Famous people born on August 9

  • Gillian Anderson, American-British actress, activist and writer (born 1968)
  • Whitney Houston, American singer-songwriter, producer, and actress (1963–2012)
  • Melanie Griffith, American actress and producer (born 1957)
  • Bill Skarsgård, Swedish actor (born 1990)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

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

Browse by Year

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)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →