January 17, 1959

January 17, 1959, was a Saturday. It was 65 years, 3 months, and 5 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

Top song: January 17, 1959

The best-selling single on January 17, 1959 was "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" by The Chipmunks and David Seville.

The Billboard Hot 100 on January 17, 1959

The top five songs from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes - The Platters
My Happiness - Connie Francis
The Chipmunk Song - The Chipmunks With David Seville
Donna - Ritchie Valens
16 Candles - The Crests

Play the top singles from 1959
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1959. Take a trip back to the days of The Platters, Frankie Avalon, The Fleetwoods and Johnny Horton.

Top movie

The movie "Auntie Mame" was at the top of the box office on this day.

Facts

This date occurred 23,838 days ago. Approximately 795 months have passed. It was the 17th day of 1959, in week 03. The decade was the fifties. People who were born on January 17, 1959, are now 65 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. We have gone through approximately 265 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to January 17, 1959

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is January 17, 1959, and it's a Saturday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Capricorn. The work week is over and Saturday has finally come, so people are spending time with their kids, going to bars, attending dances, shopping, and watching sports.

The holiday season of 1958 seems like a distant memory. New year's resolutions are already being abandoned, and many are eagerly awaiting their first paycheck after Christmas In music, the song "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" by The Chipmunks and David Seville is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and the movie Auntie Mame is at the top of the box office.

Harold Macmillan is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. On television, people are watching popular shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show", "The Jack Benny Program", "Sky King", and "Fury". In fashion, women are sporting chemise dresses, sheaths, sack dresses and straight-cut suits. Short boxy jackets and shift dresses are also beginning to become popular. Meanwhile, a lot of men are sporting a "Teddy Boy" style that involves leather jackets, greased-back hair, extremely narrow trousers and velvet-collared jackets. Men are also wearing formal suits as daywear.

Tailfins on cars are extremely popular at the moment. The design looks futuristic, almost like a rocket or the twin rudders on the back of an airplane. It's 1959, so radio stations and jukeboxes are playing hit songs from artists such as Johnny Horton, Bobby Darin, Lloyd Price, Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka, The Browns, The Fleetwoods and Wilbert Harrison. If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Buddy Holly and Clark Gable would be still alive.

Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Father Knows Best", "The Gumby Show", "Tom Terrific", and "The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole". Children are playing with toys such as Toy Guns, Tiny Tears (doll), Play-Doh, and Metal House robots.

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on January 17, 1959.

Phonebooth stuffing has become a fad
In 1959, a new fad swept across South Africa, the United States, Canada, and Britain. This fad was called "phonebooth stuffing". As the name suggests, it involved trying to fit as many people into a telephone booth as possible.
Movies from 1959
The most popular movies in 1959 were Ben-Hur, The Shaggy Dog, Operation Petticoat, Some Like It Hot, Pillow Talk, Imitation of Life, "Suddenly, Last Summer", Rio Bravo and The Nun's Story.
1959 in music
The radio stations in 1959 were dominated by artists such as Johnny Horton, Bobby Darin, Lloyd Price, Frankie Avalon, Paul Anka, The Browns, The Fleetwoods and Wilbert Harrison.
Dwight D. Eisenhower
US President Dwight D. Eisenhower was named Time Person of the Year in 1959.
Tailfins on cars
Tailfins on cars were a popular style around this time. The design looked futuristic, almost like the twin rudders on the back of an airplane.
Panty raids are all the rage on college campuses
Panty raids were a popular college prank at the time. Large groups of male students would "raid" the living quarters of their female counterparts and then steal their underwear as proof that the raid had been successful. These raids took place during a time when colleges had curfews and men were forbidden from entering female dormitories.
Poodle skirts are a thing
Women and young girls were wearing wide, unrestricted felt skirts called "poodle skirts." These were solid-colored skirts that had a design or a logo. In many cases, the design was an image of a poodle or a cat.
Greasers
A youth subculture called "greasers" emerged during the 1950s and early 1960s. The style included greased-back hairstyles, work pants, and denim or leather jackets.
The Jukebox
The jukebox was at the height of its popularity. Teenagers and young adults would often hang out at local restaurants and diners and listen to the latest songs.
Men are getting "DA haircuts"
The "DA haircut" was extremely popular among men. The cut consisted of a combed-back hairstyle that was parted down the middle at the back. "DA" stood for "Duck's Ass," which is what many people liked to call the style.
Sock hops
Sock hops were informal dance events for teenagers. The name originated from the fact that many of these dances required participants to remove their shoes. This is because sock hops were often held in high school gymnasiums, and the organizers didn't want scuff marks on the floors.
Capitalism vs Communism
The ideological clash between capitalism and communism heated up during the 1950s. It was during this period that a "Cold War" started between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the US, there were fears that Soviet spies had infiltrated all parts of society, including Hollywood.
The economy is booming
The world was recovering from World War II. Many countries witnessed an economic boom during this decade. Unemployment was low, consumerism increased, mortgages were cheap, and governments started to invest in infrastructure such as highways. For many, this was the "golden age" of the economy.
Rotary phones
Almost everyone had rotary phones in the 1950s. However, the heavier metal dial components were being phased out and replaced with plastic.
More and more people are buying television sets
More and more households were buying TV sets. In 1950, 20% of homes had a television. By the end of the decade, that figure had risen to 90%.

Personality traits

Check out our personality summary for people who were born on January 17, 1959.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around January 17, 1959.

December 28, 1958: NFL: The Baltimore Colts defeat the New York Giants by 23-17 to win the 1958 NFL Championship Game.
January 1, 1959: The Cuban Revolution ends when Cuban president Fulgencio Batista and his government ministers flee the country.
January 3, 1959: Alaska becomes the 49th U.S. state.
January 4, 1959: Che Guevara and Camilo Cienfuegos lead rebel troops into the Cuban city of Havana.
January 13, 1959: 71 supporters of Fulgencio Batista are executed by the new Communist regime.
This date: January 17, 1959
January 29, 1959: Disney's animated film Sleeping Beauty is released.
February 2, 1959: Dyatlov Pass incident: 9 Russian hikers die in the Ural Mountains under mysterious circumstances.
February 3, 1959: Buddy Holly is killed in a plane crash.
February 16, 1959: Fidel Castro is sworn in as the new Prime Minister of Cuba.

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on January 17, 1959, will have the star sign Capricorn.
Zodiac Element: Earth.
Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1959 was the year of the Pig (Yin Wood).
The Life Path Number for this date is 6.
Native American Zodiac: January 17, 1959 falls under the Goose.
Birthstone: A person during the month of January will have the birthstone Garnet.
Birth flower (January): The Carnation and the Snowdrop.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

TV series on January 17, 1959

People in January 1959 were watching the following TV series:

Rawhide

77 Sunset Strip

Casey Jones

Maverick

Perry Mason

Wagon Train

Have Gun - Will Travel

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

Fury

Gunsmoke

The Danny Thomas Show

Sky King

Cars in 1959

1959 saw the introduction of cars such as the Ford Falcon, the Chevrolet El Camino, the BMW 700, the Mini, the Buick Electra, and the Studebaker Lark.

Cartoons and children's TV shows in January 1959

Children and teenagers were watching the following cartoons and TV series:

Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks

Felix the Cat

Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown

The Rifleman

The Huckleberry Hound Show

The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole

The Ruff and Reddy Show

Leave It to Beaver

Captain Pugwash

Colonel Bleep

Tom Terrific

Toys in 1959

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Crater Critters

Fisher Price Little People

The Hula Hoop

Metal House robots

The Frisbee

Wooly Willy

Play-Doh

Matchbox toy cars

Colorforms

BAS-KET Miniature Basketball

Tiny Tears (doll)

Spinning Tops

Were you born on January 17, 1959?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1959.

This is because humans find it difficult to retrieve memories of their early childhood.

If you are looking for some childhood nostalgia, then you should check out January 17, 1965, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on January 17.

Al Capone

Gangster Deceased
Born on January 17, 1899
He was not alive on this date.

Betty White

Actress Deceased
Born on January 17, 1922
She turned 37 on this day in 1959.

Muhammad Ali

Boxer Deceased
Born on January 17, 1942
He turned 17 on this day in 1959.

Andy Kaufman

Comedian Deceased
Born on January 17, 1949
He turned 10 on this day in 1959.

Mick Taylor

Musician
Born on January 17, 1949
He turned 10 on this day in 1959.

Jim Carrey

Actor
Born on January 17, 1962
He was born exactly 3 years after this date.

Michelle Obama

First Lady
Born on January 17, 1964
She was born exactly 5 years after this date.

Zooey Deschanel

Actress
Born on January 17, 1980
She was born exactly 21 years after this date.

Calvin Harris

DJ
Born on January 17, 1984
He was born exactly 25 years after this date.

Marnie Simpson

English TV personality
Born on January 17, 1992
She was born exactly 33 years after this date.

Maxwell Frost

US politician
Born on January 17, 1997
He was born exactly 38 years after this date.

Jake Paul

Youtuber
Born on January 17, 1997
He was born exactly 38 years after this date.

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on January 17, 1959.

UK Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Irish Taoiseach

Éamon de Valera was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

Note: These conception dates are based on broad estimates.

A baby that was born on January 17, 1959 was most likely conceived around April 26, 1958.
The due date for a baby that was conceived on January 17, 1959 is close to October 10, 1959.

Write a comment about this date

Have something to say about this date? Was it your birthday? Or perhaps you have a memory of it?

Your name

Write something about this date

All comments are moderated. Our system may automatically edit comments to correct misspellings and grammar. We may also remove or redact personal information.

How old was I?

Find out what your age was on January 17, 1959, by entering your DOB below.
This information is not saved on our server.

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about January 17, 1959:

23,838 days have passed since this date.
3,405 weeks have passed.
2,059,599,600 seconds have passed since January 17, 1959.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,402,866,200 times.
Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,062,753,393,600 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 343,266,600 times.
You have taken approximately 177,125,566 steps. That's roughly 78,722 miles.
24,715,195 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
How many years ago was 1959?

Search

It looks like you have reached the end. Try searching for another date.

Random dates

Check out some of these random dates.

January 17, 1959

Top song: January 17, 1959

The Billboard Hot 100 on January 17, 1959

Top movie

Facts

Take me back to January 17, 1959

News, nostalgia, and fads

Phonebooth stuffing has become a fad

Movies from 1959

1959 in music

Dwight D. Eisenhower

Tailfins on cars

Panty raids are all the rage on college campuses

Poodle skirts are a thing

Greasers

The Jukebox

Men are getting "DA haircuts"

Sock hops

Capitalism vs Communism

The economy is booming

Rotary phones

More and more people are buying television sets