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May 22, 1959

May 22, 1959, was a Friday. It was the 142nd day of 1959. The decade was the fifties.

64 years, 10 months, and 6 days have passed since May 22, 1959.

The zodiac star sign for this date is Gemini.

Birthdays

Born on May 22, 1959

People who were born on this exact date:

Music charts

Top song: May 22, 1959

The best-selling single on May 22, 1959 was "Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison.

The Billboard Hot 100 on May 22, 1959

The top five songs from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

  • Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison
  • Sorry (I Ran All The Way Home) - The Impalas
  • The Happy Organ - Dave "Baby" Cortez
  • Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb) - Edward Byrnes & Connie Stevens
  • A Teenager In Love - Dion & The Belmonts
Play the top songs 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.
Some Like It Hot

Top movie

The top movie on this day was "Some Like It Hot".

Facts

This date was 23,687 days ago. Approximately 790 months have passed. It was the 142nd day of 1959, in week 21. The decade was the fifties. People born on this day are currently 64 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. 263 seasons of weather have come and gone since then.

Take me back to May 22, 1959

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

It is Friday, May 22, 1959. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Gemini. People have "that Friday feeling" and are excited for the weekend.

The summer of 1959 has finally arrived. The weather has warmed up, and the evenings are brighter than usual. The school year is nearly finished. In music, the song "Kansas City" by Wilbert Harrison is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and the movie Some Like It Hot is at the top of the box office.

Harold Macmillan is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 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 Clark Gable would be still alive. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show", "What's My Line?", "The Jack Benny Program", and "Gunsmoke".

Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Looney Tunes", "Colonel Bleep", "Captain Pugwash", and "Clutch Cargo". Popular toys at the moment include BAS-KET Miniature Basketball, Matchbox toy cars, Play-Doh, and Crater Critters.

News

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on May 22, 1959.

  • Trouble is brewing in Vietnam.

    Trouble is brewing in Vietnam

    By this time, communist forces in North Vietnam had committed themselves to invading South Vietnam. The Ho Chi Minh trail was established and expanded and guerrilla warfare attacks were being carried out against the US-backed Diệm government in the south. It was during this time that the United States started to slowly escalate its involvement in the conflict.
  • Barbie is introduced.

    Barbie is introduced

    The first Barbie toy doll was introduced in March 1959. The doll came in both blonde and brunette colors. It also had a modest sideways glance.
  • Phonebooth stuffing has become a fad.

    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.

    Movies from 1959

    The most popular movies in 1958 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.

    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.

    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    US President Dwight D. Eisenhower was named Time Person of the Year in 1959.
  • Tailfins on cars.

    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 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.

    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.

    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

    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".

    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

    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.

    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 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.

    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 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 May 22, 1959.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

Notable events that happened close to May 22, 1959.

  • May 2, 1959: Soccer: Nottingham Forest beat Luton Town 2-1 to win the 1959 FA Cup Final.
  • May 12, 1959: Elizabeth Taylor and Eddie Fisher are married a year after they started an extramarital affair.
  • May 19, 1959: The Ho Chi Minh Trail begins as communist forces in North Vietnam start their plans to invade South Vietnam.
  • This date: May 22, 1959
  • June 3, 1959: Spanish club Real Madrid defeat French side Reims 2-0 in the 1959 European Cup Final.
  • June 8, 1959: Ray Charles releases his single "What'd I Say".
  • June 16, 1959: Actor George Reeves commits suicide at his home in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles.
  • June 20, 1959: 35 people lose their lives after a hurricane strikes the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada.
Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on May 22, 1959, will have the star sign Gemini.
  • Zodiac Element: Air.
  • Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1959 was the year of the Pig (Yin Wood).
  • The Life Path Number for this date is 33.
  • Native American Zodiac: May 22, 1959 falls under the Deer.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of May will have the birthstone Emerald.
  • Birth flower (May): The Lily of the Valley and the Hawthorn.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

1950s fashion

Television shows

TV shows in 1959

People in May 1959 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from May 1959.

Rawhide
Rawhide
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
Casey Jones
Casey Jones
Maverick
Maverick
Perry Mason
Perry Mason
Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Have Gun - Will Travel
Have Gun - Will Travel
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Fury
Fury
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
The Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
What's My Line?
What's My Line?
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show

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.

Cars in 1959.

Children TV shows

Kids TV shows on May 22, 1959

Cartoons and TV shows that children and teenagers were watching on this day in 1959:

Clutch Cargo
Clutch Cargo
Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks
Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat

The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Huckleberry Hound Show
The Huckleberry Hound Show
The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole
The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole
The Ruff and Reddy Show
The Ruff and Reddy Show
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Captain Pugwash
Captain Pugwash
Colonel Bleep
Colonel Bleep
Tom Terrific
Tom Terrific
Heckle and Jeckle
Heckle and Jeckle
The Gumby Show
The Gumby Show
Mighty Mouse Playhouse
Mighty Mouse Playhouse
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
The Mickey Mouse Club
The Mickey Mouse Club
Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best
Lassie
Lassie
Crusader Rabbit
Crusader Rabbit
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Toys

Popular toys and games in 1959

If you were a child on this date, then you may have had some of the following toys:

Crater Critters
Crater Critters
Fisher Price Little People
Fisher Price Little People
The Hula Hoop
The Hula Hoop
Metal House robots
Metal House robots
The Frisbee
The Frisbee
Wooly Willy
Wooly Willy
Play-Doh
Play-Doh
Matchbox toy cars
Matchbox toy cars
Colorforms
Colorforms
BAS-KET Miniature Basketball
BAS-KET Miniature Basketball
Tiny Tears (doll)
Tiny Tears (doll)
Spinning Tops
Spinning Tops
Toy Guns
Toy Guns
Foto-Electric Baseball
Foto-Electric Baseball
Tonka trucks
Tonka trucks
Dimestore soldiers
Dimestore soldiers

Were you born on May 22, 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 May 22, 1965, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on May 22.

Ted Kaczynski

Ted Kaczynski

American terrorist Deceased
Born on May 22, 1942
He turned 17 on this day in 1959.

George Best

George Best

Soccer player Deceased
Born on May 22, 1946
He turned 13 on this day in 1959.

Naomi Campbell

Naomi Campbell

English model
Born on May 22, 1970
She was born exactly 11 years after this date.

Katie Price

Katie Price

English model
Born on May 22, 1978
She was born exactly 19 years after this date.

Emma Chamberlain

Emma Chamberlain

Internet personality
Born on May 22, 2001
She was born exactly 42 years after this date.

USA

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on May 22, 1959.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Éamon de Valera was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on May 22, 1959 was most likely conceived around August 29, 1958.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on May 22, 1959 is close to February 12, 1960.

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Stats for May 22, 1959

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about May 22, 1959:

  • 23,687 days have passed since this date.
  • 3,383 weeks have passed.
  • 2,046,560,400 seconds have passed since May 22, 1959.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,387,653,800 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,056,025,166,400 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 341,093,400 times.
  • You have taken approximately 176,004,194 steps. That's roughly 78,224 miles!
  • Since this date, 24,558,725 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere!
  • How many years ago was 1959?

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