January 1, 1956 New Year's Day

January 1, 1956, was a Sunday. It was 68 years, 11 months, and 20 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

On this day

What happened on January 1, 1956?

124 people are killed after a crowd crush occurs at the Yahiko Shrine in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.

Top song: January 1, 1956

The best-selling single on January 1, 1956 was "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford.

Play the top singles from 1956
A Spotify playlist of songs from the year 1956. Take a trip back to the days of Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, Kay Starr and The Platters.

Facts

New Year's Day 1956 occurred 25,192 days ago. Approximately 840 months have passed. Although it was the 1st day of 1956, it was still week #52, as the final calendar week of 1955 hadn't fully ended yet. The decade was the fifties. People who were born on January 1, 1956, are now 68 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. 1956 was a leap year, which means that it had an extra day in February. The Earth has experienced 280 seasons of weather since then.

Take me back to January 1, 1956

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The date is January 1, 1956, and it's a Sunday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Capricorn. It's New Year's Day, the official start of the year 1956. A lot of people are relaxing at home. Some are nursing hangovers from the night before.

In music, the song "Sixteen Tons" by Tennessee Ernie Ford is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and Sir Anthony Eden is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. On television, people are watching popular shows such as "The Ed Sullivan Show", "The Lone Ranger", "You Bet Your Life", and "Annie Oakley".

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 1956, so radio stations and jukeboxes are playing songs from singers such as Elvis Presley, Nelson Riddle, The Platters, Gogi Grant, Les Baxter, Doris Day, Dean Martin and Kay Starr.

If you were to travel back to this day, notable figures such as Humphrey Bogart would be still alive. Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Tom and Jerry", "Crusader Rabbit", "Lassie", and "Captain Kangaroo". Children are playing with toys such as Dimestore soldiers, Feed the Elephant, Mr. Potato Head, and Roy Rogers Plastic Figures.

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on January 1, 1956, will have the star sign Capricorn.
Zodiac Element: Earth.
Chinese Zodiac Animal: In the Chinese Zodiac, 1956 was the year of the Monkey (Yang Water).
The Life Path Number for this date is 5.
Native American Zodiac: January 1, 1956 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.

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on January 1, 1956.

Movies from 1956
The most popular movies in 1956 were The Ten Commandments, Around the World in 80 Days, Giant, Seven Wonders of the World, The King and I, Trapeze and War and Peace.
1956 in music
The radio stations in 1956 were dominated by artists such as Elvis Presley, Nelson Riddle, The Platters, Gogi Grant, Les Baxter, Doris Day, Dean Martin and Kay Starr.
The Hungarian freedom fighter
"The Hungarian freedom fighter" was named as the Time Person of the Year in 1956. This followed the Hungarian Revolution in October and November.
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.
Rock and roll
In the mid-1950s, a new music genre called "Rock and Roll" began to take off.
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 1, 1956.

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 1, 1956.

December 5, 1955: The Montgomery bus boycott begins in Montgomery, Alabama.
December 7, 1955: UK politics: Clement Attlee resigns as leader of the Labour Party after 20 years in charge.
December 10, 1955: The first episode of "Mighty Mouse Playhouse" is broadcast on CBS.
December 15, 1955: Johnny Cash releases his single "Folsom Prison Blues".
December 26, 1955: NFL: The Cleveland Browns defeat the Los Angeles Rams 38-14 to win the 1955 NFL Championship Game.
This date: January 1, 1956
January 5, 1956: It is announced that Hollywood actress Grace Kelly is engaged to Monaco's Prince Rainier.
January 8, 1956: Five Evangelical Christian missionaries from the United States are killed by the Huaorani people of the rain forest of Ecuador.
January 27, 1956: Elvis Presley releases his song "Heartbreak Hotel".
January 28, 1956: Elvis Presley performs on TV for the first time.
January 30, 1956: The home of African American civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. is bombed.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

Television shows in January 1956

Television shows that people were watching in January 1956:

Fury

Gunsmoke

Annie Oakley

The Danny Thomas Show

Our Miss Brooks

The Roy Rogers Show

I Love Lucy

Sky King

The Jack Benny Program

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

You Bet Your Life

The Cisco Kid

Cars in 1956

1956 saw the introduction of cars such as the 1957 Chevrolet, the Mercedes-Benz W105, the Studebaker Hawk, the Volvo Amazon, the Continental Mark II, and the Ford F-Series (third generation).

Cartoons and children's TV shows in January 1956

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

Mighty Mouse Playhouse

Captain Kangaroo

The Mickey Mouse Club

Adventures of Pow Wow

Father Knows Best

Lassie

Winky Dink and You

Adventures of Superman

Crusader Rabbit

Tom and Jerry

Looney Tunes

Toys in 1956

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Wooly Willy

Play-Doh

Matchbox toy cars

Roy Rogers Plastic Figures

Mr. Potato Head

Feed the Elephant

Colorforms

BAS-KET Miniature Basketball

Tiny Tears (doll)

Spinning Tops

Toy Guns

Foto-Electric Baseball

Were you born on January 1, 1956?

If you were born on this date, then it is unlikely that you will remember anything from the year 1956.

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 1, 1962, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on January 1.

J. Edgar Hoover

The first Director of the FBI Deceased
Born on January 1, 1895
He turned 61 on this day in 1956.

Grandmaster Flash

Hip Hop DJ
Born on January 1, 1958
He was born exactly 2 years after this date.

Verne Troyer

Actor Deceased
Born on January 1, 1969
He was born exactly 13 years after this date.

Ice Spice

Rapper
Born on January 1, 2000
She was born exactly 44 years after this date.

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on January 1:

New Year's Day

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on January 1, 1956.

UK Prime Minister

Sir Anthony Eden was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Irish Taoiseach

John A. Costello 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 1, 1956 was most likely conceived around April 10, 1955.
The due date for a baby that was conceived on January 1, 1956 is close to September 23, 1956.

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Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about January 1, 1956:

25,192 days have passed since this date.
3,598 weeks have passed.
2,176,588,800 seconds have passed since January 1, 1956.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,539,353,600 times.
Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,123,119,820,800 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 362,764,800 times.
You have taken approximately 187,186,637 steps. That's roughly 83,194 miles.
26,119,066 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
How many years ago was 1956?

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January 1, 1956 New Year's Day

On this day

Top song: January 1, 1956

Facts

Take me back to January 1, 1956

Zodiac

News, nostalgia, and fads

Movies from 1956

1956 in music

The Hungarian freedom fighter

Tailfins on cars

Rock and roll

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