January 17, 1956

January 17, 1956, was a Tuesday. It was 68 years, 11 months, and 5 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

Top song: January 17, 1956

The best-selling single on January 17, 1956 was "Memories Are Made of This" by Dean Martin.

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

This date occurred 25,177 days ago. Approximately 839 months have passed. It was the 17th day of 1956, in week 03. The decade was the fifties. People who were born on January 17, 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. We have gone through approximately 280 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to January 17, 1956

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is January 17, 1956, and it's a Tuesday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Capricorn. The holiday season of 1955 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 "Memories Are Made of This" by Dean Martin 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 Gene Autry Show", "The Roy Rogers Show", 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 "Looney Tunes", "Lassie", "Father Knows Best", and "Mighty Mouse Playhouse". Children are playing with toys such as Tiny Tears (doll), Roy Rogers Plastic Figures, Matchbox toy cars, and Wooly Willy.

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on January 17, 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 3.
Native American Zodiac: January 17, 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 17, 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 17, 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 17, 1956.

December 26, 1955: NFL: The Cleveland Browns defeat the Los Angeles Rams 38-14 to win the 1955 NFL Championship Game.
January 1, 1956: 124 people are killed after a crowd crush occurs at the Yahiko Shrine in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
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.
This date: January 17, 1956
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.

TV series on January 17, 1956

People in January 1956 were watching the following TV series:

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 17, 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 17, 1962, 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 34 on this day in 1956.

Muhammad Ali

Boxer Deceased
Born on January 17, 1942
He turned 14 on this day in 1956.

Andy Kaufman

Comedian Deceased
Born on January 17, 1949
He turned 7 on this day in 1956.

Mick Taylor

Musician
Born on January 17, 1949
He turned 7 on this day in 1956.

Jim Carrey

Actor
Born on January 17, 1962
He was born exactly 6 years after this date.

Michelle Obama

First Lady
Born on January 17, 1964
She was born exactly 8 years after this date.

Zooey Deschanel

Actress
Born on January 17, 1980
She was born exactly 24 years after this date.

Calvin Harris

DJ
Born on January 17, 1984
He was born exactly 28 years after this date.

Marnie Simpson

English TV personality
Born on January 17, 1992
She was born exactly 36 years after this date.

Maxwell Frost

US politician
Born on January 17, 1997
He was born exactly 41 years after this date.

Jake Paul

Youtuber
Born on January 17, 1997
He was born exactly 41 years after this date.

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on January 17, 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 17, 1956 was most likely conceived around April 26, 1955.
The due date for a baby that was conceived on January 17, 1956 is close to October 9, 1956.

Submit a comment

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, 1956, by entering your date of birth below.
This information is not sent to our server.

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about January 17, 1956:

25,177 days have passed since this date.
3,596 weeks have passed.
2,175,292,800 seconds have passed since January 17, 1956.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,537,841,600 times.
Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,122,451,084,800 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 362,548,800 times.
You have taken approximately 187,075,181 steps. That's roughly 83,145 miles.
26,103,514 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
How many years ago was 1956?

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, 1956

Top song: January 17, 1956

Facts

Take me back to January 17, 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