December 31, 1956 New Year's Eve

December 31, 1956, was a Monday. It was 67 years, 10 months, and 14 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Capricorn.

Top song: December 31, 1956

The best-selling single on December 31, 1956 was "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell.

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 Eve 1956 occurred 24,790 days ago. Approximately 826 months have passed. It was the 366th day of 1956, in week 01. The decade was the fifties. It was the last day of the year. People who were born on December 31, 1956, are now 67 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. 1956 was a leap year, which means that it had an extra day in February. 275 seasons of weather have come and gone since then.

Take me back to December 31, 1956

Let's go back to the fifties.

The date is December 31, 1956, and it's a Monday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Capricorn. The weekend has just passed, so some people are feeling a bit down. Others are tired after partying too much.

It's New Year's Eve, and everyone is wondering what the year 1957 will bring. In music, the song "Singing the Blues" by Guy Mitchell 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 George Burns and Gracie Allen Show", "I Love Lucy", "Annie Oakley", and "Gunsmoke". 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", "Crusader Rabbit", "Adventures of Pow Wow", and "The Mickey Mouse Club".

Children are playing with toys such as Dimestore soldiers, Toy Guns, Colorforms, and Roy Rogers Plastic Figures.

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on December 31, 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 1.
Native American Zodiac: December 31, 1956 falls under the Goose.
Birthstone: A person during the month of December will have the birthstones Tanzanite, Zircon and Turquoise.
Birth flower (December): The Narcissus and the Holly.

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on December 31, 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 December 31, 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 December 31, 1956.

December 4, 1956: Million Dollar Quartet: An impromptu recording session takes place between Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley and Carl Perkins at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee.
December 12, 1956: The UN Security Council accepts Japan's membership application to the United Nations.
December 30, 1956: NFL: The New York Giants defeat the Chicago Bears by 47-7 to win the 1956 NFL Championship Game.
This date: December 31, 1956
January 9, 1957: Anthony Eden resigns as the UK Prime Minister.
January 10, 1957: Harold Macmillan becomes the new Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
January 14, 1957: Actor Humphrey Bogart passes away from esophageal cancer at the age of 57.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

Television shows in December 1956

In December 1956, TV audiences were watching the following series:

Fury

Gunsmoke

Annie Oakley

The Danny Thomas Show

The Roy Rogers Show

I Love Lucy

Sky King

The Jack Benny Program

The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show

You Bet Your Life

What's My Line?

The Lone Ranger

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 December 1956

If you were a kid on December 31, 1956, then you were probably watching the following cartoons and TV shows:

Heckle and Jeckle

The Gerald McBoing-Boing Show

The Gumby Show

Mighty Mouse Playhouse

Captain Kangaroo

The Mickey Mouse Club

Adventures of Pow Wow

Father Knows Best

Lassie

Winky Dink and You

Adventures of Superman

Toys in 1956

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

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 December 31, 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 December 31, 1962, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on December 31.

Anthony Hopkins

Actor
Born on December 31, 1937
He turned 19 on this day in 1956.

Alex Ferguson

Soccer manager
Born on December 31, 1941
He turned 15 on this day in 1956.

John Denver

American singer Deceased
Born on December 31, 1943
He turned 13 on this day in 1956.

Val Kilmer

Actor
Born on December 31, 1959
He was born exactly 3 years after this date.

John Allen Muhammad

Convicted murderer Deceased
Born on December 31, 1960
He was born exactly 4 years after this date.

Psy

South Korean singer
Born on December 31, 1977
He was born exactly 21 years after this date.

Donald Trump Jr.

American businessman
Born on December 31, 1977
He was born exactly 21 years after this date.

Hunter Schafer

Actress
Born on December 31, 1998
She was born exactly 42 years after this date.

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on December 31:

New Year's Eve

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on December 31, 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 December 31, 1956 was most likely conceived around April 9, 1956.
The due date for a baby that was conceived on December 31, 1956 is close to September 23, 1957.

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Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about December 31, 1956:

24,790 days have passed since this date.
3,541 weeks have passed.
2,141,856,000 seconds have passed since December 31, 1956.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,498,832,000 times.
Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,105,197,696,000 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 356,976,000 times.
You have taken approximately 184,199,616 steps. That's roughly 81,866 miles.
25,702,272 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
How many years ago was 1956?

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December 31, 1956 New Year's Eve

Top song: December 31, 1956

Facts

Take me back to December 31, 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