May 1, 1959

May 1, 1959, was a Friday. It was 65 years, 6 months, and 20 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Taurus.

Top song: May 1, 1959

The best-selling single on May 1, 1959 was "Come Softly to Me" by The Fleetwoods.

The Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1959

The top five songs from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Come Softly To Me - The Fleetwoods
(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such As I - Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
Venus - Frankie Avalon
Pink Shoe Laces - Dodie Stevens
Guitar Boogie Shuffle - The Virtues

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 at the box office

The movie "Imitation of Life" was at the top of the box office on May 1, 1959.

Facts

This date occurred 23,946 days ago. Approximately 798 months have passed. It was the 121st day of 1959, in week 18. The decade was the fifties. People who were born on May 1, 1959, are now 65 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. The Earth has experienced 266 seasons of weather since then.

Take me back to May 1, 1959

Let's take a stroll down memory lane.

The date is May 1, 1959, and it's a Friday. Anyone born today will have the star sign Taurus. Many people have "that Friday feeling" and are looking forward to 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 "Come Softly to Me" by The Fleetwoods is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and the movie Imitation of Life 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", "You Bet Your Life", "Fury", and "Tonight Starring Jack Paar". 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.

Children and teenagers are watching television shows such as "Crusader Rabbit", "Lassie", "Captain Kangaroo", and "Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown". Children are playing with toys such as BAS-KET Miniature Basketball, Matchbox toy cars, the Frisbee, and Metal House robots.

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on May 1, 1959, will have the star sign Taurus.
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 3.
Native American Zodiac: May 1, 1959 falls under the Beaver.
Birthstone: A person during the month of May will have the birthstone Emerald.
Birth flower (May): The Lily of the Valley and the Hawthorn.

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on May 1, 1959.

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
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 May 1, 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 May 1, 1959.

April 1, 1959: The Vietnam War begins.
April 6, 1959: Johnny Horton releases his single "The Battle of New Orleans".
April 9, 1959: The Mercury Seven: NASA selects its first seven astronauts.
April 18, 1959: Soccer: Wolverhampton Wanderers win the First Division title for the second year in a row after defeating Luton Town 5-0.
This date: May 1, 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.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

Television shows in May 1959

Television shows that people were watching in May 1959:

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

The Jack Benny Program

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 May 1959

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

Clutch Cargo

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

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 May 1, 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 1, 1965, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

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

Calamity Jane

Historical figure Deceased
Born on May 1, 1852
She was not alive on this date.

Tim McGraw

American country singer
Born on May 1, 1967
He was born exactly 8 years after this date.

Mary Lou McDonald

Irish politician
Born on May 1, 1969
She was born exactly 10 years after this date.

Jamie Dornan

Actor
Born on May 1, 1982
He was born exactly 23 years after this date.

Romain Ntamack

Rugby player
Born on May 1, 1999
He was born exactly 40 years after this date.

Charli D'Amelio

Social media personality
Born on May 1, 2004
She was born exactly 45 years after this date.

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on May 1:

May Day / Labour Day (France)
International Workers' Day

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on May 1, 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 May 1, 1959 was most likely conceived around August 8, 1958.
The due date for a baby that was conceived on May 1, 1959 is close to January 22, 1960.

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Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about May 1, 1959:

23,946 days have passed since this date.
3,420 weeks have passed.
2,068,938,000 seconds have passed since May 1, 1959.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,413,761,000 times.
Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,067,572,008,000 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 344,823,000 times.
You have taken approximately 177,928,668 steps. That's roughly 79,079 miles.
24,827,256 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
How many years ago was 1959?

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May 1, 1959

Top song: May 1, 1959

The Billboard Hot 100 on May 1, 1959

Top movie at the box office

Facts

Take me back to May 1, 1959

Zodiac

News, nostalgia, and fads

Barbie is introduced

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