June 17, 1959

June 17, 1959, was a Wednesday. It was 65 years, 6 months, and 5 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Gemini.

Top song: June 17, 1959

The best-selling single on June 17, 1959 was "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton.

The Billboard Hot 100 on June 17, 1959

The top five songs from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

The Battle Of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
Personality - Lloyd Price and His Orchestra
Dream Lover - Bobby Darin
Quiet Village - The Exotic Sounds of Martin Denny
Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison

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

The movie "Ask Any Girl" was at the top of the box office on this day.

Facts

This date occurred 23,930 days ago. Approximately 798 months have passed. It was the 168th day of 1959, in week 25. The decade was the fifties. People who were born on June 17, 1959, are now 65 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. We have gone through approximately 266 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to June 17, 1959

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is June 17, 1959, and it's a Wednesday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Gemini. It is "Hump Day", so many are beginning to think about the weekend ahead.

The summer of 1959 is in full swing. The weather is warm, and the evenings are brighter than usual. Most schools and colleges are now finished until August or September. In music, the song "The Battle of New Orleans" by Johnny Horton is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and the movie Ask Any Girl 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 "You Bet Your Life", "Gunsmoke", "Wagon Train", and "Rawhide". 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.

Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Tom and Jerry", "Lassie", "The Rifleman", and "Felix the Cat". Children are playing with toys such as Foto-Electric Baseball, Toy Guns, Spinning Tops, and Tiny Tears (doll).

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on June 17, 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 2.
Native American Zodiac: June 17, 1959 falls under the Deer.
Birthstone: A person during the month of June will have the birthstones Pearl and Alexandrite.
Birth flower (June): The Rose and the Honeysuckle.

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on June 17, 1959.

George Reeves commits suicide
On June 16th, 1959, Superman actor George Reeves died from a gunshot wound at his home in Benedict Canyon, Los Angeles. He was 45 years old. Although his death was officially ruled as a suicide, many people believe that it was actually a murder or an accidental shooting.
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
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.
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 June 17, 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 June 17, 1959.

May 19, 1959: The Ho Chi Minh Trail begins as communist forces in North Vietnam start their plans to invade South Vietnam.
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.
This date: June 17, 1959
June 20, 1959: 35 people lose their lives after a hurricane strikes the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in Canada.
June 24, 1959: The movie "Darby O'Gill and the Little People" is released.
June 30, 1959: 11 students and 6 nearby residents are killed when an American jet crashes into a school in Okinawa, Japan.
July 15, 1959: The "Steel strike of 1959" begins in the United States.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

TV series on June 17, 1959

People in June 1959 were watching the following TV series:

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 June 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 June 17, 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 June 17, 1965, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on June 17.

Igor Stravinsky

Russian composer Deceased
Born on June 17, 1882
He turned 77 on this day in 1959.

Barry Manilow

Singer
Born on June 17, 1943
He turned 16 on this day in 1959.

Arabian Prince

Rapper
Born on June 17, 1965
He was born exactly 6 years after this date.

Venus Williams

Tennis player
Born on June 17, 1980
She was born exactly 21 years after this date.

Simone Battle

Singer Deceased
Born on June 17, 1989
She was born exactly 30 years after this date.

Holidays

National holidays and famous events that fall on June 17:

Icelandic National Day (Iceland)

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on June 17, 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 June 17, 1959 was most likely conceived around September 24, 1958.
The due date for a baby that was conceived on June 17, 1959 is close to March 9, 1960.

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Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about June 17, 1959:

23,930 days have passed since this date.
3,418 weeks have passed.
2,067,555,600 seconds have passed since June 17, 1959.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,412,148,200 times.
Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,066,858,689,600 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 344,592,600 times.
You have taken approximately 177,809,782 steps. That's roughly 79,027 miles.
24,810,667 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere.
How many years ago was 1959?

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June 17, 1959

Top song: June 17, 1959

The Billboard Hot 100 on June 17, 1959

Top movie

Facts

Take me back to June 17, 1959

Zodiac

News, nostalgia, and fads

George Reeves commits suicide

Trouble is brewing in Vietnam

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

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