BestOfDate

July 17, 1959

July 17, 1959, was a Friday. It was the 198th day of 1959. The decade was the fifties.

64 years, 8 months, and 11 days have passed since July 17, 1959.

The zodiac star sign for this date is Cancer.

Music charts

Top song: July 17, 1959

The best-selling single on July 17, 1959 was "Lonely Boy" by Paul Anka.

The Billboard Hot 100 on July 17, 1959

The top five songs from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

  • Lonely Boy - Paul Anka
  • The Battle Of New Orleans - Johnny Horton
  • Personality - Lloyd Price and His Orchestra
  • Waterloo - Stonewall Jackson
  • Lipstick On Your Collar - Connie Francis
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.
The Nun's Story

Top movie

The movie "The Nun's Story" was at the top of the box office on this day.

Facts

This date occurred 23,631 days ago. Approximately 788 months have passed. It was the 198th day of 1959, in week 29. The decade was the fifties. People who were born on July 17, 1959, are now 64 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. We have gone through approximately 263 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to July 17, 1959

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

The date is July 17, 1959, and it's a Friday. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Cancer. Many people have "that Friday feeling" and are looking forward to the weekend.

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 "Lonely Boy" by Paul Anka is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and the movie The Nun's Story 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 "What's My Line?", "Fury", "Tonight Starring Jack Paar", and "Perry Mason". 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 "Looney Tunes", "Captain Pugwash", "The Rifleman", and "Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks". Children are playing with toys such as BAS-KET Miniature Basketball, Metal House robots, the Hula Hoop, and Crater Critters.

News

News, nostalgia, and fads

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

  • Steel strike of 1959.

    Steel strike of 1959

    Between July and November of 1959, members of the United Steelworkers of America went on strike.
  • Trouble is brewing in Vietnam.

    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.

    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.

    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.

    Movies from 1959

    The most popular movies in 1958 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.

    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.

    Dwight D. Eisenhower

    US President Dwight D. Eisenhower was named Time Person of the Year in 1959.
  • Tailfins on cars.

    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 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.

    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

    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".

    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

    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.

    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 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.

    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 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 July 17, 1959.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

Events

What happened around this time?

News stories, pop culture trends, and other events that happened around July 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.
  • This date: July 17, 1959
  • August 3, 1959: Pidjiguiti massacre: Over 50 people are killed in Bissau, Portuguese Guinea after Portugal's state police force opens fire on a crowd of striking workers.
  • August 14, 1959: The American Football League (AFL) is founded.
Zodiac info

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

  • Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on July 17, 1959, will have the star sign Cancer.
  • Zodiac Element: Water.
  • 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: July 17, 1959 falls under the Woodpecker.
  • Birthstone: A person during the month of July will have the birthstone Ruby.
  • Birth flower (July): The Larkspur and the Water Lily.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

1950s fashion

Television shows

TV series on July 17, 1959

People in July 1959 were watching the following TV series:

TV shows from July 1959.

Rawhide
Rawhide
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
Casey Jones
Casey Jones
Maverick
Maverick
Perry Mason
Perry Mason
Wagon Train
Wagon Train
Have Gun - Will Travel
Have Gun - Will Travel
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Fury
Fury
Gunsmoke
Gunsmoke
The Danny Thomas Show
The Danny Thomas Show
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program
You Bet Your Life
You Bet Your Life
What's My Line?
What's My Line?
The Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show

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.

Cars in 1959.

Children TV shows

Cartoons and children's TV shows in July 1959

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

Clutch Cargo
Clutch Cargo
Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks
Pixie and Dixie and Mr. Jinks
Felix the Cat
Felix the Cat

The Rifleman
The Rifleman
The Huckleberry Hound Show
The Huckleberry Hound Show
The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole
The Adventures of Spunky and Tadpole
The Ruff and Reddy Show
The Ruff and Reddy Show
Leave It to Beaver
Leave It to Beaver
Captain Pugwash
Captain Pugwash
Colonel Bleep
Colonel Bleep
Tom Terrific
Tom Terrific
Heckle and Jeckle
Heckle and Jeckle
The Gumby Show
The Gumby Show
Mighty Mouse Playhouse
Mighty Mouse Playhouse
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
The Mickey Mouse Club
The Mickey Mouse Club
Father Knows Best
Father Knows Best
Lassie
Lassie
Crusader Rabbit
Crusader Rabbit
Tom and Jerry
Tom and Jerry
Looney Tunes
Looney Tunes
Toys

Toys in 1959

Children were playing with the following toys and games:

Crater Critters
Crater Critters
Fisher Price Little People
Fisher Price Little People
The Hula Hoop
The Hula Hoop
Metal House robots
Metal House robots
The Frisbee
The Frisbee
Wooly Willy
Wooly Willy
Play-Doh
Play-Doh
Matchbox toy cars
Matchbox toy cars
Colorforms
Colorforms
BAS-KET Miniature Basketball
BAS-KET Miniature Basketball
Tiny Tears (doll)
Tiny Tears (doll)
Spinning Tops
Spinning Tops
Toy Guns
Toy Guns
Foto-Electric Baseball
Foto-Electric Baseball
Tonka trucks
Tonka trucks
Dimestore soldiers
Dimestore soldiers

Were you born on July 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 July 17, 1965, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrity birthdays

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

David Hasselhoff

David Hasselhoff

Actor
Born on July 17, 1952
He turned 7 on this day in 1959.

Angela Merkel

Angela Merkel

German Chancellor
Born on July 17, 1954
She turned 5 on this day in 1959.

John Ventimiglia

John Ventimiglia

Actor
Born on July 17, 1963
He was born exactly 4 years after this date.

Natasha Hamilton

Natasha Hamilton

Atomic Kitten
Born on July 17, 1982
She was born exactly 23 years after this date.

USA

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on July 17, 1959.

UK

UK Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Ireland

Irish Taoiseach

Seán Lemass was the Taoiseach of Ireland.

Conception

Conception dates

Conception estimates for this date.

  • A baby that was born on July 17, 1959 was most likely conceived around October 24, 1958.
  • The due date for a baby that was conceived on July 17, 1959 is close to April 8, 1960.

Write a comment about this date

Have something to say about this date? Was it your birthday? Or perhaps you have a memory of it?

All comments are moderated. We may 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 July 17, 1959, by entering your DOB below.
This information is not saved on our server.

Stats for July 17, 1959

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about July 17, 1959:

  • 23,631 days have passed since this date.
  • 3,375 weeks have passed.
  • 2,041,722,000 seconds have passed since July 17, 1959.
  • If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,382,009,000 times.
  • Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,053,528,552,000 miles through space.
  • If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 340,287,000 times.
  • You have taken approximately 175,588,092 steps. That's roughly 78,039 miles!
  • Since this date, 24,500,664 meteors have entered the Earth's atmosphere!
  • How many years ago was 1959?

Search

It looks like you have reached the end. Try searching for another date.

Random

Random dates

Check out some of these random dates.


« Previous Day
July 16, 1959
Next Day »
July 18, 1959

© 2014-2024 BestOfDate.com