August 16, 1959

August 16, 1959, was a Sunday. It was 65 years, 2 months, and 29 days ago. The zodiac star sign for this date is Leo.

Top song: August 16, 1959

The best-selling single on August 16, 1959 was "A Big Hunk o' Love" by Elvis Presley.

The Billboard Hot 100 on August 16, 1959

The top five songs from the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

A Big Hunk O' Love - Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires
There Goes My Baby - The Drifters
My Heart Is An Open Book - Carl Dobkins, Jr.
Lavender-Blue - Sammy Turner
Lonely Boy - Paul Anka

Play the top songs 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 "North by Northwest" was at the top of the box office on this day.

Facts

This date was 23,832 days ago. Approximately 794 months have passed. It was the 228th day of 1959, in week 33. The decade was the fifties. People born on this day are currently 65 years old and belong to the Baby Boomer generation. We have gone through approximately 265 seasons of weather since this date.

Take me back to August 16, 1959

Let's take a walk down memory lane.

It is Sunday, August 16, 1959. Babies who are born today will have the star sign Leo. People are currently enjoying their weekend. However, because it's a Sunday, some are dreading the days 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 "A Big Hunk o' Love" by Elvis Presley is the best-selling record at the moment. Dwight David Eisenhower is the President of the United States, and the movie North by Northwest is at the top of the box office.

Harold Macmillan is the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. 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. On TV, people are watching popular shows such as "You Bet Your Life", "Fury", "Tonight Starring Jack Paar", and "Rawhide".

Kids and teenagers are watching TV shows such as "Tom and Jerry", "Crusader Rabbit", "Colonel Bleep", and "Captain Pugwash". Popular toys at the moment include Dimestore soldiers, Spinning Tops, the Frisbee, and Crater Critters.

Zodiac

Zodiac, birthstone, and birth flower information.

Personality summary image

Zodiac Sign (Astrology): Anyone born on August 16, 1959, will have the star sign Leo.
Zodiac Element: Fire.
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: August 16, 1959 falls under the Salmon.
Birthstone: A person during the month of August will have the birthstone Peridot.
Birth flower (August): The Gladiolus and the Poppy.

News, nostalgia, and fads

These are news stories, trending topics, and fads that were popular on August 16, 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
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 August 16, 1959.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

View Personality Summary

What happened around this time?

Notable events that happened close to August 16, 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.
This date: August 16, 1959
August 21, 1959: Hawaii becomes the 50th US state.
August 26, 1959: The Mini (vehicle) is launched.
September 12, 1959: The first episode of the American Western television series "Bonanza" is aired on NBC.
September 14, 1959: Soviet probe Luna 2 becomes the first man-made object to reach the moon.
September 15, 1959: General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev, visits the United States.

1950s fashion

Photographs of 1950s fashion and hairstyles.

TV series on August 16, 1959

TV audiences were watching the following shows on August 16, 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.

Kids TV shows on August 16, 1959

Cartoons and TV shows that children and teenagers were watching on this day in 1959:

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

Popular toys and games in 1959

Toys and games that were popular in 1959:

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 August 16, 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 August 16, 1965, instead.

Celebrity birthdays

Celebrities, historical figures, and other notable people who were born on August 16.

Vincent Curatola

Actor
Born on August 16, 1953
He turned 6 on this day in 1959.

James Cameron

Movie director
Born on August 16, 1954
He turned 5 on this day in 1959.

Madonna

Singer
Born on August 16, 1958
She turned 1 on this day in 1959.

Steve Carell

Actor
Born on August 16, 1962
He was born exactly 3 years after this date.

Shawn Pyfrom

Actor
Born on August 16, 1986
He was born exactly 27 years after this date.

US President

Dwight David Eisenhower was the President of the United States on August 16, 1959.

UK Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

Irish Taoiseach

Seán Lemass 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 August 16, 1959 was most likely conceived around November 23, 1958.
The due date for a baby that was conceived on August 16, 1959 is close to May 8, 1960.

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?

Enter your date of birth below to find out how old you were on August 16, 1959.
This information is not transmitted to our server.

Statistics

Here are some interesting statistics about August 16, 1959:

23,832 days have passed since this date.
3,404 weeks have passed.
2,059,088,400 seconds have passed since August 16, 1959.
If you were born on this day, your heart has beat approximately 2,402,269,800 times.
Since then, the Earth has traveled approximately 1,062,489,614,400 miles through space.
If you were born on this day, your eyes have blinked approximately 343,181,400 times.
You have taken approximately 177,081,602 steps. That's roughly 78,703 miles.
24,709,061 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 dates

Check out some of these random dates.

August 16, 1959

Top song: August 16, 1959

The Billboard Hot 100 on August 16, 1959

Top movie

Facts

Take me back to August 16, 1959

Zodiac

News, nostalgia, and fads

Steel strike of 1959

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