The almanac
The 1956 Edition
Limited to about 102 million copies: the babies born worldwide in 1956. About 55 million are still in circulation.
Estimates from the UN World Population Prospects 2024. How we count
What happened in 1956
- Grace Kelly married Prince RainierThe American film star wed Prince Rainier III in Monaco's cathedral.April 19 · Source: BBC On This Day
- Elvis played The Ed Sullivan ShowElvis Presley, 21, made his debut on Ed Sullivan's Sunday night TV show.September 9 · Source: The Ed Sullivan Show (official site)
- First transatlantic telephone cable openedThe first cable built to carry phone calls under the Atlantic, linking the US and Europe, opened.September 25 · Source: EBSCO Research Starters
- The Ten Commandments premieredCecil B. DeMille's epic, with Charlton Heston as Moses, reached theaters.October 5 · Source: Box Office Mojo
- A perfect game in the World SeriesYankees pitcher Don Larsen retired every Brooklyn Dodger he faced in Game 5.October 8 · Source: EBSCO Research Starters
- First enclosed shopping mall openedSouthdale, near Minneapolis, put two floors of stores under one climate-controlled roof.October 8 · Source: EBSCO Research Starters
- Melbourne hosted the Summer OlympicsThe Games in Melbourne, Australia, opened in November and closed on December 8.November 22 · Source: Olympedia
Famous people born in 1956
- Tom HanksAmerican actor and film producer · born July 9
- Mel GibsonAmerican actor, director, producer and screenwriter · born January 3
- Carrie FisherAmerican actress, writer and screenwriter · born October 21
- Anthony BourdainAmerican chef and television personality · born June 25
- Judith ButlerAmerican feminist gender studies philosopher · born February 24
- Bryan CranstonAmerican actor · born March 7
- Michel HouellebecqFrench writer · born February 26
- Lars von TrierDanish film director and screenwriter · born April 30
From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages write about them. Spotted a mistake?
If you were born in 1956
- Older than SputnikThe Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the first artificial satellite on October 4, 1957.
- Older than the LEGO brickThe LEGO Group filed the patent for the modern interlocking LEGO brick on January 28, 1958.
- Older than the microchipJack Kilby demonstrated the first working integrated circuit (microchip) at Texas Instruments on September 12, 1958.
- Older than NASANASA officially opened for business on October 1, 1958.
- Younger than DisneylandDisneyland opened in Anaheim, California on July 17, 1955.
- Younger than the four-minute mileRoger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, in Oxford on May 6, 1954.
- Younger than the first climb of EverestEdmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.