Born in 1956

America in 1956

In 1956, about 169 million people lived in the United States, 4.2 million babies were born (CDC/NCHS), and Dwight D. Eisenhower was president.

A dollar from 1956 buys what $12.39 buys today, by consumer prices.

The Born Story shows the world on the day you were born — enter a birthday to see the weather, prices, and headlines of that day.

How many babies were born in 1956?

Born that year

1956 figure

4.2 million babies

4,163,090 born in the U.S. (CDC/NCHS)

CDC/NCHS

How many people lived in the U.S. in 1956?

Americans that year

1956 figure

169 million Americans

as of July 1, 1956 (U.S. Census Bureau)

US Census Bureau

How much did things cost in 1956?

A dollar then

1956 average

$12.39 today

By consumer prices, 1956 average vs. Sept. 2026 (BLS CPI-U).

First-class stampall of 1956

3¢

BLS · USPS Historian — Rates for Domestic Letters Since 1863

How long were people expected to live in 1956?

Life expectancy at birth

1956 figure

69.7 years

U.S. life expectancy at birth, 1956 (NCHS)

CDC/NCHS

Who was president in 1956?

In the White House

1956

Dwight D. Eisenhower

34th President of the United States

US House Office of the Historian

Sample Born Story Poster in the vintage newspaper style for October 12, 1976 in New York: the day's weather, the Moon, the president, prices, and news, marked SAMPLE. — Sample: October 12, 1976 · New York. The name and message are made up; the facts are real.

A birthday poster from 1956

Someone born in 1956 gets a poster of their own day: the weather where they were born, the Moon that night, and what the world looked like, with every fact sourced.

Make one for a 1956 birthday

What comes with the poster

See the day you were born in 1956

The weather that day, the Moon that night, and your hometown, each with its source.