Born in 1949
Turns 77 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1949
1949 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $50.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $50.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $50.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $50.50
Front Page: Australia edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1949 · Australia
A little history to go with their gift.
Cambridge’s EDSAC ran its first program, Carol Reed’s The Third Man brought divided Vienna to the screen, and Ted Schroeder and Louise Brough won Wimbledon singles titles. These records link practical computing with cinema and international sport.
What happened in 1949?
Australia’s CSIR Mark I Ran Its First Test Program
The CSIR Mark I ran its first test program in late 1949, making Australia part of the emerging stored-program computing era.
Work begins on the Snowy Mountains Scheme
Construction began at Adaminaby in October 1949, launching a scheme planned to generate electricity and divert water for irrigation.
Wolves claimed the FA Cup at Wembley
Wolverhampton Wanderers beat Leicester City to win the 1949 FA Cup final at Wembley.
Schroeder and Brough won Wimbledon
Ted Schroeder and Louise Brough won the Wimbledon singles titles in 1949.
Firsts and new ideas
EDSAC Ran Its First Program at Cambridge
Cambridge’s EDSAC ran its first program on 6 May 1949, calculating squares as the computer began practical work.
University of Cambridge Department of Computer Science and Technology · University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory
Comet Prototype Makes First Flight
The de Havilland Comet prototype made its first flight on July 27, 1949.
Number ones and music in 1949
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Bruce Springsteen is born at the Jersey Shore
Bruce Springsteen was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, on September 23, 1949.
Billy Joel is born in New York
Billy Joel was born in 1949 and became a major American songwriter and performer.
Prices and everyday money in 1949
Australia figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Commonwealth basic wage, adult male | 122 shillings 0 pence per week | shillings and pence per week (pre-decimal) Commonwealth Bureau of Census and Statistics |
| Ordinary domestic letter postage | 2½d | per letter up to 1 oz. Commonwealth of Australia, Budget Papers 1951-52 |
| bread | 4d | 1 lb plain 'Other bread' loaf, retail cash sale Government Gazette of Western Australia, 21 January 1949 |
| bread | 0 6 | 2 lb loaf, Sydney, New South Wales New Zealand House of Representatives, AJHR 1949 Session I, Financial Statement; table source note: Australia—Commonwealth Statistician |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1949 turns 77 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
See milestone birthdays this year