Born in 1936
Turns 90 in 2026 · 90th birthday gifts
90th birthday gifts for someone born in 1936
1936 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $36.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $36.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $36.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $36.50
Front Page: Canada 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 1936 · Canada
A little history to go with their gift.
Alan Turing submitted his paper on computable numbers, Jerome Kern and Dorothy Fields wrote The Way You Look Tonight, and Bing Crosby recorded Pennies from Heaven. These works helped shape ideas about computing and songs that travelled beyond their first audiences.
What happened in 1936?
CBC creates a national broadcasting system
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation was established in November 1936, replacing the Canadian Radio Broadcasting Commission.
Berlin stages Olympic Games under Nazi rule
The Berlin Olympic Games ran from August 1 to August 16, 1936 as the Nazi regime used the event to project its image to visitors.
International Olympic Committee · International Olympic Committee Olympic Studies Centre
The BBC opens regular television
The BBC opened its regular television service at Alexandra Palace in north London on 2 November 1936.
The Academy celebrates Hollywood’s 1935 releases
The 8th Academy Awards ceremony took place on 5 March 1936, honouring films released during the preceding eligibility year, including Mutiny on the Bounty’s Charles Laughton victory.
Firsts and new ideas
Zuse begins building the Z1 in Berlin
In Berlin, Konrad Zuse began assembling the Z1, a programmable mechanical calculating machine, in 1936.
The DC Three Changes Passenger Flight
The Douglas DC-3 helped airlines build dependable passenger services during the 1930s.
Number ones and music in 1936
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Bing Crosby records Pennies from Heaven
Bing Crosby recorded Pennies from Heaven with the Georgie Stoll Orchestra in 1936 for Decca Records.
Astaire introduces The Way You Look Tonight
Fred Astaire introduced The Way You Look Tonight in the 1936 film Swing Time, with music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Dorothy Fields.
Carnegie Hall Works Database · Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Prices and everyday money in 1936
Canada figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Sugar (city average) | $0.051 | 1 lb Statistics Canada |
| Milk (city average) | $0.107 | 1 quart Statistics Canada |
| Manufacturing earnings | C$896 | per worker/year Statistics Canada |
| Domestic letter postage | 3 cents | first ounce Dominion Bureau of Statistics, Government of Canada |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1936 turns 90 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.
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