* Austin Osman Spare ( 1886 – 1956 ), English artist and magician

* 1956 – Sebastian Spreng, Argentinean artist and journalist

* 1956 – Dilip Vengsarkar, Indian cricketer and administrator

* 1956 – Andy García, Cuban actor

* 1956 – Herbert Grönemeyer, German singer

* 1956 – Former Vice President and Senator Alben Barkley dies during a speech in Virginia.

* 1956 – Lars von Trier, Danish director

* 1956 – After going bankrupt in 1955, the American broadcaster DuMont Television Network makes its final broadcast, a boxing match from St. Nicholas Arena in New York in the Boxing from St. Nicholas Arena series.

* 1956 – Stepfanie Kramer, American actress

* 1878 – Aino Kallas, Finnish-Estonian author ( d. 1956 )

* 1956 – Fulvio Melia, Italian-American physicist, astrophysicist, and author

* 1956 – Jim Neidhart, American wrestler

* 1956 – Isabel Pantoja, Spanish singer

* 2003 – Leslie Cheung, Hong Kong actor and singer ( b. 1956 )

* 1956 – Tom Leykis, American radio host

* 1956 – Kirk Brandon, English singer-songwriter and guitarist ( Theatre of Hate, Spear of Destiny and Dead Men Walking )

* 1956 – Balwinder Sandhu, Indian cricketer

* 1956 –, the world's first successful container ship, leaves Port Newark, New Jersey for Houston, Texas.

Prominent leaders include co-founders Lucien Febvre ( 1878 – 1956 ) and Marc Bloch ( 1886 – 1944 ).

* 1867 – Emil Nolde, German painter ( d. 1956 )

* 1956 – Chris Foreman, English guitarist and songwriter ( Madness )

* 1956 – David Grant, English singer ( Linx )

* 1956 – Branscombe Richmond, American actor

* 1956 – Cecilia Roth, Argentine actress

* 1956 – Brian Benben, American actor

* 1956 – Brian Sutter, Canadian ice hockey player

* 1956 – Brian Robertson, Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist ( Thin Lizzy, Motörhead, and Wild Horses )

Montel Brian Anthony Williams ( born July 3, 1956 ) is an American television personality, radio talk show host and actor.

In the 1956 trumpeter Brian Rutland, who ran a local band called The Grove Jazz Band, started jazz sessions at the newly reopened hotel.

Brian Norton Baird ( born March 7, 1956 ) is a former U. S. Representative for, serving from 1999 until 2011.

The regiment's rugby league internationals include :- Brian Curry, England, 1956 ; Norman Field, GB, 1963 ; Roy Sabine, GB ; Jack Scroby, Army 1959, GB Halifax & Bradford Northern ; Charlie Renilson, Scotland, GB, 1965 and Arthur ' Ollie ' Keegan, GB.

Once Carnell took over, Science Fantasy typically ran a long lead novelette along with several shorter stories ; prominent contributors in the 1950s included John Brunner, Ken Bulmer, and Brian Aldiss, whose first novel Nonstop appeared ( in an early version ) in the February 1956 issue.

Brian Louis Allen Sutter ( born October 7, 1956 ) is a retired Canadian ice hockey forward and former head coach in the National Hockey League ( NHL ).

Brian Moriarty ( born 1956 ) is an American video game developer who authored three of the original Infocom interactive fiction titles, Wishbringer ( 1985 ), Trinity ( 1986 ) and Beyond Zork: The Coconut of Quendor ( 1987 ).

He climbed extensively in Scotland, ( making the first winter traverse of the Cuillin ridge with Hamish MacInnes, David Crabbe and Brian Robertson in 1965 ), as well as achieving notable ascents in the Alps and the Karakoram including the first ascent of the Muztagh Tower ( 7273m ) with John Hartog, Joe Brown and Ian McNaught-Davis in 1956 and Rakaposhi ( 7788m ) in 1958 with Mike Banks.

* Brian Dennehy, 1956, multiple Tony Award-winning actor

* Brian Kettle ( born 1956 ), English football player

Cotchford Farm, Hartfield was the home of A. A. Milne ( 1882 – 1956 ), author of the Winnie the Pooh books, from where many of his books are set ; later it was owned by Brian Jones the guitarist and founder of The Rolling Stones who was discovered dead in the pool in 1969.

* Garth Manton, Brian Doyle, Harold Hewitt Olympic bronze medallists Melbourne 1956.

The New Zealand politician Brian David Connell ( born 23 April 1956 ) represented the New Zealand National Party in the New Zealand Parliament from 2002 to 2008.

In 1956 the new discoveries were studied by Brian B. Shefton.

All Australians: 1953, 1956, 1958 & 1961: Jack Clarke, 1958: Alan Preen, 1958: Norm Rogers, 1958 & 1961: Ray Sorrell, 1979 & 1980: Brian Peake, 1979: Tony Buhagiar, 1983: Kevin Taylor, 1986: Peter Wilson

All Australians: ( 6 total ) 1953: Steve Marsh, 1956: John Gerovich & Cliff Hillier, 1961: John Todd, 1972: Brian Ciccotosto, 1983: Stephen Michael 1983

Thanks to the tireless efforts of people like club captain Brian Faeshe ( who ironically never got to play on the ground having retired in 1956 ), Cliff Semmler, Roy Charles, Cliff Todd and City of West Torrens Mayor Steve Hamra, The Bloods finally had a home ground to call their own.

The Golden Ocean is a novel written by Patrick O ' Brian, published in 1956.

In early 1956, saxophonist and bop fanatic Brian Brown returned from Europe and formed a new band with like-minded players — Speer, trumpeter Keith Hounslow, schoolboy pianist Dave Martin and bassist Barry Buckley.

Brian R. Sabean ( born July 1, 1956 ) is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of the San Francisco Giants, a Major League Baseball franchise.

* Brian Kelly ( Canadian football ) ( born 1956 ), Canadian football Hall of Famer