* 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

Day played the title role in the thriller / noir Julie ( 1956 ) with Louis Jordan.

* 1896 – Louis Bromfield, American writer ( d. 1956 )

* 1874 – Louis Handley, Italian-born American swimmer and water polo player ( d. 1956 )

* 1895 – Louis Calhern, American actor ( d. 1956 )

Cousteau won the Palme d ' Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1956 for The Silent World co-produced with Louis Malle.

* December 27 – Louis Bromfield, American writer ( d. 1956 )

In 1956, Turner took a reformed version of the Kings of Rhythm north to St. Louis, including Kizart, Sims, O ' Neal, Jessie Knight Jnr and Turner's third wife Annie Mae Wilson Turner on piano and vocals.

Henry Louis " H. L ." Mencken ( September 12, 1880 – January 29, 1956 ), was an American journalist, essayist, magazine editor, satirist, critic of American life and culture, and a scholar of American English.

During his career, he pitched for the New York Giants ( 1952 – 1956 ), St. Louis Cardinals ( 1957 ), Cleveland Indians ( 1957 – 1958 ), Baltimore Orioles ( 1958 – 1962 ), Chicago White Sox ( 1963 – 1968 ), California Angels ( 1969 ), Atlanta Braves ( 1969 – 1970 ; 1971 ), Chicago Cubs ( 1970 ), and Los Angeles Dodgers ( 1971 – 1972 ).

* Hermann Louis Blankenburg ( 1876 – 1956 )

Southington's portion of Route 10 is named the Louis G. Tolles Memorial Highway for the late state Grange leader and legislator ( 1885 – 1956 ).

The Louis Woodham Concrete Company, which would provide construction materials for the growing Shalimar area, was established at Dixie Point at the end of Ferry Road by 1956, and would survive into the late 1970s before being replaced by condominiums.

* Louis Raemaekers ( 1869 – 1956 ), painter

Louis Calhern, born Carl Henry Vogt, ( February 19, 1895-May 12, 1956 ) was an American stage and screen actor.

* Louis Calhern ( 1895 – 1956 ), actor

** 21 September 1956 – 23 March 1957 Jean Louis Philippe Bérard ( b. 1910 ), in fact the last of many Commissioners since 4 September 1916

By 1956, Ike Turner and his band, the Kings of Rhythm were, along with the Johnnie Johnson Trio led by Chuck Berry, one of the most popular live performing attractions to the St. Louis and neighboring East St. Louis nightlife.

This technique, known as " soak stain " was used by Jackson Pollock ( 1912 – 1956 ), and others ; and was adopted by other artists notably Morris Louis ( 1912 – 1962 ), and Kenneth Noland ( 1924 – 2010 ), and launched the second generation of the Color Field school of painting.

George Louis Chuvalo, also known as Jure Čuvalo CM ( born September 12, 1937 ) is a retired Canadian heavyweight boxer who was never knocked off his feet in ninety-three professional fights between 1956 and 1979.

* 1956 — Jack Leonard Shadbolt, Louis Archambault, Harold Town

* 1956 — Louis le Brocquy, Hilary Heron

A native of St. Louis, he served as Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph ( 1956 – 61 ), Archbishop of New Orleans ( 1964-5 ), and Archbishop of Chicago ( 1965 – 82 ).

The car was featured in the 1956 film High Society, starring Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly, and Louis Armstrong.