Melodifestivalen

Historical eventJanuary 291959

Melodifestivalen

The first Melodifestivalen is held at Cirkus in Stockholm, Sweden.

Everything on January 29Original source

In context

When
Thursday, January 29 195967 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1950s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1959.

Catalyst / how it started

Origins Main article: History of Melodifestivalen With seven nations competing, the first Eurovision Song Contest took place in Lugano , Switzerland in May 1956. Sweden debuted in the third edition of the song competition in 1958. Without broadcasting a public selection, Sveriges Radio (SR) [ a ] chose to send Alice Babs to the contest in Hilversum , Netherlands. The song selected was " Samma stjärna lyser för oss två " ( lit.   ' The same stars shine for the two of us ' ),

What happened

Melodifestivalen is an annual song competition organised by Swedish public broadcasters Sveriges Television (SVT) and Sveriges Radio (SR). It determines the country's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest, and has been staged almost every year since 1959. The selection of the country's Eurovision entry is its primary focus, in contrast to some others such as Italy's Sanremo Music Festival. In the early 2000s, the competition was the most popular television program in Sweden;

January 29 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1959Melodifestivalen
  2. 2006India national cricket team
  3. 2008Religion in Egypt
  4. 2009Supreme Constitutional Court (Egypt)
  5. 2009Governor of Illinois
  6. 2013SCAT Airlines Flight 760
  7. 2014Rojava Revolution
  8. 2017Quebec City mosque shooting
  9. 2022Truck driver
  10. 2025Beechcraft 1900
  11. 2025American Eagle (airline brand)

Also in 1959

  • September 13Luna 2The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (model pictured) struck the Moon, the first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.
  • September 15Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the United States.
  • June 14Disneyland MonorailDisneyland Monorail System, the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere, opens to the public in Anaheim, California.
  • August 17Miles DavisAmerican musician Miles Davis released Kind of Blue, which became one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed jazz recordings o…
  • November 21Disc jockeyAmerican disc jockey Alan Freed (pictured), who popularized the term rock and roll, was fired from WABC-AM for his role in the payola sca…
  • November 16The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music, a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein based on The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-F…
  • November 16National Airlines Flight 967National Airlines Flight 967 explodes in mid-air over the Gulf of Mexico, killing all 42 aboard.
  • March 181959 Tibetan uprisingTibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded the monastery, infl…

Everything we record for 1959 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Melodifestivalen”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/melodifestivalen-1959-january-29, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Melodifestivalen happen?

January 29 1959 — 67 years ago, on a Thursday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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