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Born in 1959

If you were born in 1959, you're 66 or 67 in 2026 - and your tti (Korean zodiac animal) is the Golden Pig.

    Your age in 2026
  • International age66 or 67
  • Korean age68
  • Year age67
    • The year 1959
  • tti (Korean zodiac animal)Golden Pig
  • Sexagenary cycleGi-hae (己亥年)
  • Five element Earth (土)
  • Leap yearCommon year
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Golden PigGi-hae (己亥年) · Earth (土)

In the sexagenary cycle, 1959 is Gi-hae (己亥年). Its heavenly stem carries the element Earth (土), and that element decides the color - which makes it a year of the Golden Pig (亥).

Born 12 years apart - same Pig
1923age 1031935age 911947age 791971age 551983age 431995age 31

The year you were born: 1959

Here's what the world was up to that year 👀

📰 What happened that year
  1. January 1🇨🇺 A socialist government took power in Cuba.
  2. August 13🚢 Japan and North Korea signed an agreement to send ethnic Koreans living in Japan to North Korea.
  3. August 21🌺 Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state.
  4. September 15🌀 Typhoon Sarah formed and lasted until September 18.
  5. October 4🌘 The Soviet Union's Luna 3 became the first spacecraft to photograph the far side of the moon.
⭐ Born that year
Yoo Si-min, writer, journalist, and politicianSim Sang-jung, politicianCarlo Ancelotti, Italian former soccer player and current soccer coachMagic Johnson, American pro basketball playerPark Sang-won, actorChoi Kang-hee, former soccer player and current soccer coach
🎬 Films and TV from that year
Film "The Independence Association and Young Rhee Syng-man"Film "The Way of the Flesh"Film "Youth Theater"
🏆 Nobel Prizes that year
  • LiteratureSalvatore Quasimodo
  • PhysicsEmilio Gino Segrè, Owen Chamberlain
  • Physiology or MedicineArthur Kornberg, Severo Ochoa
  • PeacePhilip Noel-Baker
  • ChemistryJaroslav Heyrovský

Source: Wikipedia · retold from the record

Life timeline for people born in 1959 🗓️

What someone born in 1959 becomes eligible for, year by year.

  1. Born
    1959Age 0
  2. Starts elementary school
    1966Age 6 · elementary

    The March after turning 6 - Korean school years start in March, not September.

  3. Starts middle school
    1972Age 12 · middle school
  4. Can take a part-time job
    1974Age 15

    Ages 13-14 can work only with an employment permit (Labor Standards Act).

  5. Starts high school
    1975Age 15 · high school
  6. Gets a resident registration card
    1976Age 17

    Issued from the first day of the month after turning 17 (Resident Registration Act).

  7. Can get a driver's licence
    1977Age 18

    Class 2 ordinary licence. Mopeds are allowed from 16 (Road Traffic Act).

  8. Can vote
    1977Age 18

    Must be 18 on election day (Public Official Election Act).

  9. Can buy alcohol and tobacco
    1978Year age 19

    From January 1 of the year you turn 19 - this one uses year age, not your birthday (Youth Protection Act).

  10. Legal adulthood
    1978Age 19

    Adulthood begins on the 19th birthday (Civil Act, Article 4).

  11. Military service examination
    1978Year age 19

    Held in the year a man turns 19 (Military Service Act · year age · men only).

  12. Statutory retirement age
    2019Age 60

    The floor employers must set, not a fixed date (Act on Prohibition of Age Discrimination · reference).

  13. National Pension starts
    2021Age 62

    Between 63 and 65 depending on your birth year, with at least 10 years of contributions (National Pension Act · reference).

Ages follow international age unless noted. Buying alcohol or tobacco and the military service examination use year age - the calendar year you turn that age - so they can land a year earlier than you expect. School entry, retirement and the National Pension are general rules and can differ case by case.

1959 by the numbers

What Korea's statistics office recorded about 1959.

People born in 1959, as of 2025

809,673people

Source: Statistics Korea - Birth Statistics(1970~2025) and Life Tables(~2024); Ministry of the Interior and Safety - Resident Registration Population(as of 2025) (KOSIS)

Famous people born in 1959 ⭐

Lee Joon-ikActorSeptember 25, 1959 · 66 years old💛 Golden PigLee Bo-heeActorMay 25, 1959 · 67 years old💛 Golden PigPark Sang-wonActorApril 5, 1959 · 67 years old💛 Golden PigLee Moon-saeSingerJanuary 17, 1959 · 67 years old💛 Golden PigAhn Suk-hwanActorNovember 1, 1959 · 66 years old💛 Golden PigKim Yon-jaSingerJanuary 25, 1959 · 67 years old💛 Golden PigShin Shin-aeSinger, ActorApril 22, 1959 · 67 years old💛 Golden PigJames Moosong LeeSingerOctober 10, 1959 · 66 years old💛 Golden Pig
Who else was born in 1959?Everyone born in 1959

Frequently asked questions ❓

In 2026, someone born in 1959 is 67 if they've already had their birthday this year and 66 if they haven't. In Korean age they're 68, and their year age is 67.
Counting from 2026, a 66-year-old was born in 1959.
1959 is the year of the Golden Pig. In the sexagenary cycle it's Gi-hae (己亥), and because the heavenly stem carries the element Earth (土), the animal picks up the color Golden. One catch: the tti turns over at ipchun, around February 4, so a birthday before that counts as the previous year's animal.
No. 1959 is a common year - 365 days, and February ends on the 28th.
Korean age starts at 1 the day you're born, and everybody adds a year together on January 1 instead of on their birthday. That makes it one or two years higher than international age. Since June 2023, Korean law, contracts, and official documents all use international age, but you'll still hear Korean age in everyday conversation.

Sources 🌐