Born in 1959: the Pig

Anyone born in 1959 is an Earth Pig. The year's traditional two-part name is 己亥 (jǐhài), number 36 in the 60-year cycle, and it is a yin year, the quieter, more reflective half of the cycle. The base Pig traits (generous, easy-going, diligent) come filtered through a grounded, practical and patient Earth tone.

The 1959 lunar year ran from February 8, 1959 up to the day before Chinese New Year 1960 (January 28, 1960). If you were born on or after February 8, 1959 you are a Pig; if you were born earlier in 1959, you belong to the previous year's sign, the Dog. Someone born in 1959 turns 67 in 2026 (or 66 until their birthday for the year).

Calendar note: 1959's Chinese New Year fell on a Sunday, and that lunar year ran 354 days — an ordinary 12-month lunar year.

What the Earth element adds

Earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism. An Earth year makes an animal steadier and more dependable, focused on security and the long game, though it can also make it slower to change course.

The full 60-year cycle pairs each of the 12 animals with each of the 5 elements, so an Earth Pig year comes around only once every 60 years — the last one before 1959 was 1899, and the next is 2019. People born in it are said to combine generous and easy-going with the element's grounded nature. Every Pig year is yin (the quieter, inward type). See the Earth element and the full Earth Pig profile.

1959 at a glance

Animal	🐖 Pig (猪)
Element	Earth
Yin or yang	yin
Traditional year name	己亥 (jǐhài)
Place in the 60-year cycle	36 of 60
Zodiac year runs	February 8, 1959 to January 27, 1960
Age in 2026	66–67
Traditional best match	Tiger
Traditional hardest match	Snake
Lucky numbers	2, 5, 8
Lucky colors	yellow, gray, brown, gold

Pig compatibility

In the traditional chart, a 1959 Pig gets on best with the Tiger (the "secret friend" pairing), and also with Rabbit and Goat. The hardest pairing is the Snake, six years apart in the cycle. See the full Pig compatibility table.

Where a birthday around 1959 lands

The zodiac year does not follow the calendar year, so 1959 is spread across two calendar years. This table shows exactly which animal a birthday gets.

Birthday	Zodiac animal
January 1 to February 7, 1959	Dog (the 1958 year)
February 8, 1959 to December 31, 1959	Pig
January 1, 1960 to January 27, 1960	Pig (still the 1959 year)
January 28, 1960 onward	Rat (the 1960 year)

Zodiac years ahead for a 1959 Pig

The next own-sign year for someone born in 1959 is 2031, around age 72, then 2043, around age 84. Tradition calls this your běnmìngnián. Despite being "your" year, it is thought to clash with Tài Suì (the God of Age) and to carry a higher chance of setbacks, so many people wear red through it for protection.

The element pair: 1959 and 1958

Earth years come in pairs. 1959 is the yin year and 1958 is the yang year, the Dog. So a 1959 Pig and a 1958 Dog share an element and sit one year apart in the cycle. The traditional chart rates the Pig and Dog pairing as moderate: it has no special bond or conflict, so how well it goes depends on the two people more than on the calendar. See the Pig and Dog pairing.

Other Pig years

1935 1947 1971 1983 1995 2007 2019 2031 2043

Full Pig personality profile →   Pig compatibility with every sign →

Know your exact birth date? Use the calculator for your full combination →

What an Earth year changes for the Pig

Talking. The Earth element shows up in how a 1959 Pig speaks: it gets steadier and more patient about it, in no hurry to make the point. Another element on the same animal would sound different.

Work. In 1959 the Earth element steadies and grounds the Pig's habits at work, so this version runs things slower but with more staying power than most. It changes the style, not the choice of career.

Love. A 1959 Pig shows affection through consistency and follow-through. That follows from the element: earth is the element of the harvest, stability and realism.

For the sign as a whole (how the Pig communicates, works and loves in every element) see the Pig profile. This page covers what is different about 1959.

Known Pigs

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Hillary Clinton, Elton John, Ricky Martin are among the names most often cited as Pigs, though none of them was born in the 1959 lunar year. They're referenced here as examples of the animal's generous streak generally, not proof of what a Earth Pig specifically looks like.