David Helfgott

David Helfgott, Australian pianist

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Born: May 19, 1947
Age in 2026: 79
Zodiac sign: Taurus
Birth year: 1947

About David Helfgott

David Helfgott is an Australian concert pianist whose life inspired the Academy Award-winning film Shine, in which he was portrayed by actors Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor and Alex Rafalowicz. David Helfgott's first wife Claire Papp has also said that Peter Helfgott was "quite badly maligned" in the film. On stage, Helfgott is known for his unusual platform manner. Helfgott was awarded an honorary doctorate of music by Edith Cowan University in 2004. He won the state final of the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition.

Biography source: Wikipedia. The profile adds birthday-specific historical context from the Celebs Birthday Today editorial database.

The world when David Helfgott was born

David Helfgott was born in 1947. The year snapshot below places that birthday in its cultural and historical setting: the music and films people were following, the headlines shaping public life, and the everyday prices families encountered.

Culture in 1947

#1 song"Near You" – Francis Craig
Top movieMiracle on 34th Street
Top TV showHowdy Doody
Best-selling bookThe Diary of a Young Girl – Anne Frank

Headlines and milestones

Major sports momentJackie Robinson breaks baseball's color barrier
Top headlineJackie Robinson breaks Major League Baseball's color barrier
Technology milestoneTransistor invented at Bell Labs
Defining fadFlying saucer mania
Notable inventionPolaroid instant camera
World population2.47 billion

United States snapshot

U.S. leaderHarry S. Truman
Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
Also wonPhiladelphia Warriors (BAA)
U.S. population144.1M

1947 versus 2026

These figures put everyday life in David Helfgott's birth year beside the site's latest United States snapshot.

Measure	1947	2026
Gas	$0.23	$3.45/gal
Average home	$7,800	$435,000
Average income	$4,700	$67,500
Minimum wage	$0.40	$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket	$0.40	$11.95
Postage stamp	$0.03	$0.73
Population	144.1M	341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, MusicBrainz. See our editorial policy for sourcing, corrections, and review standards.

Read the source biography on Wikipedia. Wikipedia text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.