Mel Harris

Mel Harris, American actress

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Born: July 12, 1956
Age in 2026: 70
Zodiac sign: Cancer
Birth year: 1956

About Mel Harris

Mel Harris is an American actress best known for her role as Hope Murdoch Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987–1991), for which she received a Golden Globe nomination in 1990. After appearances in a single episode each of three other series over 1986–1987, Harris had her first starring role, as Hope Murdoch Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987–1991). In 2016, Harris starred in the first season of Hulu drama series Shut Eye, and from 2017 to 2018 had a recurring role in the Bravo comedy series Imposters.

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

Mel Harris timeline

1986After appearances in a single episode each of three other series over 1986–1987, Harris had her first starring role, as Hope Murdoch Steadman in the ABC drama series Thirtysomething (1987–1991).
2016In 2016, Harris starred in the first season of Hulu drama series Shut Eye, and from 2017 to 2018 had a recurring role in the Bravo comedy series Imposters.

The world when Mel Harris was born

Mel Harris was born in 1956. 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 1956

#1 song"Heartbreak Hotel" – Elvis Presley
Top movieAround the World in 80 Days
Top TV showI Love Lucy
Best-selling bookPeyton Place – Grace Metalious

Headlines and milestones

Major sports momentDon Larsen pitches a perfect game in the World Series
Top headlineElvis Presley takes America by storm
Technology milestoneFirst transatlantic telephone cable (TAT-1)
Defining fadElvis Presley mania
Notable inventionHard disk drive (IBM)
World population2.82 billion

United States snapshot

U.S. leaderDwight D. Eisenhower
Sports championNew York Yankees (World Series)
Also wonPhiladelphia Warriors (NBA)
U.S. population168.1M

1956 versus 2026

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

Measure	1956	2026
Gas	$0.30	$3.45/gal
Average home	$11,700	$435,000
Average income	$6,500	$67,500
Minimum wage	$1.00	$7.25/hr (federal)
Movie ticket	$0.50	$11.95
Postage stamp	$0.03	$0.73
Population	168.1M	341 million

Sources and editorial standards

This profile combines a biographical source with structured birthday and historical context. Sources recorded for this profile: Wikipedia, IMDb. 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.