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Major Events of September 1957: Key Historical Moments from the Month

Each month is marked by defining moments that shape the course of history. Whether through political shifts, cultural movements, or world-changing events, these periods leave a lasting impression. Dive into the most important events from September 1957 and discover how they influenced the world both then and now.

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Major Events of September 1957: Key Historical Moments from the Month

  • 01 Sep 1957 Jamaica's Devastating Train Disaster: A catastrophic train accident occurred when an excursion train crashed into a ravine, resulting in 175 fatalities and approximately 400 injuries. This remains one of Jamaica's most tragic railway incidents.
  • 02 Sep 1957 First South Vietnamese Presidential State Visit to Australia: President Ngo Dinh Diem of South Vietnam became the first foreign head of state to make an official state visit to Australia, marking a significant diplomatic milestone in the Cold War era relations between Southeast Asia and Australia.
  • 03 Sep 1957 Little Rock Crisis Begins: Governor Orville Faubus of Arkansas calls out the US National Guard to prevent African-American students from enrolling in Central High School in Little Rock, marking a critical moment in the American Civil Rights Movement.
  • 04 Sep 1957 Little Rock Crisis: Racial Segregation Resistance: On September 4, 1957, Governor Orval Faubus of Arkansas dramatically escalated the civil rights struggle by deploying the Arkansas National Guard to prevent nine African American students from enrolling at Little Rock Central High School, directly challenging the Supreme Court's desegregation mandate from Brown v. Board of Education.
  • 05 Sep 1957 Batista Suppresses Cienfuegos Uprising: Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista's military forces brutally bomb an anti-government uprising in Cienfuegos, intensifying the growing resistance against his authoritarian regime. This violent suppression further fuels the Cuban Revolution's momentum and public opposition to Batista's rule.
  • 06 Sep 1957 Michaëlle Jean Born: Michaëlle Jean, a Haitian-Canadian journalist and politician, was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She would later become the 27th Governor-General of Canada, serving from 2005 to 2010, and was the first person of Caribbean origin to hold this prestigious position.
  • 07 Sep 1957 Althea Gibson Wins US Women's Tennis Championship: In a historic moment for African American athletes, Althea Gibson defeated A. Louise Brough in the 71st US Women's Tennis Championship, further breaking racial barriers in professional sports.
  • 08 Sep 1957 Mal Anderson and Althea Gibson Win US Open Tennis: Mal Anderson and Althea Gibson made history by winning the US Open Tennis Championships, marking a significant moment in tennis history and breaking racial barriers in the sport.
  • 09 Sep 1957 Civil Rights Act of 1957 Signed: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the first significant civil rights legislation since the Reconstruction era, establishing the United States Commission on Civil Rights. This landmark bill aimed to protect voting rights for African Americans and represented a crucial step in the ongoing civil rights movement.
  • 10 Sep 1957 Racist Bombing at Nashville Elementary School: In a horrific act of racial violence, a bomb exploded at Hattie Cotton Elementary School in Nashville, Tennessee, shortly after midnight. The bombing occurred the day after the school admitted its first African-American student, representing a violent attempt to intimidate and resist school desegregation during the Civil Rights era.
  • 11 Sep 1957 Rocky Flats Nuclear Weapons Laboratory Fire: A significant fire broke out in a glovebox at the Rocky Flats U.S. weapons laboratory in Colorado, caused by metallic casting residues. The incident was complex and dangerous, taking approximately 13 hours to fully extinguish. While small amounts of plutonium were detected in the surrounding environment, fortunately no serious injuries or fatalities occurred. This event highlighted potential safety risks in nuclear research facilities during the Cold War era.
  • 12 Sep 1957 NORAD Established: The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), a joint United States and Canadian organization responsible for aerospace warning and control, began its operations, marking a significant milestone in continental defense during the Cold War era.
  • 13 Sep 1957 IBM 305 RAMAC: First Commercial Disk Storage Computer: On September 13, 1957, IBM introduced the revolutionary IBM 305 RAMAC (Random Access Method of Accounting and Control), marking a significant milestone in computer technology. This groundbreaking machine was the first commercial computer to utilize disk storage, fundamentally transforming data storage and retrieval capabilities. The RAMAC's innovative design allowed random access to data, a dramatic improvement over previous sequential storage methods, and paved the way for modern computer storage systems.
  • 14 Sep 1957 UN Resolution Condemning Soviet Invasion of Hungary: The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution deploring and condemning the Soviet Union's military intervention in Hungary, highlighting international condemnation of the Soviet actions.
  • 15 Sep 1957 West German Parliamentary Election of 1957: On September 15, 1957, West Germany held its third parliamentary election, with Chancellor Konrad Adenauer's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) securing a decisive victory. This election reinforced Adenauer's leadership and continued commitment to rebuilding West Germany after World War II, solidifying the country's post-war democratic transformation.
  • 16 Sep 1957 Thai Military Coup of 1957: On September 16, 1957, a significant military coup took place in Thailand, marking a pivotal moment in the country's political history. Field Marshal Sarit Thanarat led the coup, overthrowing the civilian government of Prime Minister Phibun Songkhram and fundamentally reshaping Thailand's political landscape.
  • 17 Sep 1957 Louis Armstrong Criticizes Eisenhower's Civil Rights Stance: Renowned jazz musician Louis Armstrong publicly rebuked President Dwight Eisenhower during an interview in Grand Forks, North Dakota, for his perceived inaction in enforcing civil rights laws and compelling Governor Orval Faubus to comply with desegregation mandates.
  • 18 Sep 1957 Wagon Train TV Series Premiere: The popular US Western television drama 'Wagon Train' made its debut, marking a significant moment in television entertainment history. The series, which followed the adventures of a wagon train traveling west during the pioneer era, would become a landmark show in the Western genre.
  • 19 Sep 1957 Louis Armstrong Speaks Out on Little Rock School Crisis: During an appearance at Grand Forks Central High School, legendary jazz musician Louis Armstrong publicly expressed his outrage over the racial tensions and discriminatory treatment of African Americans during the Little Rock High School integration crisis, using his platform to draw national attention to civil rights issues.
  • 20 Sep 1957 Death of Jean Sibelius, Renowned Finnish Composer: Jean Sibelius, the celebrated Finnish composer who significantly influenced classical music and national identity, passed away at the age of 91. Known for his symphonic works and the iconic 'Finlandia', Sibelius was a pivotal figure in establishing Finland's musical heritage and romantic nationalist style.
  • 21 Sep 1957 Olav V Becomes King of Norway: Prince Olav V succeeds his father, King Haakon VII, ascending to the Norwegian throne following his father's death from a respiratory ailment at the age of 85.
  • 22 Sep 1957 François Duvalier Elected President of Haiti: François Duvalier, also known as 'Papa Doc', was elected president of Haiti, marking the beginning of a brutal and oppressive dictatorship that would last until 1971. Duvalier's regime was characterized by extreme political repression, the use of the Tonton Macoute paramilitary force, and widespread human rights violations.
  • 23 Sep 1957 Eisenhower Supports School Integration: President Dwight D. Eisenhower ordered U.S. troops to support the integration of nine African-American students at Little Rock Central High School, marking a significant federal intervention in the Civil Rights movement.
  • 24 Sep 1957 Eisenhower Enforces School Desegregation in Little Rock: President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent United States National Guard troops to Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce the desegregation of public schools, marking a critical moment in the Civil Rights Movement. This intervention was necessary to protect nine African American students, known as the 'Little Rock Nine', who were attempting to integrate Central High School against significant local resistance.
  • 25 Sep 1957 Little Rock Nine Integrate Central High School: On September 25, 1957, the Little Rock Nine, a group of nine African-American students, courageously entered Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, marking a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement. Despite facing a hostile crowd, they were protected by federal troops and began their first full day of classes, symbolizing a significant step towards desegregation in American public education.
  • 26 Sep 1957 West Side Story Broadway Premiere: Leonard Bernstein, Stephen Sondheim, and Jerome Robbins' groundbreaking musical 'West Side Story' opens at the Winter Garden Theater in New York City, marking a significant moment in American musical theater history.
  • 27 Sep 1957 San Francisco Giants Secure Temporary Home at Seals Stadium: The San Francisco Giants baseball team rented Seals Stadium as their temporary home field while awaiting the completion of Candlestick Park. This transitional period was crucial for the team's relocation from New York to San Francisco, providing a suitable venue for their home games during the interim.
  • 28 Sep 1957 Jimmie Rodgers' 'Honeycomb' Tops Music Charts: Country and pop singer Jimmie Rodgers achieved a major musical milestone as his hit song 'Honeycomb' reached number one on the national music charts, showcasing the popularity of his musical style in the late 1950s.
  • 29 Sep 1957 Kyshtym Nuclear Disaster: A catastrophic nuclear accident at the Mayak nuclear fuel reprocessing plant in Chelyabinsk, Soviet Union, where a massive explosion released approximately 20 MCi (740 petabecquerels) of radioactive material. The disaster contaminated around 9,000 square miles of land, forced the evacuation of over 10,000 people, and resulted in hundreds of radiation-related deaths.
  • 30 Sep 1957 Kyshtym Nuclear Disaster: A significant nuclear accident occurred at the Mayak nuclear reprocessing plant in Russia, causing radioactive contamination and marking one of the worst nuclear incidents in history before Chernobyl.