1959

Perched on the cusp of the 1960s, the year 1959 saw the US living under the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower. The leaders of the world presided over a worldwide population of roughly 3 billion.

1959

The most popular name for little boys was Michael. On the other hand, if you had a girl, you were far more likely to choose the name Mary. Included amongst those bundles of joy were the world’s greatest linebacker, Lawrence Taylor; rapper and star, Flavor Flav, former Prime Minster of Canada, Stephen Harper; English actor, Hugh Laurie; and comedian, Weird Al Yankovic. While we may have gained Dr. House, we lost Cecil DeMille, Buddy Holly, Frank Lloyd Wright, and Lou Costello.

The most common book club selections happened to be Knowles’ A Separate Peace, Heinlein’s Star Ship Troopers, and Buroughs’ Naked Lunch. In the cinemas of the world, Ben-Hur, Some Like it Hot, and Sleeping Beauty saw a sharp rise in popularity. Read on to find out how this year helped set the foundation for the American flag, the modern work week, and forever changed our view of the world.

These twelve-months saw the sale of the first Barbie Doll, the launch of the first weather satellite, the first showing of The Twilight Zone, and the first colored picture of Earth as seen from outer space. In addition, the inventors of the world gave us our first look at both the pacemaker and the microchip.

Cuba witnessed a change in leadership as rebel Fidel Castro’s forces chased off ex-dictator Batista. France saw the beginnings of the 5th republic with the inauguration of Charles de Gaulle. While Cyprus was finally granted its independence, Singapore swore in its first prime minister. A huge step was taken towards world peace in 1959. Even if he may have been irritated to be denied access to Disneyland, Russia’s President, Nikita Khruschev agreed to reopen diplomatic relationships with the US. Meanwhile, with the addition of Hawaii and Alaska, the number of US states swelled from 48 to the current 50. Lastly, determining working norms for some time to come, West Germany became the first country to introduce a five-day work week.

If you’re smiling listening to Rebecca Black’s Friday as you get ready to leave the office, you should consider slinging some thanks at the year that made it all possible: 1959.

Discover how the world looked like in 1959

Looking for 1959 Calendar ? Here it is: January 1959, February 1959, March 1959, April 1959, May 1959, June 1959, July 1959, August 1959, September 1959, October 1959, November 1959, December 1959

Your place in the Universe on 1959

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Oscar

Oscar Winners

All Academy Awards Prize winners of the 32nd edition of the Oscar ceremony


Best picture

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur

Directed by: William Wyler

Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet

Country: United States of America

Best director

William Wyler

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur

Directed by: William Wyler

Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet

Country: United States of America

Best actor

Charlton Heston

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur

Directed by: William Wyler

Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet

Country: United States of America

Best actress

Simone Signoret

Room at the Top

Room at the Top

Directed by: Jack Clayton

Starring: Laurence Harvey, Simone Signoret, Heather Sears, Donald Wolfit

Country: United States of America

Best supporting actor

Hugh Griffith

Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur

Directed by: William Wyler

Starring: Charlton Heston, Jack Hawkins, Stephen Boyd, Haya Harareet

Country: United States of America

world population

Time Person of the Year

Who was the person of the year of 1959?


Dwight D. Eisenhower
Eisenhower was President of the United States from 1953 to 1961.

Books

Which were the most popular books released in 1959 ?
Unlimited books on any devices, try your first month free

The Status Seekers by Vance Packard

The Status Seekers

By:

"An explosive exploration into class behavior in America and hidden barriers that impact you, your community and your future."

Lady Chatterly'S Lover by D.H. Lawrence

Lady Chatterly'S Lover

By:

Lady Chatterly's lover by D.H.Lawrence Easton Press 1975 This book is in mint condition and has never been read.

Mine Enemy Grows Older by Alexander King

Mine Enemy Grows Older

By:

Mine Enemy Gets Older

Twixt Twelve And Twenty by Pat Boone

Twixt Twelve And Twenty

By:

Vintage paperback

Dear And Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell

Dear And Glorious Physician

By:

The famous novel about the triumphant story that St. Luke tells. Scientist and Gospel writer. While St. Luke is today best known for writing the third Gospel of New Testament, two thousand years ago, he was Lucanus. He was a …

Have a look at the old UK newspapers from 1959 and get them!

Get UK historic newspapers from 1959
The Times

Do you remember those beautiful old magazines?

Browse your magazine from 1959
life magazines
Nobel Prize

Nobel Prizes

All Nobel Prize winners of 1959


Peace Prize

  • Philip Noel-Baker

Literature

  • Salvatore Quasimodo

Physics

  • Emilio G. Segrè
  • Owen Chamberlain

Chemistry

  • Jaroslav Heyrovský

Physiology or Medicine

  • Arthur Kornberg
  • Severo Ochoa
vinyl songs

Music charts

Which were the top hits of 1959?


Top #1 songs in the USA

  • - Mack The Knife
  • - The Battle Of New Orleans
  • - Put Your Head On My Shoulder
  • - Mr. Blue
  • - Lonely Boy
  • - The Three Bells
  • - Stagger Lee
  • - Personality
  • - Dream Lover
  • - Venus

Top #1 songs in the UK

  • - Dream Lover
  • - Smoke Gets In Your Eyes
  • - Living Doll
  • - Side Saddle
  • - As I Love You
  • - It Doesn't Matter Anymore
  • - A Fool Such As I / I Need Your Love Tonight
  • - Travellin' Light
  • - Roulette
  • - Battle Of New Orleans

Movies

Which were the most popular Movies released in those months?
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The Scarf

The Scarf

Release year: 1959

Directed by: Neil Willoughby

Tightrope

Tightrope

Release year: 1959

Written by:

Starring: Mike Connors

Country: United States of America

Face to Face

Face to Face

Release year: 1959

Directed by: Lou Antonio

Some Like It Hot

Some Like It Hot

Release year: 1959

Directed by: Billy Wilder

Starring: Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, George Raft

Country: United States of America

The World of Apu

The World of Apu

Release year: 1959

Directed by: Satyajit Ray

Starring: Soumitra Chatterjee, Sharmila Tagore, Alok Chakravarty, Swapan Mukherjee

Country: United States of America

1959 Chinese Zodiac and Horoscope

According to the Chinese Zodiac and Astrology 1959 is the year of the Pig

chinese zodiac sign

Popular names

Which were the top popular names given to babies born in 1959 in the USA ?

world population

World Population

Demographic statistics of the year 1959


Population statistics

  • Total population: 3.0 billion (2,979,576,185 to be precise!)
  • Urban population: 983.3 million, that is 33.0% of the total population of 1959 lives in cities
  • Yearly change: +53.8 million, corresponding to a percentage increase of +1.84%
  • Average density: 20.0 persons per km2
history

Historical Events

Which were the important events of 1959?


Events

  • 01 Jan 1959 Highway 91 in Nevada is officially renamed Las Vegas Boulevard.
  • 02 Jan 1959 USSR launches Mechta (Luna 1) for 1st lunar fly-by, 1st solar orbit
  • 03 Jan 1959 Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. State.
  • 04 Jan 1959 Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon.
  • 07 Jan 1959 The United States recognizes the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro.
  • 08 Jan 1959 Charles De Gaulle is inaugurated as the first president of the French Fifth Republic.
  • 09 Jan 1959 Rawhide with Clint Eastwood premieres on CBS TV
  • 11 Jan 1959 Hanif Mohammad completes 499 for Karachi, then 1st class world record
  • 12 Jan 1959 KOED TV channel 11 in Tulsa, OK (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 13 Jan 1959 De Gaulle grants amnesty to 130 to Algerian death row convicts
  • 17 Jan 1959 Say, Darling closes at ANTA Theater NYC after 332 performances
  • 18 Jan 1959 Ruth Jessen wins LPGA Tampa Golf Open.
  • 20 Jan 1959 The first flight of the Vickers Vanguard.
  • 22 Jan 1959 US Air Force concludes less than 1 percent of UFOs are unknown objects.
  • 24 Jan 1959 Party with Comden & Green closes at John Golden NYC after 38 performances
  • 25 Jan 1959 First transcontinental commercial jet flight (American Airlines) (Los Angeles to New York for US$301).
  • 26 Jan 1959 KOKH TV channel 25 in Oklahoma City, OK (IND / PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 28 Jan 1959 Soviet Union wins 62-37 for first international basketball loss by US.
  • 29 Jan 1959 Buena Vista premieres Disney's animated feature film Sleeping Beauty at the Fox Wilshire Theater in Los Angeles, California. The film is based on Charles Perrault's version of the story of Sleeping Beauty.
  • 30 Jan 1959 Australia 1-200 first day fourth Test versus England, Adelaide Oval.
  • 31 Jan 1959 Joe Cronin signs seven-year pact to become head of American League.
  • 01 Feb 1959 Texas Instruments requests patent of IC
  • 02 Feb 1959 Vince Lombardi signs a five-year contract to coach the Green Bay Packers.
  • 03 Feb 1959 American Airlines' Electra crashes in New York's East River, killing 65.
  • 04 Feb 1959 Israel begins exporting copper ore.
  • 05 Feb 1959 Redhead opens at 46th St. Theater NYC for 455 performances
  • 06 Feb 1959 1st successful test-fire of Titan ICBM
  • 07 Feb 1959 Whoop-Up closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 56 performances
  • 09 Feb 1959 The R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, becomes operational at Plesetsk, USSR.
  • 10 Feb 1959 Dutch Princess Wilhelmina publishes Lonely, but not alone
  • 11 Feb 1959 The Federation of Arab Emirates of the South, which will later become South Yemen, is created as a protectorate of the United Kingdom.
  • 12 Feb 1959 The US Mint releases the 1959 Lincoln Memorial cent to circulation.
  • 13 Feb 1959 Barbie doll goes on sale
  • 14 Feb 1959 US$3.6 million heroin seizure in New York City, New York.
  • 15 Feb 1959 Louise Suggs wins LPGA Saint Petersburg Golf Tournament.
  • 17 Feb 1959 First weather satellite launched, Vanguard 2, 9.8kg.
  • 19 Feb 1959 Britain, Turkey and Greece sign agreement granting Cyprus independence.
  • 20 Feb 1959 The Canadian Government cancels the CF-105 Arrow project.
  • 22 Feb 1959 Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500.
  • 23 Feb 1959 KVIE TV channel 6 in Sacramento-Stockton, CA (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 27 Feb 1959 Chicago Cards trade running back Ollie Matson to LA Rams for 9 players
  • 28 Feb 1959 Goldilocks closes at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC after 161 performances
  • 01 Mar 1959 Archbishop Makarios returns to Cyprus after three years.
  • 03 Mar 1959 1st US probe to enter solar orbit, Pioneer 4, launched
  • 05 Mar 1959 Iran and US sign economic and military treaty.
  • 06 Mar 1959 11st Emmy Awards: Playhouse 90, Jack Benny Show, Raymond Burr
  • 07 Mar 1959 Bells Are Ringing closes at Shubert Theater NYC after 925 performances
  • 08 Mar 1959 KUAT TV channel 6 in Tucson, AZ (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 09 Mar 1959 Juno opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 16 performances
  • 10 Mar 1959 Uprising against Chinese occupation force in Lhasa Tibet
  • 11 Mar 1959 Raisin in the Sun, 1st Broadway play by a black woman, opens
  • 12 Mar 1959 US House joins Senate approving Hawaii statehood.
  • 15 Mar 1959 WILX TV channel 10 in Lansing, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
  • 16 Mar 1959 Iraq and the USSR sign economic / technical treaty
  • 17 Mar 1959 Australia and the USSR restore diplomatic relations
  • 19 Mar 1959 1st Impressions opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 84 performances
  • 21 Mar 1959 Juno closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 16 performances
  • 22 Mar 1959 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Nehi Golf Tournament.
  • 24 Mar 1959 Iraq withdraws from the Baghdad Pact.
  • 25 Mar 1959 Bill White traded to Saint Louis Cardinals for pitchers Sam Jones and Don Choate.
  • 26 Mar 1959 Test debut for Mushtaq Mohammad versus West Indies age 15 years 124 days.
  • 28 Mar 1959 The State Council of the People's Republic of China dissolves the Government of Tibet.
  • 29 Mar 1959 Some Like it Hot with Marilyn Monroe and Jack Lemmon premieres
  • 30 Mar 1959 WNED TV channel 17 in Buffalo, New York (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 31 Mar 1959 Dalai Lama fled China and was granted political asylum in India
  • 01 Apr 1959 Iakovos is enthroned as Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America.
  • 05 Apr 1959 23rd Golf Masters Championship: Art Wall Jr wins, shooting a 284.
  • 06 Apr 1959 31st Academy Awards: Gigi, Susan Hayward, and David Niven win.
  • 07 Apr 1959 Oklahoma ends alcohol prohibition, after 51 years.
  • 08 Apr 1959 A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper meets to discuss the creation of a new programming language that would be called COBOL.
  • 09 Apr 1959 Bill Sharman hits an NBA record 56 consecutive foul shots.
  • 10 Apr 1959 Japanese Prince Akihito marries Shōda Michiko.
  • 11 Apr 1959 Jamaica closes at Imperial Theater NYC after 558 performances
  • 12 Apr 1959 France Observator reports torture practice by French army in Algeria
  • 13 Apr 1959 Vanguard SLV-5 launched for Earth orbit (failed).
  • 14 Apr 1959 KDIN TV channel 11 in Des Moines, IA (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 15 Apr 1959 Fidel Castro begins US goodwill tour.
  • 16 Apr 1959 Party with Comden & Green opens at John Golden NYC for 44 performances
  • 19 Apr 1959 Uprising in La Paz, Bolivia, fails.
  • 20 Apr 1959 63rd Boston Marathon won by Eino Oksanen of Finland in 2:22:42.
  • 21 Apr 1959 1211-kg great white shark becomes largest fish ever caught on a rod
  • 22 Apr 1959 Chicago White Sox beat Kansas City Athletics 20-6, in one inning Sox score 11 runs on one hit, ten walks, and three errors.
  • 23 Apr 1959 Destry Rides Again opens at Imperial Theater NYC for 472 performances
  • 24 Apr 1959 Netherlands Dance Theater opens (Rudi of Dantzig & Cut Flier)
  • 25 Apr 1959 St. Lawrence Seaway linking Atlantic, Great Lakes opens to shipping
  • 26 Apr 1959 Cuba invades Panam�.
  • 27 Apr 1959 Today show goes abroard 1st time (Paris France)
  • 28 Apr 1959 KLOE TV channel 10 in Goodland, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting
  • 01 May 1959 White Sox Early Wynn beats Red Sox 1-0 on his own HR
  • 02 May 1959 85th Kentucky Derby: Bill Shoemaker aboard Tomy Lee wins in 2:02.2.
  • 03 May 1959 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Land of the Sky Golf Tournament.
  • 04 May 1959 First Grammy Awards: Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald win.
  • 06 May 1959 Iceland gunboats shoot at British fishing ships.
  • 09 May 1959 Dorothy Rigney, husband John, and Hank Greenberg resign from Chicago White Sox.
  • 10 May 1959 Soviet forces arrive in Afghanistan.
  • 11 May 1959 Kookie, Kookie Lend Me Your Comb by Byrnes and Connie Stevens hits #4
  • 13 May 1959 Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle, last airs on NBC-TV
  • 15 May 1959 100th anniversary of first college baseball game, between Amherst and Williams; Teams re-enact the original contest.
  • 16 May 1959 WTOM TV channel 4 in Cheboygan, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
  • 17 May 1959 Sam Snead sets PGA record for 36 holes at 122.
  • 18 May 1959 Judy by David Seville hits #86
  • 19 May 1959 Jan de Quay becomes Premier of the Netherlands
  • 20 May 1959 Shah of Persia visits Netherlands
  • 21 May 1959 Gypsy opens at Broadway Theater NYC for 702 performances
  • 22 May 1959 Benjamin O Davis Jr becomes 1st black General Major in USAF
  • 23 May 1959 Party with Comden & Green closes at John Golden NYC after 44 performances
  • 24 May 1959 Empire Day renamed Commonwealth Day in England.
  • 25 May 1959 Khrushchev visits Angola
  • 26 May 1959 Harvey Haddix pitches 12 perfect innings, loses in 13th.
  • 28 May 1959 Monkeys Able and Baker zoom 300 miles (500 km) into space on Jupiter missile, became first animals retrieved from a space mission.
  • 29 May 1959 Charles de Gaulle forms French Government.
  • 30 May 1959 First Impressions closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 84 performances
  • 31 May 1959 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Cavalier Golf Open.
  • 01 Jun 1959 2-time champ Monterrey Mexico barred from 1959 Little League competition for using players outside predetermined geographical area
  • 02 Jun 1959 Allen Ginsberg writes his poem Lysergic Acid, San Francisco
  • 03 Jun 1959 1st class graduates from Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado
  • 05 Jun 1959 Bob Dylan graduates Hibbing HS in Minnesota
  • 07 Jun 1959 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Triangle Round Robin Golf Tournament
  • 08 Jun 1959 First official "missile mail" lands (Jacksonville, Florida, USA).
  • 09 Jun 1959 The USS George Washington is launched. It is the first submarine to carry ballistic missiles.
  • 10 Jun 1959 Rocky Colovito hits four home runs in one game.
  • 11 Jun 1959 US Postmaster General bans D.H. Lawrence's book Lady Chatterley's Lover.
  • 12 Jun 1959 San Francisco Giants' Mike McCormick no-hits Philadelphia Phillies, 3-0 in five-inning game.
  • 13 Jun 1959 Sammy Kaye Show, last airs on ABC-TV
  • 14 Jun 1959 The Matterhorn Mountain with its Matterhorn Bobsleds ride opens in Fantasyland at Disneyland in California. It is the first thrill ride at Disneyland, and the first ride to use cylindrical rails and urethane wheels. The mountain is 147 feet high, 1/100th the height of the real Matterhorn mountain, and uses 2175 steel girders. Final cost of the attraction is US$1.5 million.
  • 17 Jun 1959 Eamon de Valera elected President of Ireland
  • 18 Jun 1959 First telecast transmitted from England to US.
  • 19 Jun 1959 US Senate rejects President Dwight Eisenhower's appointment of Lewis Strauss for Secretary of Commerce.
  • 20 Jun 1959 A rare June hurricane struck Canada's Gulf of St. Lawrence killing 35.
  • 22 Jun 1959 Along Came Jones by Coasters peaks at #9
  • 23 Jun 1959 A fire in a resort hotel in Stalheim (Norway) kills 34 people.
  • 26 Jun 1959 Ingemar Johansson TKOs Floyd Patterson in 3 for heavywgt boxing title
  • 27 Jun 1959 West Side Story closes at Winter Garden Theater NYC after 734 performances
  • 28 Jun 1959 Phils Wally Post is only outfielder to throw out 2 runners in an inning twice (Losing to Giants 6-0)
  • 29 Jun 1959 Pope John XXIII 1st encyclical On truth, unity, and peace, in charity
  • 30 Jun 1959 During a game in Wrigley Field, two balls are in play at same time.
  • 01 Jul 1959 Israeli Knesset agrees to weapon sales to West-Germany
  • 02 Jul 1959 Plan 9 From Outer Space, one of the worse films ever, premieres
  • 03 Jul 1959 73rd Wimbledon Mens Tennis: Alex Olmedo beats Rod Laver (64 63 64)
  • 04 Jul 1959 66th Wimbledon Womens Tennis: Maria Fraser beats Darlene Hard (64 63)
  • 05 Jul 1959 Indonesia restores constitution
  • 06 Jul 1959 5th LPGA Championship won by Betsy Rawls
  • 07 Jul 1959 26th All Star Baseball Game: NL wins 5-4 at Forbes Field, Pittsburgh
  • 09 Jul 1959 Marlene Hagge wins LPGA Hoosier Golf Open
  • 12 Jul 1959 NBC uses cameras to show catchers signals during ankee-Red Sox game
  • 14 Jul 1959 1st atomic powered cruiser, Long Beach - Quincy, Massachusetts
  • 15 Jul 1959 The steel strike of 1959 begins, leading to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in United States history.
  • 17 Jul 1959 2,000 ft long by 1,300 foot wide section of ridge falls into Madis
  • 18 Jul 1959 1st black to win a major golf tournament (William Wright)
  • 19 Jul 1959 Mickey Wright wins LPGA Machine International Golf Open Alliance
  • 20 Jul 1959 The Organization for European Economic Cooperation admits Spain.
  • 21 Jul 1959 Red Sox are last team to use a black player (Pumpsie Green)
  • 22 Jul 1959 Earth gas found at Kolham (Slochteren) Groningen
  • 23 Jul 1959 VP Richard Nixon begins visit on USSR
  • 24 Jul 1959 500,000th Dutch TV set registered
  • 25 Jul 1959 SR-N1 hovercraft crosses the English Channel from Calais to Dover in just over 2 hours.
  • 26 Jul 1959 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Western Golf Open
  • 27 Jul 1959 Abbas Ali Baig scores 112 for India vs. England on debut
  • 28 Jul 1959 Great-Britain starts using postal codes
  • 29 Jul 1959 First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union.
  • 30 Jul 1959 In his major league debut, SF Giant Willie McCovey goes 4-for-4
  • 31 Jul 1959 1st exhibit of bongos at Cleveland Metroparks Zoo opens
  • 01 Aug 1959 Pope John XXIII publishes encyclical Sacerdotii nostri primordia
  • 02 Aug 1959 41st PGA Championship: Bob Rosburg shoots a 277 at Minneapolis Golf Club
  • 03 Aug 1959 27th All Star Baseball Game: AL wins 5-3 at Memorial Coliseum, LA
  • 04 Aug 1959 Billy Barnes Revue opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 87 performances
  • 05 Aug 1959 42.4 cm rainfall in Decatur Co, Iowa (state record)
  • 07 Aug 1959 Explorer 6 transmits first TV photo of Earth from space.
  • 08 Aug 1959 A flood in Taiwan kills 2,000.
  • 12 Aug 1959 Progressive Party under John Steytler forms in South Africa
  • 13 Aug 1959 Military satellite Discoverer 5 launched (into polar orbit)
  • 14 Aug 1959 26th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Baltimore 29, All-Stars 0 (70,000)
  • 15 Aug 1959 Cyprus gains independence.
  • 16 Aug 1959 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Seattle Golf Open
  • 17 Aug 1959 7.1 quake strikes Yellowstone National Park
  • 19 Aug 1959 Doctor X beats Wilber Snyder in Omaha, to become NWA wrestling champ
  • 20 Aug 1959 Belgium shortens conscription to 12 months
  • 21 Aug 1959 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs an executive order proclaiming Hawaii the 50th state of the union. Hawaii's admission is currently commemorated by Hawaii Admission Day
  • 22 Aug 1959 Cin Red Frank Robinson hits 3 consecutive HRs
  • 23 Aug 1959 Beverly Hanson wins LPGA Spokane Golf Open
  • 24 Aug 1959 England complete 5-0 series drubbing of India
  • 26 Aug 1959 The original Mini designed by Sir Alec Issigonis is launched.
  • 31 Aug 1959 48th Davis Cup: Australia beats USA in New York (3-2)
  • 02 Sep 1959 US President Eisenhower arrives in Paris
  • 06 Sep 1959 Kathy Cornelius wins LPGA Cosmopolitan Golf Open
  • 08 Sep 1959 The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is established.
  • 11 Sep 1959 Duke Ellington wins Springarn Medal for his musical achievements
  • 12 Sep 1959 Luna 2 launched by USSR; 1st spacecraft to impact on Moon
  • 13 Sep 1959 73rd US Womens Tennis: Maria Fraser beats Christine Truman (61 64)
  • 14 Sep 1959 WQEX TV channel 16 in Pittsburgh, PA (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 15 Sep 1959 Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev arrives in US to begin a 13-day visit.
  • 16 Sep 1959 President De Gaulle recognizes Algerian right of self determination
  • 17 Sep 1959 59th US Golf Amateur Championship won by Jack Nicklaus
  • 18 Sep 1959 Vanguard 3 is launched into orbit to measure local phenomena related to Earth's atmosphere.
  • 19 Sep 1959 Nikita Krushchev is denied access to Disneyland during visit to USA due to security concerns.
  • 20 Sep 1959 Beverly Hanson wins LPGA Links Golf Invitation Open
  • 21 Sep 1959 600 Indian Dutch emigrate to US
  • 22 Sep 1959 Chicago White Sox clinch the American League pennant.
  • 23 Sep 1959 Iowa farmer and corn breeder Roswell Garst hosts Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev.
  • 25 Sep 1959 Cosmopolitan editor Helen Gurley (37) and David Brown (43) wed
  • 26 Sep 1959 Milwaukee Braves Warren Spahn becomes winningest NL lefty
  • 27 Sep 1959 Betsy Rawls wins LPGA Opie Turner Golf Open
  • 28 Sep 1959 Hennesey, debuts on CBS-TV
  • 29 Sep 1959 Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis, debuts on CBS-TV
  • 30 Sep 1959 Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev meets Mao Zedong in Beijing.
  • 01 Oct 1959 1st World Series since 1948 not to feature a New York team (LA vs. Chic)
  • 02 Oct 1959 The anthology series The Twilight Zone premieres on CBS television.
  • 03 Oct 1959 13th NHL All-Star Game: Montreal beat All-Stars 6-1 at Montreal
  • 04 Oct 1959 1st World Series game played west of St. Louis (in LA)
  • 06 Oct 1959 Soviet Luna 3, 1st successful photographic spacecraft, impacts Moon
  • 07 Oct 1959 Happy Town opens at 84th St. Theater NYC for 5 performances
  • 08 Oct 1959 At the Drop of a Hat opens at John Golden Theater NYC for 216 performances
  • 09 Oct 1959 1st phone call between auto and plane (Delaware)
  • 10 Oct 1959 Happy Town closes at 84th St. Theater NYC after 5 performances
  • 11 Oct 1959 KTHI TV channel 11 in Fargo-Grand Forks, ND (NBC) begins broadcasting
  • 12 Oct 1959 At the national congress of APRA in Peru a group of leftist radicals are expelled from the party. They will later form APRA Rebelde.
  • 13 Oct 1959 In Hamlet, Indiana, USA a building is hit by a falling meteorite.
  • 14 Oct 1959 WMUB (now WPTO) TV channel 14 in Oxford, OH (PBS) begins broadcasting
  • 15 Oct 1959 Untouchables premieres
  • 17 Oct 1959 Billy Barnes Revue closes at John Golden Theater NYC after 87 performances
  • 19 Oct 1959 Florence Henderson joins Today Show panel
  • 20 Oct 1959 Clark Griffith of Senators says team will not move the franchise
  • 21 Oct 1959 Contra revolutionaries bomb Havana
  • 22 Oct 1959 Take Me Along opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 448 performances
  • 23 Oct 1959 Chinese troops move into India, 17 die
  • 26 Oct 1959 First photographs taken of the far side of the Moon, by Luna 3.
  • 27 Oct 1959 Rare Pacific hurricane kills 2,000 in Western Mexico.
  • 28 Oct 1959 Buffalo Bills enter the AFL.
  • 31 Oct 1959 Lee Harvey Oswald attempts to renounce his American citizenship at the US Embassy in Moscow, USSR.
  • 01 Nov 1959 Jim Brown scores 5 TDs in Cleveland Browns 38-31 win over Baltimore
  • 02 Nov 1959 Girls against the Boys opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 16 performances
  • 04 Nov 1959 Ernie Banks, Chicago Cubs' shortstop, wins National League Most Valuable Player.
  • 05 Nov 1959 AFL announced with 8 teams
  • 08 Nov 1959 KJTV (now KGET) TV channel 17 in Bakersfield, CA (NBC) 1st broadcast
  • 10 Nov 1959 Corinne Rottschaeffer elected Miss World
  • 11 Nov 1959 1st episode of Rocky & His Friends airs
  • 12 Nov 1959 The Warner Bros. religious epic ''The Miracle'', very loosely based on the 1911 stage pantomime ''Das Mirakel'', is released. It is a critical and financial bomb.
  • 14 Nov 1959 Girls against the Boys closes at Alvin Theater NYC after 16 performances
  • 15 Nov 1959 Four members of the Herbert Clutter Family are murdered at their farm outside Holcomb, Kansas. Dick Hickock and Perry Smith were ultimately caught and convicted of the murders.
  • 16 Nov 1959 Sound of Music opens at Lunt Fontanne Theater NYC for 1443 performances
  • 17 Nov 1959 Giants slugger Willie McCovey wins NL Rookie of Year
  • 18 Nov 1959 Washingston Senator Bob Allison wins AL Rookie of Year
  • 19 Nov 1959 Rocky & His Friends debuts on ABC
  • 20 Nov 1959 WABC fires Alan Freed over payola scandal
  • 21 Nov 1959 Max Baer, American heavyweight boxing champion (1934), dies at age 49.
  • 22 Nov 1959 Boston Patriots enter the AFL.
  • 23 Nov 1959 Fiorello! opens at Broadhurst Theater NYC for 796 performances
  • 25 Nov 1959 Once Upon a Mattress opens at Alvin Theater NYC for 460 performances
  • 28 Nov 1959 47th CFL Grey Cup: Winn Blue Bombers defeats Hamilton Tiger-Cats, 21-7
  • 30 Nov 1959 Joe Foss named first commissioner of AFL.
  • 01 Dec 1959 25th Heisman Trophy Award: Billy Cannon, LSU (HB).
  • 02 Dec 1959 Malpasset dam collapses destroying French Riviera town of Frejus.
  • 03 Dec 1959 State of emergency on Cyprus ends.
  • 04 Dec 1959 A monkey returns to Earth safely, after being launched 55 miles high into outer space by the United States space program.
  • 05 Dec 1959 Intikhab Alam bowls Colin McDonald with first ball in Tests.
  • 07 Dec 1959 Saratoga opens at Winter Garden Theater NYC for 80 performances
  • 08 Dec 1959 Dom Mintoff demands independence for Malta.
  • 13 Dec 1959 Archbishop Makarios becomes the first President of Cyprus.
  • 14 Dec 1959 J B Jordan in F-104C sets world altitude record, 31,513 metres.
  • 15 Dec 1959 Everly Brothers record Let It Be Me
  • 16 Dec 1959 Snow falling in Lowarai Pass, West Pakistan, kills 48.
  • 17 Dec 1959 On The Beach, is 1st film to premiere on both sides of Iron Curtain
  • 18 Dec 1959 Sammy Baugh named first coach of New York Titans (AFL).
  • 20 Dec 1959 Jasu Patel takes 9-69, India versus Australia at Kanpur.
  • 21 Dec 1959 10th largest snowfall in NYC history (13.7)
  • 22 Dec 1959 Continental League awards its last franchise to Dallas-Fort Worth.
  • 25 Dec 1959 A synagogue in Cologne Germany desecrated with swatstikas
  • 27 Dec 1959 Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 31-16 in NFL championship game
  • 29 Dec 1959 Physicist Richard Feynman gives a speech entitled ''There's Plenty of Room at the Bottom'', which is regarded as the birth of nanotechnology; the Lisbon Metro begins operation.
  • 30 Dec 1959 George Washington, 1st ballistic missile sub commissioned