Year 1958 in History

The European Economic Community comes into effect, better known as the European Common Market

Actress Jayne Mansfield and public relations manager Paul Mansfield's divorce is finalized, after 7-1/2 years of marriag

Actress Jayne Mansfield and public relations manager Paul Mansfield's divorce is finalized, after 7-1/2 years of marriage

"Great Balls of Fire" by Jerry Lee Lewis reaches #1 on the UK pop chart

"Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 popular song recorded by American rock and roll musician Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie Jamboree.

American actress Jayne Mansfield (24) weds Hungarian-American bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay (32) at the Wayfarers Chapel i

American actress Jayne Mansfield (24) weds Hungarian-American bodybuilder Mickey Hargitay (32) at the Wayfarers Chapel in Rancho Palos Verdes, California; divorce in 1964

Actress Agnes Moorehead (57) divorces actor and film director Robert Gist (40) after 5 years of marriage

Nikita Khrushchev becomes Soviet Premier as well as First Secretary of the Communist Party

Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev (15 April [O.S. 3 April] 1894 – 11 September 1971) was the First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964 and the Chairman of the Council…

Writer Gabriel García Márquez (31) weds Mercedes Barcha

Classic Hammer horror film "Dracula" is released, starring Christopher Lee as the eponymous vampire alongside Peter Cush

Classic Hammer horror film "Dracula" is released, starring Christopher Lee as the eponymous vampire alongside Peter Cushing and directed by Terence Fisher

"Vertigo", American film noir psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak,

"Vertigo", American film noir psychological thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Jimmy Stewart and Kim Novak, is released

Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" soundtrack album goes #1 and stays #1 for 31 weeks

Mao Zedong starts the "Great Leap Forward" movement in China, kills between 23 and 55 million Chinese citizens due to fa

Mao Zedong starts the "Great Leap Forward" movement in China, kills between 23 and 55 million Chinese citizens due to famine and forced labor

NBA forward Elgin Baylor (23) weds Ruby Saunder at Mt Olive Baptist Church in Washington, D.C.

US Open Women's Golf, Forest Lake CC: Mickey Wright wins her first of four Open titles by five strokes over Louise Suggs

US Open Women's Golf, Forest Lake CC: Mickey Wright wins her first of four Open titles by five strokes over Louise Suggs; she is the first player to win both the Open and LPGA in the same year

FIFA World Cup Final, Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden: Vavá and Pelé each score two goals as Brazil defeats Sweden 5-

FIFA World Cup Final, Råsunda Stadium, Stockholm, Sweden: Vavá and Pelé each score two goals as Brazil defeats Sweden 5-2

Nuclear-powered submarine USS Nautilus begins the first transit of the North Pole in Operation Sunshine

Billboard Hot 100 is published for the first time with "Poor Little Fool" by Ricky Nelson at #1

The Billboard Hot 100, also known as simply the Hot 100, is the music industry standard record chart in the United States for songs, published weekly by Billboard magazine.

American rock singer-songwriter Buddy Holly (21) weds Puerto Rican-American record company receptionist María Santiago (

American rock singer-songwriter Buddy Holly (21) weds Puerto Rican-American record company receptionist María Santiago (25) at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock, Texas

Cliff Richard and the Drifters release their debut single "Move It," credited as the first British rock 'n' roll song

"Move It" is a song written by Ian Samwell and recorded by Cliff Richard and the Drifters (the English band that would later become the Shadows).

First color video recording on magnetic tape is presented in Charlotte, North Carolina

US Supreme Court orders the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas, to integrate

First radio broadcast from space, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends a Christmas message "to all mankind, America's

First radio broadcast from space, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends a Christmas message "to all mankind, America's wish for peace on Earth and goodwill to men everywhere" [1]

"The Greatest Game Ever Played": Baltimore Colts win the 26th NFL Championship against the NY Giants 23-17 at Yankee Sta

"The Greatest Game Ever Played": Baltimore Colts win the 26th NFL Championship against the NY Giants 23-17 at Yankee Stadium in the first sudden-death overtime game in NFL history, with 17 future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame involved

Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista informs his cabinet that he is fleeing the country

The Cuban communist revolutionary and politician Fidel Castro took part in the Cuban Revolution from 1953 to 1959.

Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 has its US premiere with Leonard Bernstein as soloist and conductor of the Ne

Dmitri Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2 has its US premiere with Leonard Bernstein as soloist and conductor of the New York Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall in New York City

Australian cricket fast bowler Lindsay Kline takes a hat-trick (Eddie Fuller, Hugh Tayfield, Neil Adcock) as South Afric

Australian cricket fast bowler Lindsay Kline takes a hat-trick (Eddie Fuller, Hugh Tayfield, Neil Adcock) as South Africa dismissed for 99 in follow-on 2nd Test at Cape Town

BOAC Britannia flies from London to New York in a record 7 hours and 57 minutes

In basketball Oscar Robertson (Cin) scores 56, Seton Hall team 54

NCAA adds 2 point conversion to football scoring

The 1958 college football season was the 90th season of intercollegiate football in the United States. LSU was the consensus national champion in college football.

9,000 scientists of 43 nations petition UN for nuclear test ban

New York Yankees announce that 140 MLB games to be televised on WPIX TV this season in a deal worth over $1 million doll

New York Yankees announce that 140 MLB games to be televised on WPIX TV this season in a deal worth over $1 million dollars

William Gibson's "Two for the Seesaw" premieres in NYC

Willie O’Ree is the 1st African-American to appear in the NHL, making his debut for the Boston Bruins in a 3-0 victory i

Willie O’Ree is the 1st African-American to appear in the NHL, making his debut for the Boston Bruins in a 3-0 victory in Montreal

Canadian Football Council renamed Canadian Football League

The Canadian Football League (CFL; French: Ligue canadienne de football [liɡ kanadjɛn də futbol], LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada.

A group attempting the 1st surface crossing of Antarctic join up at the South Pole

KMOT TV channel 10 in Minot, ND (NBC) begins broadcasting

KMOT (channel 10) is a television station in Minot, North Dakota, United States, affiliated with NBC and Fox.

KRSD (now KEVN) TV channel 7 in Rapid City, SD (ABC) 1st broadcast

Dictator Marcos Perez Jiménez flees Venezuela, Larrazabal takes power

Marcos Evangelista Pérez Jiménez (25 April 1914 – 20 September 2001) was a Venezuelan military officer and the dictator of Venezuela from 1950 to 1958, ruling as member of the military junta from...

After warming to 100,000,000 degrees, 2 light atoms are bashed together to create a heavier atom, resulting in 1st man-m

After warming to 100,000,000 degrees, 2 light atoms are bashed together to create a heavier atom, resulting in 1st man-made nuclear fusion

Ferenc Munnich succeeds Kadar as premier of Hungary

Ferenc Münnich was a Hungarian Communist politician who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary from 1958 to 1961. Of German descent, he served in the...

Construction begins on 1st private thorium-uranium nuclear reactor

Murderer, Charles Starkweather, captured by police in Wyoming

Charles Raymond Starkweather (November 24, 1938 – June 25, 1959) was an American spree killer who murdered eleven people in Nebraska and Wyoming between November 1957 and January 1958, when he was...

1st 2-way moving sidewalk goes into service in Dallas, Texas

"Volare" ("Nel blu dipinto di blu") single released by Domenico Modugno (Grammy Award Record of the Year, Song of the Ye

"Volare" ("Nel blu dipinto di blu") single released by Domenico Modugno (Grammy Award Record of the Year, Song of the Year 1958)

Syria joins Egypt in United Arab Republic

The United Arab Republic (UAR; Arabic: الجمهورية العربية المتحدة, romanized: al-Jumhūriyya al-ʿArabiyya al-Muttaḥida) was a sovereign state in the Middle East from 1958 to 1971.

Royal Teens' "Short Shorts" enters Top 40 chart & peaks at #3

MLB Hall of Fame fails to elect anyone for 1st time since 1950

Clifton R Wharton confirmed as 1st US African American foreign minister (to Romania)

21 dead in air crash at Munich-Riem Airport; 8 players and 3 staff are from the Manchester United football team

The Munich air disaster occurred on 6 February 1958, when British European Airways Flight 609 crashed on its third attempt to take off at Munich-Riem Airport in Munich, West Germany.

Dodgers officially become the Los Angeles Dodgers, Inc

Edgar Whitehead succeeds Garfield Todd as premier of South Rhodesia

BBC pioneering series "Your Life in Their Hands" first broadcast presented by Dr. Charles Fletcher, 1st major TV series

BBC pioneering series "Your Life in Their Hands" first broadcast presented by Dr. Charles Fletcher, 1st major TV series to deal with medicine

Arab Federation of Iraq & Jordan forms

The Hashemite Arab Federation was a short-lived confederation that lasted from 14 February to 2 August 1958, between the Hashemite kingdoms of Iraq and Jordan.

Ice Dance Championship at Paris won by June Markham/Courtney Jones GRB

Comic strip "BC" 1st appears

British artist Gerald Holtom designs Nuclear Disarmament logo, based on blended semaphore signals for the letters N and

British artist Gerald Holtom designs Nuclear Disarmament logo, based on blended semaphore signals for the letters N and D; it later became an international peace symbol

Australian swimmer Jon Konrads sets 6 world records in 2 days

USSR performs nuclear test at Novaya Zemlya USSR

Novaya Zemlya, also spelled Novaja Zemlja, is an archipelago in northern Russia. It is situated in the Arctic Ocean, in the extreme northeast of Europe, with Cape Flissingsky, on the northern island,...

Explorer 2 fails to reach Earth orbit

Explorer 1 was the first satellite launched by the United States in 1958 and was part of the U.S. participation in the International Geophysical Year (IGY).

Chicago Cardinals announce they will play their 1958 opener in Buffalo

Silky Sullivan comes from 40 lengths back to win by 3 at Santa Anita

Silky Sullivan (February 28, 1955 – November 18, 1977) was an American thoroughbred racehorse best known for his come-from-behind racing style.

Detroit Pistons forward George Yardley III scores 26 points in 111-90 defeat to Syracuse Nationals; 1st NBA player to sc

Detroit Pistons forward George Yardley III scores 26 points in 111-90 defeat to Syracuse Nationals; 1st NBA player to score 2,000 points in a season

American B-47 accidentally drops nuclear bomb 15,000 ft on a family home in Mars Bluff, South Carolina; creates crater 7

American B-47 accidentally drops nuclear bomb 15,000 ft on a family home in Mars Bluff, South Carolina; creates crater 75 ft across, bomb without its nuclear capsule

British Empire Day is renamed "Commonwealth Day"

Commonwealth Day is the annual celebration of the Commonwealth of Nations, held on the second Monday in March.

Government troops land in Sumatra Indonesia

Recording Industry Association of American created

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization representing the U.S. recording industry.

KULR TV channel 8 in Billings, MT (NBC/ABC/CBS) begins broadcasting

US Navy launches Vanguard 1 into orbit (2nd US), measures Earth shape

MLB Los Angeles Dodgers announce their mascot and clown Emmett Kelly will not perform in 1958

The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division.

50 inches of snow falls across the Mason–Dixon line

Dr. Ernest Lawrence, nuclear scientist and Nobel laureate, receives first West Point Sylvanus Thayer Award, presented to

Dr. Ernest Lawrence, nuclear scientist and Nobel laureate, receives first West Point Sylvanus Thayer Award, presented to an outstanding US citizen whose service in the national interest exemplifies devotion to ideals of West Point motto: "Duty, Honor, Country"

CBS Labs announce new stereophonic records

US Navy forms atomic submarine division

KVIQ TV channel 6 in Eureka, CA (NBC/ABC/CBS) begins broadcasting

Antillean Brewery (Amstel beer) opens

Ripple Rock, an underwater threat to navigation in the Seymour Narrows in Canada is destroyed in one of the largest ever

Ripple Rock, an underwater threat to navigation in the Seymour Narrows in Canada is destroyed in one of the largest ever non-nuclear controlled explosions

Dodgers erect 42-foot screen in left field at LA Coliseum to cut down on home runs, since it is only 250 feet down the l

Dodgers erect 42-foot screen in left field at LA Coliseum to cut down on home runs, since it is only 250 feet down the line

Northern strip of Spanish Sahara ceded to Morocco

Spanish Sahara (Spanish: Sahara Español; Arabic: الصحراء الإسبانية, romanized: aṣ-Ṣaḥrā' al-Isbānīyah), officially the Spanish Possessions in the Sahara from 1884 to 1958, then Province of the Sahara...

Brooks Hall in Civic Center dedicated in San Francisco, California

Civic Center Plaza, also known as Joseph Alioto Piazza, is the 4.53-acre (1.83 ha) plaza immediately east of San Francisco City Hall in Civic Center, San Francisco, in the U.S. state of California.

Flemish Open air museum opens in Bokrijk

12th Tony Awards: "Sunrise at Campobello" (play) and "The Music Man" (musical) win

The 12th Annual Tony Awards took place at the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom on April 13, 1958. Bud Collyer was the Master of Ceremonies.

French government of Félix Gaillard falls due to Tunisia crisis

Morocco demands departure of Spanish troops

Lee Walls hits 3 HRs, as Cubs beat Dodgers 15-2

Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island

In 1952, the United Kingdom became the third country (after the United States and the Soviet Union) to develop and test nuclear weapons, and is one of the five nuclear-weapon states under the Treaty...

Ambonese rebellion bombs Ambon, conquers Morotai

MLB New York Yankees threaten to broadcast games nationwide if NL goes ahead with plans to broadcast, games into NYC

WINS suspends disc jockey Alan Freed for being charged with inciting a riot at a Boston concert, he quits, charges are d

WINS suspends disc jockey Alan Freed for being charged with inciting a riot at a Boston concert, he quits, charges are dropped

Alberto Lleras Camargo chosen as president of Colombia

KNME TV channel 5 in Albuquerque, NM (PBS) begins broadcasting

US Air Force Major Howard Johnson sets world aircraft altitude record in a Lockhead F-104 Starfighter at 27,810 m

US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island

Nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll consisted of the detonation of 23 (or 24) nuclear weapons by the United States between 1946 and 1958 on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

"Nee Nee Na Na Na Na Nu Nu" by Dicky Doo & The Don'ts hits #40

French settlers riot against French army in Algeria

The French colonial empire (French: Empire colonial français) consisted of the overseas colonies, protectorates, and mandate territories that came under French rule from the 16th century onward.

MLB San Francisco Giants teammates Willie Mays & Darryl Spencer each hit 2 HRs & a triple, and combine for 10 RBI in a 1

MLB San Francisco Giants teammates Willie Mays & Darryl Spencer each hit 2 HRs & a triple, and combine for 10 RBI in a 16-9 win over the Dodgers at Los Angeles

Eli Beeding experiences 83 g deceleration on a rocket sled, New Mexico

Emergency crisis proclaimed in Algeria

The May 1958 crisis (French: Crise de mai 1958), also known as the Algiers putsch or the coup of 13 May, was a political crisis in France during the turmoil of the Algerian War (1954–1962) which led...

11th Cannes Film Festival: "The Cranes Are Flying" directed by Mikhail Kalatozov wins the Palme d'Or

US performs nuclear test at Enewetak Atoll (atmospheric tests)

Nuclear testing at Bikini Atoll consisted of the detonation of 23 (or 24) nuclear weapons by the United States between 1946 and 1958 on Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Indonesian paratroopers reconquer Morotai Island

Influential modernist skyscraper the Seagram Building designed by Mies van der Rohe officially opens in Manhattan, New Y

Influential modernist skyscraper the Seagram Building designed by Mies van der Rohe officially opens in Manhattan, New York

Explorer 1 ceases transmission - 1st US satellite launched into space January 1958

Ceylon emergency crisis proclaimed

Unidentified soldiers killed in WW II & Korean War buried in Arlington

Dick Dale invents "surf music" with "Let's Go Trippin"

Surf music (also known as surf rock, surf pop, or surf guitar) is a genre of rock and roll associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Southern California.

Belgian christian-democrats win parliamentary election

Alan Freed joins WABC (NYC) radio

Referendum allows city to sell Chavez Ravine to the Dodgers

The Battle of Chavez Ravine refers to resistance to the government acquisition of land largely owned by Mexican-Americans in Los Angeles' Chavez Ravine.

UN Security council sends observers to Lebanon

Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia.

"Make Me Laugh" TV Game Show last airs on ABC-TV, syndicated 1979

British parachutists lands on Cyprus

"Flip Top Box" by Dicky Doo & The Don'ts hits #46

New Zealand all out 47 v England in 2nd Test at Lord's; Jim Laker 4-13, Tony Lock 5-17; England wins by an innings & 148

New Zealand all out 47 v England in 2nd Test at Lord's; Jim Laker 4-13, Tony Lock 5-17; England wins by an innings & 148 runs

French franc devalues

The franc (French: franc français, [fʁɑ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛ]; sign: F or Fr), also commonly distinguished as the French franc (FF), was a currency of France.

Game in KC between A's & Red Sox delayed 29 minutes due to tornado

Dutch Reformed Church accepts women ministers

Billy Pierce's perfect game bid broken with 2 outs in 9th

American swimmer Nancy Ramey sets world record for 100m butterfly in 1:09.6 in Los Angeles, California

Dutch government of Willem Drees ends obligatory dismissal of married teachers

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation links television broadcasting across Canada via microwave

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (French: Société Radio-Canada), branded as CBC cable networks CBC News Network, Ici RDI, Ici Explora, Documentary Channel (partial ownership), and Ici ARTV.

Musical drama Film "King Creole" starring Elvis Presley based on a novel by Harold Robbins premieres

First ascent of Gasherbrum I (Pakistani–Chinese border), 11th highest peak on earth

Gasherbrum I, originally surveyed as K5, and also known as Hidden Peak, is the 11th highest mountain in the world at 8,080 metres (26,510 ft) above sea level.

Adolfo López Mateos elected President of Mexico

Adolfo López Mateos was a Mexican politician and lawyer who served as President of Mexico from 1958 to 1964.

England cricket batsman Arthur Milton scores an unbeaten 104 in his Test debut, drawn 3rd Test v NZ at Headingley

Giant splash caused by the fall of 90 million tons of rock and ice into Lituya Bay, Alaska, washes 1,800 feet up the mou

Giant splash caused by the fall of 90 million tons of rock and ice into Lituya Bay, Alaska, washes 1,800 feet up the mountain

Ex-king Norodom Sihanoek appointed premier of Cambodia

US performs atmospheric nuclear test at Bikini Island

Iraqi Army brigadier Abd al-Karim Qasim forms a military government after overthrowing the Iraqi monarchy in the 14 July

Iraqi Army brigadier Abd al-Karim Qasim forms a military government after overthrowing the Iraqi monarchy in the 14 July Revolution

King Hussein declares himself head of Jordan/Iraqi federation

Iraq, officially the Republic of Iraq, is a country in West Asia. Located within the geo-political region of the Middle East, it is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south, Turkey to the north, Iran to...

6th British Empire Games and Commonwealth Games open in Cardiff, Wales

The 1958 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (Welsh: Gemau Ymerodraeth Prydain a'r Gymanwlad 1958) were held in Cardiff, Wales, from 18 to 26 July 1958.

US performs atmospheric nuclear Test at Bikini Island

First four women named to peerage in House of Lords (UK)

The House of Lords Act 1999 (34) is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom which reformed the House of Lords, one of the chambers of Parliament.

Fourteen people are named as the first life peers in the UK

The African Regroupment Party (PRA) holds its first congress in Cotonou

Army launches fourth successful US satellite, Explorer IV

Southern Pacific Bay ferries stop operating in San Francisco

The San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, commonly referred to as the Bay Bridge, is a complex of bridges spanning San Francisco Bay in California.

Anti-Chinese uprising in Tibet

The 1959 Tibetan uprising or Lhasa uprising began on 10 March 1959 as a series of protests in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, fueled by fears that the government of the People's Republic of China...

American pilots Jim Heth and Bill Burkhart take off from Dallas, Texas, in "The Old Scotchman," their modified Cessna 17

American pilots Jim Heth and Bill Burkhart take off from Dallas, Texas, in "The Old Scotchman," their modified Cessna 172, in an effort to break the airplane flight endurance record; they fly for slightly over 50 days, eclipsing the existing record by more than 3 days

MLB Baltimore Orioles manager Paul Richards is ejected from both games of a doubleheader at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Mi

MLB Baltimore Orioles manager Paul Richards is ejected from both games of a doubleheader at Tiger Stadium in Detroit, Michigan

American athlete Glenn Davis runs a world record of 49.2 seconds in the 400 m hurdles, breaking his own world record by

American athlete Glenn Davis runs a world record of 49.2 seconds in the 400 m hurdles, breaking his own world record by 0.3 seconds in Budapest, Hungary

Art Kane photographs a group portrait of 57 leading jazz musicians assembled in front of a brownstone on 126th Street in

Art Kane photographs a group portrait of 57 leading jazz musicians assembled in front of a brownstone on 126th Street in NYC for Esquire magazine; originally titled "Harlem, 1958," it appears as the centerfold of Esquire's January 1959 issue celebrating the "Golden Age of Jazz" [1]

Canadian Football League plays its first game (Winnipeg 29, Edmonton 21)

The Canadian Football League (CFL; French: Ligue canadienne de football [liɡ kanadjɛn də futbol], LCF) is a professional Canadian football league in Canada.

25th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: All-Stars 35, Detroit 19 (70,000 attendees)

World's first Moon probe, USA's Thor-Able, explodes at T+77 seconds

Actress Betsy Palmer joins Today Show panel

Betsy Palmer was an American actress known for her many film and Broadway roles, television guest-starring appearances, as a panelist on the game show I've Got a Secret, and later for playing Pamela...

NAACP Youth Council begins a sit-in at a "whites-only" lunch counter at Katz Drug Store in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma [1]

Chicago Cubs use first baseman Dale Long as their first major league lefty catcher since 1906

KUT-FM in Austin, Texas, begins radio transmissions

Great Britain performs an atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island

"Musical Marie" Ashton completes a 133-hour piano marathon at the Plaza-Central cinema in England, setting a female reco

"Musical Marie" Ashton completes a 133-hour piano marathon at the Plaza-Central cinema in England, setting a female record for continuous piano playing

Sergei Popov wins the Stockholm Marathon with a time of 2:15:17.0, setting a world record

The US performs a nuclear test over the South Atlantic Ocean as part of Operation Argus to study the Christofilos effect

The US performs a nuclear test over the South Atlantic Ocean as part of Operation Argus to study the Christofilos effect, a theoretical defensive shield to cloud Soviet radar

American baseball player Nellie Fox sets a record for consecutive games without striking out (98)

The US conducts a nuclear test over the South Atlantic Ocean as part of Operation Argus to study the Christofilos effect

The US conducts a nuclear test over the South Atlantic Ocean as part of Operation Argus to study the Christofilos effect, a theoretical defensive shield to cloud Soviet radar

St Louis Cardinals pitcher Vinegar Bend Mizell walks a NL record 9 batters in a 1-0 shutout of Cincinnati Reds

The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis.

Great Britain performs atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island

The US performs a nuclear test over the South Atlantic Ocean, the third and final part of Operation Argus to study the C

The US performs a nuclear test over the South Atlantic Ocean, the third and final part of Operation Argus to study the Christofilos effect, a theoretical defensive shield to cloud Soviet radar

Oman turns over Gwadar, on Balochistan coast, to Pakistan

Gwadar is a port city on the southwestern coast of the Pakistani province of Balochistan. It is on the shores of the Arabian Sea, opposite Oman, and had a population of over 90,000 in 2017 census.

Race riots in Notting Hill Gate, London

Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

WJCT TV channel 7 in Jacksonville, FL (PBS) begins broadcasting

Great Britain performs an atmospheric nuclear test on Christmas Island

Braves Warren Spahn is 1st lefty to win 20 or more games 9 times

Commuter train crashes off an open drawbridge, killing 48 in Bayonne, New Jersey

US performs a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

The Nevada National Security Sites (N2S2 or NNSS), popularized as the Nevada Test Site (NTS) until 2010, is a reservation of the United States Department of Energy located in the southeastern portion...

The Fresno Drop: Bank of America mails out 60,000 BankAmericards in Fresno, California, the first credit card (later ren

The Fresno Drop: Bank of America mails out 60,000 BankAmericards in Fresno, California, the first credit card (later renamed VISA)

Baltimore Orioles knuckleball pitcher Hoyt Wilhelm no-hits the New York Yankees 1-0

James Hoyt Wilhelm (July 26, 1922 – August 23, 2002), nicknamed "Old Sarge", was an American professional baseball pitcher in Major League Baseball with the New York Giants, St.

American pilots Jim Heth and Bill Burkhart complete the first airplane flight exceeding 1,200 hours (50 days, 16 minutes

American pilots Jim Heth and Bill Burkhart complete the first airplane flight exceeding 1,200 hours (50 days, 16 minutes), landing "The Old Scotchman," their modified Cessna 172, in Dallas, Texas; the record is broken 123 days later [1]

KTVK TV channel 3 in Phoenix, AZ (ABC) begins broadcasting

Great Britain performs an atmospheric nuclear test at Christmas Island

First welded aluminum girder highway bridge is completed in Urbandale, Iowa

Columbia (US) beats Sceptre (Britain) in the 18th America's Cup

France adopts a constitution

The current Constitution of France was adopted on 4 October 1958. It is typically called the Constitution of the Fifth Republic (French: la Constitution de la Cinquième République), and it replaced...

"Studio One" TV Anthology Drama last airs on CBS-TV

French Guinea becomes independent as the Republic of Guinea

Guinea, officially the Republic of Guinea, is a coastal country in West Africa. It borders the Atlantic Ocean to the west, Guinea-Bissau to the northwest, Senegal to the north, Mali to the northeast,...

Britain transfers Christmas Island (south of Java) to Australia

Christmas Island, officially the Territory of Christmas Island, is an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean comprising the island of the same name.

Guinea (French Guinea) gains independence from France (National Day)

The French Union (French: Union française) was a political entity created by the French Fourth Republic to replace the old French colonial empire system, colloquially known as the "French Empire"...

French Fifth Republic is established

The Fifth Republic (French: Cinquième République) is France's current republican system of government.

KRTV TV channel 3 in Great Falls, Montana (CBS) begins broadcasting

The USS Seawolf (SSN-575) nuclear submarine surfaces after being submerged for a record 60 days and traveling 13,700 nau

The USS Seawolf (SSN-575) nuclear submarine surfaces after being submerged for a record 60 days and traveling 13,700 nautical miles

Potter Stewart is appointed to the US Supreme Court

Potter Stewart (January 23, 1915 – December 7, 1985) was an American lawyer and judge who was an associate justice of the United States Supreme Court from 1958 to 1981.

KCMT TV channel 7 in Alexandria, Minnesota (CBS/NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting

Israeli navy inaugurates its first submarine

US performs a nuclear test at Nevada Test Site

2nd US Moon probe, Pioneer 1, reaches 113,810 km, falls back

CVP wins municipal elections in Belgium

Brendan Behan's play "The Hostage" premieres in London

Brendan Francis Aidan Behan (christened Francis Behan) ( BEE-ən; Irish: Breandán Ó Beacháin; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, playwright, and Irish...

Tunisia cuts diplomatic relations with Egypt

Benjamin Britten's song cycle "Nocturne" premieres at Leeds Town Hall during the centenary Leeds Festival

First woman in British House of Lords

The first women in the House of Lords took their seats in 1958, forty years after women were granted the right to stand as MPs in the House of Commons.

1st Japanese anime feature film in color "The Tale of the White Serpent" released, produced by Toei Doga Company [1]

De Gaulle offers Algerians defiance "peace of the brave"

USSR lends Egypt 400 million rubles to build the Aswan High Dam across the Nile river

Pan Am flies the first transatlantic jet from New York to Paris

Pan American World Airways, originally founded as Pan American Airways and more commonly known as Pan Am, was an airline that was the principal and largest international air carrier and unofficial...

General Ayub Khan succeeds Iskander Mirza as President of Pakistan

Iskander Ali Mirza (13 November 1899 – 13 November 1969) was a Pakistani politician and military general who served as the fourth and last governor-general of Pakistan from 1955 to 1956, and then as...

USSR performs nuclear test

High-altitude nuclear explosions are the result of nuclear weapons testing within the upper layers of the Earth's atmosphere and in outer space.

Los Angeles Rams beat Chicago Bears, 41-35 before 90,833 fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum; NFL single-game attendance re

Los Angeles Rams beat Chicago Bears, 41-35 before 90,833 fans at the Los Angeles Coliseum; NFL single-game attendance record

USSR performs nuclear test

Belgian minority government of Gaston Eyskens resigns

KGLD (now KSNG) TV channel 11 in Garden City, KS (NBC) 1st broadcast

AL announces that KC will play AL record 52 night games in 1959

British Petroleum surveyors flying over Libyan desert observe wreck of WWII bomber, later identified as the lost 'Lady B

British Petroleum surveyors flying over Libyan desert observe wreck of WWII bomber, later identified as the lost 'Lady Be Good' [1]

Bertolt Brecht's play "The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui" premieres in Stuttgart, West Germany

The Resistible Rise of Arturo Ui (German: Der aufhaltsame Aufstieg des Arturo Ui), subtitled "A parable play", is a 1941 play by the German playwright Bertolt Brecht.

AL announces Kansas City will play AL record 52 night games in 1959

NYC Mayor Robert Wagner announces plans to begin a new baseball league called the Continental League, to fill the void c

NYC Mayor Robert Wagner announces plans to begin a new baseball league called the Continental League, to fill the void created by the city's Giants and Dodgers moving to the west coast

KAII TV channel 7 in Wailuku, HI (NBC) begins broadcasting

1st true reservoir in Jerusalem opens

First 2 F-27 Fokker's Friendships delivered on Aer Lingus

The Fokker F27 Friendship is a turboprop airliner developed and manufactured by the Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker.

Mali becomes an autonomous state within French Community

Mali, officially the Republic of Mali, is a landlocked country in West Africa. It is the eighth-largest country in Africa and the 23rd largest country in the world, with an area of over 1,240,192...

Senegal becomes an autonomous state in French Community

The French Community (French: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of...

USSR abrogates Allied war-time agreements on control of Germany

Chad becomes an autonomous republic within the French Community

The French Community (French: Communauté française) was the constitutional organization set up in October 1958 between France and its remaining African colonies, then in the process of...

George "Punch" Imlach becomes coach of the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs

George "Punch" Imlach (March 15, 1918 – December 1, 1987) was a Canadian ice hockey coach and general manager best known for his association with the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Buffalo Sabres.

First US guided missile destroyer USS Dewey launches at Bath Iron Works, Maine

Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited.

Liberty Records releases single "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" by David Seville and the Chipmunks; it bec

Liberty Records releases single "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" by David Seville and the Chipmunks; it becomes a #1 hit, and wins 3 Grammy Awards (Comedy Performance, Children's Recording, and Best Engineered)

NFL Draft: Randy Duncan QB University of Iowa #1 pick by Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Indonesian parliament accepts nationalisation of Dutch businesses

American pilots Bob Timm and John Cook take off from Las Vegas, Nevada, in "The Hacienda," their modified Cessna 172, in

American pilots Bob Timm and John Cook take off from Las Vegas, Nevada, in "The Hacienda," their modified Cessna 172, in an attempt to break a recently set airplane flight endurance record; the effort succeeds almost 65 days later [1]

MLB Philadelphia Phillies drop plans for NY sportscast as NEW York Yankees threaten to do same in Philadelphia

US lunar probe Pioneer 3 reaches 107,269 km, falls back

Romulo Betancourt elected President of Venezuela

Robert W. Welch Jr and 11 other men meet in Indianapolis to form the conservative and anti-Communist John Birch Society

Robert Henry Winborne Welch Jr. (December 1, 1899 – January 6, 1985) was an American businessman, political organizer, and conspiracy theorist.

The first domestic passenger jet flight using a Boeing 707, with National Airlines flying a leased Pan Am 707 from New Y

The first domestic passenger jet flight using a Boeing 707, with National Airlines flying a leased Pan Am 707 from New York to Miami

4th (last) Dutch government of Willem Drees falls

Archibald MacLeish's play "J.B." premieres in NYC

Dutch Social Democratic Party ministers, including Prime Minister Willem Drees dismissed

Pat Summerall kicks game winning field goal for the New York Giants against the Cleveland Browns at Yankee Stadium

The history of the New York Giants from 1925 to 1978 covers the American football franchise from the team's inception until the conclusion of their tumultuous 1978 season.

Niger gains autonomy within French Community (National Day)

2nd Dutch Beel government forms

Abdallah Ibrahim forms government in Morocco

"The Chipmunk Song" by the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon & Theodore with David Seville) hits #1

Alvin and the Chipmunks, originally known as David Seville and the Chipmunks and billed for their first two decades as The Chipmunks, are an American animated virtual band and media franchise first...

TV soap "Young Dr Malone" debuts

Young Doctor Malone is an American soap opera, created by Irna Phillips, which had a long run on radio and television from 1939 to 1963.

French franc devalued

The franc (French: franc français, [fʁɑ̃ fʁɑ̃sɛ]; sign: F or Fr), also commonly distinguished as the French franc (FF), was a currency of France.

Bill Shoemaker 1st jockey to win national riding championship 4 times

Famous Births

Mehmet Ali Ağca is born

Mehmet Ali Ağca, Turkish assassin and grey wolves member, known for turkish assassin and grey wolves member, was born on 1958-01-09. Mehmet Ali Ağca is a Turkish former hitman for Grey Wolves.

Lorenzo Lamas is born

Lorenzo Lamas, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1958-01-20. Lorenzo Fernando Lamas is an American actor and producer.

Ellen DeGeneres is born

Ellen DeGeneres, American comedian and television host, known for american comedian and television host, was born on 1958-01-26.

Anita Baker is born

Anita Baker, American musician, known for american singer-songwriter, was born on 1958-01-26. Anita Denise Baker is an American jazz and soul singer.

Andy Gibb is born

Andy Gibb, English singer, known for british singer, was born on 1958-03-05. Andrew "Andy" Roy Gibb (5 March 1958 – 10 March 1988) was an English singer and musician.

Spike Lee is born

Spike Lee, American filmmaker and actor, known for american filmmaker and actor, was born on 1958-03-20. Shelton Jackson "Spike" Lee is an American filmmaker and actor.

David Gower is born

David Gower, English athlete, known for english cricket player, was born on 1958-04-01.

Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán is born

Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, Mexican drug lord incarcerated in a us federal prison, known for mexican drug lord incarcerated in a us federal prison, was born on 1958-04-04.

Vince Gill is born

Vince Gill, American musician, known for american musician, was born on 1958-04-12. Vincent Grant Gill is an American singer, songwriter, and musician.

Mukesh Ambani is born

Mukesh Ambani, Indian businessman, known for indian businessman, was born on 1958-04-19. Mukesh Dhirubhai Ambani is an Indian businessman.

Daniel Day-Lewis is born

Daniel Day-Lewis, English actor, known for british actor, was born on 1958-04-29. Sir Daniel Michael Blake Day-Lewis is an English actor.

Bill Cowher is born

Bill Cowher, American athlete, known for american football player, coach, and analyst, was born on 1958-05-08.

Jeffrey Hawkins is born

Prince Rogers Nelson is born

Prince Rogers Nelson, American musician, known for american musician and actor, was born on 1958-06-07.

Frances McDormand is born

Frances McDormand, American actor and producer, known for american actor and producer, was born on 1958-06-23. Frances Louise McDormand is an American actress and film producer.

Grant Dalton is born

Nick Faldo is born

Nick Faldo, English athlete, known for english golfer and tv commentator, was born on 1958-07-18. Sir Nicholas Alexander Faldo is an English retired professional golfer and television commentator.

Wayne Grady is born

Terry Fox is born

Terry Fox, Canadian athlete, known for canadian athlete, was born on 1958-07-28. Terrance Stanley Fox (July 28, 1958 – June 28, 1981) was a Canadian athlete, humanitarian, and cancer research…

Fumio Kishida is born

Melanie Griffith is born

Melanie Griffith, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1958-08-09. Melanie Richards Griffith is an American actress.

Stephen Fry is born

Stephen Fry, British actor, comedian and presenter, known for english actor, comedian and presenter, was born on 1958-08-24.

Rick Hansen is born

Rick Hansen, Canadian athlete, known for canadian athlete who traveled the globe in 1987, was born on 1958-08-26.

Bernhard Langer is born

Bernhard Langer, German athlete, known for german professional golfer, was born on 1958-08-27. Bernhard Langer is a German professional golfer.

Ai Weiwei is born

Gloria Estefan is born

Gloria Estefan, American musician, known for cuban-american singer and songwriter, was born on 1958-09-01.

Nick Cave is born

Nick Cave, Australian musician, known for australian musician, was born on 1958-09-22. Nicholas Edward Cave is an Australian singer, musician and writer.

Andrew Dice Clay is born

Andrew Dice Clay, American comedian and actor, known for american comedian and actor, was born on 1958-09-29.

Fran Drescher is born

Fran Drescher, American actress and writer, known for american actress and writer, was born on 1958-09-30.

Jayne Torvill is born

Jayne Torvill, British athlete, known for english ice skater, was born on 1958-10-07. Dame Jayne Christensen is a British professional ice dancer and former competitor.

Paul Kagame is born

Lyle Lovett is born

Lyle Lovett, American country singer, known for american country singer, was born on 1958-11-01. Lyle Pearce Lovett is an American country singer-songwriter and actor.

Andrew Cuomo is born

Andrew Cuomo, American lawyer and politician, known for american lawyer and politician, was born on 1958-12-06.

Steve Buscemi is born

Steve Buscemi, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1958-12-13. Steven Vincent Buscemi is an American actor.

Ray Romano is born

Ray Romano, American comedian and actor, known for american comedian and actor, was born on 1958-12-21. Raymond Albert Romano is an American stand-up comedian and actor.

Hamid Karzai is born

Rickey Henderson is born

Rickey Henderson, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1958-12-25.

Notable Deaths

Rosalind Franklin dies

Rosalind Franklin, English x-ray crystallographer, known for british x-ray crystallographer, died on 1958-04-16.

Imre Nagy dies

Imre Nagy, Hungarian politician and leader of the 1956 revolution, known for hungarian politician and leader of the 1956 revolution, died on 1958-06-16.

Frédéric Joliot-Curie dies

Frédéric Joliot-Curie, French chemist and physicist, known for french chemist and physicist, died on 1958-08-14.