Year 1959 in History

Johnny Cash performs the first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin State Prison in California

Chad becomes an autonomous republic in 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…

USSR's Luna 1 becomes the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity

A gravity assist, gravity assist maneuver, swing-by, or generally a gravitational slingshot in orbital mechanics, is a type of spaceflight flyby which makes use of the relative movement (e.g.

TV western "Rawhide," starring Clint Eastwood, premieres on CBS

Plane crash known as "The Day the Music Died" kills musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson (aka The Big

Plane crash known as "The Day the Music Died" kills musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J. P. Richardson (aka The Big Bopper), and the pilot near Clear Lake, Iowa

Fidel Castro becomes the 16th Prime Minister of Cuba after overthrowing Fulgencio Batista

The island of Cuba was inhabited by various Native American cultures prior to the arrival of the explorer Christopher Columbus in 1492.

Some Like It Hot, an American comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Le

Some Like It Hot, an American comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, premieres at Loew's Capitol Theatre in NYC

Dalai Lama flees China and is granted political asylum in India

The 14th Dalai Lama (born Lhamo Thondup; 6 July 1935; full spiritual name: Jetsun Jamphel Ngawang Lobsang Yeshe Tenzin Gyatso, shortened as Tenzin Gyatso) is the incumbent Dalai Lama, the highest…

American sci-fi writer "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" Philip K Dick marries 3rd wife Anne Williams Rubinstein

13th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics sweep Minneapolis Lakers in 4 games, first of Boston Celtics' record 8 straight ti

13th NBA Championship: Boston Celtics sweep Minneapolis Lakers in 4 games, first of Boston Celtics' record 8 straight titles

Actor Marlon Brando and actress Anna Kashfi divorce

Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential performers in the history of cinema.

First Grammy Awards: Perry Como and Ella Fitzgerald win major awards

British stage actress and singer Julie Andrews (23) weds British theatrical set designer Tony Walton (24) in Weybridge,

British stage actress and singer Julie Andrews (23) weds British theatrical set designer Tony Walton (24) in Weybridge, Surrey, England; divorce in 1968

MLB baseball player Ernie Banks (28) divorces Mollye Louise after 6 years of marriage

"North by Northwest" directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint premieres in Los Angeles

North by Northwest is a 1959 American spy thriller film produced and directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, and James Mason.

"The Nun's Story" based on the novel by Kathryn Hulme, starring Audrey Hepburn premieres in Los Angeles

The Nun's Story is a 1959 American drama film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Audrey Hepburn, Peter Finch, Edith Evans, Peggy Ashcroft, and Dean Jagger.

Ed Wood's cult classic "Plan 9 from Outer Space," often called one of the worst films ever, premieres starring Gregory W

Ed Wood's cult classic "Plan 9 from Outer Space," often called one of the worst films ever, premieres starring Gregory Walcott and Bela Lugosi

Billy Rose and Joyce Mathews divorce

Billy Rose (born William Samuel Rosenberg; September 6, 1899 – February 10, 1966) was an American impresario, theatrical showman, lyricist and columnist.

Cliff Richard and the Shadows have their first British #1 single with "Living Doll," the best-selling British single of

Cliff Richard and the Shadows have their first British #1 single with "Living Doll," the best-selling British single of 1959

Hawaii becomes the 50th state of the United States

The Territory of Hawaii or Hawaii Territory (Hawaiian: Panalāʻau o Hawaiʻi) was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from April 30, 1900, until August 21, 1959, when...

British Motor Corporation introduces the Morris Mini-Minor, designed by Alec Issigonis; it is only 10 feet long yet seat

British Motor Corporation introduces the Morris Mini-Minor, designed by Alec Issigonis; it is only 10 feet long yet seats four passengers

American motorcycle daredevil Evel Knievel (20) weds Linda Joan Bork; divorce in 1997

Luna 2 is launched by the Soviet Union, becoming the first spacecraft to impact the Moon

Missions to the Moon have been numerous and represent some of the earliest endeavours in space missions, with continuous exploration of the Moon beginning in 1959. The first partially successful...

Academy award-winning actor Rod Steiger (34) weds stage and film actress Claire Bloom (28) in Los Angeles, California

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's musical "The Sound of Music" by opens at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, NYC; runs

Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II's musical "The Sound of Music" by opens at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, NYC; runs for 1,443 performances

Alaska is admitted as the 49th US state

"51st state" is a phrase used in the United States to refer to the idea of adding an additional state to the current 50-state country.

USSR's Luna 1 spacecraft misses moon target, passing within 5,995 kilometers (3,725 mi) of the surface after 34 hours of

USSR's Luna 1 spacecraft misses moon target, passing within 5,995 kilometers (3,725 mi) of the surface after 34 hours of flight

"Bozo the Clown" live children's show premieres on TV

Bollingen Prize for poetry awarded to Theodore Roethke

Theodore Huebner Roethke (May 25, 1908 – August 1, 1963) was an American poet. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished and influential poets of his generation, having won the Pulitzer Prize...

Dmitri Shostakovich's operetta "Moscow, Cheryomushki" premieres in Moscow

Moscow, Cheryomushki is an operetta in three acts by Dmitri Shostakovich, his Op. 105. It is sometimes referred to as simply Cheryomushki.

Smog pollution with readings higher than the 1952 'Great Smog of London' hits London, with many suffering chest and lung

Smog pollution with readings higher than the 1952 'Great Smog of London' hits London, with many suffering chest and lung-related illnesses

Australia 1-200 1st day 4th Test v England, Adelaide Oval

Former star MLB shortstop and manager Joe Cronin signs 7 year pact to become American League President

Heiss sisters go 1-2 in US women's Figure Skating C'ships; defending champion Carol wins from Nancy; David Jenkins wins

Heiss sisters go 1-2 in US women's Figure Skating C'ships; defending champion Carol wins from Nancy; David Jenkins wins his third straight men's title

American Airlines Flight 320 crashes in NY's East River, killing 65 of the 73 people on board the Lockheed L-188 Electra

American Airlines Flight 320 was a scheduled flight between Chicago Midway Airport and New York City's LaGuardia Airport.

Israel begins exporting copper ore

Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity.

1st successful test-fire of Titan ICBM

American pilots Bob Timm and John Cook break recently set airplane flight endurance record, exceeding 1550 hours (64 day

American pilots Bob Timm and John Cook break recently set airplane flight endurance record, exceeding 1550 hours (64 days, 22 hours, and 19 minutes), landing "The Hacienda", their modified Cessna 172 where they started, in Las Vegas, Nevada [1]

Dutch Princess Wilhelmina publishes "Lonely, but not alone"

Vinoo Mankad ends his final Test Cricket (v WI at Delhi)

The Lincoln Memorial design on the U.S. penny goes into circulation. It replaces the "sheaves of wheat" design

Miro Cardon, premier of Cuba, resigns

$3.6 million heroin seizure in NYC

1st weather satellite launched, Vanguard 2, 9.8 kg

Britain, Turkey, and Greece sign an agreement granting Cyprus independence

British Cyprus was the island of Cyprus under the dominion of the British Empire, administered sequentially from 1878 to 1914 as a British protectorate, from 1914 to 1925 as a unilaterally annexed...

Inaugural Daytona 500: Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp cross finish line side by side; Beauchamp declared unofficial winn

Inaugural Daytona 500: Lee Petty and Johnny Beauchamp cross finish line side by side; Beauchamp declared unofficial winner; ruling overturned after 3 days by NASCAR founder Bill France Sr

KVIE TV channel 6 in Sacramento-Stockton, CA (PBS) begins broadcasting

Archbishop Makarios returns to Cyprus after 3 years

1st US probe to enter solar orbit, Pioneer 4, launched

NASA's scientific spacecraft Pioneer 4 misses moon, enters heliocentric orbit, and becomes 2nd (US 1st) earth-launched '

NASA's scientific spacecraft Pioneer 4 misses moon, enters heliocentric orbit, and becomes 2nd (US 1st) earth-launched 'artificial planet' [1]

Iran & US sign economic & military treaty

Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia.

1st aviator to fly a million miles (1.61 M km) in a jet (MC Garlow)

Groucho, Chico & Harpo Marx's final TV appearance together

Arthur "Harpo" Marx was an American comedian and harpist, and the second-oldest of the Marx Brothers.

1st known radar contact is made with Venus

Dutch Liberal Party wins 2nd parliamentary elections

Robert Foster sets record by staying underwater 13 m 42.5 s

Iraq & USSR sign economic and technical treaty

Australia & USSR restore diplomatic relations

Iraq withdraws from the Baghdad Pact

Bill White traded to St Louis for pitchers Sam Jones & Don Choate

The 1959 St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 78th season in St. Louis, Missouri and its 68th season in the National League.

Test debut for Pakistani cricketer Mushtaq Mohammad v West Indies, aged 15 years

Mushtaq Mohammad PP is a Pakistani cricket coach and former cricketer who played in 57 Tests and 10 ODIs from 1959 to 1979.

11 days after Tibet uprising, China dissolves Tibet's government & installs Panchen Lama

The Dalai Lama (UK: , US: ; Tibetan: ཏཱ་ལའི་བླ་མ་, Wylie: Tā la'i bla ma [táːlɛː láma]) is the head of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism.

Mali Federation founded, consisting of Senegal & French Sudan (dissolved 1960)

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...

Oklahoma ends prohibition, after 51 years

Chicago White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox gets a MLB Opening Day record tying 5 hits in 7 at-bats in a 14-inning, 9–7

Chicago White Sox second baseman Nellie Fox gets a MLB Opening Day record tying 5 hits in 7 at-bats in a 14-inning, 9–7 win in Detroit

13th Tony Awards: "J.B." (play) & "Redhead" (musical) win

The 13th Annual Tony Awards took place at the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom on April 12, 1959, and was broadcast on local television station WCBS-TV in New York City.

USAF launches Discoverer II into polar orbit

(Robert) Taft Memorial Bell Tower dedicated in Washington, D.C.

The Robert A. Taft Memorial and Carillon is a carillon in Washington, D.C. dedicated as a memorial to U.S.

Datu Abdul Rozak inaugurated as premier of Malaysia federation

Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens' 4th straight title; beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 5

Stanley Cup Final, Montreal Forum, Montreal, Quebec: Montreal Canadiens' 4th straight title; beat Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-3 for a 4-1 series win

Uprising in La Paz Bolivia, fails

Alf Dean, using a rod and reel, hooks a 2,664 lb, 16' 10" great white shark off the coast of Ceduna, Australia

Chicago White Sox beat KC Athletics 20-6, in 1 inning Sox score 11 runs on 1 hit, 10 walks, & 3 errors

1st heliport in Britain opens in London

Netherland Dance Theater opens (Rudi of Dantzig & Cut Flier)

St Lawrence Seaway linking Atlantic and the Great Lakes opens to shipping

The St. Lawrence Seaway (French: la Voie Maritime du Saint-Laurent) is a system of rivers, locks, canals and channels in Eastern Canada and the Northern United States that permits oceangoing vessels...

"Today" show goes abroard 1st time (Paris France)

KLOE TV channel 10 in Goodland, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting

Tiger's Charlie Maxwell hits 4 consecutive HRs in a doubleheader

"The 400 Blows", French film directed by François Truffaut, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, is released

François Roland Truffaut was a French filmmaker, actor, and critic. He is widely regarded as one of the founders of the French New Wave.

Iceland gunboats shoot at British fishing vessels

Giants Jim Hearn allows 2 runs against Pirates, game is suspended, Hearn is released & charged with loss 2 months after

Giants Jim Hearn allows 2 runs against Pirates, game is suspended, Hearn is released & charged with loss 2 months after his retirement

"Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb" by Edd Byrnes & Connie Stevens hits #4

"Kookie, Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)" is a song written by Irving Taylor and performed by Edward Byrnes and Connie Stevens.

th anniversary reenactment of the first college baseball game between Amherst and Williams

WTOM-TV channel 4 in Cheboygan, Michigan begins broadcasting (NBC)

"Castin' My Spell" by The Johnny Otis Show hits #52

Johnny Otis (December 28, 1921 – January 17, 2012), born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes, was an American singer, musician, composer, bandleader, record producer, talent scout, and preacher.

Jan de Quay becomes premier of the Netherlands

Ford wins battle with Chrysler to call its new car "Falcon"

Cleveland Metroparks Zoo Children's Petting Farm opens (Cleveland, Ohio)

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is a 183-acre (74 ha) zoo in Cleveland, Ohio. The Zoo is divided into several areas: Australian Adventure; African Savanna; Northern Wilderness Trek, The Primate, Cat &...

Benjamin O Davis Jr becomes 1st black major general in US Air Force

Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. (December 18, 1912 – July 4, 2002) was a United States Air Force (USAF) general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen. He was the first African-American...

Empire Day renamed Commonwealth Day in Great Britain

MLB Pittsburgh Pirates Harvey Haddix pitches 12 perfect innings, loses in 13th to Braves at Milwaukee County Stadium

Milwaukee County Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Opened in 1953, it was primarily a baseball park for Major League Baseball's Milwaukee Braves and later the Milwaukee...

Congressional Committee of Astronautics meets Project 7 astronauts

Iraq withdraws from the Baghdad Pact (Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom)

Constitution of Tunisia promulgated (National Day)

The Tunisian Constitution of 1959 was promulgated on 1 June 1959. The application of the text was suspended following the Tunisian Revolution, a Constituent Assembly being elected on 23 October 2011...

1st US Air Force Academy graduation in Colorado Springs, Colorado

The United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) is a United States service academy in Air Force Academy, Colorado, immediately north of Colorado Springs.

Bob Dylan graduates from Hibbing High School in Minnesota

Minnesota is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S.

KLX-AM in Oakland California changes call letters to KEWB (now KNEW)

1st official "missile mail" lands (Jacksonville, Florida)

First ballistic missile submarine launched, USS George Washington, in Groton, Connecticut

American motorcycle racer John Penton (33) arrives in downtown Los Angeles, after cross-continental ride covering 3,051

American motorcycle racer John Penton (33) arrives in downtown Los Angeles, after cross-continental ride covering 3,051 miles in 52 hours, 11 minutes, 1 second, besting previous record by over 25 hours (this record broken in 1967) [1]

Postmaster General bans D. H. Lawrence's book 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' as obscene; overruled by US Court of Appeals in

Postmaster General bans D. H. Lawrence's book 'Lady Chatterley's Lover' as obscene; overruled by US Court of Appeals in March of 1960

"Sammy Kaye Show" last airs on ABC-TV

Galapagos Islands are made Ecuador's first national park, banning the capture of species [1]

South African Apartheid government efforts to remove Black people from Cato Manor close to the Durban city center to new

South African Apartheid government efforts to remove Black people from Cato Manor close to the Durban city center to newly established black township Kwa Mashu, on outskirts met with violent resistance

First telecast transmitted from England to the US

American bowler Eddie Lubanski bowls 2 consecutive perfect games

A fire in a resort hotel in Stalheim, Norway kills 34 people

Meldrim trestle disaster; freight train derails over Ogeechee River in Georgia causing IPG tanks to explode killing 23

During a game in Wrigley Field, 2 balls are in play at same time

Wrigley Field () is a ballpark on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises.

Heinrich Lubke elected President of West Germany

Karl Heinrich Lübke was a German politician, who served as president of West Germany from 1959 to 1969. He suffered from deteriorating health towards the end of his career and is known for a series...

First exhibition of Karen, the bongo antelope, opens at Cleveland Zoo in Ohio

America's new 49-star flag honoring Alaska statehood unfurled

Saar becomes part of German Federal Republic

NBC uses cameras to show catchers signals during Yankee-Red Sox game

USS Long Beach, first nuclear powered cruiser launched at Quincy, Massachusetts

USS Long Beach (CLGN-160 CGN-9) was a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser in the United States Navy and the world's first nuclear-powered surface combatant.

The US steel strike of 1959 begins, leading to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in United Sta

The US steel strike of 1959 begins, leading to significant importation of foreign steel for the first time in United States history

1st nuclear powered merchant ship, NS Savannah, named, Camden NJ

,000th Dutch TV set registered

SR-N1 hovercraft crosses the English Channel from Calais to Dover in just over 2 hours

The Saunders-Roe SR.N1 (Saunders-Roe Nautical 1) was the first practical hovercraft.

Abbas Ali Baig scores 112 for India against England on debut

Abbas Ali Baig is an Indian former cricketer who played in 10 Tests between 1959 and 1967. In a career spanning 21 years, he scored 12,367 runs in first-class cricket at an average of 34.16.

Hawaii's first US election sends first Asian Americans to Congress

This is a list of Asian Americans and Pacific Islander Americans in the U.S. Congress. Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent.

First United States Congress elections in Hawaii as a state of the Union

Hawaii is an island state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about 2,000 miles (3,200 km) southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two non-contiguous U.S.

AL defeats NL 5-3 in Game 2 of the All-Star Baseball doubleheader to boost the player pension fund at LA Memorial Colise

AL defeats NL 5-3 in Game 2 of the All-Star Baseball doubleheader to boost the player pension fund at LA Memorial Coliseum

42.4 cm of rainfall in Decatur Co, Iowa (state record, until 1998)

Explorer 6 transmits the first TV photo of Earth from space

Explorer 6, or S-2, was a NASA satellite, launched on 7 August 1959, at 14:24:20 GMT.

First ship firing of a Polaris missile from Observation Island

USNS Observation Island (T-AGM-23) was built as the Mariner-class merchant ship Empire State Mariner for the United States Maritime Commission, launched 15 August 1953, and operated by United States...

US Military satellite Discoverer 5 launches into polar orbit

The CORONA program was a series of American strategic reconnaissance satellites produced and operated by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Directorate of Science and Technology with substantial...

26th NFL Chicago All-Star Game: Baltimore 29, All-Stars 0 (70,000 attendees)

USSR introduces installment buying

7.1-magnitude earthquake strikes Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park is a national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of the state of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho.

Honolulu, Hawaii seeks a franchise in baseball's new Continental League

Belgium shortens military conscription to 12 months

American Football League is officially named at a meeting in Dallas, Texas; charter members are Dallas, New York, Housto

American Football League is officially named at a meeting in Dallas, Texas; charter members are Dallas, New York, Houston, Denver, Los Angeles, and Minneapolis-Saint Paul

Cincinnati Reds future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson hits three consecutive home runs (six RBIs) in an

Cincinnati Reds future Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder Frank Robinson hits three consecutive home runs (six RBIs) in an 11-4 win over the St. Louis Cardinals at Crosley Field

England completes a 5-0 series sweep of India

Washington Senators player Jim Lemon becomes the seventh player to achieve six RBIs in an inning (third)

The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is established

The Asian Institute of Technology, formerly known as the SEATO Graduate School of Engineering, was founded in 1959.

Baltimore starter Jerry Walker pitches all 16 innings as the Orioles edge the Chicago White Sox 1-0 at Memorial Stadium

Soviet Union's Luna 2 is the first spacecraft to impact the Moon [date noted is Moscow time]

Scott Crossfield completes the first powered flight in the X-15

Vanguard 3 launched into Earth orbit

Vanguard 3 (Harvard designation: 1959 Eta 1) is a scientific satellite that was launched into Earth orbit by the Vanguard SLV-7 on 18 September 1959, the third successful Vanguard launch out of...

Indian Dutch emigrate to US

Chicago White Sox clinch AL pennant

The 1959 Chicago White Sox season was the team's 59th season in the major leagues, and its 60th season overall.

Australia's first passenger roll-on/roll-off diesel ferry, the MS Princess of Tasmania, makes her maiden voyage across B

Australia's first passenger roll-on/roll-off diesel ferry, the MS Princess of Tasmania, makes her maiden voyage across Bass Strait

Milwaukee Braves' Warren Spahn becomes the winningest NL lefty

Braves and Dodgers finish in a tie (86-68)

"Hennesey" debuts on CBS-TV

"Philip Marlowe" debuts on ABC-TV

Philip Marlowe is a half-hour ABC crime series, featuring Philip Carey as Marlowe, the fictional private detective created by Raymond Chandler.

Future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown makes club record 37 rushing attempts in Cleveland Browns, 34-7

Future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown makes club record 37 rushing attempts in Cleveland Browns, 34-7 win at Chicago Cardinals

Soviet Luna 3, the first successful photographic spacecraft, impacts the Moon

Luna 3, or E-2A No.1, was a Soviet spacecraft launched in 1959 as part of the Luna programme.

Lee Harvey Oswald arrives in Southampton, England

Lee Harvey Oswald signs the guestbook in a hotel in Helsinki

KTHI TV channel 11 in Fargo-Grand Forks, ND (NBC) begins broadcasting

At the national congress of APRA in Peru a group of leftist radicals are expelled from the party. They will later form A

At the national congress of APRA in Peru a group of leftist radicals are expelled from the party. They will later form APRA Rebelde.

WMUB (now WPTO) TV channel 14 in Oxford, OH (PBS) begins broadcasting

KNDO TV channel 23 in Yakima, WA (NBC) begins broadcasting

Queen Elizabeth II is fined $140 for withdrawing her race horse

Florence Henderson joins Today Show panel

Clark Griffith of the Senators says the team will not move the franchise

Contra revolutionaries bomb Havana

Chinese troops move into India, 17 die

Rare Pacific hurricane kills 2,000 in Western Mexico

American Football League awards Buffalo Bills franchise to Ralph C. Wilson

The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area.

Jean Genet's play "Les Negres" premieres in Paris

The Blacks (French: Les Nègres) is a play by the French dramatist Jean Genet. Published in 1958, it was first performed in a production directed by Roger Blin at the Théâtre de Lutèce in Paris,...

Future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown runs for 5 touchdowns in Cleveland Browns, 38-31 win over Baltim

Future Pro Football Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown runs for 5 touchdowns in Cleveland Browns, 38-31 win over Baltimore Colts at Memorial Stadium

Charles Van Doren confesses during a congressional investigation that TV quiz show "Twenty-One" was fixed

Charles Lincoln Van Doren (February 12, 1926 – April 9, 2019) was an American writer and editor who was involved in a television quiz show scandal in the 1950s.

AFL announced with 8 teams

KJTV (now KGET) TV channel 17 in Bakersfield, CA (NBC) 1st broadcast

Seals Stadium, a minor league baseball park and temporary home of MLB Giants) in San Francisco, California demolished

Seals Stadium was a Minor League Baseball stadium in San Francisco, California, United States; it later became the first home of the major-league San Francisco Giants.

White Sox 2B Nellie Fox wins AL's MVP

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields' first professional concert takes place in London

Kilauea's most spectacular eruption (in Hawaii)

NFL Cleveland Browns halfback Bobby Mitchell sets club record for longest run from scrimmage (90-yards), beat Washington

NFL Cleveland Browns halfback Bobby Mitchell sets club record for longest run from scrimmage (90-yards), beat Washington Redskins, 31-17

Boston business executive Billy Sullivan is awarded eighth and final franchise of developing American Football League (A

Boston business executive Billy Sullivan is awarded eighth and final franchise of developing American Football League (AFL); later branded Boston Patriots

De Beers of South Africa announces the invention of a new synthetic diamond process

SF Giants future Baseball Hall of Fame slugger Willie McCovey wins NL Rookie of the Year

1st episode of Jay Ward's cartoon series Rocky and His Friends", featuring Rocket J. ("Rocky") Squirrel and Bullwinkle J

1st episode of Jay Ward's cartoon series Rocky and His Friends", featuring Rocket J. ("Rocky") Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose. airs on ABC; voice talents of June Foray, Paul Frees, and William Conrad

UN adopts Universal Declaration of Children's Rights

Children's rights or the rights of children are a subset of human rights with particular attention to the rights of special protection and care afforded to minors.

American Football League (AFL) conducts its first draft in Minneapolis with the 8 clubs selecting their playing rosters

American Football League (AFL) conducts its first draft in Minneapolis with the 8 clubs selecting their playing rosters for the inaugural 1960 season

KOMC (now KSNK) TV channel 8 in McCook, Nebraska (NBC), begins broadcasting

NFL Draft: Billy Cannon from LSU is the first pick by the Los Angeles Rams

Billy Abb Cannon Sr. (August 2, 1937 – May 20, 2018) was an American football halfback and tight end who played in the American Football League (AFL) and the National Football League (NFL).

12 nations sign the Antarctic Treaty for the peaceful scientific use of Antarctica

The Antarctic Treaty and related agreements, collectively known as the Antarctic Treaty System (ATS), regulate international relations with respect to Antarctica, Earth's only continent without a...

Malpasset dam collapses destroying French Riviera town of Frejus

State of emergency in Cyprus ends

The Cyprus Emergency was a conflict fought in British Cyprus between April 1955 and March 1959. The National Organisation of Cypriot Fighters (EOKA), a Greek Cypriot guerrilla organisation fighting...

Future Pakistan cricket captain Intikhab Alam bowls Australian opener Colin McDonald with his first ball in Test cricket

Future Pakistan cricket captain Intikhab Alam bowls Australian opener Colin McDonald with his first ball in Test cricket in drawn 3rd Test in Karachi

Baseball's new Continental League awards its 6th franchise to Atlanta, Georgia

Atlanta is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the county seat of Fulton County and extends into neighboring DeKalb County.

Novel Prize for Literature awarded to Sicilian writer Salvatore Quasimodo for his lyrical poetry

MLB New York Yankees trade Marv Thronberry, Don Larsen, Hank Bauer and Norm Seibern to Kansas City Athletics for Roger

MLB New York Yankees trade Marv Thronberry, Don Larsen, Hank Bauer and Norm Seibern to Kansas City Athletics for Roger Maris, Kent Hadley and Joe Deaestri

Jack Brabham finishes 4th in season-ending US Grand Prix at Sebring to become first Australian F1 World Drivers Champion

Jack Brabham finishes 4th in season-ending US Grand Prix at Sebring to become first Australian F1 World Drivers Championship winner; takes title by 4 points from Briton Tony Brooks

Archbishop Makarios elected 1st president of Cyprus, receiving two thirds of the vote

Archbishop Makarios proclaimed president of Cyprus

British Cyprus was the island of Cyprus under the dominion of the British Empire, administered sequentially from 1878 to 1914 as a British protectorate, from 1914 to 1925 as a unilaterally annexed...

Everly Brothers record "Let It Be Me", an English translation of Gilbert Bécaud's French song "Je t'appartiens"; reaches

Everly Brothers record "Let It Be Me", an English translation of Gilbert Bécaud's French song "Je t'appartiens"; reaches No. 7 on the charts

Snow falling in Lowarai Pass West Pakistan kills 48

"On The Beach" is the first film to premiere simultaneously on both sides of the Iron Curtain

Sammy Baugh is named the first coach of the NY Titans (AFL)

Samuel Adrian Baugh (March 17, 1914 – December 17, 2008) was an American professional football quarterback who played 16 seasons with the Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL).

1st Liberty Bowl game-Penn State beats Alabama 7-0

Indian cricket spin bowler Jasubhai Patel takes 9-69 in Australia's 1st innings 219 in 2nd Test at Kanpur

10th largest snowfall in NYC history (13.7")

Tom Landry accepts coaching job with Dallas Cowboys (stays until 1988)

Baseball's new Continental League awards its 7thfranchise to Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas

A synagogue in Cologne Germany desecrated with swatstikas

Saul Levitt's "Andersonville Trial" premieres in NYC

George Washington, 1st ballistic missile sub commissioned

Famous Births

Kapil Dev is born

Kapil Dev, Indian athlete, known for indian former cricket team captain, was born on 1959-01-06. Kapildev Ramlal Nikhanj is an Indian former cricket team captain.

Rigoberta Menchú is born

Rigoberta Menchú, Guatemalan k'iche' guatemalan human rights activist, known for k'iche' guatemalan human rights activist, was born on 1959-01-09.

Lawrence Taylor is born

Lawrence Taylor, American athlete, known for american football player, was born on 1959-02-04.

Ice-T is born

Ice-T, American rapper and actor, known for american rapper and actor, was born on 1959-02-16. Tracy Lauren Marrow, known professionally as Ice-T (or Ice T), is an American rapper and actor.

Roger Goodell is born

Roger Goodell, American athlete, known for 6th commissioner of the national football league, was born on 1959-02-19.

Sharon Stone is born

Sharon Stone, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1959-03-10. Sharon Vonne Stone is an American actress.

Danny Meyer is born

Danny Meyer restaurateur and writer, known for american restaurateur and writer, was born on 1959-03-14.

Jorge Ramos is born

Holly Hunter is born

Holly Hunter, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1959-03-20. Holly Hunter is an American actress.

Gary Oldman is born

Gary Oldman, English actor and filmmaker, known for english actor and filmmaker, was born on 1959-03-21. Sir Gary Leonard Oldman is an English actor and filmmaker.

Alec Baldwin is born

Alec Baldwin, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1959-04-03. Alexander Rae Baldwin III is an American actor and film producer.

Paula Yates is born

Paula Yates, British television personality and writer, known for british television personality and writer, was born on 1959-04-24.

Christa Johnson is born

Michelle Pfeiffer is born

Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1959-04-29. Michelle Marie Pfeiffer ( FY-fər; born April 29, 1958) is an American actress and producer.

Drew Carey is born

Drew Carey, American comedian, known for american comedian, was born on 1959-05-23. Drew Allison Carey is an American comedian, game show host, and actor. After serving in the U.S.

Annette Bening is born

Annette Bening, American actress, known for american actress, was born on 1959-05-29. Annette Carol Bening is an American actress.

Olaf Scholz is born

Eric Heiden is born

Eric Heiden, American athlete, known for american speed skater, was born on 1959-06-14.

Wade Boggs is born

Wade Boggs, American athlete, known for american baseball player, was born on 1959-06-15. Wade Anthony Boggs, nicknamed "Chicken Man", is an American former professional baseball third baseman.

Rosa Mota is born

Rosa Mota, Portuguese athlete, known for portuguese marathon runner, was born on 1959-06-29.

Michael Flatley is born

Michael Flatley, American step dancer, known for american step dancer, was born on 1959-07-16.

Christopher Dean is born

Christopher Dean, British athlete, known for english ice dancer, was born on 1959-07-27.

Alberto Salazar is born

Madonna is born

Madonna, American singer and actress, known for american singer and actress, was born on 1959-08-16. Madonna Louise Ciccone is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress.

Tim Burton is born

Tim Burton, American filmmaker, known for american filmmaker, was born on 1959-08-25. Timothy Walter Burton is an American filmmaker, animator, and writer.

Kathy Hochul is born

Scott Hamilton is born

Wilfred Benítez is born

Wilfred Benítez, Puerto Rican athlete, known for puerto rican boxer, was born on 1959-09-12.

Orel Hershiser is born

Orel Hershiser, American athlete, known for american baseball player and analyst, was born on 1959-09-16.

Ryne Sandberg is born

Ryne Sandberg, American athlete, known for american baseball player and manager, was born on 1959-09-18.

Andrea Bocelli is born

Andrea Bocelli, Italian musician, known for italian tenor, was born on 1959-09-22. Andrea Bocelli is an Italian tenor.

Ursula von der Leyen is born

Tim Robbins is born

Tim Robbins, American actor, known for american actor, was born on 1959-10-16. Timothy Francis Robbins is an American actor, director, producer, and writer.

Alan Jackson is born

Alan Jackson, American musician, known for american singer and songwriter, was born on 1959-10-17. Alan Eugene Jackson is an American singer-songwriter.

Thomas Hearns is born

Thomas Hearns, American athlete, known for american boxer, was born on 1959-10-18. Thomas Hearns is an American former professional boxer who competed from 1977 to 2006.

Jamie Lee Curtis is born

Jamie Lee Curtis, American actress and author, known for american actress and author, was born on 1959-11-22. Jamie Lee Curtis is an American actress, producer, and children's author.

Dave Righetti is born

Dave Righetti, American athlete, known for american baseball player and coach, was born on 1959-11-28.

Nikki Sixx is born

Nikki Sixx, American musician, known for american musician, was born on 1959-12-11.

Michael Flynn is born

Michael Flynn u.s. army general and former u.s. national security advisor, known for u.s. army general and former u.s. national security advisor, was born on 1959-12-24.

Florence Griffith Joyner is born

Florence Griffith Joyner, American track and field hurdle athlete, known for american track and field hurdle athlete, was born on 1959-12-21.

Notable Deaths

Cecil B. DeMille dies

Cecil B. DeMille film director, producer and actor, known for american film director, producer and actor, died on 1959-01-21.

Lou Costello dies

Lou Costello, American comedian and actor, known for american comedian and actor, died on 1959-03-03.

Frank Lloyd Wright dies

Frank Lloyd Wright architect, known for american architect, died on 1959-04-09. Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator.

Carlos Saavedra Lamas dies

Carlos Saavedra Lamas, American academic and politician, known for argentine academic and politician, died on 1959-05-05.

Ethel Barrymore dies

Ethel Barrymore, American actress, known for american actress, died on 1959-06-18. Ethel Barrymore was an American actress and a member of the Barrymore family of actors.

Ernest Bloch dies

Ernest Bloch, American swiss-born american composer, known for swiss-born american composer, died on 1959-07-15. Ernest Bloch was a Swiss-born American composer.

Claude Grahame-White dies

Stepan Bandera dies

Stepan Bandera, Greek ukrainian nationalist leader, known for ukrainian nationalist leader, died on 1959-10-15.