1959 Timeline

1959 Datsun Sports S211 is First Produced
The Datsun Sports (called Fairlady in the home market), was a series of roadsters produced by Nissan in the 1960s. The series was a predecessor to the Z-car in the Fairlady line, and offe...
1959 First Photocopier, the Xerox 914, is Introduced to the Market
The Xerox 914 was the first successful commercial plain paper copier which in 1959 revolutionized the document-copying industry. The culmination of inventor Chester Carlson's work on the ...
1959 Ford Galaxie is First Produced
The Ford Galaxie was a full-size car built in the United States by the Ford Motor Company for model years 1959 through 1974. The name was used for the top models in Ford’s full-size range...
1959 'Happy Birthday to You!' is Published
Happy Birthday to You! is a 1959 children's book by Dr. Seuss. It deals with a fantastic land called Katroo, where the Birthday Bird throws everyone an amazing party on their special day....
1959 "I'm All Right Jack" Is Released
I'm All Right Jack is a British comedy film directed and produced by John and Roy Boulting released in 1959 as a sequel to their 1956 film Private's Progress. Ian Carmichael, Dennis Price...
1959 Mercedes-Benz W111 is First Produced
The "Fintail" (German: Heckflosse) was a series of luxury vehicles produced by Mercedes-Benz from 1959 to 1968 under the W111 chassis code. Though never officially designated as such (...
1959 Nissan Gloria is First Produced
The Gloria (Japanese: 日産・グロリア) is a large luxury car made from 1959 by the Prince Motor Company, and later by Nissan Motors since its merger with the former - hence being originally marke...
1959 "What A Diff'rence A Day Made" Is Released
"What a Difference a Day Made" is a popular song originally written in Spanish by María Méndez Grever (María Grever), a Mexican composer, in 1934. Originally, the song was known as Cuando...
1959 Jan North Vietnamese Army unit creates supply route from North Vietnam to Vietcong forces in South Vietnam
In January 1959, the North's Central Committee issued a secret resolution authorizing an "armed struggle". This authorized the southern communists to begin large-scale operations against ...
1959 Jan 1 Collapse of the Fulgencio Batista regime
After the loss at the Battle of Santa Clara, expecting betrayal by his own army and having lost all backup from the previously supportive US government, Batista (accompanied by president-...
1959 Jan 3 Alaska is the 49th State Admitted to the Union
President Eisenhower stated his support for the idea of statehood for Alaska early in his administration but also expressed concerns that needed to be overcome before that could occur. Th...
1959 Jan 8 Fidel Castro assumes the post of Commander-in-Chief
On January 8, 1959, Castro's army rolled victoriously into Havana. As news of the fall of Batista's government spread through Havana, The New York Times described the scene as one of jubi...
1959 Feb 2 Boston College defeats Harvard, 6-4
1959 Feb 2 Boston University defeats Northeastern, 7-4
1959 Feb 2 Buddy Holly's Last Concert at the Surf Ballroom
Following a performance at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa on February 2, 1959, Holly chartered a small airplane to take him to the next stop on the tour. He, Valens, Richardson, an...
1959 Feb 2 Incident at Dyatlov Pass
In 1990, the chief investigator, Lev Ivanov, said in an interview that he had been ordered by senior regional officials to close the case and classify the findings as secret. He said the ...
1959 Feb 3 The Day the Music Died: Buddy Holly Richie Valens and the Big Bopper J.P. Richardson die in plane crash
Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) died in a plane crash in Iowa. Don McClean called this "The Day the Music Died" in his 1971 song "American Pie."
1959 Feb 7 Buddy Holly's Funeral
Holly's funeral was held on February 7, 1959, at the Tabernacle Baptist Church in Lubbock. The service was officiated by Ben D. Johnson, who had presided at the Hollys' wedding just month...
1959 Feb 9 Boston College defeats Boston University, 7-4
1959 Feb 9 Harvard defeats Northeastern, 4-0
1959 Feb 9 Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King Travel To India
“It was wonderful to be in Gandhi’s land,” wrote the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., a few months after returning from a monthlong visit to India in 1959. “I left India more convinced th...
1959 Feb 16 Fidel Castro is sworn in as Prime Minister of Cuba
Fidel Castro sought to oust liberals and democrats, such as José Miró Cardona and Manuel Urrutia Lleó. In February professor José Miró Cardona had to resign because of Castro's attacks. O...
1959 Feb 17 Turkish Airlines Gatwick Crash of 1959
The 1959 Turkish Airlines Gatwick crash was an air disaster that occurred on 17 February 1959, near London Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW, ICAO: EGKK). A Turkish Airlines Vickers Viscount Typ...
1959 Mar 9 FDA Approves Immunex's Thiotepa
Why would this drug be used? Thiotepa is used to treat lymphoma and cancers of the breast, ovary, bladder, and other cancer types. It may also be used to control the fluid that can b...
1959 Mar 11 "Les Cousins" Is Released
Les Cousins is a 1959 French New Wave drama film directed by Claude Chabrol. It tells the story of two cousins, the decadent Paul and the naive Charles. Charles falls in love with Florenc...
1959 Mar 18 The Film, 'The Diary of Anne Frank', Based on the Play, is Released
The Diary of Anne Frank is a 1959 motion picture based on the Pulitzer Prize winning play of the same name, which was based on the diary of Anne Frank. It was directed by George Stevens, ...
1959 Mar 21 California Beats West Virginia in Final Four
The 1959 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 23 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball ...
1959 Mar 29 "Some Like It Hot" Is Released
Some Like It Hot is a 1959 American comedy film directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon. The supporting cast includes George Raft, Joe E. Brown, ...
1959 Mar 30 "Room At The Top" Is Released
Room at the Top is a 1959 British film based on the novel of the same name by John Braine. The novel was adapted by Neil Paterson with uncredited work by Mordecai Richler. It was directed...
1959 Apr 2
to 1959 Apr 5
 Art Wall Jr. wins the 23rd Masters Tournament
Art Wall birdied five of the last six holes for a final round 66 to pass 12 players and win the Masters by one stroke.
1959 Apr 6 31st Academy Awards
The telecast of the 31st Academy Awards is among the most infamous. The show’s producer Jerry Wald started cutting numbers from the show to make sure it ran on time. Unfortunately, he cut...
1959 Apr 9 Frank Lloyd Wright Dies
On April 9, 1959 at age ninety-two, Wright died at his home in Phoenix, Arizona. By the time of his death, he had become internationally recognized for his innovative building style and c...
1959 Apr 17 "Imitation Of Life" Is Released
Imitation of Life is a 1959 film directed by Douglas Sirk, adapted from Fannie Hurst's novel Imitation of Life, produced by Ross Hunter and released by Universal Pictures. Starring Lana T...
1959 Apr 18 Montreal Canadiens win Stanley Cup
The 1959 Stanley Cup Final was contested by the defending champion Montreal Canadiens and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Montreal was making its ninth consecutive appearance in the Final series...
1959 May 4 "The 400 Blows" Is Released
The 400 Blows (French: Les Quatre Cents Coups) is a 1959 French film directed by François Truffaut. One of the defining films of the French New Wave, it displays many of the characteristi...
1959 May 8 Little Caesar's Pizza Chain is Founded
Little Caesars is a pizza chain, estimated to be the 4th largest in the United States. However the company claims to be the largest carry-out pizza chain in the world. Little Caesars w...
1959 May 12 Capital Airlines Flight 75 Crashes
Just three minutes later the aircraft lost control in an area of severe turbulence and entered a steep descent. The aircraft probably reached an airspeed of 335 knots, which is 15 percent...
1959 May 17 Fidel Castro signs First Agrarian Reform into law
The agrarian reform laws of Cuba sought to break up large landholdings and redistribute land to those peasants who worked it, to cooperatives, and the state. Laws relating to land reform ...
1959 May 18 FDA Approves Pharmacia and UpJohn's Solu-Medrol Solution
Treating certain conditions associated with decreased adrenal gland function. It is also used to treat severe inflammation caused by certain conditions, including severe asthma, severe al...
1959 Jun 10 "Hiroshima, Mon Amour" Is Released
Hiroshima Mon Amour is an acclaimed 1959 drama/romance film directed by French film director Alain Resnais, with a screenplay by Marguerite Duras. It is about a relationship between a Fre...
1959 Jun 12 "Black Orpheus" Is Released
Black Orpheus (Portuguese: Orfeu Negro) is a 1959 film made in Brazil by French director Marcel Camus. It is based on the play Orfeu da Conceição by Vinicius de Moraes, which is an adapta...
1959 Jun 18 Escuminac Hurricane of 1959
June 19, 1959: a fierce hurricane lashes the Gulf of St. Lawrence, wreaking awesome damage and disaster on the New Brunswick coast. The storm devastates the small port of Escuminac, as 13...
1959 Jul 1 "Anatomy Of A Murder" Is Released
Anatomy of a Murder (1959) is an American trial court drama film directed by Otto Preminger and written by Wendell Mayes based on the best-selling novel of the same name written by Michig...
1959 Jul 8 US Servicemen Killed in Guerilla Attack
U.S. Army Major Dale Richard Buis (August 29, 1921 - July 8, 1959) is the first name listed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Buis originally hailed from Pender, Nebraska. He was part of ...
1959 Jul 17 Dr. Leakey Discovers Oldest Human Skull
My father was ill that morning, so my mother set out alone in the Land Rover, accompanied by her two Dalmatians. She spent the morning crawling along the slope of the nearby gorge but fou...
1959 Jul 18 "The Nun's Story" Is Released
Audrey Hepburn stars in The Nun's Story as Sister Luke, postulant of a Belgian order of nuns. Though frequently disillusioned in her efforts to spread good will -- at one point she is nea...
1959 Jul 28 "North By Northwest" Is Released
North by Northwest is a 1959 American suspense film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason, and featuring Leo G. Carroll and Martin Landau. The...
1959 Aug 13 Production of first car with standard fitted three-point safety belt
The first car to be produced with a standard fitted three-point safety belt rolled off the Volvo production lines in Sweden, on August 13th 1959. The three-point safety belt was invented ...
1959 Aug 14 Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is Born
Earvin Johnson Jr. was born to Earvin Sr., a General Motors assembly worker, and Christine, a school custodian. Johnson grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and came to love basketball as a youn...
1959 Aug 21 Hawaii admitted as 50th state in the United States
The Hawaii Constitution was framed by a Constitutional Convention under Act 334, Session Laws of Hawaii 1949. It was adopted by the people at the election held on November 7, 1950, and wa...