March 31
March 31
Dalai Lama begins exile
The Dalai Lama, fleeing the Chinese suppression of a national uprising in Tibet, crosses the border into India, where he is granted political asylum. Born in Taktser, China, as Tensin…
A Year In History: 1959
This Year in History:
1959
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
April 9
April 9
NASA introduces America’s first astronauts
On April 9, 1959, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) introduces America’s first astronauts to the press: Scott Carpenter, L. Gordon Cooper Jr., John H. Glenn Jr., Virgil “Gus”…
April 15
April 15
Castro visits the United States
Four months after leading a successful revolution in Cuba, Fidel Castro visits the United States. The visit was marked by tensions between Castro and the American government. On January 1,…
May 4
May 4
Ella Fitzgerald becomes first Black woman to win a Grammy Award
“First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald becomes the first Black woman to win a Grammy at the Recording Academy’s inaugural awards show on May 4, 1959. During the event at…
May 24
May 24
Former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles dies
After battling cancer for nearly three years, former Secretary of State John Foster Dulles dies. Dulles served as secretary of state from 1953 until shortly before his death in 1959…
May 26
May 26
Haddix pitches 12 perfect innings, but loses
On this day in 1959, Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches 12 perfect innings against the Milwaukee Braves, only to lose the game on a two‑run double by Braves’…
June 23
June 23
Klaus Fuchs released
After only nine years in prison, Klaus Fuchs, the German‑born Los Alamos scientist whose espionage helped the USSR build their first atomic and hydrogen bombs, is released from a British…
June 26
June 26
St. Lawrence Seaway officially opened
In a ceremony presided over by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Queen Elizabeth II, the St. Lawrence Seaway is officially opened, creating a navigational channel from the Atlantic Ocean…
July 5
July 5
U.S. visitors to Soviet exhibition in New York express their feelings
The New York Times says American visitors to the Soviet National Exhibition in New York City are expressing very strong views of Russian society and economics in the “guest books”…
July 8
July 8
First Americans killed in South Vietnam
Maj. Dale R. Buis and Master Sgt. Chester M. Ovnand become the first Americans killed in the American phase of the Vietnam War when guerrillas strike a Military Assistance Advisory…
July 21
July 21
Pumpsie Green becomes first African‑American to play for Red Sox
On July 21, 1959, Elijah Jerry “Pumpsie” Green makes his Boston Red Sox debut, becoming the first African American ever to play for the Red Sox, the last team in…
July 24
July 24
Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev have a “kitchen debate”
During the grand opening ceremony of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev engage in a heated debate about capitalism and communism…
July 24
July 24
Nixon debates Khrushchev at a fair in Moscow
On this day in 1959, at a U.S. Trade and Cultural Fair in Moscow, Vice President Richard Nixon enters into a heated discussion with Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev over the…
August 7
August 7
The first U.S. satellite to photograph the Earth is launched
From the Atlantic Missile Range in Cape Canaveral, Florida, the U.S. unmanned spacecraft Explorer 6 is launched into an orbit around the earth. The spacecraft, commonly known as the “Paddlewheel”…
August 21
August 21
Hawaii becomes 50th state
The modern United States receives its crowning star when President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a proclamation admitting Hawaii (Native spelling: Hawai‘i) into the Union as the 50th state. The president…
August 21
August 21
Eisenhower signs Hawaii statehood bill
On this day in 1959, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill making Hawaii the 50th state. Ike, as Eisenhower was known, entered the White House in 1953 in charge…
August 26
August 26
Mini makes its debut
On this day in 1959, the British Motor Corporation (BMC) launches its newest car, the small, affordable–at a price tag of less than $800–Mark I Mini. The diminutive Mini went…
August 31
August 31
Sandy Koufax strikes out 18
On August 31, 1959, Los Angeles Dodgers left‑hander Sandy Koufax strikes out 18 batters, setting a new National League record for most strikeouts in a single game. Sandy Koufax was a…
September 2
September 2
Ford introduces the compact, fuel‑efficient Falcon
On September 2, 1959, at a news conference broadcast to viewers in 21 cities on closed‑circuit television, Henry Ford II introduces his company’s newest car–the 90‑horsepower, 30 miles‑per‑gallon Falcon. The…
September 12
September 12
Situation deteriorates in South Vietnam
North Vietnamese Premier Pham Van Dong tells the French Consul: “You must remember we will be in Saigon tomorrow.” In November, he would tell the Canadian Commissioner: “We will drive…
