Information for the Year 1958

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  • European Economic Community (Common Market) becomes effective (Jan. 1).
  • Egypt and Syria merge into United Arab Republic (Feb. 1).
  • Khrushchev becomes Premier of Soviet Union as Bulganin resigns (Mar. 27).
  • Gen. Charles de Gaulle becomes French premier (June 1), remaining in power until 1969.
  • Eisenhower orders US Marines into Lebanon at request of President Chamoun, who fears overthrow (July 15).
  • Population:  2.945 billion
  • Nobel Peace Prize:  Rev. Dominique Georges Henri Pire (Belgium)
  • The US Supreme Court rules unanimously that Little Rock, Ark., schools must integrate (Sept. 29).
  • Army's Jupiter-C rocket fires first US satellite, Explorer I, into orbit (Jan. 31).
  • President:  Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Vice President:  Richard M. Nixon
  • Population:   174,881,904
  • Life expectancy:  69.6 years
  • US GDP (1998 dollars):   $467.3 billion
  • Federal spending:   $82.41 billion
  • Federal debt:   $279.7 billion
  • Median Household Income(current dollars):  $5,087
  • Consumer Price Index:  28.9
  • Unemployment:   4.3%
  • Cost of a first-class stamp:  $0.03 ($0.04 as of 8/1/58)
  • Super Bowl  The first Super Bowl was not played until the year 1967.
  • World Series of Baseball  New York Yankees defeated the Milwaukee Braves.
  • National Basketball Association Championship  St. Louis Hawks defeated Boston
  • National Hockey League Stanley Cup  Montreal Canadians defeated Boston Bruins
  • Women Wimbledon Tennis  Althea Gibson defeated A. Mortimer (8-6 6-2)
  • Men Wimbledon Tennis   Ashley Cooper defeated N. Fraser(3-6 6-3 6-4 13-11)
  • Kentucky Derby Horse Race Champion   Tim Tam
  • National College Athletic Association Basketball Championship  Kentucky defeated Seattle(SCORE 87-74)
  • National College Athletic Association Football Champions  LSU (RECORD 11-0-0) and IOWA(RECORD (8-1-1)
  • World Soccer Cup  Brazil defeated Sweden
  • Billboard debuts its Hot 100 chart. Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool" boasts the first No. 1 record.
  • Elvis Presley is inducted into the U.S. Army (March 24).
  • Academy Award, Best Picture:  The Bridge on the River Kwai
  • Grammy Award - Record of the Year  The first Grammy Awards were not until 1959
  • Emmy Award - Best Television Comedy  The Phil Silvers Show - CBS
  • Miss America:  Marilyn Van Derbur (Colorado)
  • First transatlantic jet passenger service started by BOAC, with a New York to London route (Oct. 4).
  • The existence of the Van Allen Belt, a radiation belt surrounding the Earth, is confirmed by the Explorer I satellite.
  • NASA initiates Project Mercury, aimed at putting a man in space within two years.

 

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