Information for the Year 1959

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  • Cuban President Batista resigns and flees (Jan. 1). Fidel Castro assumes power (Feb. 16).
  • Tibet's Dalai Lama escapes to India (Mar. 31).
  • Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev tours the United States, meeting with Eisenhower at Camp David.
  • Population:  2.997 billion
  • Nobel Peace Prize:  Philip John Noel-Baker (United Kingdom)
  • Alaska (Jan. 3) and Hawaii (Aug. 21) become the 49th and 50th states.
  • St. Lawrence Seaway opens, allowing ocean ships to reach Midwest (April 25).
  • President:  Dwight D. Eisenhower
  • Vice President:  Richard M. Nixon
  • Population:   177,829,628
  • Life expectancy:  69.9 years
  • US GDP (1998 dollars):   $507.2 billion
  • Federal spending:   $92.10 billion
  • Federal debt:   $287.5 billion
  • Median Household Income(current dollars):  $5,417
  • Consumer Price Index:  29.1
  • Unemployment:   6.8%
  • Cost of a first-class stamp:  $0.04
  • Super Bowl  The first Super Bowl was not played until the year 1967.
  • World Series of Baseball  Los Angeles Dogers defeated the Chicago White Socks.
  • National Basketball Association Championship  Boston defeated Minneapolis Lakers
  • National Hockey League Stanley Cup  Montreal Canadians defeated Toronto Maple Leafs
  • Women Wimbledon Tennis  Maria Bueno defeated D. Hard (6-4 6-3)
  • Men Wimbledon Tennis   Alex Olmedo defeated R. Laver(6-4 6-3 6-4)
  • Kentucky Derby Horse Race Champion   Tomy Lee
  • National College Athletic Association Basketball Championship  California defeated West Virginia(SCORE 71-70)
  • National College Athletic Association Football Champions  Syracuse(RECORD 11-0-0)
  • The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences sponsors the first Grammy Award ceremony for music recorded in 1958.
  • Frank Sinatra wins his first Grammy Award -- Best Album for Come Dance with Me.
  • Rumors of cheating on quiz shows erupt into a national scandal.
  • Academy Award, Best Picture:  Gigi
  • Grammy Award - Record of the Year  Volare by Domenico Modugno
  • Emmy Award - Best Television Comedy  The Jack Benny Show - CBS
  • Miss America:  Mary Ann Mobley (Mississippi)
  • Jack S. Kilby of Texas Instruments (US) supervises the development of the first integrated circuit.
  • The US Navy launches the Vanguard satellite.
  • The Lunik II probe (USSR) reaches the moon; Lunik III photographs the dark side of the moon for the first time.

 

All of the Information on this site is from Fact Monster