Launch
1st unmanned space probe is launched, Luna I
Permanent historical records · Updated 2026-11-03
1959 in Russia
Explore 46 historical events and records for Russia in 1959.
Historical records for Russia in 1959
Sorted by month and day. Records with no month are shown last. Showing 40 of 46 unique records.
46Unique records
1 of 2Page
39Named events on this page
8Named people on this page
19Places on this page
January
First Escape-Velocity Probe
The achievement marks first escape-velocity probe as an important Russian scientific milestone.
Luna 1 Launch
Directs Luna 1, the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravitational influence.
Luna 1 Mission
The Soviet Union launches Luna 1, the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity.
Luna 1 Solar Wind Detection
Uses ion traps aboard Luna 1 to obtain the first direct spacecraft evidence of a continuous stream of charged particles flowing outward from the Sun.
Twenty-First Party Congress
Uses the Twenty-First Party Congress to launch the Seven-Year Plan and proclaim progress toward communism.
July
Kitchen Debate with Richard Nixon
Debates Vice President Richard Nixon at the American National Exhibition over consumer living standards and rival political systems.
Military Leadership Debate
Kerensky participates in military leadership debate during his political career.
September
First Spacecraft on the Moon
The achievement marks first spacecraft on the moon as an important Russian scientific milestone.
Luna 2 Lunar Impact
Directs the mission whose probe becomes the first human-made object to reach the Moon.
Luna 2 Moon Impact
Luna 2 becomes the first human-made object to reach the surface of the Moon.
Arrival at Andrews Air Force Base
Arrives for his official American tour and is welcomed by President Eisenhower.
Official Visit to United States
Begins the first visit to the United States by a Soviet leader, meeting President Dwight Eisenhower.
United Nations General Assembly Address
Addresses the United Nations General Assembly during his visit to the United States.
Hollywood Visit
Visits a Hollywood studio during his widely publicized tour of the United States.
San Francisco Visit
Tours San Francisco during his American visit and meets civic and business representatives.
Iowa Farm Visit
Visits an Iowa farm and studies American maize production during his agricultural tour.
Pittsburgh Industrial Visit
Visits Pittsburgh to inspect American industrial facilities before continuing to Camp David.
Camp David Talks with Eisenhower
Holds extensive private and formal talks with Eisenhower on Berlin, disarmament and bilateral relations.
Camp David Joint Communique
Concludes talks with Eisenhower by affirming that international disputes should be settled through peaceful negotiations.
Beijing Anniversary Visit
Visits Beijing for the tenth anniversary of the People's Republic amid worsening Sino-Soviet relations.
Arms Control Talks at Berlin
Khrushchev & Eisenhower stated jointly that the most important issue in the world was general disarmament & Berlin to be resolved by negotiation
Camp David Understanding on Berlin
Agrees with President Eisenhower that negotiations on Berlin should continue without a fixed Soviet deadline.
Crisis
Khrushchev & Eisenhower stated jointly that the most important issue in the world was general disarmament & Berlin to be resolved by negotiation
October
Visit to Beijing
Visits China for the 10th anniversary of the revolution
Visit to To the US
Criticised in the press for a visit to the US
Luna 3 Mission
Leads the spacecraft programme returning the first images of the Moon's far side.
Photography of Lunar Far Side
The achievement marks photography of lunar far side as an important Russian scientific milestone.
Luna 3 Far Side Images
Luna 3 photographs the far side of the Moon for the first time.
Other events (month unknown)
Bryukhanov Angren Power Plant Career Begins
Begins work at the Angren Thermal Power Plant and gains practical experience in turbine and power-station operations.
Bryukhanov Electrical Engineering Degree
Graduates from Tashkent Polytechnic with a degree in electrical engineering before beginning a career in the Soviet power industry.
Conference of Nuclear Test Ban
Attends but a Treaty is not agreed due to US opposition, the "big hole" theory. Attends but a Treaty is not agreed due to US opposition, the "big hole" theory
Congress of Communist Party, 21st
21st Party Congress
Crisis
Khrushchev & Eisenhower stated jointly that the most important issue in the world was general disarmament & Berlin to be resolved by negotiation. Russia withdraws its deadline & instead meets with the Western powers in a Big Four Foreign Minister's conference
Drafts Ivan Denisovich Story
Solzhenitsyn wrote the camp narrative later published as One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich.
Dyatlov Komsomolsk Shipyard Assignment
Is assigned to the Lenin Komsomol shipbuilding plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur after completing his nuclear-engineering education.
Dyatlov Moscow Engineering Physics Institute Graduation
Graduates with distinction as an engineer-physicist specializing in automation and electronics at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute.
Expansion of Maize Campaign
Promotes wider maize cultivation as part of his effort to increase livestock feed and agricultural output.
First Secretary
Appointed First Secretary of the Novosibirsk obkom
Maize Campaign Launched
Launches the maize campaign
How these records were prepared
Generated from the World History Database historical_events table. Identical display records are collapsed; descriptions otherwise retain the stored text. Coverage and source quality vary. Check primary and specialist sources before citing individual historical claims.