9 January 1959GovernmentDwight David Eisenhower
Alaska becomes the 49th state of the Union
Historical records for United States of America in 1959, rendered directly from the World History Database and ordered by month, day and event.
Alaska becomes the 49th state of the Union
Receives his major break as Rowdy Yates in the CBS western television series Rawhide.
Debuts on American television as Rowdy Yates when Rawhide begins its CBS run.
McCone joined AEC officials in demonstrating the SNAP-3 radioisotope power technology to President Eisenhower at the White House.
McCone explained AEC concerns that proposed improvements in detecting underground nuclear tests remained theoretical and required experimental validation.
Appointed Chairman of the Cabinet Committee on price stability for economic growth
When the Cuban revolution ended in January 1959, Castro appointed Sturgis gambling czar and director of security and intelligence for the air force, in addition to his position as a captain in the 26th of July Brigade
CIA-related assassination records become part of later investigations.
After Castro's victory, Sturgis held security-related responsibilities in Cuba before his political break with the new government.
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) are killed when a plane Buddy Holly had chartered from Mason City, Iowa, to Fargo, North Dakota crashes in a corn field
Birth of John McEnroe
Oswald took a Marine foreign-language qualification test in Russian on February 25, 1959, and received poor ratings in all tested areas.
Lee was promoted again to private first class effective March 1, 1959, after having previously been reduced in rank.
Signs the act providing for Hawaii's admission as a state.
Lee applied to Albert Schweitzer College in Switzerland for the spring 1960 term, listing philosophy, psychology, ideology, and writing among his interests.
Marine educational testing gave Lee an overall satisfactory rating, with his strongest scores in English composition and physical sciences.
McCone raised concerns about verifying underground nuclear explosions and supported further experiments to improve detection methods before relying on a comprehensive test ban.
NASA introduces Carpenter as one of the seven military test pilots selected for Project Mercury.
NASA introduces Cooper as one of the original seven astronauts selected for Project Mercury flight training.
NASA presents Grissom as one of the original seven astronauts chosen to train for Project Mercury missions.
NASA presents Shepard as one of the seven pilots selected for Project Mercury, America's first human spaceflight programme.
NASA names Slayton among the seven original astronauts selected for Project Mercury.
Resigns due to ill health, evidence of bone metastasis after developing colon cancer
Resigns due to ill health, evidence of bone metastasis after developing colon cancer
The Saint Lawrence Seaway opens to navigation, completing a major United States-Canadian infrastructure project backed by Eisenhower.
Death of John Foster Dules
Death of John Foster Dulles
Interred at Arlington National Cemetery
Bob Dylan graduates Hibbing HS in Minnesota
McCone testified before a Senate Foreign Relations subcommittee about the Geneva nuclear test negotiations and the technical problems of verification.
Joins Queen Elizabeth II in formally opening the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
The IAEA sends preliminary assistance missions to Asian Member States to assess nuclear science, training and equipment needs.
Killed with Dale Buis in the Bien Hoa attack
Killed in an attack often counted among the first US combat deaths in Vietnam
McDonald leads a nationwide steel strike over work rules and employment security.
July 22-August 5, visits the Soviet Union & Poland
Hawaii formally enters the Union as the fiftieth state during Eisenhower's presidency.
A Marine hardship board recommended approval of Lee's request for early active-duty release because of his mother's claimed dependency.
Ruby visited Havana in 1959 at the invitation of Lewis McWillie, who supervised gambling activities at the Tropicana Hotel; Ruby later described the trip as recreational.
Oswald applied for a United States passport on September 4, 1959, while preparing to leave active Marine service.
Oswald was released from active Marine duty on September 11, 1959, and transferred to the Marine Corps Reserve.
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev begins an unprecedented visit to the United States.
Oswald booked passage from New Orleans to Le Havre aboard the freighter SS Marion Lykes on September 17, 1959.
Before sailing to Europe, Lee registered at the Liberty Hotel in New Orleans on the evening of September 17.
The SS Marion Lykes sailed from New Orleans early on September 20, 1959, carrying Oswald as one of four passengers.
Begins talks with Nikita Khrushchev at Camp David on Berlin and wider East-West tensions.
Pours the first concrete for the IAEA laboratory at Seibersdorf, beginning construction of the Agency's research facility.
Oswald disembarked at Le Havre on October 8, 1959, and continued his journey toward northern Europe.
Oswald flew to Helsinki on October 9, 1959, after telling British customs officials that he planned to remain in Britain for a week.
Lee told British customs officials that he planned a week in Britain before attending school in Switzerland, then flew to Helsinki that day.
Lee probably applied for his Soviet entry visa at the Russian consulate in Helsinki on October 12, the first business day after arrival.
The Soviet consulate issued Oswald a visa on October 14, 1959, permitting a single visit of no more than six days.
Lee traveled by train from Helsinki and crossed the Finnish-Soviet border at Vainikkala on October 15.
Oswald arrived in Moscow on October 16, 1959, and registered at the Hotel Berlin as a student.
Intourist assigned Rima Shirokova as Lee's Moscow guide shortly after his arrival, and she assisted him with Soviet authorities.
With assistance from his Intourist guide, Lee mailed a letter to the Supreme Soviet requesting Soviet citizenship.
Following his wrist injury, Lee spent three days in Botkinskaya Hospital's psychiatric ward before doctors transferred him to another department.
After being told to leave Moscow, Oswald cut his left wrist and was taken unconscious to Botkinskaya Hospital.
On October 21, 1959, Soviet officials informed Oswald that his visa had expired and ordered him to leave Moscow within two hours.
After leaving the hospital, Lee checked out of the Hotel Berlin and registered at Moscow's Metropole Hotel.
Lee appeared at the American Embassy and declared that he wanted to renounce his United States citizenship.
Soon after reaching Moscow, Oswald told his Intourist guide that he wanted to leave the United States and become a Soviet citizen.
Lee wrote the American Embassy requesting revocation of his citizenship after consular officials had delayed his attempted renunciation.
United Press International reporter Aline Mosby interviewed Lee for about two hours regarding his decision to remain in the Soviet Union.
Journalist Priscilla Johnson interviewed Lee at the Metropole Hotel for roughly five hours about his politics, defection, and Soviet citizenship hopes.
Departs on an eleven-nation goodwill tour intended to strengthen alliances and demonstrate personal diplomacy.
McCone joined senior officials in reviewing the expiring nuclear test moratorium and negotiating guidance before President Eisenhower made a new policy decision.
McCone transmitted guidance to the AEC after the administration decided how to handle the expiring moratorium and future Geneva negotiations.
Winner of the Academy Award for Best Direction for Ben-Hur
Stars in, "Anatomy of a Murder"
Stars in "The Apartment", wins the BAFTA Award for Best Foreign Actor
Directs, Ben-Hur
Sturgis left his earlier pro-Castro position and moved into opposition to the Cuban government.
Sturgis eventually broke with Castro and became an active opponent of the Cuban government he had previously supported.
Visits India to study nonviolence and civil disobedience
Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper (J.P. Richardson) are killed when a plane Buddy Holly had chartered from Mason City, Iowa, to Fargo, North Dakota crashes in a corn field
An FBI agent who opens a case file on Oswald after his defection to the Soviet Union
An FBI agent who opens a case file on Oswald after his defection to the Soviet Union
Stars in "The Apartment", wins the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor
Attends but a Treaty is not agreed due to US opposition, the "big hole" theory
Opens the American National exhibition in Moscow & has a televised "Kitchen Debate". Debates capitalism on TV with Khrushchev in a model kitchen in the US exhibition
Measures gravitational redshift with Glen Rebka using the Mossbauer effect.
Pound measures gravitational redshift on Earth and tests a key prediction of general relativity
Rebka works with Pound on the laboratory detection of gravitational redshift
Oversees rapid expansion of IAEA fellowships and specialist training placements for scientists and engineers from Member States.
Shaw helped advance development of the thirty-three-story International Trade Mart Building as part of his long business career.
Retuns to Hollywood to star in the musical comedy Lets Make Love, about an actress and a millionaire who fall in love when performing in a satirical play
Makes a guest appearance on Maverick opposite James Garner as a cowardly villain seeking money through marriage.
Posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom and the Sylvanus Thayer Award
Berry Gordy Jr. founds Motown record company to mass-market black music, the Miracles, "Shop Around"
Shares the Nobel Prize in Physics for discovering the antiproton.
Stars in On the Beach
Confirms gravitational redshift in a laboratory test of general relativity.
Appears in Howard Hawks Rio Bravo, in which she played a flirtatious gambler called "Feathers" who becomes attracted to the town sheriff played by Dickinsons childhood idol John Wayne
Rio Bravo is a 1959 American Western film, directed by Howard Hawks
Posthumously awarded the Medal of Freedom and the Sylvanus Thayer Award
Stars in "The Apartment"
Writes "The Measure of A Man", from which the piece "What is Man?", an attempt to sketch the optimal political, social, and economic structure of society, is derived
Directs, "The Nuns Story"
Stars in "The Young Philadelphians"
Studies briefly at the University of Minnesota.
Writes "The Measure of A Man", from which the piece "What is Man?", an attempt to sketch the optimal political, social, and economic structure of society, is derived
Patterson made four successful title defenses but his reign comes to an end when Swedens Johansson knocked him out in the third round
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