1959

Events from the year **1959 in the United States**.

Governors
* Governor of Alabama: Jim Folsom (Democratic) (until January 19), John M. Patterson (Democratic) (starting January 19)
* Governor of Alaska: Waino Edward Hendrickson (Republican) (until January 3), William A. Egan (Democratic) (starting January 3)
* Governor of Arizona: Ernest McFarland (Democratic) (until January 5), Paul Fannin (Republican) (starting January 5)
* Governor of Arkansas: Orval Faubus (Democratic)
* Governor of California: Goodwin Jess Knight (Republican) (until January 5), Pat Brown (Democratic) (starting January 5)
* Governor of Colorado: Stephen L. R. McNichols (Democratic)
* Governor of Connecticut: Abraham A. Ribicoff (Democratic)
* Governor of Delaware: J. Caleb Boggs (Republican)
* Governor of Florida: LeRoy Collins (Democratic)
* Governor of Georgia: Marvin Griffin (Democratic) (until January 13), Ernest Vandiver (Democratic) (starting January 13)
* Governor of Hawaii: William F. Quinn (Republican) (starting August 21)
* Governor of Idaho: Robert E. Smylie (Republican)
* Governor of Illinois: William G. Stratton (Republican)
* Governor of Indiana: Harold W. Handley (Republican)
* Governor of Iowa: Herschel C. Loveless (Democratic)
* Governor of Kansas: George Docking (Democratic)
* Governor of Kentucky: Happy Chandler (Democratic) (until December 8), Bert T. Combs (Democratic) (starting December 8)
* Governor of Louisiana: Earl K. Long (Democratic)
* Governor of Maine:
	+ until January 2: Edmund Muskie (Democratic)
	+ January 2-January 7: Robert Haskell (Republican)
	+ January 7-December 30: Clinton Clauson (Democratic)
	+ starting December 30: John H. Reed (Republican)
* Governor of Maryland: Theodore R. McKeldin (Republican) (until January 14), J. Millard Tawes (Democratic) (starting January 14)
* Governor of Massachusetts: Foster Furcolo (Democratic)
* Governor of Michigan: G. Mennen Williams (Democratic)
* Governor of Minnesota: Orville L. Freeman (Democratic)
* Governor of Mississippi: James P. Coleman (Democratic)
* Governor of Missouri: James T. Blair Jr. (Democratic)
* Governor of Montana: J. Hugo Aronson (Republican)
* Governor of Nebraska: Victor E. Anderson (Republican) (until January 8), Ralph G. Brooks (Democratic) (starting January 8)
* Governor of Nevada: Charles H. Russell (Republican) (until January 5), Grant Sawyer (Democratic) (starting January 5)
* Governor of New Hampshire: Lane Dwinell (Republican) (until January 1), Wesley Powell (Republican) (starting January 1)
* Governor of New Jersey: Robert B. Meyner (Democratic)
* Governor of New Mexico: Edwin L. Mechem (Republican) (until January 1), John Burroughs (Democratic) (starting January 1)
* Governor of New York: Nelson Rockefeller (Republican)
* Governor of North Carolina: Luther H. Hodges (Democratic)
* Governor of North Dakota: John E. Davis (Republican)
* Governor of Ohio: C. William O'Neill (Republican) (until January 12), Michael DiSalle (Democratic) (starting January 12)
* Governor of Oklahoma: Raymond D. Gary (Democratic) (until January 12), J. Howard Edmondson (Democratic) (starting January 12)
* Governor of Oregon: Robert D. Holmes (Democratic) (until January 12), Mark Hatfield (Republican) (starting January 12)
* Governor of Pennsylvania: George M. Leader (Democratic) (until January 20), David L. Lawrence (Democratic) (starting January 20)
* Governor of Rhode Island: Dennis J. Roberts (Democratic) (until January 6), Christopher Del Sesto (Republican) (starting January 6)
* Governor of South Carolina: George Bell Timmerman Jr. (Democratic) (until January 20), Ernest Hollings (Democratic) (starting January 20)
* Governor of South Dakota: Joe Foss (Republican) (until January 6), Ralph Herseth (Democratic) (starting January 6)
* Governor of Tennessee: Frank G. Clement (Democratic) (until January 19), Buford Ellington (Democratic) (starting January 19)
* Governor of Texas: Price Daniel (Democratic)
* Governor of Utah: George Dewey Clyde (Republican)
* Governor of Vermont: Joseph B. Johnson (Republican) (until January 8), Robert T. Stafford (Republican) (starting January 8)
* Governor of Virginia: J. Lindsay Almond (Democratic)
* Governor of Washington: Albert D. Rosellini (Democratic)
* Governor of West Virginia: Cecil H. Underwood (Republican)
* Governor of Wisconsin: Vernon W. Thomson (Republican) (until January 5), Gaylord A. Nelson (Democratic) (starting January 5)
* Governor of Wyoming: Milward L. Simpson (Republican) (until January 5), John J. Hickey (Democratic) (starting January 5)

Lieutenant Governors
* Lieutenant Governor of Alabama: William G. Hardwick (Democratic) (until month and day unknown), Albert B. Boutwell (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Alaska: Hugh Wade (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Arkansas: Nathan Green Gordon (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of California: Harold J. Powers (Republican) (until January 5), Glenn Malcolm Anderson (Democratic) (starting January 5)
* Lieutenant Governor of Colorado: Frank L. Hays (Republican) (until month and day unknown), Robert Lee Knous (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Connecticut: Charles W. Jewett (Democratic) (until month and day unknown), John N. Dempsey (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Delaware: David P. Buckson (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Georgia: S. Ernest Vandiver (Democratic) (until January 13), Garland T. Byrd (Democratic) (starting January 13)
* Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii: James Kealoha (Republican) (starting August 21)
* Lieutenant Governor of Idaho: J. Berkeley Larsen (Republican) (until January 5), W. E. Drevlow (Democratic) (starting January 5)
* Lieutenant Governor of Illinois: John William Chapman (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Indiana: Crawford F. Parker (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Iowa: William H. Nicholas (Republican) (until month and day unknown), Edward J. McManus (Democratic) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kansas: Joseph W. Henkle Sr. (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky: Harry Lee Waterfield (Democratic) (until month and day unknown), Wilson W. Wyatt (political party unknown) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana: Lether Frazar (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts: Robert F. Murphy (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Michigan: Philip A. Hart (Democratic) (until January 1), John B. Swainson (Democratic) (starting January 1)
* Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota: Karl Rolvaag (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Mississippi: Carroll Gartin (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Missouri: Edward V. Long (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Montana: Paul Cannon (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Nebraska: Dwight W. Burney (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of Nevada: Rex Bell (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of New Mexico: vacant (until January 1), Ed V. Mead (Democratic) (starting January 1)
* Lieutenant Governor of New York: Malcolm Wilson (Republican)
* Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina: Luther E. Barnhardt (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of North Dakota: Francis Clyde Duffy (Republican) (until month and day unknown), Clarence P. Dahl (Republican) (starting month and day unknown)
* Lieutenant Governor of Ohio: Paul M. Herbert (Republican) (until January 12), John W. Donahey (Democratic) (starting January 12)
* Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma: Cowboy Pink Williams (Democratic) (until January 12), George Nigh (Democratic) (starting January 12)
* Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania: Roy E. Furman (Democratic) (until January 20), John Morgan Davis (Democratic) (starting January 20)
* Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island: Armand H. Cote (Democratic) (until January 6), John A. Notte Jr. (Democratic) (starting January 6)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Carolina: Ernest Hollings (Democratic) (until January 20), Burnet R. Maybank Jr. (Democratic) (starting January 20)
* Lieutenant Governor of South Dakota: L. Roy Houck (Republican) (until January 6), John F. Lindley (Democratic) (starting January 6)
* Lieutenant Governor of Tennessee: Jared Maddux (Democratic) (until January 19), William D. Baird (Democratic) (starting January 19)
* Lieutenant Governor of Texas: Ben Ramsey (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Vermont: Robert T. Stafford (Republican) (until January 8), Robert S. Babcock (Republican) (starting January 8)
* Lieutenant Governor of Virginia: Allie Edward Stokes Stephens (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Washington: John Cherberg (Democratic)
* Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin: Warren P. Knowles (Republican) (until January 5), Philleo Nash (Democratic) (starting January 5)

## Events

### January - March

* January 2 – CBS Radio cuts four soap operas: *Backstage Wife*, *Our Gal Sunday*, *The Road of Life* and *This is Nora Drake*.
* January 3 – Alaska admitted becomes the 49th U.S. state.
* January 7 – The United States recognizes the new Cuban government of Fidel Castro.
* January 22 – Knox Mine Disaster: Water breaches the River Slope Mine near Pittston City, Pennsylvania in Port Griffith; 12 miners are killed.
* January 29 – Walt Disney releases his 16th animated film, *Sleeping Beauty*, in Beverly Hills. It is the final fairy tale adaptation released by Disney during his lifetime and the last the studio would produce until 1989's *The Little Mermaid*.
* February 3 – A chartered plane transporting musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper crashes in foggy conditions near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all four occupants on board, including pilot Roger Peterson. The tragedy is later termed "The Day the Music Died", popularized in Don McLean's 1971 song "American Pie".
* February 6 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished.
* February 17 – The United States launches the Vanguard II weather satellite.
* February 22 – Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500.
* March 1 – USS *Tuscaloosa*, USS *New Orleans*, USS *Tennessee* and USS *West Virginia* are struck from the Naval Vessel Register.
* March 3 – Lunar probe *Pioneer 4* becomes the first American object to escape dominance by Earth's gravity.
* March 11 – *A Raisin in the Sun* by Lorraine Hansberry opens on Broadway in New York City.
* March 18 – American President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a bill allowing for Hawaiian statehood.
* March 31 – The first Busch Gardens amusement park, in Tampa, Florida, is dedicated and opens its gates.

### April - June

* April 6 – The 31st Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by Jerry Lewis, Mort Sahl, Tony Randall, Bob Hope, David Niven and Laurence Olivier, is held at Pantages Theatre in Hollywood. Vincente Minnelli's *Gigi* wins a record nine awards, including Best Motion Picture and Best Director for Minnelli. The film's record clean sweep of all nine of its nominations would not be tied again until 1988, and would not be broken until 2004. *Gigi* is also equaled in nominations by Stanley Kramer's *The Defiant Ones*.
* April 9 – NASA announces its selection of the "Mercury Seven", seven military pilots to become the first U.S. astronauts.
* April 25 – The Saint Lawrence Seaway linking the North American Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean officially opens to shipping.
* May 8 – The first Little Caesars pizza restaurant is opened by Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian in Garden City, Michigan.
* May 21 – *Gypsy: A Musical Fable*, starring Ethel Merman in her last new musical, opens on Broadway and runs for 702 performances.
* May 28 – Jupiter AM-18 rocket launches two primates, Miss Baker and Miss Able, into space from Cape Canaveral along with living microorganisms and plant seeds. Successful recovery makes them the first living beings to return safely to Earth after space flight.
* June 8 – USS *Barbero* and United States Postal Service attempt the delivery of mail via Missile Mail.
* June 9 – USS *George Washington* is launched as the first submarine to carry ballistic missiles.
* June 23 – Convicted Manhattan Project spy Klaus Fuchs is released after only nine years in a British prison and allowed to emigrate to Dresden, East Germany (where he resumes a scientific career).
* June 26
	+ Queen Elizabeth II and U.S. President Dwight Eisenhower open the Saint Lawrence Seaway.
	+ *Darby O'Gill and the Little People*, a film based on H. T. Kavanagh's short stories, is released in the U.S. by Walt Disney, two days after its world premiere in Ireland.

### July - September

* July 8 – Charles Ovnand and Dale R. Buis become the first Americans killed in action in Vietnam.
* July 15 – Steel strike of 1959: Labor union strike in the U.S. steel industry.
* July 24
	+ At the opening of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, U.S. Vice President Richard Nixon and USSR Premier Nikita Khrushchev have a "kitchen debate."
	+ With the admission of Alaska as the 49th U.S. state earlier in the year, the 49-star flag of the United States debuts in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
* August 7
	+ Explorers program: Launch of Explorer 6 from the Atlantic Missile Range in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
	+ The Roseburg Oregon Blast kills 14 and causes $12 million worth of damage.
* August 17
	+ The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake in southwest Montana kills 28.
	+ Miles Davis' influential jazz album *Kind of Blue* is released.
* August 21 – Hawaii admitted becomes the 50th and last U.S. state.

### October - December

* October 2 – Rod Serling's classic anthology series *The Twilight Zone* premieres on CBS.
* October 8 - The Los Angeles Dodgers defeat the Chicago White Sox, 4 games to 2, to win their 2nd World Series Title.
* October 13 – Launch of Explorer 7.
* October 21 – In New York City, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright) opens to the public.
* November 15 – The Clutter family of Holcomb, Kansas is brutally murdered.
* November 18 – MGM's widescreen, multimillion-dollar, Technicolor version of *Ben-Hur*, starring Charlton Heston, is released and becomes the studio's greatest hit up to that time. It is critically acclaimed and eventually wins 11 Academy Awards – a record held until 1998, when 1997's *Titanic* becomes the first film to equal the record.
* November 25 - Nick Van Til and Ernie Strack opens the first Strack & Van Til in Highland, Lake County, Indiana.
* December 1 – Cold War – Antarctic Treaty: 12 countries, including the United States and the Soviet Union, sign a landmark treaty, which sets aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve and bans military activity on that continent (the first arms control agreement established during the Cold War).
* December 13 – Three years after its first telecast, MGM's *The Wizard of Oz* is shown on television for only the second time, but it gains an even larger viewing audience than its first television outing, spurring CBS to make it an annual tradition.

## Memoriam

* January 20 – Carl "Alfalfa" Switzer, actor, shot to death (aged 31; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* January 21 – Cecil B. DeMille, film director (aged 77; Hollywood, CA, USA)
* February 3
	+ The Big Bopper, disc jockey, singer and songwriter (aged 28; Clear Lake, IA, USA)
	+ Buddy Holly, singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll (aged 22; Clear Lake, IA, USA)
	+ Ritchie Valens, Mexican-American singer, songwriter and guitarist (aged 17; Clear Lake, IA, USA)
* February 20 – Ray McDonald, dancer, barbiturate overdose (aged 38; New York City, NY, USA)
* February 22 – Helen Parrish, film actress, cancer (aged 35; Hollywood, CA, USA)
* March 3 – Lou Costello, actor and comedian, part of Abbott & Costello team (aged 52; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* March 4 – Maxie Long, track athlete (aged 80; New York City, NY, USA)
* March 16 – John Salling, last documented Civil War veteran (aged 112; Kingsport, TN, USA)
* April 9 – Frank Lloyd Wright, architect, interior designer, writer and educator (aged 91; Phoenix, AZ, USA)
* April 27 – Gordon Armstrong, inventor of the baby incubator (aged 69; New York City, NY, USA)
* May 4 – William S. Pye, admiral (aged 78; Bethesda, MD, USA)
* June 2 – Orelia Key Bell, poet (aged 95; Pasadena, CA, USA)
* June 16 – George Reeves, actor, shot to death (aged 45; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* June 18 – Ethel Barrymore, actress (aged 79; Los Angeles, CA, USA)
* June 25 – Charles Starkweather, spree killer, judicially executed by electrocution (aged 20; Lincoln, NE, USA)
* July 8
	+ Dale R. Buis, military advisor (aged 37; Biên Hòa, (South) Vietnam)
	+ Chester M. Ovnand, military advisor (aged 44; Biên Hòa, (South) Vietnam)
* July 17 – Billie Holiday, jazz singer (aged 44; New York City, NY, USA)
* August 16 – William Halsey Jr., U.S. vice-admiral (Pacific War) (aged 76; Fishers Island, NY, USA)
* August 22 – Andrew N. Johnson, Methodist minister (aged 82; Fayette County, KY, USA)
* September 7 – D. Leigh Colvin, politician (aged 79; Westfield, IN, USA)
* October 7 – Mario Lanza, opera singer, heart attack (aged 38; Rome, Italy)
* October 14 – Errol Flynn, film actor, heart attack (aged 50; Vancouver, BC, Canada)
* October 16 – George C. Marshall, U.S. army general (aged 78; Washington, DC, USA)
* November 21 – Max Baer, heavyweight boxing champion (aged 50; Hollywood, CA, USA)