March 1959
Encyclopedia
January
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The following events occurred in March
, 1959.
opened his first presidential press conference with a statement that France supported German reunification "as the aim and normal destiny of the German people. provided that [they] do not question their present frontiers to the west, east, north or south." "Germany today is not a danger to us," said De Gaulle as he announced a new relationship with his World War II adversary
January 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in January 1959.-January 1, 1959 :...
– February
February 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in February 1959.-February 1, 1959 :...
– March – April
April 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in April 1959.-April 1, 1959 :...
– May
May 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in May, 1959.-May 1, 1959 :*A patent application January – February – March – April – May –...
– June
June 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in June 1959.-June 1, 1959 :...
– July
July 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in July 1959.-July 1, 1959 :...
– August
August 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in August 1959.-August 1, 1959 :...
– September
September 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in September 1959.-September 1, 1959 :...
– October
October 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in October 1959.-October 1, 1959 :...
– November
November 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in November 1959.-November 1, 1959 :...
– December
December 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in December 1959.-December 1, 1959 :...
The following events occurred in March
March
March is in present time held to be the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. It is one of the seven months which are 31 days long....
, 1959.
March 1, 1959 (Sunday)
- ArchbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
Makarios IIIMakarios IIIMakarios III , born Andreas Christodolou Mouskos , was the archbishop and primate of the autocephalous Cypriot Orthodox Church and the first President of the Republic of Cyprus ....
returned from exile to CyprusCyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, almost two years after being released from prison on condition that he not return to the island. Later in the year, he won the election to become the first President of Cyprus.
March 2, 1959 (Monday)
- The Balkan PactBalkan Pact (1953)The Balkan Pact of 1953 was a treaty signed by Greece, Turkey, and Yugoslavia on 28 February 1953. It was signed in Ankara . The treaty was to act as a dam against Soviet expansion in the Balkan area. It provided for the eventual creation of a joint military staff for the three countries...
, signed in 1953 between Turkey, Greece and Yugoslavia, expired after Yugoslavia's President Tito announced that his nation would not renew it.
March 3, 1959 (Tuesday)
- The United States launched the Pioneer IVPioneer 4Pioneer 4 was a spin-stabilized spacecraft launched as part of the Pioneer program on a lunar flyby trajectory and into a heliocentric orbit making it the first U.S. probe to escape from the Earth's gravity. It carried a payload similar to Pioneer 3: a lunar radiation environment experiment using a...
satellite toward the moon, shortly after midnight EST. The object became the first American spacecraft to escape the Earth's gravity. - The Mosul uprising began in IraqIraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
as Colonel Abd al-Shawaff staged a rebellion against the government of President Abdul Karim Qasim. al-Shawaaf was killed the next day, and after the insurrection was put down, Qasim ordered the execution of officers suspected of complicity. - In Tifton, GeorgiaTifton, GeorgiaTifton is a city in Tift County, Georgia, United States. The population was 15,060 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Tift County.-Major highways:* Interstate 75* U.S. Highway 41* U.S. Highway 82* U.S...
, nine children, ranging in age from 5 to 15, drowned after a loaded school bus ran off a road into a farm pond. - In NyasalandNyasalandNyasaland or the Nyasaland Protectorate, was a British protectorate located in Africa, which was established in 1907 when the former British Central Africa Protectorate changed its name. Since 1964, it has been known as Malawi....
(now MalawiMalawiThe Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
), Colonial Governor Robert Armitage declared a state of emergency after riots broke out in that Southern African nation, banning the Nyasaland African CongressMalawi Congress PartyThe Malawi Congress Party is a political party in Malawi.It was the successor to the Nyasaland African Congress , which was banned in 1959.The MCP was founded by Hastings Banda and other NAC leaders in 1960....
(NAC). - At the British colonial detention camp in Hola, KenyaHola, KenyaHola, also known as Galole is a small town in Kenya on the Tana River with a population of 6932. Hola is the capital of the Tana River District, in the Coast Province. It is a busy market town, and portal to Ijara District and Northeastern province by local canoe ferry across the Tana River...
, where Mau MauMau Mau UprisingThe Mau Mau Uprising was a military conflict that took place in Kenya between 1952 and 1960...
rebels were held, eleven prisoners were beaten to death and 20 others seriously injured by prison staff, in what later was known as the Hola massacreHola massacreThe Hola Massacre is an event that took place during the Mau Mau Uprising against British colonial rule at a colonial detention camp in Hola, Kenya.- Event :...
. - Died: Lou CostelloLou CostelloLouis Francis "Lou" Costello was an American actor and comedian best known as half of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Bud Abbott...
, 52, American comedian (famous for his partnership with Bud AbbottBud AbbottWilliam Alexander "Bud" Abbott was an American actor, producer and comedian. He is best remembered as the straight man of the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, with Lou Costello.-Early life:...
)
March 4, 1959 (Wednesday)
- Pioneer IVPioneer 4Pioneer 4 was a spin-stabilized spacecraft launched as part of the Pioneer program on a lunar flyby trajectory and into a heliocentric orbit making it the first U.S. probe to escape from the Earth's gravity. It carried a payload similar to Pioneer 3: a lunar radiation environment experiment using a...
became the second man-made object to pass the Moon and to enter an orbit around the sun, becoming the first American-made planetary object. The Soviet satellite Lunik had achieved solar orbit on January 7. Contact with Pioneer IV was lost two days later after its batteries ran out of power. - The government of Cuba nationalized the Cuban Telephone Company, a subsidiary of ITT.
- Born: Rick ArdonRick ArdonRick Ardon , is a news presenter on Seven News in Perth, Western Australia. In 2005, Ardon and Susannah Carr, celebrated their 20th consecutive year reading the news together on Seven Perth.-Education:...
, Australian news anchor, in PerthPerth, Western AustraliaPerth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
; Irina StrakhovaIrina StrakhovaIrina Strakhova is a race walker who represented the Soviet Union.-Achievements:-References:...
, Russian race walker, in NovosibirskNovosibirskNovosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District... - Died: Maxie Long, 80, Olympic track medalist 1900
March 5, 1959 (Thursday)
- At AnkaraAnkaraAnkara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
, the United States agreed to defend the remaining members of the Central Treaty OrganizationCentral Treaty OrganizationThe Central Treaty Organization was formed in 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. It was dissolved in 1979.U.S...
(CENTO) in case of attack, signing bilateral defense agreements with IranIranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, TurkeyTurkeyTurkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
and PakistanPakistanPakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. - In Wrightsville, ArkansasWrightsville, ArkansasWrightsville is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States. Its population was 1,368 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
, a dormitory fire at a dormitory for the Arkansas Training School for Negro Boys killed 21 boys. The doors had been locked, and 47 boys who survived the fire had kicked their way through heavy metal screens to escape. - The Federal Reserve Bank raised the interest rate 1/2 a point to 3%
- Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy told reporters that "a surprise with missiles in the forseeable future is almost impossible".
March 6, 1959 (Friday)
- Pope John XXIII issued a Notificatio banning "the spreading of images and writings that propose the devotion of The Divine Mercy" that had been the work of Sister Faustina Kowalska.
- By order of the Castro government, all rents in Cuba were reduced by 50 percent.
- Born: Tom ArnoldTom Arnold (actor)Thomas Dwaine "Tom" Arnold is an American actor and comedian. He has appeared in many films, perhaps most notably True Lies . He was the host of The Best Damn Sports Show Period for four years.-Early life:...
, American actor and comedian, in Ottumwa, IowaOttumwa, IowaOttumwa is a city in and the county seat of Wapello County, Iowa, United States. The population was 24,998 at the 2000 census. It is located in the southeastern part of Iowa, and the city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River....
March 7, 1959 (Saturday)
- "Wishing Won't Hold Berlin", by former U.S. Secretary of StateUnited States Secretary of StateThe United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Dean AchesonDean AchesonDean Gooderham Acheson was an American statesman and lawyer. As United States Secretary of State in the administration of President Harry S. Truman from 1949 to 1953, he played a central role in defining American foreign policy during the Cold War...
, appeared in The Saturday Evening Post, after Acheson concluded that the Eisenhower administration was not doing enough to respond to the Soviet ultimatum that all armies withdraw from Berlin (which was surrounded by Communist East Germany).
March 8, 1959 (Sunday)
- The Marx BrothersMarx BrothersThe Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
made their last screen appearance, as Groucho, Chico and Harpo Marx starred in "The Incredible Jewel RobberyThe Incredible Jewel RobberyThe Incredible Jewel Robbery was an episode of General Electric Theater, broadcast by CBS on March 8, 1959. It was the first appearance of all three Marx Brothers together in the same scene since A Night in Casablanca in 1946, although they had appeared in individual scenes in The Story of Mankind...
" on the CBS anthology program General Electric TheaterGeneral Electric TheaterGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
. - A 19 year old airman at the Davis-Monthan AFB committed suicide by setting a high altitude test chamber to simulate 73,000 feet, then pulling off his oxygen mask.
- Born: Aidan QuinnAidan Quinn-Early life:Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Irish parents. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of...
, American actor, in Rockford, IllinoisRockford, IllinoisRockford is a mid-sized city located on both banks of the Rock River in far northern Illinois. Often referred to as "The Forest City", Rockford is the county seat of Winnebago County, Illinois, USA. As reported in the 2010 U.S. census, the city was home to 152,871 people, the third most populated...
March 9, 1959 (Monday)
- The BarbieBarbieBarbie is a fashion doll manufactured by the American toy-company Mattel, Inc. and launched in March 1959. American businesswoman Ruth Handler is credited with the creation of the doll using a German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration....
doll made its debut at the American International Toy FairAmerican International Toy FairThe American International Toy Fair is one of a few major toy industry trade shows held around the world. It is held annually in mid February in New York City's Toy Center, located at 23rd Street at the crossover of Fifth Avenue and Broadway and at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, and is...
in New York. Ruth HandlerRuth HandlerRuth Handler was an American businesswoman, born to Jewish-Polish immigrants Jacob and Ida Moskowicz, the president of the toy manufacturer Mattel Inc., and is remembered primarily for her role in marketing the Barbie doll....
named the doll for her daughter. In 1961, her son Ken would have his name bestowed on another doll. http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/06/style/fbarbie.php - Born: Giovanni di LorenzoGiovanni di LorenzoGiovanni di Lorenzo is a German-Italian journalist. Editor-in-chief of German nationwide weekly newspaper DIE ZEIT and former editor-in-chief of Berlin's liberal daily newspaper Der Tagesspiegel...
, European journalist, in StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
March 10, 1959 (Tuesday)
- When it appeared that the Dalai LamaDalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
was on the verge of arrest by the Communist government of China, a rebellion broke out1959 Tibetan uprisingThe 1959 Tibetan uprising, or 1959 Tibetan Rebellion began on 10 March 1959, when a revolt erupted in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, which had been under the effective control of the Communist Party of China since the Seventeen Point Agreement in 1951...
as 30,000 Tibetans surrounded his palace, the NorbulingkaNorbulingkaNorbulingka is a palace and surrounding park in Lhasa, Tibet, built from 1755. It served as the traditional summer residence of the successive Dalai Lamas from the 1780s up until the 14th Dalai Lama's exile in 1959...
. The Dalai Lama would say later that "That day, the people stopped my journey to the Chinese army camp ... and in the meantime, they declared the independence of Tibet.". - Born: Mike WallaceMike Wallace (NASCAR)Mike Wallace is a NASCAR race car driver born in Fenton, Missouri. He currently drives the #01 Chevrolet for JD Motorsports in the Nationwide Series. He is a younger brother to Rusty Wallace, older brother to Kenny Wallace, and uncle to Steve Wallace...
, American race car driver, in Fenton, MissouriFenton, MissouriFenton is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States, and a suburb of St. Louis. The population was 4,022 at the 2010 census.-History:Due to its proximity to fertile land and the Meramec River, the Fenton area has been inhabited for over 1,000 years...
March 11, 1959 (Wednesday)
- A Raisin in the SunA Raisin in the SunA Raisin in the Sun is a play by Lorraine Hansberry that debuted on Broadway in 1959. The title comes from the poem "Harlem" by Langston Hughes...
, by African-American playwright Lorraine HansberryLorraine HansberryLorraine Hansberry was an African American playwright and author of political speeches, letters, and essays...
, and starring Sidney PoitierSidney PoitierSir Sidney Poitier, KBE is a Bahamian American actor, film director, author, and diplomat.In 1963, Poitier became the first black person to win an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in Lilies of the Field...
and Claudia McNeilClaudia McNeilClaudia McNeil was an American actress known for premiering the role of matriarch Lena Younger in both the stage and screen productions of A Raisin in the Sun. She later appeared in a 1981 production of the musical version of the play, Raisin presented by Equity Library Theater...
, made its Broadway debut, at the Ethel Barrymore TheatreEthel Barrymore TheatreThe Ethel Barrymore Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 243 West 47th Street in midtown-Manhattan, named for actress Ethel Barrymore....
. The play ran for 538 performances. - The Sikorsky SH-3 Sea King helicopter, also known as the H-3 Pelican or the S-61, was given its first flight by test pilots.
- Died: Lester DentLester DentLester Dent was a prolific pulp fiction author, best known as the creator and main author of the series of novels about the superhuman scientist and adventurer, Doc Savage. The 159 novels written over 16 years were credited to the house name Kenneth Robeson.-Early years:Dent was born in 1904 in...
, 54, creator of Doc SavageDoc SavageDoc Savage is a fictional character originally published in American pulp magazines during the 1930s and 1940s. He was created by publisher Henry W. Ralston and editor John L...
March 12, 1959 (Thursday)
- By a margin of 323 to 89, the House of Representatives voted to allow Hawaii to become the 50th state, contingent upon passage by Hawaiian voters. The night before, the Senate had voted its approval, 76–15. The bill was signed into law by President Eisenhower on March 18, 1959.
- Tomasi Kulimoetoke IITomasi Kulimoetoke IITomasi Kulimoetoke II was the 50th Lavelua of Wallis Island, which is known as Uvea in the Wallisian language, one of the three traditional kingdoms in the French overseas territory of Wallis and Futuna....
became the King of Wallis IslandWallis IslandWallis is an island in the Pacific Ocean belonging to the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna....
, reigning until May 7, 2007.
March 13, 1959 (Friday)
- The United Nations General Assembly voted 56–0, with 23 abstentions, to end the UN Trusteeship over the French CameroonsCamerounCameroun was a French and British mandate territory in central Africa, now constituting the majority of the territory of the Republic of Cameroon....
by January 1, 1960, and to schedule a plebiscite in the north and south sections of the British CameroonsCameroonsBritish Cameroons was a British Mandate territory in West Africa, now divided between Nigeria and Cameroon.The area of present-day Cameroon was claimed by Germany as a protectorate during the "Scramble for Africa" at the end of the 19th century...
. - With the admission of Hawaii voted so soon after the admission of Alaska, flag manufacturers asked that the adoption of the 50-star flag be postponed until July 4, 1960. Digby Chandler, president of Annin & Co, said that the industry had already manufactured 300,000 flags with 49 stars, and added, "If we are forced to throw all these away and start making 50-star flags for next July 4 there will be no flag industry left." One proposal was to add an eighth star in the middle row of the seven rows of seven stars.
March 14, 1959 (Saturday)
- Sharaf Rashidov was elected First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Uzbek Soviet Socialist Republic. Answering only to Moscow, Rashidov ruled for 24 years with otherwise unlimited and corrupt power, lasting until his death on October 31, 1983.
March 15, 1959 (Sunday)
- Robert Foster, 32, set a record for holding his breathStatic ApneaStatic Apnea is an AIDA International discipline in which the freedivers hold their breath for as long as possible with their respiratory tracts immersed, their body either in the water or at the surface...
, remaining underwater for 13 minutes, 42.5 seconds (13:42.5), at San Rafael, CaliforniaSan Rafael, CaliforniaSan Rafael is a city and the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. The city is located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area...
The record stood for 48 years, until broken by Arvydas and Diana Gaiciunas in DruskininkaiDruskininkaiDruskininkai is a spa town on the Neman River in southern Lithuania, close to the borders of Belarus and Poland. The city of Druskininkai has a population of 18,233 and dates back as a spa resort to the 19th century.-Names:...
, LithuaniaLithuaniaLithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, on June 16, 2007, at almost 16 minutes (15:58). Both Foster and the Gaiciunas siblings hyperventilated with pure oxygen beforehand in order to drive carbon dioxide from their lungs. The recognized record without such preparations is 11:35, by free diver Stéphane MifsudStéphane MifsudStéphane Mifsud is a French free diver born 13 August 1971 in Istres . His lung capacity was measured at 10.5 litres...
on June 8, 2009 - The prison at the Curragh CampCurragh CampThe Curragh Camp is an army base and military college located in The Curragh, County Kildare, Ireland. It is the main training centre for the Irish Army.- Brief history of the Curragh's military heritage :...
, where Ireland detained suspected terrorists without formal charges, was formally closed. - Born: Harold BainesHarold BainesHarold Douglas Baines is a former right fielder and designated hitter in Major League Baseball who played for five American League teams from 1980 to 2001. He is best known for his three stints with the Chicago White Sox, the team on which he now serves as coach...
, American baseball player, in Easton, MarylandEaston, MarylandEaston, founded 1710, is a town within the Easton District of Talbot County, Maryland, United States. The population was 11,708 at the 2000 census, and 14,677 according to current July 2008 census estimates. It is the county seat of Talbot County. The primary ZIP Code is 21601, and the... - Died: Duncan HinesDuncan HinesDuncan Hines was an American pioneer of restaurant ratings for travelers. He is best known today for the brand of food products that bears his name.-History:...
, 78, restaurant critic who later lent his name to a line of cake mixes
March 16, 1959 (Monday)
- Born Flavor FlavFlavor FlavWilliam Jonathan Drayton, Jr. , better known by his stage name Flavor Flav, is an American rapper and television personality who rose to prominence as a member of the rap group Public Enemy...
, American rapper (as William Jonathan Drayton, Jr.), in Roosevelt, New YorkRoosevelt, New YorkRoosevelt is a hamlet in Nassau County, New York, United States. The population was 16,258 at the 2010 census.Roosevelt is in the town of Hempstead.-Geography:Roosevelt is located at ....
, and Jens StoltenbergJens Stoltenbergis a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
, Prime Minister of NorwayPrime Minister of NorwayThe Prime Minister of Norway is the political leader of Norway and the Head of His Majesty's Government. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Stortinget , to their political party, and ultimately the...
, in OsloOsloOslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King... - Died: John B. SallingJohn B. SallingJohn B. Salling claimed to be the second-oldest surviving Confederate Veteran of the American Civil War, though his claim of being born in 1846 has since been debunked...
, 112, American Civil War veteran, in Kingsport, TennesseeKingsport, TennesseeKingsport is a city located mainly in Sullivan County with some western portions in Hawkins County in the US state of Tennessee. The majority of the city lies in Sullivan County...
. His death left one surviving veteran claimant, Walter Williams of Houston, whose age and service were later disputed.
March 17, 1959 (Tuesday)
- Tenzin Gyatso14th Dalai LamaThe 14th Dalai Lama is the 14th and current Dalai Lama. Dalai Lamas are the most influential figures in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism, although the 14th has consolidated control over the other lineages in recent years...
, the 14th Dalai LamaDalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
, escaped TibetTibetTibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
and found sanctuary in India. - USS Skate (SSN-578)USS Skate (SSN-578)USS Skate , the third submarine of the United States Navy named for the skate, a type of ray, was the lead ship of the Skate class of nuclear submarines...
surfaced at the North Pole after setting a record by spending 12 days under the polar ice cap. In a ceremony at the pole, tha ashes of polar explorer Sir Hubert Wilkins, who had died in 1958, were scattered at the pole - Born: Danny AingeDanny AingeDaniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
, Boston Celtics guard and Toronto Blue Jays second baseman, in Eugene, OregonEugene, OregonEugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
March 18, 1959 (Wednesday)
- U.S. President Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
signed the Hawaii Statehood Bill into law at a White House ceremony, but the process of admission was not over. "Under this legislation," said Ike, "the citizens of Hawaii will soon decide whether their islands shall become our 50th state." Voters still had to elect new officials and decide on whether to accept all of the bill's provisions, with statehood conditioned on Palmyra IslandPalmyra AtollPalmyra Atoll is an essentially unoccupied equatorial Northern Pacific atoll administered as an unorganized incorporated territory by the United States federal government...
not being included. - Born: Luc BessonLuc BessonLuc Besson is a French film director, writer, and producer. He is the creator of EuropaCorp film company. He has been involved with over 50 films, spanning 26 years, as writer, director, and/or producer.-Early life:...
, French film director (The Fifth ElementThe Fifth ElementThe Fifth Element is a 1997 French science fiction film directed, co-written, and based on a story by Luc Besson, starring Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich...
), in ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and Irene CaraIrene CaraIrene Cara is an American singer and actress. Cara won an Academy Award in 1984 in the category of Best Original Song for co-writing "Flashdance... What a Feeling." She is also known for her recording of the song "Fame", and she also starred in the 1980 film Fame.She married Hollywood stuntman...
, American singer (Fame), in New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
March 19, 1959 (Thursday)
- After the Beijing government ordered the Dalai Lama to report without his bodyguards, fighting broke out in Lhasa, Tibet, as Tibetans battled Chinese troops. The Chinese government stated that thousands of rebels had attacked Lhasa and had been defeated after a two day battle by Chinese troops.
- The Shaggy DogThe Shaggy Dog (1959 film)The Shaggy Dog is a black and white 1959 Walt Disney film about Wilby Daniels, a teenage boy who is transformed into an Old English Sheepdog by an enchanted ring of the Borgias. The film was based on the story, The Hound of Florence by Felix Salten...
was first shown.
March 20, 1959 (Friday)
- The record for phonebooth stuffingPhonebooth stuffingPhonebooth stuffing was a fad that began during the 1950s in Durban, South Africa and spread to Britain, Canada and the United States by the spring of 1959. It involved a number of people consecutively entering a phonebooth, until the point where the phonebooth would accommodate no more, or there...
was broken as 32 "slightly built" students at Modesto (Cal.) Junior College packed themselves into a regulation sized booth—7 feet tall and 32 inches square. However, the booth was set on its side, and the telephone had been removed. Earlier in the month, 25 students in South Africa had broken the record of 19. - Born: Sting (wrestler), American pro wrestler (as Steve Borden), in OmahaOmaha, NebraskaOmaha is the largest city in the state of Nebraska, United States, and is the county seat of Douglas County. It is located in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about 20 miles north of the mouth of the Platte River...
, and Steve McFaddenSteve McFaddenSteve McFadden is an English actor, known for his role as Phil Mitchell in the BBC soap opera EastEnders, which he has played since1990.-Early life:...
, British actor (Phil Mitchell in EastEnders), in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
March 21, 1959 (Saturday)
- The University of California won the NCAA basketball championship, defeating West Virginia 71–70. Cal blew a 13 point lead in the second half, and the Mountaineers came within one point with 0:53 left. West Virginia did not foul until 0:02 was left. Denny FitzpatrickDenny FitzpatrickDenny Fitzpatrick is a retired American basketball player. He was Most Valuable Player and leading scorer for the 1959 NCAA champion California Golden Bears.Fitzpatrick was a 6'0" multi-sport star for Newport Harbor High School in Orange County, California...
's free throw missed, but the Mountaineers' Jerry WestJerry WestJerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...
was not able to get the ball until time had run out. - Born: Nobuo UematsuNobuo Uematsuis a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
, composer, in Kochi, JapanKochi, Kochiis the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture on Shikoku island of Japan.Kōchi is the main city of the prefecture with over 40% of its population. As of May 31, 2008, the city had an estimated population of 340,515 and a density of...
March 22, 1959 (Sunday)
- In a televised address, Cuban dictator Fidel CastroFidel CastroFidel Alejandro Castro Ruz is a Cuban revolutionary and politician, having held the position of Prime Minister of Cuba from 1959 to 1976, and then President from 1976 to 2008. He also served as the First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba from the party's foundation in 1961 until 2011...
announced that, effective immediately, he was outlawing all racial discrimination. Previously segregated clubs, parks and beaches were opened to Cuba's black residents by law. - The Constitutional Assembly of MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
approved a democratic constitution for the African state, which would become independent of France in 1960. Provisions for a multiparty parliamentary system would last only five years, after which Governor Moktar Ould Daddah's Mauritanian People's Party became the only legal party. - Born: Matthew ModineMatthew ModineMatthew Avery Modine is an award-winning American actor. His film roles include Private Joker in Stanley Kubrick's Full Metal Jacket, the title character in Alan Parker's Birdy, high school wrestler Louden Swain in Vision Quest, football star turned spy Alec McCall in Funky Monkey and the...
, American film actor, in Loma Linda, CaliforniaLoma Linda, CaliforniaLoma Linda is a city in San Bernardino County, California, United States, that was incorporated in 1970. The population was 23,261 at the 2010 census, up from 18,681 at the 2000 census...
March 23, 1959 (Monday)
- Nine miners were killed in an explosion at Brimstone, Tennessee.
- Lee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey OswaldLee Harvey Oswald was, according to four government investigations,These were investigations by: the Federal Bureau of Investigation , the Warren Commission , the House Select Committee on Assassinations , and the Dallas Police Department. the sniper who assassinated John F...
earned his GED, with a passing score of 77. He had dropped out of the tenth grade of Fort Worth High School in 1956.
March 24, 1959 (Tuesday)
- The integrated circuitIntegrated circuitAn integrated circuit or monolithic integrated circuit is an electronic circuit manufactured by the patterned diffusion of trace elements into the surface of a thin substrate of semiconductor material...
was shown off for the first time by Texas InstrumentsTexas InstrumentsTexas Instruments Inc. , widely known as TI, is an American company based in Dallas, Texas, United States, which develops and commercializes semiconductor and computer technology...
, at an electronics industry convention in New York. - The Imam Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi, son of the MahdiMuhammad AhmadMuhammad Ahmad bin Abd Allah was a religious leader of the Samaniyya order in Sudan who, on June 29, 1881, proclaimed himself as the Mahdi or messianic redeemer of the Islamic faith...
, founder of the Umma PartyUmma Party (Sudan)The National Umma Party Sudan is an Islamic centrist political party in Sudan.-Foundation:In August 1944 Sayyid Abd al-Rahman al-Mahdi, leader of the Ansar, met with senior Congress members and tribal leaders to discuss formation of a pro-independence political party that was not associated with...
in Sudan, and leader of the mahdiyah sect of Islam, died after a reign of 50 years and was succeeded by his son, Siddiq al-Mahdi; who died on October 2, 1961. - A proposal was introduced in the City Council of New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
to study the possibility of the city seceding from the New York State and becoming its own state. - As Communist rebels took control in Iraq, Prime Minister Abdel Karim Kassem announced his nation's withdrawal from the Baghdad PactCentral Treaty OrganizationThe Central Treaty Organization was formed in 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and the United Kingdom. It was dissolved in 1979.U.S...
. The withdrawal had been expected following the July 14, 1958, revolution that overthrew the government of King Feisel II.
March 25, 1959 (Wednesday)
French President Charles De GaulleCharles de Gaulle
Charles André Joseph Marie de Gaulle was a French general and statesman who led the Free French Forces during World War II. He later founded the French Fifth Republic in 1958 and served as its first President from 1959 to 1969....
opened his first presidential press conference with a statement that France supported German reunification "as the aim and normal destiny of the German people. provided that [they] do not question their present frontiers to the west, east, north or south." "Germany today is not a danger to us," said De Gaulle as he announced a new relationship with his World War II adversary
March 26, 1959 (Thursday)
- Italy and the United States signed an agreement providing for thirty medium range Jupiter missiles to be deployed on Italian soil, the first placement of the new MRBMMedium-range ballistic missileA medium-range ballistic missile , is a type of ballistic missile with medium range, this last classification depending on the standards of certain organizations. Within the U.S. Department of Defense, a medium range missile is defined by having a maximum range of between 1,000 and 3,000 km1...
. - A circus lion terrorized New York's Madison Square Garden after escaping a cage, running around the arena, then jumping a rail and walking into the main lobby. Ponto, the 800 pound star of the Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey big cat act was captured 15 minutes later after wandering into a blocked corridor.
- International radio communication was blocked out for 11 hours, beginning at Pacific time. It was believed that an eruption on the sun disrupted transmissions, although such disturbances normally lasted on 30 minutes.
- Died: Raymond ChandlerRaymond ChandlerRaymond Thornton Chandler was an American novelist and screenwriter.In 1932, at age forty-five, Raymond Chandler decided to become a detective fiction writer after losing his job as an oil company executive during the Depression. His first short story, "Blackmailers Don't Shoot", was published in...
, 70, creator of Philip MarlowePhilip MarlowePhilip Marlowe is a fictional character created by Raymond Chandler in a series of novels including The Big Sleep and The Long Goodbye. Marlowe first appeared under that name in The Big Sleep published in 1939...
March 27, 1959 (Friday)
- North Carolina became the first state in the nation to require polio vaccines for all children. The measure, already approved by the Senate passed 73–3 in the House and was signed by Governor Luther H. HodgesLuther H. HodgesLuther Hartwell Hodges, Sr. was an American politician, who served as the 64th Governor of the state of North Carolina from 1954 to 1961 and as United States Secretary of Commerce from 1961 to 1965.-Biography:...
.
March 28, 1959 (Saturday)
- The government of Tibet was abolished by an order signed by Chinese premier Zhou EnlaiZhou EnlaiZhou Enlai was the first Premier of the People's Republic of China, serving from October 1949 until his death in January 1976...
, and the Dalai Lama was replaced by a puppet ruler, the Panchen Lama.
March 29, 1959 (Sunday)
- Barthélemy BogandaBarthélemy BogandaBarthélemy Boganda was the leading nationalist politician of what is now the Central African Republic. Boganda was active prior to his country's independence, during the period when the area, part of French Equatorial Africa, was administered by France under the name of Oubangui-Chari...
, Prime Minister of the Central African RepublicCentral African RepublicThe Central African Republic , is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It borders Chad in the north, Sudan in the north east, South Sudan in the east, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Republic of the Congo in the south, and Cameroon in the west. The CAR covers a land area of about ,...
, was slated to become its first President, but was killed in the crash of French airliner. After taking off from BerberatiBerbératiBerbérati is the third-largest city in the Central African Republic with a population of 76,918 . It is the capital of the Mambéré-Kadéï Prefecture. The city is situated in the south-west of the country near the border with Cameroon...
for the capital, BanguiBangui-Law and government:Bangui is an autonomous commune of the Central African Republic. With an area of 67 km², it is by far the smallest high-level administrative division of the CAR in area but the highest in population...
, the plane crashed, killing the Prime Minister and eight other people. In celebration of the martyred founding father of the nation, March 29 is a legal holiday in the C.A.R., as Boganda Day. - Born: Barry BlanchardBarry BlanchardBarry Blanchard is one of North America's top alpinists, noted for pushing the standards of highly technical, high-risk alpine climbing in the Canadian Rockies and the Himalayas.- Climbing accomplishments :...
, Canadian mountaineer, in CalgaryCalgaryCalgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
March 30, 1959 (Monday)
- The Dalai LamaDalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
safely escaped Chinese-occupied Tibet, crossing into India at the monastery of Tawang, with the help of CIA operatives, Tibetan rebels, and the government of Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. With 85,000 of his countrymen, the Lama settled in DharamsalaDharamsalaDharamshala or Dharamsala is a city in northern India. It was formerly known as Bhagsu; it is the winter seat of government of the state of Himachal Pradesh and the district headquarters of the Kangra district....
, in the Himachal PradeshHimachal PradeshHimachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
of India. - In two decisions (Bartkus v. Illinois, 359 U.S. 121 and Abbate v. United States 359 U.S. 187), the United States Supreme CourtSupreme Court of the United StatesThe Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
ruled that a person could be charged with the same crime in both state and federal court proceedings without violating the double jeopardyDouble jeopardyDouble jeopardy is a procedural defense that forbids a defendant from being tried again on the same, or similar charges following a legitimate acquittal or conviction...
clause of the Fifth Amendment ("nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb"), under the dual sovereignty doctrineDual sovereignty doctrineDual sovereignty is a legal doctrine holding that more than one sovereign may prosecute an individual without violating the prohibition against double jeopardy if the individual's act breaks the laws of each sovereignty....
. - Chief Judge Akio Date of the District CourtJudicial system of JapanIn the judicial system of Japan, the postwar constitution guarantees that "all judges shall be independent in the exercise of their conscience and shall be bound only by this constitution and the Laws"...
in TokyoTokyo, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
ruled in the Sunakawa case that the stationing of United States military forces in Japan violated Article 9 of the Japanese ConstitutionConstitution of JapanThe is the fundamental law of Japan. It was enacted on 3 May, 1947 as a new constitution for postwar Japan.-Outline:The constitution provides for a parliamentary system of government and guarantees certain fundamental rights...
. The decision was reversed by the Supreme Court of JapanSupreme Court of JapanThe Supreme Court of Japan , located in Chiyoda, Tokyo is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law...
on December 14.
March 31, 1959 (Tuesday)
- Action ComicsAction ComicsAction Comics is an American comic book series that introduced Superman, the first major superhero character as the term is popularly defined...
No. 252 (May 1959) reached newsstands, and, in a story entitled "The Supergirl From Krypton", introduced SupergirlSupergirlSupergirl is a female counterpart to the DC Comics Superman. As his cousin, she shares his super powers and vulnerability to Kryptonite. She was created by writer Otto Binder and designed by artist Al Plastino in 1959. She first appeared in the Action Comics comic book series and later branched out...
to the world. - Busch Gardens' Dark Continent in Tampa, FloridaTampa, FloridaTampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, opened to the public following a dedication ceremony. Until it was superseded by Walt Disney WorldWalt Disney World ResortWalt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
, the African safari park was Florida's leading tourist attraction.