May 1959
Encyclopedia
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The following events occurred in May
, 1959.
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
March 1959
January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – DecemberThe following events occurred in March, 1959.-March 1, 1959 :...
– 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 – 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 May
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars and one of seven months with the length of 31 days.May is a month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and spring in the Northern Hemisphere...
, 1959.
May 1, 1959 (Friday)
- A patent application (No. 3,064,167) for the planar processPlanar processThe planar process is a manufacturing process used in the semiconductor industry to build individual components of a transistor, and in turn, connect those transistors together. It is the primary process by which modern integrated circuits are built...
was filed by Jean HoerniJean HoerniJean Amédée Hoerni was a silicon transistor pioneer and a member of the Traitorous Eight. He was remembered for developing the planar process....
under the name "method of protecting exposed p-n junctions at the surface of silicon transistors by oxide masking technique". The process, which protected the transistor from contamination, made mass production of the transistors feasible, and has been called "after the invention of the junction transistor, the most important invention of microelectronics". - GhanaGhanaGhana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
's President Kwame NkrumahKwame NkrumahKwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
and GuineaGuineaGuinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
's President Sekou Toure announced the merger of their two nations into the Union of African StatesUnion of African StatesThe Union of African States, was a short lasting union of first two, then three African states in West Africa, in the 1960s. These states were Ghana, Guinea, and Mali...
, which later grew to include MaliMaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
in 1961. The Union was dissolved in 1963 after the association of the Organization of African Unity. - W. E. B. Du Bois was awarded the Lenin Peace PrizeLenin Peace PrizeThe International Lenin Peace Prize was the Soviet Union's equivalent to the Nobel Peace Prize, named in honor of Vladimir Lenin. It was awarded by a panel appointed by the Soviet government, to notable individuals whom the panel indicated had "strengthened peace among peoples"...
during his visit to Moscow. - The NASA spaceflight center in Greenbelt, MarylandGreenbelt, MarylandGreenbelt is a city in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. Contained within today's City of Greenbelt is the historic planned community now known locally as "Old Greenbelt" and designated as the Greenbelt Historic District...
, was named for Robert H. GoddardRobert H. GoddardRobert Hutchings Goddard was an American professor, physicist and inventor who is credited with creating and building the world's first liquid-fueled rocket, which he successfully launched on March 16, 1926...
.
May 2, 1959 (Saturday)
- Jerry Unser, Jr. was fatally injured while practicing for the Indianapolis 500. Unser's car struck a retaining wall at 133 mph and burst into flame, and he died 15 days later from his burns. As a result, Indy racing officials required all drivers to wear fire-resistant suits in practice and in competition.
- Four white men in Tallahassee, Florida, kidnapped and raped a black woman near the campus of Florida A & M University, beginning a case that attracted nationwide attention. Ultimately, an all-white jury convicted the four men, and on June 22, the Judge W. May Walker sentenced them to life in prison.
May 3, 1959 (Sunday)
- A body was found in the shallow waters of a slough (wetland)River deltaA delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
of the Columbia RiverColumbia RiverThe Columbia River is the largest river in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. The river rises in the Rocky Mountains of British Columbia, Canada, flows northwest and then south into the U.S. state of Washington, then turns west to form most of the border between Washington and the state...
near Camas, WashingtonCamas, WashingtonCamas is a city in Clark County, Washington, with a population of 19,355 at the 2010 census. Officially incorporated on June 18, 1906, the city is named after the camas lily, a plant with an onion-like bulb prized by Native Americans. At the west end of downtown Camas is a large Georgia-Pacific...
, and soon confirmed to be that of 10-year old Susan Martin, one of five members of a Portland, OregonPortland, OregonPortland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, family that had vanished almost five months earlier. On December 7, 1958, Ken and Barbara Martin, and their three daughters, had left home to buy a Christmas tree, and never returned. The mystery garnered national attention. The next day, the body of 12 year old Virginia Martin was found at the Bonneville DamBonneville DamBonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between the U.S. states of Oregon and Washington at River Mile 146.1. The dam is located east of Portland, Oregon, in the Columbia River Gorge. The primary functions of...
. No trace of the other three victims was ever located, nor was their car, a red and white station wagon More than fifty years later, the mystery remained unsolved.
May 4, 1959 (Monday)
- The first Grammy Awards were bestowed by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, in a ceremony held at the Beverly Hilton HotelBeverly Hilton HotelThe Beverly Hilton is a hotel located on an property at the intersection of Wilshire and Santa Monica Boulevards in Beverly Hills, California, USA...
in Beverly Hills. The Music from Peter Gunn, by Henry Mancini, was album of the year, and Doenico Modugno's Volare was song of the year. The Champs' Tequila won the award for best rhythm & blues performance. "Grammy" is an abbreviation for the Gramophone Award. - On a day in which a white man was exonerated from charges of rape of a black woman, and a black man convicted of rape of a white woman, Robert Williams of the NAACP declared in Monroe, North Carolina, "We must meet violence with violence,"
- In a rare appearance before Congress, former U.S. President Harry S. TrumanHarry S. TrumanHarry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
testified in favor of a repeal of the two-terms amendment. "You don't have to be very smart to know that an officeholder who is not eligible for re-election loses a lot of influence."
May 5, 1959 (Tuesday)
- Potter StewartPotter StewartPotter Stewart was an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. During his tenure, he made, among other areas, major contributions to criminal justice reform, civil rights, access to the courts, and Fourth Amendment jurisprudence.-Education:Stewart was born in Jackson, Michigan,...
was confirmed as a justice on the United States Supreme Court by a vote of 70–17. On the same day, Roland RitchieRoland RitchieRoland Almon Ritchie, CC was a Canadian lawyer and Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada.Born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the son of William Bruce Almon Ritchie and Lillian Stewart, he received a B.A. from the University of King's College in 1930, a B.A. in 1932 from Oxford University, and was...
was appointed to the Supreme Court of CanadaSupreme Court of CanadaThe Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
. Both served on their nation's highest courts for more than 20 years. Stewart retired in 1981 and Ritchie in 1984. - Carlos Saavedra LamasCarlos Saavedra LamasCarlos Saavedra Lamas was an Argentine academic and politician, and in 1936, the first Latin American Nobel Peace Prize recipient.-Biography:...
, President of the League of NationsLeague of NationsThe League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in 1936 and 1937, Foreign Minister of Argentina from 1932 to 1938, and winner of the Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
in 1936 for his work in negotiating an end to the Chaco WarChaco WarThe Chaco War was fought between Bolivia and Paraguay over control of the northern part of the Gran Chaco region of South America, which was incorrectly thought to be rich in oil. It is also referred to as La Guerra de la Sed in literary circles for being fought in the semi-arid Chaco...
, died in Buenos Aires at the age of 80. - The United States signed an agreement with West GermanyWest GermanyWest Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
, to share classified information about American nuclear weapons and to train German personnel in the operation of those weapons. - After three of the six members of the school board of Little Rock, ArkansasArkansasArkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, walked out, the remaining three, all segregationists, ordered the firing of 44 teachers who had supported integration, and reassigned School Superintendent Terrell E. Powell to a school principal's job. - Born: Brian WilliamsBrian WilliamsBrian Douglas Williams is the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, the evening news program of the NBC television network, a position he assumed in 2004...
, anchorman for NBC Nightly News, in Elmira, New YorkElmira, New YorkElmira is a city in Chemung County, New York, USA. It is the principal city of the 'Elmira, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area' which encompasses Chemung County, New York. The population was 29,200 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Chemung County.The City of Elmira is located in...
; Peter MolyneuxPeter MolyneuxPeter Douglas Molyneux OBE is an English computer game designer and game programmer. He created the God games Dungeon Keeper, Populous, and Black & White, among others, as well as business simulation games such as Theme Park and more recently, the RPG series Fable.Despite the success of his games,...
, British game programmer, in GuildfordGuildfordGuildford is the county town of Surrey. England, as well as the seat for the borough of Guildford and the administrative headquarters of the South East England region...
, SurreySurreySurrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
, England - Died: Carlos Saavedra LamasCarlos Saavedra LamasCarlos Saavedra Lamas was an Argentine academic and politician, and in 1936, the first Latin American Nobel Peace Prize recipient.-Biography:...
, 80, Argentine politician, 1936 Nobel Peace PrizeNobel Peace PrizeThe Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes bequeathed by the Swedish industrialist and inventor Alfred Nobel.-Background:According to Nobel's will, the Peace Prize shall be awarded to the person who...
laureate
May 6, 1959 (Wednesday)
- South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
's President Ngo Dinh DiemNgo Dinh DiemNgô Đình Diệm was the first president of South Vietnam . In the wake of the French withdrawal from Indochina as a result of the 1954 Geneva Accords, Diệm led the effort to create the Republic of Vietnam. Accruing considerable U.S. support due to his staunch anti-Communism, he achieved victory in a...
promulgated "Law 10/59" to combat opposition by the communist Viet Cong. Under Article I, the death penalty could be invoked for murder and for other crimes, including theft of farm implements, and under Article III, a person found guilty of belonging to "an organization designed to help to prepare or perpetrate" such crimes could be executed. Death was by beheading, and traveling military tribunals brought guillotines along to carry out sentences. - The Armed Forces Special Weapons Project, which oversaw the American nuclear arsenal, was reorganized as DASA, the Defense Atomic Support Agency. Later renamed the Defense Nuclear Agency (1971) and then the Defense Special Weapons Agency (1996), the former DASA is now part of the Defense Threat Reduction AgencyDefense Threat Reduction AgencyThe Defense Threat Reduction Agency is an agency within the United States Department of Defense and is the official Combat Support Agency for countering weapons of mass destruction . DTRA's main functions are threat reduction, threat control, combat support, and technology development...
.
May 7, 1959 (Thursday)
- The largest crowd ever to attend a Major League BaseballMajor League BaseballMajor League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
game up that time —93,103—turned out for an exhibition between the NL Dodgers and the AL Yankees (who won 6–2), at Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, for Roy CampanellaRoy CampanellaRoy Campanella , nicknamed "Campy", was an American baseball player, primarily at the position of catcher, in the Negro leagues and Major League Baseball...
Night, to honor the Dodgers catcher who had been paralyzed in a car crash the year before. The record stood for nearly half a century, until March 29, 2008, in another exhibition game at the L.A. Coliseum, when 115,300 came out for a charity game between the Dodgers and the Red Sox (who won 7–4). In a game that did count, Stan MusialStan MusialStanley Frank "Stan" Musial is a retired professional baseball player who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals . Nicknamed "Stan the Man", Musial was a record 24-time All-Star selection , and is widely considered to be one of the greatest hitters in baseball...
of the Cardinals hit his 400th home run in a 4–3 win over the visiting Cubs. - Two burglars broke into the apartment of socialite Mary G. Roebling at the Hotel Hildebrecht in Trenton, New Jersey, loaded nearly one million dollars worth of gems and furs into a cardboard box and rode down the hotel elevator for their getaway—where New York City police were waiting for them. The police had been following the pair and their driver since February 2, after being tipped off.
May 8, 1959 (Friday)
- The Egyptian tour boat Dandara sank in the Nile River near QalyubQalyubQalyub is a town in the Al Qalyubiyah governorate of Egypt. It is situated in the northern part of the Cairo metropolitan area, at the start of the Nile Delta. In 1986, it had a population of 84,413 inhabitants, which grew to 106,804 residents by 2006...
, drowning 150 of the 300 people onboard. The overloaded boat, ferrying agricultural engineers and their families to a picnic, was only six yards from shore when a sudden leak caused it to founder in water 50 feet deep, and then capsized. Most of the victims were women and children, trapped below decks. The skipper of the ship was arrested for negligence. - An F-84 jet fighter crashed into a backyard at Northville, MichiganNorthville, MichiganNorthville is a city located in and divided by Oakland and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of Michigan and a suburb in Metro Detroit. The population was 5,970 at the 2010 census. The Oakland County portion is surrounded by the city of Novi. The Wayne County portion is surrounded by Northville...
, fatally injuring two children, after the pilot had ejected. - The last 30 people were evicted from Chavez RavineChávez RavineChavez Ravine is an area in Sulfir Canyon that is the current site of Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California.It was named after Julian Chavez, a Los Angeles Councilman in the 19th century.-History:...
in Los AngelesLos ÁngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
under court order, and their homes were bulldozed to make way for Dodger StadiumDodger StadiumDodger Stadium, also sometimes called Chavez Ravine, is a stadium in Los Angeles. Located adjacent to Downtown Los Angeles, Dodger Stadium has been the home ballpark of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers team since 1962...
. - Matvei Zakharov was made a Marshal of the Soviet Union
- Died: Donald A. QuarlesDonald A. QuarlesDonald Aubrey Quarles was a communications engineer, senior level executive with Bell Telephone Laboratories and Western Electric, and a top official in the United States Department of Defense during the Eisenhower Administration...
(heart attack). Quarles, who had been expected to succeed Neil McElroy later in the year as U.S. Secretary of Defense, was 64.
May 9, 1959 (Saturday)
- Alfred H. Fuller, President of the Fuller Brush Company and heir apparent to company founder Alfred C. Fuller, was killed, along with his wife, when a blown rear tire crashed their Mercedes-Benz near Hawthorne, Nevada.
- The legislature for EritreaEritreaEritrea , officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa. Eritrea derives it's name from the Greek word Erethria, meaning 'red land'. The capital is Asmara. It is bordered by Sudan in the west, Ethiopia in the south, and Djibouti in the southeast...
voted to become part of EthiopiaEthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, with the President being redesignated as "Chief of the Eritrean Administration under Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia".
May 10, 1959 (Sunday)
- Azef Youssef Atta was enthroned at Alexandria, Egypt, as Pope Cyril VI of the Coptic Orthodox Church. He was the spiritual leader of the Coptic Christians until his death on March 9, 1971.
- Parliamentary electionsAustrian legislative election, 1959Parliamentary elections were held in Austria on 10 May 1959. Although the Social Democratic Party received the most votes, the Austrian People's Party won the most seats. The Communist Party of Austria lost all three seats and has not returned to the National Council since. Voter turnout was...
in Austria.
May 11, 1959 (Monday)
- The foreign ministers of Britain, France, the Soviet Union and the United States met in GenevaGenevaGeneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
for a 17 day conference on the reunification of Germany, without coming to an agreement.
May 12, 1959 (Tuesday)
- At 3:29 p.m., Capital AirlinesCapital AirlinesCapital Airlines was an airline serving the eastern United States that merged into United Airlines in 1961. Its primary hubs were National Airport near Washington, DC, and Allegheny County Airport near Pittsburgh. In the 1950s it was the largest US domestic carrier after the Big Four . Its...
Flight 983 from Buffalo to Atlanta skidded off the runway while making a stop in Charleston, West VirginiaCharleston, West VirginiaCharleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
and slid down a 200 foot embankment with 44 people on board, although all but 2 survived. Less than an hour later, Capital Airlines Flight 75Capital Airlines Flight 75Capital Airlines Flight 75 was a domestic scheduled Capital Airlines flight operating between La Guardia Airport and Atlanta Airport. A Vickers Viscount flying the route crashed in Chase, Maryland, on May 12, 1959, with the loss of all onboard...
, a turboprop flying from New York to Atlanta, disintegrated at an altitude of 5,000 feet after encountering severe turbulence, crashing near Chase, MarylandChase, MarylandChase is an unincorporated community in eastern Baltimore County, Maryland, United States.-Geography:Chase is located at . Chase is located on the waterfront of the Gunpowder River, Middle River, Dundee Creek, Saltpeter Creek, and Chesapeake Bay...
at It was believed to be the first time that two planes from the same airline had crashed on the same day. - Hours after his divorce from Debbie ReynoldsDebbie ReynoldsDebbie Reynolds is an American actress, singer, and dancer.She was initially signed at age 16 by Warner Bros., but her career got off to a slow start. When her contract was not renewed, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer gave her a small, but significant part in the film Three Little Words , then signed her to...
became final, Eddie FisherEddie Fisher (singer)Edwin Jack "Eddie" Fisher , was an American entertainer. He was one of the world's most famous and successful singers in the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show. His divorce from his first wife, Debbie Reynolds, to marry his best friend's widow, Elizabeth Taylor, garnered...
married Elizabeth TaylorElizabeth TaylorDame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
in Las VegasLas Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
.
May 13, 1959 (Wednesday)
- The deadline, for Communist Pathet LaoPathet LaoThe Pathet Lao was a communist political movement and organization in Laos, formed in the mid-20th century. The group was ultimately successful in assuming political power after the Laotian Civil War. The Pathet Lao were always closely associated with Vietnamese communists...
troops to lay down their weapons or join the ranks of the Royal Army of Laos, expired at noon. One battalion at Xieng Ngeun surrendered peacefully, while the other escaped and continued to fight. Pathet Lao leader Prince SouphanouvongSouphanouvongPrince Souphanouvong was, along with his half-brother Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Boun Oum of Champasak, one of the “Three Princes” who represented respectively the communist , neutralist, and royalist political factions in Laos...
was placed under house arrest two days later, but would become the President of Laos in 1975 after the Communists triumphed over the roayl government.
May 14, 1959 (Thursday)
- For the first time, radio signals were bounced off the Moon from one station to another.EME (communications)Earth-Moon-Earth, also known as moon bounce, is a radio communications technique which relies on the propagation of radio waves from an Earth-based transmitter directed via reflection from the surface of the Moon back to an Earth-based receiver....
The Jodrell Bank Observatory in Britain transmitted a signal from Britain to the Cambridge Research Center in the United States. - Groundbreaking for the Lincoln Center in New York was attended by President Eisenhower and witnessed by a crowd of 12,000.
- Died: Sidney BechetSidney BechetSidney Bechet was an American jazz saxophonist, clarinetist, and composer.He was one of the first important soloists in jazz , and was perhaps the first notable jazz saxophonist...
, 62, American jazz saxophonist
May 15, 1959 (Friday)
- Generals Richard G. Stilwell and Edward G. Lansdale delivered what was later described as "one of the most influential military documents of the past half century" to President Eisenhower. The report "Training Under the Mutual Security Program (With Emphasis on Development of Leaders)" proposed using the American military to further "political stability, economic growth, and social change" in developing nations.
- The CaravelleSud Aviation CaravelleThe Sud Aviation SE 210 Caravelle was the first short/medium-range jet airliner produced by the French Sud Aviation firm starting in 1955 . The Caravelle was one of the more successful European first generation jetliners, selling throughout Europe and even penetrating the United States market, with...
inaugurated passenger jet service for Air FranceAir FranceAir France , stylised as AIRFRANCE, is the French flag carrier headquartered in Tremblay-en-France, , and is one of the world's largest airlines. It is a subsidiary of the Air France-KLM Group and a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance...
and for the Scandinavian airline SASSAS GroupScandinavian Airlines System Aktiebolag , trading as SAS Group and SAS AB, is a holding company based in Solna, Sweden. It is the parent company of the airlines Scandinavian Airlines, Blue1 and Widerøe, and the aviation services companies SAS Business Opportunities, SAS Cargo Group, SAS Ground...
.
- Fidel Castro announced an end to war crimes trials that had been conducted since his takeover of Cuba in January. An unofficial count was that 621 people had been executed for war crimes.
May 16, 1959 (Saturday)
- Seven high school students on their way home from the prom at Shelbyville, IllinoisShelbyville, IllinoisShelbyville is a city in Shelby County, Illinois, along the Kaskaskia River. As of the 2010 census, the population was at 4700. It is the county seat of Shelby County...
, were killed when the car in which they were riding was struck by a passenger train. - Died: Elisha ScottElisha ScottElisha Scott was an Irish football goalkeeper who most notably played for Liverpool from 1912 to 1934 .-Life and playing career:...
, 64, Northern Irish footballer
May 17, 1959 (Sunday)
- Cristo-ReiCristo-ReiThe Sanctuary of Christ the King is a Catholic monument and shrine dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ overlooking the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and inaugurated on 17 May 1959...
was dedicated on an overlook over Lisbon, Portugal. It was inspired by the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and inaugurated on May 17, 1959. The base of the monument, by architect António Lino, is in the form of a gate, standing 75 m (246 ft) tall. At the top is a statue of Christ the Redeemer, designed by sculptor Francisco Franco de Sousa, 28 m (92 ft)-tall. - Cuba's Agrarian Reform Law took effect, seizing all foreign owned land and redistributing it to Cuban families.
- Placido DomingoPlácido DomingoPlácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
made his operatic debut, as the character Matteo Borsa in a production of RigolettoRigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
. - Born: Jim NantzJim NantzJames William Nantz, III is an American sportscaster, known primarily for his work with CBS Sports television.-Early life:...
, American sportscaster (CBS Sports), in Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
; Marcelo LoffredaMarcelo LoffredaMarcelo Loffreda is a rugby player and coach, until recently head coach for the English club power Leicester Tigers. Loffreda won 44 caps with one as captain, playing at centre for the Argentine rugby union side...
, Argentine rugby player and British coach; in Buenos AiresBuenos AiresBuenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
May 18, 1959 (Monday)
- The first Arabic-language commercial television station began broadcasting, as CLT (Compagnie Libanaise de Television) went on the air in BeirutBeirutBeirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, LebanonLebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. Broadcasting on Channel 9, the network is now part of Télé LibanTélé LibanTélé Liban became the first Lebanese public television network, owned by the Lebanese government. Télé Liban was a result of the merger of two privately-owned stations, CLT and Télé Orient in 1977. Currently, it mainly broadcasts terrestrially throughout Lebanon. TL is the current Lebanese...
. - Hours after his divorce from Elaine Davis became final, Mickey RooneyMickey RooneyMickey Rooney is an American film actor and entertainer whose film, television, and stage appearances span nearly his entire lifetime. He has won multiple awards, including an Honorary Academy Award, a Golden Globe and an Emmy Award...
married his fifth wife, Barbara Ann Thomson. The New York Daily News headline read "Half-Pint Takes a Fifth". - Died: Apsley Cherry-GarrardApsley Cherry-GarrardApsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard was an English explorer of Antarctica. He was a survivor of the Terra Nova Expedition and is acclaimed for his historical account of this expedition, The Worst Journey in the World....
, 73, Antarctic explorer; Enrique GuaitaEnrique GuaitaEnrique Guaita commonly known as "Enrico Guaita" was an Italian Argentine footballer who played for both Argentina and Italy...
, 48, Argentinian footballer
May 19, 1959 (Tuesday)
- What would become known as the Ho Chi Minh TrailHo Chi Minh trailThe Ho Chi Minh trail was a logistical system that ran from the Democratic Republic of Vietnam to the Republic of Vietnam through the neighboring kingdoms of Laos and Cambodia...
began as North VietnamNorth VietnamThe Democratic Republic of Vietnam , was a communist state that ruled the northern half of Vietnam from 1954 until 1976 following the Geneva Conference and laid claim to all of Vietnam from 1945 to 1954 during the First Indochina War, during which they controlled pockets of territory throughout...
implemented plans to invade South VietnamSouth VietnamSouth Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
. Vo Bam was assigned the task of overseeing a program of facilitating transportation of soldiers, weapons and equipment, and General Vo Nguyen GiapVo Nguyen GiapVõ Nguyên Giáp is a retired Vietnamese officer in the Vietnam People’s Army and a politician. He was a principal commander in two wars: the First Indochina War and the Vietnam War...
created Group 559Group 559Group 559 was a transportation and logistical unit of the People's Army of Vietnam that was subordinate to the Rear Services General Directorate....
to construct roads and tunnels. In 1975, the South was, depending on perspective, conquered or liberated and incorporated into the unified Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. - Atlanta desegregated its public libraries, later than most other cities in South.
- Born: Nicole Brown SimpsonNicole Brown SimpsonNicole Brown Simpson was a former wife of professional football player O. J. Simpson.- Relationship with O. J. Simpson :...
, American ex-wife of O.J. Simpson, in Frankfurt, Germany (murdered 1994)
May 20, 1959 (Wednesday)
- A group of 4,978 Japanese-Americans who had renounced their U.S. citizenship during World War II were restored to citizenship by the U.S. Justice Department.
- Born: Bronson PinchotBronson PinchotBronson Alcott Pinchot is an American actor. He has appeared in several feature films, including Risky Business, Beverly Hills Cop , The First Wives Club, True Romance, Courage Under Fire and It's My Party...
, American actor (as Bronson Poncharavsky), 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...
May 21, 1959 (Thursday)
- GypsyGypsy: A Musical FableGypsy is a musical with music by Jule Styne, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim, and a book by Arthur Laurents. Gypsy is loosely based on the 1957 memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee, the famous striptease artist, and focuses on her mother, Rose, whose name has become synonymous with "the ultimate show business...
opened at The Broadway TheatreThe Broadway TheatreThe Broadway Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 1681 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan....
in New York to begin a run of 702 performances. The musical, directed by Jerome RobbinsJerome RobbinsJerome Robbins was an American theater producer, director, and choreographer known primarily for Broadway Theater and Ballet/Dance, but who also occasionally directed films and directed/produced for television. His work has included everything from classical ballet to contemporary musical theater...
, and starring Ethel MermanEthel MermanEthel Merman was an American actress and singer. Known primarily for her powerful voice and roles in musical theatre, she has been called "the undisputed First Lady of the musical comedy stage." Among the many standards introduced by Merman in Broadway musicals are "I Got Rhythm", "Everything's...
as Gypsy Rose LeeGypsy Rose LeeGypsy Rose Lee was an American burlesque entertainer famous for her striptease act. She was also an actress, author, and playwright whose 1957 memoir was made into the stage musical and film Gypsy.-Early life:...
, featured music by Jule StyneJule StyneJule Styne was a British-born American songwriter especially famous for a series of Broadway musicals, which included several very well known and frequently revived shows.-Early life:...
and lyrics by Steven Sondheim, including the hit song Everything's Coming up RosesEverything's Coming up Roses"Everything's Coming Up Roses" is a song from the 1959 Broadway musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable, with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and music by Jule Styne in which it was introduced by Ethel Merman....
. - In the largest effort to that time against organized crime, narcotics agents in nine American states arrested 27 persons who had participated in the November 14, 1957, Apalachin MeetingApalachin MeetingThe Apalachin Meeting was a historic summit of the American Mafia held on November 14, 1957, at the home of mobster Joseph "Joe the Barber" Barbara in Apalachin, New York. The meeting was attended by roughly 100 Mafiosi from the United States, Canada, and Italy...
, following their indictment on federal charges of obstruction of justice. Twenty of the persons rounded up were later convicted. - The bathyscape Trieste made its first test dive, submerging for 2 1/2 hours at 700 feet below the surface, with Jacques PiccardJacques PiccardJacques Piccard was a Swiss oceanographer and engineer, known for having developed underwater vehicles for studying ocean currents. He was one of only two people, along with Lt...
and Dr. Andreas Rechnitzer on board. - Died: Dr. Dudley Allen BuckDudley Allen BuckDr. Dudley Allen Buck was an electrical engineer and inventor of components for high-speed computing devices in the 1950s. He is best known for invention of the cryotron, a superconductive computer component that is operated in liquid helium at a temperature near absolute 0...
, 32, inventor of the cryotronCryotronThe cryotron is a switch that operates using superconductivity. The cryotron works on the principle that magnetic fields destroy superconductivity. This simple device consists of two superconducting wires with different critical temperature . A straight wire of tantalum is wrapped around with a...
and member of the National Security Agency Scientific Advisory Board; from pneumonia.; and Dr. Louis N. Ridenour, 47, nuclear physicist, vice president Lockheed Missile Systems and chairman of the National Security Agency Scientific Advisory Board, of a brain hemorrhage.
May 22, 1959 (Friday)
- Brig. Gen. Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.Benjamin O. Davis, Jr.Benjamin Oliver Davis Jr. was an American born United States Air Force general and commander of the World War II Tuskegee Airmen....
, Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Headquarters U.S. Air Forces in Europe, Wiesbaden, Germany, was nominated for a temporary promotion to Major GeneralMajor GeneralMajor general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, making him the first African-American to be so nominated. His promotion to two-star rank became effective on June 30 and lasted until May 16, 1960, making him the highest ranking Negro officer in the United States military. A permanent promotion followed in 1962, and Davis attained lieutenant general rank in 1965, retiring in 1998 as the first African-American 4-star general. Davis's father, Benjamin O. Davis, Sr.Benjamin O. Davis, Sr.Brigadier General Benjamin Oliver Davis, Sr. was an American general and the father of Benjamin O. Davis Jr. He was the first African-American general officer in the United States Army....
, had been the first African-American General, attaining the rank of brigadier general in 1940.
May 23, 1959 (Saturday)
- A 2½ year old boy in Hazelwood, MissouriHazelwood, MissouriHazelwood is a second-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in northwestern St. Louis County, Missouri. The population was 25,703 as of the 2010 census. Hazelwood, a northern suburb of St. Louis, is located north of Lambert-St...
, was attacked and killed by a pack of at least five dogs. Six weeks later, in Novinger, MissouriNovinger, MissouriNovinger is a city in Nineveh Township, Adair County, Missouri, United States. The population was 456 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Kirksville Micropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Novinger is located at ....
, on July 3, another two year old boy was killed by dogs.
May 24, 1959 (Sunday)
- John Foster DullesJohn Foster DullesJohn Foster Dulles served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. He was a significant figure in the early Cold War era, advocating an aggressive stance against communism throughout the world...
, who had recently resigned as U.S. Secretary of State, died of cancer in Washington. At the time, he was eulogized by President Eisenhower as "one of the truly great men of our time". - The Anglo-Soviet Long Term Trade Agreement was signed, marking the first significant agreement between the U.S.S.R. and a Western nation since World War II, was signed. The five-year trade pact was renewed in 1964 and 1969.
- Born: Pelle LindberghPelle LindberghPer-Eric Göran "Pelle" Lindbergh was a Swedish professional ice hockey goaltender who played parts of five seasons in the National Hockey League for the Philadelphia Flyers.-Playing career:...
, Swedish-born NHL goaltender, 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...
(killed in auto crash, 1985) - Died: John Foster DullesJohn Foster DullesJohn Foster Dulles served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. He was a significant figure in the early Cold War era, advocating an aggressive stance against communism throughout the world...
, 71 United States 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...
1953–59
May 25, 1959 (Monday)
- Mass murderer Charles StarkweatherCharles StarkweatherCharles Raymond Starkweather was an American teenaged spree killer who murdered eleven people in Nebraska and Wyoming during a two-month road trip with his 14-year-old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate. The couple was captured on January 29, 1958...
was granted a temporary reprieve 98 minutes before his scheduled execution. Federal judge Richard Robinson of Omaha had been woken up at 1:45 to hear the motion, and signed the stay at 4:23 so that Starkweather, who had killed 11 people the year before, could have more time to perfect an appeal. The 20-year old killer lived for one more month before going to the electric chair at on June 25, 1959.
May 26, 1959 (Tuesday)
- Harvey HaddixHarvey HaddixHarvey Haddix, Jr. was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , Cincinnati Redlegs , Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles . Haddix was born in Medway, Ohio, located just outside of Springfield...
of the Pittsburgh Pirates did what no other baseball player had ever accomplished by pitching a perfect gamePerfect gameA perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
– no hits, no runs, no errors—for 12 innings in Milwaukee, but Milwaukee Braves pitcher Lew BurdetteLew BurdetteSelva Lewis Burdette, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves...
was also hurling a shutout, and the score remained 0–0 going into the 13th inning. Felix Mantilla reached first base and the Braves went on to win 1–0. Haddix, who almost sat out the game because he was recovering from the flu, said later that he knew he had been pitching a no-hitter, but did not realize he had had a perfect game going until later. - The 1964 Summer Olympic Games were awarded to Tokyo, receiving 34 of the 58 votes cast at the IOC meeting in Munich. Runner up was Detroit with 10 votes, followed by Vienna and Brussels.
- Sally BrownSally BrownSally Brown is the younger sister of Charlie Brown in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles Schulz. She was first mentioned in early 1959 and throughout a long series of strips before her first appearance in August 1959.-Appearance:...
, sister to Charlie BrownCharlie BrownCharles "Charlie" Brown is the protagonist in the comic strip Peanuts by Charles M. Schulz.Charlie Brown and his creator have a common connection in that they are both the sons of barbers, but whereas Schulz's work is described as the "most shining example of the American success story", Charlie...
, was born, introduced in the comic strip Peanuts.
May 27, 1959 (Wednesday)
- Nikita Khrushchev's ultimatumUltimatumAn ultimatum is a demand whose fulfillment is requested in a specified period of time and which is backed up by a threat to be followed through in case of noncompliance. An ultimatum is generally the final demand in a series of requests...
for action on BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
expired. The Soviet premier had notified the Western powers on November 27, 1958, that if occupying armies were not withdrawn from West Berlin within six months, access through East Germany to the city would be closed off. The Geneva talks that began on May 11 halted action on the ultimatum. The late U.S. Secretary of State John Foster DullesJohn Foster DullesJohn Foster Dulles served as U.S. Secretary of State under President Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953 to 1959. He was a significant figure in the early Cold War era, advocating an aggressive stance against communism throughout the world...
, who had said in 1958, "We are not afraid of May 27, 1959", was buried on that date, and the participants in the Geneva talks, including Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei GromykoAndrei GromykoAndrei Andreyevich Gromyko was a Soviet statesman during the Cold War. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet . Gromyko was responsible for many top decisions on Soviet foreign policy until he retired in 1987. In the West he was given the...
, attended the ceremonies at Arlington. - National SemiconductorNational SemiconductorNational Semiconductor was an American semiconductor manufacturer, that specialized in analog devices and subsystems,formerly headquartered in Santa Clara, California, USA. The products of National Semiconductor included power management circuits, display drivers, audio and operational amplifiers,...
was formed by eight former engineers of Sperry Rand Corporation for the purpose of producing transistors for electronic products.
May 28, 1959 (Thursday)
- Two female monkeys became the first animals launched by NASANASAThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
into outer space and returned safely to Earth. Able, a 7 pound rhesus, and BakerMiss BakerMiss Baker was a squirrel monkey who became, along with rhesus monkey Miss Able, one of the first two animals launched into space by the United States and recovered alive....
, a 1 pound spider monkey, were placed in the nose cone of a Jupiter rocket and sent 300 miles aloft from Cape Canaveral, and recovered, unharmed, in the Caribbean Sea 1,100 miles away. - A passenger train in Indonesia derailed and fell into a ravine, killing 85 people and injuring 47. Sabotage was suspected in the crash in the Tasikmalaja area of West Java.
May 29, 1959 (Friday)
- In what an AP report described as "history's first international conference in the clouds", Christian HerterChristian HerterChristian Archibald Herter was an American politician and statesman; 59th governor of Massachusetts from 1953 to 1957, and United States Secretary of State from 1959 to 1961.-Early life:...
(U.S.), Andrei GromykoAndrei GromykoAndrei Andreyevich Gromyko was a Soviet statesman during the Cold War. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and as Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet . Gromyko was responsible for many top decisions on Soviet foreign policy until he retired in 1987. In the West he was given the...
(U.S.S.R.), Selwyn LloydSelwyn LloydJohn Selwyn Brooke Lloyd, Baron Selwyn-Lloyd CH PC CBE TD , known for most of his career as Selwyn Lloyd, was a British Conservative Party politician who served as Foreign Secretary from 1955 to 1960, then as Chancellor of the Exchequer until 1962...
(U.K.) and Maurice Couve de MurvilleMaurice Couve de MurvilleMaurice Couve de Murville was a French diplomat and politician who was Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1958 to 1968 and Prime Minister from 1968 to 1969 under the presidency of General de Gaulle....
(France) continued their negotiations concerning BerlinBerlinBerlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
while flying over the Atlantic Ocean. The four foreign ministers were returning to Geneva following the funeral of John Foster Dulles. - Born: Adrian PaulAdrian PaulAdrian Paul Hewett , better known as Adrian Paul, is an actor best known for his role on the television series Highlander: The Series as Duncan MacLeod. In 1997, he founded The Peace Fund charitable organization.-Early life:...
, British actor (Highlander: The SeriesHighlander: The SeriesHighlander: The Series is a fantasy-adventure television series featuring Duncan MacLeod of the Scottish Clan MacLeod, as the Highlander. It was an offshoot and another alternate sequel of the 1986 feature film with a twist: Connor MacLeod did not win the prize and Immortals still exist post-1985...
), 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...
May 30, 1959 (Saturday)
- The first trial of a hovercraftHovercraftA hovercraft is a craft capable of traveling over surfaces while supported by a cushion of slow moving, high-pressure air which is ejected against the surface below and contained within a "skirt." Although supported by air, a hovercraft is not considered an aircraft.Hovercraft are used throughout...
took place at Cowes in Britain. - In elections in SingaporeSingaporeSingapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, the Peoples Action Party, led by Lee Kuan YewLee Kuan YewLee Kuan Yew, GCMG, CH is a Singaporean statesman. He was the first Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, governing for three decades...
, won in a landslide, capturing 43 of the 51 seats in Parliament. - The Auckland Harbour BridgeAuckland Harbour BridgeThe Auckland Harbour Bridge is an eight-lane box truss motorway bridge over the Waitemata Harbour, joining St Marys Bay in Auckland with Northcote in North Shore City, New Zealand. The bridge is part of State Highway 1 and the Auckland Northern Motorway...
, 1020 meters (3,348 feet) in length, was opened in New Zealand. - Louisiana Governor Earl K. Long voluntarily entered a mental hospital in Texas, and spent the next four weeks fighting efforts to have him committed.
- An invasion of NicaraguaNicaraguaNicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean...
was made when two planes with rebel soldiers, under the direction of Nicaraguan-exile Enrique Lacayo Farfan, landed and fought with government troops. The rebellion was put down by June 12. - After the calling off of the 1955 Anglo-Iraqi Agreement, the last British troops 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....
left peacefully. - Died: Raúl Scalabrini OrtizRaúl Scalabrini OrtizRaúl Scalabrini Ortiz was an Argentine writer, journalist, essayist and poet, friend of Arturo Jauretche and Homero Manzi, and loosely associated with the political group Fuerza de Orientación Radical de la Joven Argentina .Scalabrini Ortiz was born in Corrientes, the son of the naturalist Pedro...
, 61, Argentinian journalist
May 31, 1959 (Sunday)
- Memorial Day Weekend closed at midnight, and was counted as a two-day holiday weekend for the last time, with May 30 falling on a Saturday. The accidental death toll broke the record for a 54-hour weekend. The 310 traffic fatalities recorded by the National Safety CouncilNational Safety CouncilThe National Safety Council is a 501 nonprofit, nongovernmental public service organization dedicated to protecting life and promoting health. Headquartered in Itasca, Illinois, NSC is a member organization, founded in 1913 and granted a congressional charter in 1953...
from Friday to Midnight Sunday far exceeded the 1953 record of 241. There were 150 more accidental deaths, including 101 drownings, for a total of 460 dead in 54 hours. When May 30 fell on a Saturday again in 1964, Memorial Day weekend was counted as a three day period starting on Thursday evening.