The year in history
1959
Someone born in 1959 turns 67 in 2026
1959 (MCMLIX) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1959th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 959th year of the 2nd millennium, the 59th year of the 20th century, and the 10th and last year of the 1950s decade.
What happened in 1959
Cuba: Fulgencio Batista flees Havana when the forces of Fidel Castro advance.
The Soviet government recognizes the new Castro government of Cuba.
A chartered plane transporting musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper with pilot Roger Peterson goes down in foggy conditions near Clear Lake, Iowa, killing all four on board. The tragedy is later termed "The Day the Music Died", popularized in Don McLean's 1971 song "American Pie".
The USS Tuscaloosa, USS New Orleans, USS Tennessee and USS West Virginia are stricken from the United States Naval Vessel Register.
The Dalai Lama is granted asylum in India.
The National Liberation Committee of CΓ΄te d'Ivoire is launched in Conakry, Guinea.
A 3-front invasion of the Dominican Republic by exile forces backed by Fidel Castro and Venezuela attempts to overthrow Rafael Trujillo.
Groups of Kurdish and communist militias rebel in Kirkuk, Iraq against the central government.
In the United States:
The Xerox 914, the first plain paper copier, is introduced to the public.
First appearance of AstΓ©rix the Gaul, in a French comic magazine.
The life-boat Mona, based at Broughty Ferry in Scotland, capsizes during a rescue attempt with the loss of 8 lives.
Famous people born in 1959
Azali Assoumani
President of the Comoros
January 1 β
Linda Blair
American actress
January 22 β
Joachim Kunz
East German Olympic weightlifter
February 9 β
Tom Arnold
American actor and comedian
March 6 β
Danny Ainge
American basketball executive and player
March 17 β
Babyface
American singer, songwriter, and record producer
April 10 β
Stephen Harper
22nd Prime Minister of Canada
April 30 β
Robert Greene
American author
May 14 β
Mike Pence
American politician and former Vice President of the United States
June 7 β
Guerrinha
Brazilian basketball coach and basketball player
June 21 β
Victoria Abril
Spanish actress and singer
July 4 β
King Tupou VI of Tonga
July 12 β
July 30 β Abdullah of Pahang
sixteenth Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaysia
July 29 β
Scott Altman
American astronaut
August 15 β
Rebecca De Mornay
American actress
August 29 β
Sigmar Gabriel
German politician
September 12 β
Crin Antonescu
Acting President of Romania in 2012 and history teacher
September 21 β
Brian Higgins
American politician
October 6 β
Marie Osmond
American singer
October 13 β
Evo Morales
President of Bolivia
October 26 β
Jimmy Quinn
Northern Irish footballer
November 18 β
Neal Broten
American professional ice hockey player
November 29 β
Betsy Arakawa
American classical pianist
December 15 β
Marco Antonio SolΓs
Mexican singer
December 29 β