Year 1959 Fun Facts, Trivia, and History

What Happened During the Year 1959?

What are some fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1959? What were the top news stories in the U.S. and around the world, and what major events took place in the business and financial sectors? How much did a gallon of gas cost, and what happened in science, technology, sports, and in the entertainment industry?

Back in 1959, what were the biggest food and fashion trends, and what were the most popular baby names and Christmas gifts? Likewise, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, and how much did a first-class stamp or a gallon of milk cost? What about famous birthdays and deaths that year, and what were the best-selling books?

From world leaders to pioneers to innovators, who were the most influential people in 1959? What was the median household income, the average life expectancy, and how much did a new house or car cost? Finally, what was 1959 best known for, and was it a good or bad year overall? Let's find out.

Here is a summary of the top news stories and history events that happened in 1959:

1. On October 18, 1867, the United States took possession of Alaska after purchasing the territory from Russia for less than two cents an acre. On July 12, 1898, the Newlands Resolution was passed by Congress to annex the independent Republic of Hawaii. In 1959, Alaska and Hawaii were admitted, individually, as the 49th and 50th states of the Union.
2. President Eisenhower issued an order for an updated American flag that featured 50 stars arranged in staggered rows: five six-star rows and four five-star rows. (The new flag became official on July 4, 1960.)
3. The United States recognized Fidel Castro’s new Cuban government, and believed that it could work with the new regime.
4. Charles Ovnand and Dale R. Buis became the first Americans to be killed in action in Vietnam. (Approximately 47,434 American soldiers were killed in battle during the Vietnam conflict. An additional 10,786 soldiers died out of battle, making a total of 58,220 deaths.)
5. NASA announced its selection of the seven military pilots—the “Mercury Seven”—who would become the first U.S. astronauts. They were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton.
6. From July 15 to November 7, a 116-day steel strike idled the steel industry throughout the United States. So what caused the steelworkers to go on strike? Politico.com explains that the steelworkers demanded “that the union give up a clause in their contract which limited management’s ability to change the number of workers assigned to a task or to introduce new work rules or machinery that would result in reduced hours or numbers of employees.”
7. The St. Lawrence Seaway opened, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. (In 1954, President Eisenhower signed legislation authorizing the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway—an elaborate system of locks and canals in both the United States and Canada that would connect the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.)
8. Congress passed legislation authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to run a Food Stamp program through 1962. However, the Eisenhower administration never took action on the measure.
9. In the killing that shocked the nation, four members of the Clutter family—Herb Clutter, his wife Bonnie, and their teenage children Nancy and Kenyon—were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Two ex-convicts, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death. (Truman Capote’s best-selling novel, In Cold Blood, published in 1966, details the quadruple murder.)
10. A chartered plane that was transporting rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper crashed in foggy conditions near Clear Lake, Iowa. All four occupants on board, including the pilot Roger Peterson, were killed. (The tragedy popularized Don McLean's 1972 song—American Pie.)
11. The Ford Motor Company discontinued the troubled Edsel brand, and the last car rolled off the assembly line in November.
12. British paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey discovered a human skull in Tanzania that was about 1.8 million years old.
13. Here are some sports facts from 1959: The Boston Celtics were the NBA champs, the Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series, and the Montreal Canadiens clinched the Stanley Cup.
14. The American Football League (AFL) was founded. The AFL's original lineup consisted of “an Eastern division of the New York Titans, Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and the Houston Oilers, and a Western division of the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Texans.”
15. The San Francisco Giants named their new baseball stadium Candlestick Park.
16. The first Barbie doll went on display at the American Toy Fair in New York. American businesswoman Ruth Handler was credited with creating Barbie by using a German doll named Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
17. There were 32,000 supermarkets in the U.S., and 15,000 delis in New York City.
18. McDonald’s opened its 100th restaurant, and the one-billionth can of Spam was sold.
19. Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian opened the first Little Caesars pizza restaurant in Garden City, Michigan.
20. New York businessman Reuben Mattus created a premium ice cream, and gave it a Danish sounding name—Haagen Dazs.
21. At the 31st Academy Awards, the film Gigi won eight Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Costume Design, Best Film Editing, and Best Cinematography.
22. Consumer products introduced in 1959 include 9 Lives cat food, Jiffy Pop popcorn, Princess telephones, Skip laundry detergent, Surf laundry detergent, Troll dolls, and the Xerox 914 plain paper copier.
23. Allison Janney, Babyface, Chris Hansen, Emma Thompson, Hugh Laurie, Lawrence Taylor, Maggie Baird, Magic Johnson, Marie Osmond, Michael Kors, and Mike Pence were all born.
24. In 1959, milk cost $1.01 a gallon, Swanson TV dinners were 49 cents apiece, and Skippy peanut butter was 33 cents for a 12-ounce jar. Eggs were 53 cents a dozen, Herr’s potato chips cost 59 cents for a 16-ounce bag, and SPAM was 43 cents for a 12-ounce can. A movie ticket went for $1.00, a daily newspaper cost seven cents, and bowling dresses were $10.98-$14.98 each.
25. At the 32nd Scripps National Spelling Bee, 12-year-old Joel Montgomery of Denver, Colorado correctly spelled the word “catamaran.”

This article teaches you fun facts, trivia, and history events from the year 1959. Find out about popular TV shows and movies, best-selling books, food and fashion trends, sports facts, pop music artists and songs, famous birthdays, economic and tech news, as well as unusual news events to get the right mix of questions and answers for your 1950s-themed trivia quiz.

Table of Contents

Here is a sneak preview of what this article is about:

1. Grocery Prices in the Year 1959
2. History Facts and Events From the USA and World
3. Sports Facts and Trivia
4. Miscellaneous Fun Facts, Trivia, and Pop Culture Trends
5. Entertainment News
6. Nobel Prize Winners
7. Best-Selling Books
8. 1959 in American Television
9. 1959 in American Radio
10. Highest-Grossing Films
11. Horror Movies From the Year 1959
12. Biggest Pop Music Artists
13. Top 30 Songs for the Year
14. Food and Beverage Trivia
15. Famous Birthdays
16. Notable Weddings
17. Famous People Who Died
18. Top 25 U.S. Companies by Revenue
19. U.S. Automobile Production Figures for the Year
20. American Companies and Brands Established During 1959

1. Grocery Prices in the Year 1959

These 1959 grocery prices have been made available courtesy of the Morris County Public Library in Whippany, NJ.

1. Baby food (Gerber’s, strained): 10 jars for 99 cents
2. Bacon (sliced): 49 cents a pound
3. Beef (chuck steak): 39 cents a pound
4. Beef stew (Dinty Moore): 49 cents for a 24-ounce can
5. Bread: 29 cents for a 20-ounce loaf
6. Cereal (Kellogg’s variety, 10 pack): 49 cents apiece
7. Cheese (Borden, American slices): Five six-ounce packages for $1.00
8. Chow mein noodles (La Choy): 27 cents for a six-ounce can
9. Coffee (Eight O’Clock): 53 cents for a one-pound bag
10. Cold cuts (bologna): 59 cents a pound
11. Cookies (Burry’s, Happy Family): 39 cents for a 14-ounce package
12. Corn (fresh): 10 ears for 25 cents
13. Crackers (Ritz): 25 cents for a 12-ounce box
14. Fish (Mrs. Paul’s, frozen codfish cakes): 35 cents for an eight-ounce package
15. French fries (frozen): 49 cents for two 16-ounce packages
16. Ham (Morrell, canned): $2.49 for a one-pound tin
17. Juice (Libby, frozen orange): 89 cents for four six-ounce cans
18. Marshmallow Fluff: 25 cents for a 7.5-ounce jar
19. Milk: $1.01 a gallon
20. Miracle Whip (Kraft): 29 cents for a 16-ounce jar
21. Oil (Wesson): 28 cents for a pint bottle
22. Onions (yellow): Three pounds for 13 cents
23. Oranges (Valencia): Ten for 39 cents
24. Peanut butter (Skippy): 33 cents for a 12-ounce jar
25. Pickles (Colonial, kosher): 25 cents for a quart jar
26. Pie (Jane Parker, 8″, assorted flavors): 47 cents each
27. Potato chips (Herr’s): 59 cents for a one-pound bag
28. Soda (Coca-Cola): Five 26-ounce bottles for 89 cents
29. Soup (Campbell’s): Four 10.5-ounce cans for 41 cents
30. SPAM (Hormel): 43 cents for a 12-ounce can
31. TV dinner (Swanson): 49 cents for an 11-ounce package

2. History Facts and Events From the USA and World

1. On January 3, Alaska became the 49th and largest U.S. state.
2. On January 7, the United States recognized Fidel Castro’s new Cuban government. History.com tells us that “just six days after the fall of the Fulgencio Batista dictatorship in Cuba, U.S. officials recognized the new provisional government of the island nation. Despite fears that Fidel Castro, whose rebel army helped to overthrow Batista, might have communist leanings, the U.S. government believed that it could work with the new regime and protect American interests in Cuba.”
3. On February 1, Switzerland “held a referendum on whether women should be allowed to vote in general elections. Only men could take part in the referendum and two-thirds of them voted no.” (In 1971, Swiss women finally won the right to vote.)
4. On February 3, American Airlines Flight 320 crashed into the East River while on approach to LaGuardia Airport, killing 65 and injuring eight.
5. On February 3, a chartered plane that was transporting rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper crashed in foggy conditions near Clear Lake, Iowa. All four occupants on board, including the pilot Roger Peterson, were killed. (The tragedy popularized Don McLean's 1972 song—American Pie.)
6. On February 17, Vanguard 2—the first Earth-orbiting weather satellite—was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
7. On February 22, Lee Petty won the first Daytona 500.
8. On February 28, Discoverer 1 was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and became “the first man-made object ever put into a polar orbit.”
9. On March 3, Pioneer 4 was launched from Cape Canaveral, and became “the first U.S. spacecraft to leave the Earth’s gravitational field.” (Pioneer 4 came within 37,300 miles of the Moon’s surface.)
10. On March 3, the San Francisco Giants named their new baseball stadium Candlestick Park.
11. On March 9, the first Barbie doll went on display at the American Toy Fair in New York. American businesswoman Ruth Handler was credited with creating Barbie by using a German doll named Bild Lilli as her inspiration.
12. On March 18, President Eisenhower signed the Hawaii Admission Act, a proclamation which dissolved the Territory of Hawaii and admitted Hawaii into the Union as the 50th state. History.com adds that “The president also issued an order for an American flag featuring 50 stars arranged in staggered rows: five six-star rows and four five-star rows. The new flag became official July 4, 1960.”
13. On April 7, Oklahoma ended Prohibition after 51 years.
14. On April 9, NASA announced its selection of the seven military pilots—the “Mercury Seven”—who would become the first U.S. astronauts. They were Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton.
15. On April 15, U.S. Secretary of State John Foster Dulles resigned because of declining health. (Dulles passed away on May 24, 1959 at the Walter Reed Medical Center.)
16. On April 25, the St. Lawrence Seaway opened, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. (In 1959, President Eisenhower signed legislation authorizing the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway—an elaborate system of locks and canals in both the United States and Canada that would connect the Great Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean.)
17. On May 8, Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian opened the first Little Caesars pizza restaurant in Garden City, Michigan.
18. On July 8, Charles Ovnand and Dale R. Buis became the first Americans to be killed in action in Vietnam.
19. From July 15 to November 7, a 116-day steel strike idled the steel industry throughout the United States. So what caused the steelworkers to go on strike? Politico.com explains that the steelworkers demanded “that the union give up a clause in their contract which limited management’s ability to change the number of workers assigned to a task or to introduce new work rules or machinery that would result in reduced hours or numbers of employees.”
20. On July 24, Vice President Richard Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev engaged in a heated “kitchen debate” about capitalism and communism while attending a Moscow trade show where U.S. kitchen appliances were on exhibit.
21. On August 15, the American Football League (AFL) was founded. The AFL's original lineup consisted of “an Eastern division of the New York Titans, Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills, and the Houston Oilers, and a Western division of the Los Angeles Chargers, Denver Broncos, Oakland Raiders, and Dallas Texans.”
22. On August 21, Hawaii officially became the 50th U.S. state.
23. On August 26, the British Motor Corporation (BMC) introduced the Morris Mini-Minor, a small economy car that was only 10-feet long but seated four passengers.
24. On October 8, the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Chicago White Sox—four games to two—to win their second World Series title.
25. On October 11, the UK began using postcodes (originally, postal codes). PostalMuseum.org explains that “The first postcodes were introduced on a trial basis in Norwich in 1959 with the first three characters of the code ('NOR') representing the name of the city, and the last three characters a particular street. Larger firms and businesses received their own individual codes.”
26. On October 21, the Guggenheim Museum, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, opened to the public in New York City.
27. On November 15, in the killing that shocked the nation, four members of the Clutter family—Herb Clutter, his wife Bonnie, and their teenage children Nancy and Kenyon—were brutally murdered in Holcomb, Kansas. Two ex-convicts, Perry Smith and Richard Hickock, were found guilty of the murders and sentenced to death. (Truman Capote’s best-selling novel, In Cold Blood, published in 1966, details the quadruple murder.)
28. On December 1, the Antarctic Treaty of 1959 was signed by 12 countries, including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Chile, France, Japan, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union. Britannica.com explains that “The treaty encouraged the freedom of scientific investigation and the exchange of scientific information and personnel in Antarctica. A protocol to the 1959 treaty was signed in 1991. The agreement banned mineral and oil exploration for 50 years and included regulations for the protection of the Antarctic environment.”
29. On December 13, The Wizard of Oz was shown on television for the second time.
30. On December 28, at the 26th NFL championship game, the Baltimore Colts won 31–16 over the New York Giants at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium.

3. Sports Facts and Trivia

Generally suitable for all age groups, sports questions are a welcome addition to any trivia quiz.

1. Indianapolis 500: Roger Ward
2. Kentucky Derby: Tommy Lee
3. NBA Champions: Boston Celtics
4. NCAA Basketball: California
5. NCAA Football Champs: Syracuse
6. NFL Champions: Baltimore Colts
7. Orange Bowl: Oklahoma over Syracuse
8. Rose Bowl: Iowa over California
9. Stanley Cup Champs: Montreal Canadiens
10. Sugar Bowl: LSU over Clemson
11. U.S. Open Golf: Billy Casper
12. U.S. Open Tennis (men/women): Neale Fraser/Maria Bueno
13. Wimbledon (men/women): Alex Olmedo/Maria Bueno
14. World Series Champions: Los Angeles Dodgers

4. Miscellaneous Fun Facts, Trivia, and Pop Culture Trends

1. In 1959, popular baby names were Michael, David, James, John, Mary, Susan, Linda, and Karen.
2. The average life expectancy at birth in the U.S. was 66.8 years.
3. Fashion icons for the year included Brigitte Bardot, Doris Day, Mamie Van Doren, Annette Funicello, Audrey Hepburn, Sophia Loren, Jayne Mansfield, Marilyn Monroe, Julie Newmar, Kim Novak, Donna Reed, Elizabeth Taylor, Lana Turner, Tuesday Weld, and Jane Wyatt.
4. Mary Ann Mobley (Mississippi) was crowned Miss America.
5. Terry Huntingdon (California) became Miss USA.
6. Time magazine’s “Person of the Year” was President Dwight D. Eisenhower.
7. Consumer products introduced in 1959 include 9 Lives cat food, Jiffy Pop popcorn, Princess telephones, Skip laundry detergent, Surf laundry detergent, Troll dolls, and the Xerox 914 plain paper copier.
8. In 1959, Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev could not visit Disneyland because of his political views.
9. British paleoanthropologist Mary Leakey discovered a human skull in Tanzania that was about 1.8 million years old.
10. Ford discontinued the troubled Edsel brand, and the final car rolled off the assembly line in November.
11. During the 1950s, U.S. agricultural exports averaged about $3.53 billion a year, or about 22% of total exports.
12. The aluminum Christmas tree was introduced.
13. Danny’s coffee shops were renamed Denny’s.
14. There were about 15,000 delis in New York City.
15. Bic pens were introduced in the U.S. (Europe had them since 1952.)
16. There were 32,000 supermarkets in the U.S.
17. Coors of Golden, Colorado introduced the recyclable aluminum beer can.
18. The one-billionth can of Spam was sold.
19. McDonald’s opened its 100th restaurant.
20. Congress passed legislation authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture to run a Food Stamp program through 1962. However, the Eisenhower administration never took action on the measure.
21. New York businessman Reuben Mattus created a premium ice cream, and gave it a Danish sounding name—Haagen Dazs.
22. Mike Ilitch and his wife Marian opened the first Little Caesars pizza restaurant in Garden City, Michigan.
23. Charles “Charlie” Trotter—the famed American chef and restaurateur—was born. Food-Reference.com reminds us that Trotter’s “eponymous Chicago restaurant (opened in 1987) was recognized as one of the finest in the world. He was also host of the PBS cooking show 'Kitchen Sessions with Charlie Trotter' and the author of 14 cookbooks.”
24. Average income per year: $5,016.00
25. Average cost of a new house: $12,400.00
26. Average cost of a new car: $2,200.00
27. Average cost of a gallon of gas: 25 cents
28. Cost of a first-class postage stamp: Four cents
29. Unemployment averaged 5.3%.
30. Inflation was 0.69%.
31. The minimum wage was $1.00 per hour.
32. On January 2, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed at 439.27.
33. On December 31, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) closed at 679.36
34. In May, the prime rate was 4.5%.
35. GDP growth was 6.9% for the year.
36. The price of gold averaged $35.25 per troy ounce.
37. Average price for a movie ticket: $1.00
38. A Chevrolet Kingswood station wagon: $2,970.00
39. A Pontiac Star Chief: $3,500.00
40. A man’s wool sports coat: $21.95
41. A boy’s coat: $6.66
42. Women’s shoes: $14.95 a pair
43. A girl’s dress: $2.98-$3.98 each
44. Alcoa aluminum wrap (75’): 69 cents
45. Swanee toilet tissue: Three 500-sheet rolls for 37 cents
46. A General Electric washing machine: $185.00
47. A Sears Craftsman lawn mower: $79.88-$89.95 apiece
48. A daily newspaper: Seven cents
49. A Tiny Tears doll: $9.88
50. A Steve Canyon jet helmet: $2.88

5. Entertainment News

1. On January 9, the western Rawhide—starring Clint Eastwood—premiered on CBS. The series ran for eight seasons.
2. On January 12, Berry Gordy Jr. founded the record company Motown as Tamla Records.
3. On January 29, Walt Disney’s animated musical fantasy film—Sleeping Beauty—was released.
4. On March 29, the film Some Like It Hot—directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon—debuted in New York City.
5. On April 6, the 31st Academy Awards honored the best films of 1958. Here were some of the winners: Gigi won an Oscar for Best Picture, and Vincent Minnelli (Gigi) won an Oscar for Best Director. Likewise, David Niven (Separate Tables) won an Oscar for Best Actor, and Susan Hayward (I Want to Live!) won an Oscar for Best Actress. Finally, Burt Ives (The Big Country) won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, and Wendy Hiller (Separate Tables) won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
6. On May 13, the final broadcast of the Kraft Music Hall aired on NBC. The variety show ran for 13 seasons.
7. On May 6, at the 11th Primetime Emmy Awards, The Jack Benny Show (CBS) won an Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series, and Alcoa-Goodyear Theatre (NBC) won an Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series. Likewise, Perry Como (The Perry Como Show) (CBS) won an Emmy for Best Performance by an Actor (Continuing Character) in a Musical or Variety Series. Finally, Dinah Shore (The Dinah Shore Chevy Show) (NBC) won an Emmy for Best Performance by an Actress (Continuing Character) in a Musical or Variety Series.
8. On June 13, the final broadcast of the Sammy Kaye Show aired on ABC.
9. On June 18, the film version of Kathryn Hulme's 1956 novel—The Nun's Story—premiered in New York City.
10. On June 27, the musical West Side Story closed at the Garden Theater in New York City after 734 performances.
11. On July 17, North by Northwest, a mystery film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint, debuted in Los Angeles.
12. On July 18, the film version of Kathryn Hulme's 1956 novel—The Nun's Story—premiered in Los Angeles.
13. On July 22, Ed Wood's black-and-white science fiction-horror film, Plan 9 From Outer Space, was released.
14. On September 11, jazz musician Duke Ellington won the Spingarn Medal for his musical achievements.
15. On September 12, Bonanza debuted on NBC.
16. On September 28, Hennessy premiered on CBS.
17. On September 29, the Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis debuted on CBS.
18. On September 29, Philip Marlowe premiered on ABC.
19. On October 2, Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone debuted on CBS.
20. On October 7, Pillow Talk, a romantic-comedy film starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson, was released.
21. On November 16, The Sound of Music, a musical by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, opened at the Lunt Fontanne Theater in New York City. It ran for 1,443 performances.
22. On November 18, the adventure film Ben-Hur, directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston, premiered in New York City.
23. On November 19, Rocky and His Friends debuted on ABC.
24. On November 21, Jack Benny (violin) and Richard Nixon (piano) played their famous duet.
25. On November 23, the musical Fiorello! opened at the Broadhurst Theater in New York City. It ran for 796 performances.

6. Nobel Prize Winners

Beth Rowen tells us that winning a Nobel Prize is a life-changing honor. Whether the laureate is an internationally known figure (such as Mother Teresa) or a scientist from obscurity (like Richard R. Ernst), the award brings worldwide recognition that highlights one's life work and provides the funds to continue the mission.

This Nobel Prize information from 1959 has been made available courtesy of NobelPrize.com.

• Chemistry: Jaroslav Heyrovský
• Literature: Salvatore Quasimodo
• Peace: Philip Noel-Baker
• Physics: Owen Chamberlain and Emilio Segrè
• Physiology or medicine: Severo Ochoa and Arthur Kornberg

7. Best-Selling Books

This book trivia from 1959 has been made available courtesy of PublishersWeekly.com.

Fiction books:

1. Exodus by Leon Uris

2. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

3. Hawaii by James Michener

4. Advise and Consent by Allen Drury

5. Lady Chatterley's Lover by D.H. Lawrence

6 . The Ugly American by William J. Lederer and Eugene L. Burdick

7. Dear and Glorious Physician by Taylor Caldwell

8. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

9. Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico

10. Poor No More by Robert Ruark

Nonfiction books:

1. Twixt Twelve and Twenty by Pat Boone

2. Folk Medicine by D.C. Jarvis

3. For 2¢ Plain by Harry Golden