This Day in History
Here are events that happened while the class of 1962 was at Northeastern.
Today is March 10th! On this day in 1959...
Sweet Bird of Youth, a play by Tennessee Williams, opened in New York City.
- January 1, 1959
- Cuban President Batista resigns and flees -- Castro takes over
- January 2, 1960
- Sen. John F. Kennedy of Massachusetts announced his candidacy for the Democratic presidential nomination.
- January 3, 1959
- Alaska becomes the 49th state
- January 3, 1961
- U.S. breaks diplomatic relations with Cuba
- January 4, 1958
- The Soviet satellite Sputknik I fell to the earth from its orbit. The craft had been launched on October 4, 1957.
- January 5, 1959
- It Doesn't Matter Anymore backed by Raining in My Heart was released by Coral Records. It was the last release of Buddy Holly before his death.
- January 6, 1958
- Gibson patents the Flying V Guitar
- January 7, 1959
- The United States recognized Fidel Castro's new government in Cuba.
- January 8, 1959
- Charles De Gaulle was inaugurated as president of France's Fifth Republic.
- January 9, 1959
- Rawhide with Clint Eastwood premieres on CBS TV
- January 10, 1958
- Jerry Lee Lewis' Great Balls of Fire reaches #1
- January 11, 1958
- Seahunt debuted on CBS-TV. The show was aired on the network for four years.
- January 12, 1959
- Berry Gordy borrowed $800 to found the Motown record empire.
- January 13, 1962
- Comedian Ernie Kovacs died in a car crash in west Los Angeles.
- January 14, 1960
- Elvis Presley was promoted to Sergeant in the U.S. Army.
- January 15, 1961
- Motown Records signed The Supremes.
- January 16, 1961
- Mickey Mantle signed a contract that made him the highest paid baseball player in the American League at $75,000 for the 1961 season.
- January 17, 1961
- In his farewell address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned against the rise of the military-industrial complex.
- January 18, 1958
- Willie O'Ree became made his NHL debut with the Boston Bruins. He was the first black player to enter the league.
- January 19, 1961
- The first episode for Dick Van Dyke Show is filmed
- January 20, 1961
- Robert Frost recites The Gift Outright at John F. Kennedy's inauguration as president of U.S.
- January 21, 1962
- Jackie Wilson appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show.
- January 22, 1960
- Sam Cooke signed a deal with RCA Records.
- January 23, 1962
- Bob Feller & Jackie Robinson elected to Baseball Hall of Fame
- January 24, 1962
- Brian Epstein signed with the Beatles as their manager and began to direct their image away from leather jackets. He led them toward a smarter stage presentation, with matching suits and bows to the audience.
- January 25, 1959
- American Airlines opened the jet age in the United States with the first scheduled transcontinental flight of a Boeing 707.
- January 26, 1962
- The United States launched Ranger 3 to land scientific instruments on the moon, but the probe missed its target by some 22,000 miles.
- January 27, 1961
- Leontyne Price made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City.
- January 28, 1960
- The first photograph bounced off of the moon.
- January 29, 1958
- Actors Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward were married.
- January 30, 1962
- Two members of the Flying Wallendas high-wire act were killed when their seven-person pyramid collapsed during a performance in Detroit.
- January 31, 1959
- Former Red Sox Joe Cronin signs a seven-year deal to become the American League president.
- February 1, 1958
- Egypt and Syria merge into United Arab Republic
- February 2, 1959
- Frankie Avalon's Venus and the Coasters song, Charlie Brown, were released.
- February 3, 1959
- A plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, claimed the lives of rock-and-roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. The Big Bopper Richardson.
- February 4, 1958
- You could buy a loaf of bread for 19 cents.
- February 5, 1958
- Gamel Abdel Nasser was nominated to become the first president of the new United Arab Republic.
- February 6, 1959
- The United States successfully test-fired for the first time a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile from Cape Canaveral.
- February 7, 1959
- Buddy Holly's funeral was held in Lubbock, TX.
- February 8, 1960
- The House of Representatives Special Subcommittee on Legislative Oversight opened hearings on disc jockey payola.
- February 9, 1960
- The first star was placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The star was for Joanne Woodward.
- February 10, 1962
- The Soviet Union exchanged captured American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers for Rudolph Ivanovich Abel, a Soviet spy held by the United States
- February 11, 1960
- Jack Paar walked off while live on the air on the Tonight Show with four minutes left. He did this in response to sensors cutting out a for minute joke from the show the night before.
- February 12, 1961
- The Miracles' Shop Around became Motown's first million-selling single.
- February 13, 1960
- France exploded its first atomic bomb.
- February 14, 1962
- First lady Jacqueline Kennedy conducted a televised tour of the White House.
- February 15, 1958
- The Dick Clark Show debuted on ABC-TV. Connie Francis, Pat Boone and Jerry Lee Lewis were the first performers to appear on the show.
- February 16, 1958
- 19.4 inches of snow fell in Boston. It was the greatest 24 hour snowfall ever recorded (until January 1978).
- February 16, 1959
- Fidel Castro became premier of Cuba after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista.
- February 17, 1960
- The Everly Brothers signed with Warner Bros. Records in a 10-year contract worth $1 million.
- February 18, 1960
- The 8th Winter Olympic Games were opened in Squaw Valley, Calif., by Vice President Nixon.
- February 19, 1959
- An agreement was signed by Britain, Turkey and Greece granting Cyprus its independence.
- February 20, 1962
- Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr., is first American to orbit Earth three times in 4 hr 55 min
- February 21, 1959
- Smoke Gets In Your Eyes by Platters was a top 10 song.
- February 22, 1962
- Wilt Chamberlain sets NBA record with 34 free throw attempts
- February 23, 1958
- Juan Fangio, 5-time world diving champion, was kidnapped by Cuban rebels.
- February 24, 1962
- US performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
- February 25, 1961
- A first class stamp cost 4 cents.
- February 26, 1959
- Lou Costello, actor (Abbott & Costello), dies at 52
- February 27, 1960
- The U.S. Olympic hockey team defeated the Soviet Union 3-2 at the Winter Games in Squaw Valley, Calif. The U.S. team went on to win the gold medal.
- February 28, 1959
- Cash Box magazine began using a red 'bullet' on its record charts to indicate the records that have the strongest upward movement each week.
- February 29, 1960
- The first Playboy Club, featuring bunnies, opens in Chicago
- March 1, 1961
- President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps.
- March 2, 1962
- Wilt 'The Stilt' Chamberlain scored 100 points against the New York Knicks 169-147. Chamberlain broke several NBA records in the game.
- March 3, 1959
- The San Francisco Giants had their new stadium officially named Candlestick Park.
- March 4, 1960
- A powerful nor'easter that started on the 3rd ended up dumping 20 inches of snow on Boston.
- March 5, 1960
- Elvis Presley was honorably discharged from the Army.
- March 6, 1960
- The United States announced that it would send 3,500 troops to Vietnam.
- March 7, 1962
- Beatles made their broadcasting debut on BBC radio
- March 8, 1962
- The Beatles performed for the first time on the BBC in Great Britain. The show was Teenager's Turn.
- March 9, 1961
- The Supremes released their first single, I Want A Guy.
- March 10, 1959
- Sweet Bird of Youth, a play by Tennessee Williams, opened in New York City.
- March 11, 1959
- The Lorraine Hansberry drama A Raisin in the Sun opened at New York's Ethel Barrymore Theater.
- March 12, 1959
- The U.S. House joined the U.S. Senate in approving the statehood of Hawaii.
- March 13, 1961
- Rick Nelson recorded Travelin' Man.
- March 14, 1958
- The U.S. government suspended arms shipments to the Batista government of Cuba.
- March 15, 1960
- Ten nations met in Geneva to discuss disarmament.
- March 16, 1959
- John Sailling, last documented Civil War vet, dies at 111
- March 17, 1961
- The U.S. increased military aid and technicians to Laos.
- March 18, 1959
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the Hawaii statehood bill.
- March 19, 1958
- Our Song was released by Tom and Jerry. Later they used their real names, which were Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
- March 20, 1961
- Ricky Nelson recorded Hello Mary Lou.
- March 21, 1960
- Police fired on demonstrators in Sharpeville, South Africa, killing some 70 people.
- March 22, 1960
- A.L. Schawlow & C.H. Townes obtained a patent for the laser. It was the first patent for any laser.
- March 23, 1961
- Elvis Presley recorded Can't Help Falling in Love.
- March 24, 1958
- Elvis Presley is inducted into the U.S. Army
- March 25, 1960
- Roy Orbison recorded Only the Lonely.
- March 26, 1958
- The Bridge on the River Kwai got the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1957
- March 27, 1958
- Khrushchev becomes premier of Soviet Union as Bulganin resigns
- March 28, 1962
- The U.S. Air Force announced research into the use of lasers to intercept missiles and satellites.
- March 29, 1962
- Jack Paar hosted NBC's Tonight show for the final time.
- March 30, 1961
- Blue Moon by Marcels was a top 10 song.
- March 31, 1959
- Tibet's Dalai Lama escapes to India
- April 1, 1960
- The first weather satellite, TIROS-1, was launched from Cape Canaveral.
- April 2, 1958
- The National Advisory Council on Aeronautics was renamed NASA.
- April 3, 1960
- The Everly Brothers made their British concert debut.
- April 4, 1960
- Ben Hur won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1959
- April 5, 1962
- Duke of Earl by Gene Chandler was a top 10 song.
- April 6, 1959
- Gigi won the Academy Award for Best Picture of 1958
- April 7, 1959
- Oklahoma ends prohibition, after 51 years
- April 8, 1962
- Bay of Pigs invaders got thirty years imprisonment in Cuba.
- April 9, 1959
- NASA announced the selection of America's first seven astronauts: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Donald Slayton.
- April 9, 1959
- The Boston Celtics beat the Minneapolis Lakers 4 games to 0 to win the NBA championship
- April 9, 1960
- The Boston Celtics beat the St Louis Hawks 4 games to 3 to win the NBA championship
- April 10, 1959
- Japan's Crown Prince Akihito married a commoner, Michiko Shoda.
- April 11, 1961
- The Boston Celtics beat the St Louis Hawks 4 games to 1 to win the NBA championship
- April 12, 1958
- The St Louis Hawks beat the Boston Celtics 4 games to 2 to win the NBA Championship
- April 12, 1961
- Moscow announces putting first man in orbit around Earth, Maj. Yuri A. Gagarin
- April 13, 1962
- In the U.S., major steel companies rescinded announced price increases. The John F. Kennedy administration had been applying pressure against the price increases.
- April 14, 1960
- The musical Bye Bye Birdie opened in New York City.
- April 15, 1959
- Cuban leader Fidel Castro arrived in Washington, D.C., to begin a goodwill tour of the United States.
- April 16, 1962
- Walter Cronkite succeeded Douglas Edwards as anchorman of The CBS Evening News.
- April 17, 1961
- Cuba invaded at Bay of Pigs by an estimated 1,200 anti-Castro exiles aided by U.S.; invasion crushed
- April 18, 1962
- The Boston Celtics beat the Los Angeles Lakers 4 games to 3 to win the NBA championship
- April 19, 1960
- Baseball uniforms began displaying player's names on their backs.
- April 20, 1961
- FM stereo broadcasting was approved by the FCC.
- April 21, 1959
- The largest fish ever hooked by a rod and reel was landed by Alfred Dean in South Australia. It was a 16-foot, 10-inch white shark that weighed in at 2,664 pounds.
- April 22, 1962
- The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance opened in theaters around the country.
- April 23, 1962
- Ranger 4, the first US satellite to reach Moon launched from Cape Canaveral
- April 24, 1962
- The Massachusetts Institute of Technology achieved the first satellite relay of a television signal, between Camp Parks, Calif., and Westford, Mass.
- April 25, 1959
- St. Lawrence Seaway opens, allowing ocean ships to reach Midwest
- April 26, 1962
- Red Sox Bill Monbouquette piches a no-hitter against the White Sox (1-0)
- April 27, 1960
- The submarine Tullibee was launched from Groton, CT. It was the first sub to be equipped with closed-circuit television.
- April 28, 1959
- Arthur Godfrey was seen for the last time in the final broadcast of Arthur Godfrey and His Friends on CBS-TV.
- April 29, 1961
- ABC's Wide World of Sports premiered.
- April 30, 1958
- Ted Williams is 10th major league player to get 1,000 extra-base hits
- May 1, 1960
- The Soviet Union shot down an American U-2 reconnaissance plane near Sverdlovsk and captured its pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
- May 2, 1960
- Caryl Chessman was executed. He was a convicted sex offender and had become a best selling author while on death row.
- May 3, 1960
- The Fantaskicks opened. The show became the longest-running musical in theatre history on May 13, 1984 with performance number 10,000.
- May 4, 1959
- Henry Mancini won best Album of the Year (for The Music From Peter Gunn) at the 1st Annual Grammy Awards. Other winners included Perry Como for Catch a Falling Star and The Kingston Trio for Tom Dooley.
- May 5, 1961
- First U.S. spaceman, Navy Cmdr. Alan B. Shepard, Jr., rockets 116.5 miles up in 302-mile trip
- May 6, 1960
- Britain's Princess Margaret married Anthony Armstrong Jones, a commoner, at Westminster Abbey. They divorced in 1978
- May 7, 1960
- Leonid Brezhnev replaced Marshal Kliment Voroshilov as president of the Supreme Soviet.
- May 8, 1958
- Vice President Nixon was shoved, stoned, booed and spat upon by anti-American protesters in Lima, Peru.
- May 9, 1960
- The Food and Drug Administration approved use of a birth control pill.
- May 10, 1960
- The USS Nautilus completed the first circumnavigation of the globe under water.
- May 11, 1960
- Israeli soldiers captured Adolf Eichmann in Buenos Aires.
- May 12, 1960
- Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley appeared on the same TV special and performed the other's hit. Elvis sang Witchcraft and Sinatra sang Love Me Tender.
- May 13, 1958
- Vice President Nixon's limousine was battered by rocks thrown by anti-U.S. demonstrators in Caracas, Venezuela.
- May 14, 1961
- A bus carrying Freedom Riders was bombed and burned in Alabama.
- May 15, 1958
- Sputnik III, the first space laboratory, was launched in the Soviet Union.
- May 16, 1960
- Khrushchev kills Paris summit conference because of U-2
- May 17, 1961
- Castro offers to exchange Bay of Pigs prisoners for 500 bulldozers
- May 18, 1962
- The average cost of a home in the U.S. was $19,000.
- May 19, 1962
- Actress Marilyn Monroe performed a rendition of Happy Birthday for President Kennedy during a fund-raiser at New York's Madison Square Garden.
- May 20, 1961
- a white mob attacked a busload of Freedom Riders in Montgomery, Ala., prompting the federal government to send in United States marshals to restore order.
- May 21, 1959
- The musical Gypsy, inspired by the life of stripper Gypsy Rose Lee, opened on Broadway.
- May 22, 1958
- Jerry Lee Lewis announced that he had married his 13-year-old cousin, Myra
- May 23, 1960
- Top Nazi murderer of Jews, Adolf Eichmann, captured by Israelis in Argentina and executed in Israel in 1962.
- May 24, 1958
- United Press International was formed through a merger of the United Press and the International News Service.
- May 25, 1961
- President Kennedy asked the nation to work toward putting a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
- May 26, 1959
- The word Frisbee became a registered trademark of Wham-O.
- May 27, 1960
- A military coup overthrew the democratic government of Turkey.
- May 28, 1957
- The National League approved the move of the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants baseball teams to Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively.
- May 29, 1962
- Buck (John) O'Neil became the first black coach in major league baseball when he accepted the job with the Chicago Cubs.
- May 30, 1959
- Ted Williams celebrates his 20th season by clouting a dramatic home run in an 8–3 Boston win in a doubleheader nitecap against Baltimore.
- May 31, 1961
- South Africa became an independent republic.
- June 1, 1958
- Gen. Charles de Gaulle becomes French premier, remaining in power until 1969.
- June 2, 1958
- Brooks Robinson, hits into 1st of record 4 triple plays
- June 3, 1959
- The first class to graduated from the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO.
- June 4, 1961
- Tossin' and Turnin' by Bobby Lewis was a top 10 song.
- June 5, 1960
- George Gobel Show, last airs on CBS-TV
- June 6, 1960
- Roy Orbison's Only The Lonely was released in the U.S.
- June 7, 1961
- Minimum wage was $1.15/hr
- June 8, 1961
- The Milwaukee Braves set a major league baseball record when four consecutive home runs in the seventh inning.
- June 9, 1958
- Actor Robert Donat dies
- June 10, 1961
- Psychologist Carl Jung died on this day
- June 11, 1959
- Postmaster General bans D H Lawrence's book, Lady Chatterley's Lover (overruled by US Court of Appeals in Mar 1960)
- June 12, 1959
- Bo Diddley released Go Go Bo Diddley.
- June 13, 1962
- Three convicts, Frank Lee Morris, and the brothers Anglin, escaped from Alcatraz on this day with a crude rowboat. They are the only prisoners believed to have successfully escaped.
- June 14, 1961
- Patsy Cline sustained serious head injuries and a fractured hip in a car accident in Madison, TN.
- June 15, 1958
- Jan & Dean's Surf City was released.
- June 16, 1961
- Soviet ballet dancer Rudolf Nureyev defected to the West while his troupe was in Paris.
- June 17, 1960
- Ted Williams hit his 500th HR
- June 18, 1959
- The first telecast received from England was broadcast in the U.S. over NBC-TV.
- June 19, 1961
- The Supreme Court struck down a provision in Maryland's constitution requiring state officeholders to profess a belief in God.
- June 20, 1961
- The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark was a bestselling book.
- June 21, 1958
- Bobby Darin recorded Splish Splash.
- June 22, 1958
- Game in KC between A's & Red Sox delayed 29 minutes due to tornado
- June 23, 1958
- Federal judge rules race separation must end in 2 years in Little Rock
- June 24, 1961
- Iraq demands dominion over Kuwait
- June 25, 1962
- The Supreme Court ruled that the use of an unofficial, nondenominational prayer in New York public schools was unconstitutional.
- June 26, 1961
- A Kuwaiti vote opposed Iraq's annexation plans.
- June 27, 1961
- Arthur Michael Ramsey was enthroned as the 100th Archbishop of Canterbury.
- June 28, 1960
- In Cuba, Fidel Castro confiscated American-owned oil refineries without compensation.
- June 29, 1961
- Gas prices averaged $0.31 a gallon.
- June 30, 1962
- Los Angeles Dodger Sandy Koufax pitched his first no-hitter in a game with the New York Mets.
- July 1, 1961
- Diana, the future Princess of Wales, was born near Sandringham, England.
- July 2, 1961
- Author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.
- July 3, 1962
- France transfers sovereignty to new republic of Algeria
- July 4, 1959
- America's 49-star flag, honoring Alaskan statehood, was officially unfurled.
- July 4, 1960
- America's 50-star flag, honoring Hawaiian statehood, was officially unfurled.
- July 5, 1962
- Algeria became independent after 132 years of French rule.
- July 6, 1962
- William Faulkner died in a hospital where he was being treated for alcoholism.
- July 7, 1961
- James R Hoffa elected chairman of Teamsters
- July 8, 1958
- The first gold record album was presented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The award went to the soundtrack Oklahoma!
- July 9, 1958
- Johnny Cash signed with Columbia Records
- July 10, 1962
- The Telstar communications satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
- July 11, 1959
- Joan Baez made her first recording. It was a duet with Bob Gibson which was recorded live at the Newport Folk Festival.
- July 12, 1960
- The first Etch-A-Sketch went on sale.
- July 13, 1960
- John F. Kennedy won the Democratic presidential nomination at his party's convention in Los Angeles.
- July 14, 1958
- The army of Iraq overthrew the monarchy.
- July 15, 1958
- Eisenhower orders U.S. Marines into Lebanon at request of President Chamoun, who fears overthrow
- July 16, 1961
- Catch-22 by Joseph Heller was a bestselling book.
- July 17, 1960
- Francis Gary Powers pled guilty to spying charges in a Moscow court after his U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Soviet Union.
- July 18, 1959
- William Wright becomes the first black to win a major golf tournament
- July 19, 1960
- Juan Marichal of the San Francisco Giants became the first pitcher to get a one-hitter in his major league debut.
- July 20, 1962
- Pope John XXIII sent invitations to all "separated Christian churches and communities" asking each to send delegate-observers to the upcoming Vatican II Ecumenical Council in Rome.
- July 21, 1959
- Pumpsie Green pinch runs for the Red Sox, who become the last major-league team to play a black player.
- July 21, 1961
- Virgil Grissom becomes second American astronaut, making 118-mile-high, 303-mile-long rocket flight over Atlantic
- July 22, 1958
- US performs atmospheric nuclear Test at Bikini Island
- July 23, 1962
- The Telstar communications satellite sent the first live TV broadcast to Europe.
- July 24, 1959
- During a visit to the Soviet Union, Vice President Richard M. Nixon got into a kitchen debate with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev at a U.S. exhibition.
- July 25, 1962
- The Elvis Presley film Kid Galahad premiered.
- July 26, 1961
- A loaf of bread would cost you 21 cents.
- July 27, 1960
- Vice President Nixon was nominated for president at the Republican national convention in Chicago.
- July 28, 1959
- In preparation for statehood, Hawaiians voted to send the first Chinese-American, Hiram L. Fong, to the Senate and the first Japanese-American, Daniel K. Inouye, to the House of Representatives.
- July 29, 1958
- President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act, which created NASA.
- July 30, 1960
- In the first AFL preseason game, the Boston Patriots defeat Bills in Buffalo (28-7)
- July 31, 1961
- The first tie in All-Star Game major league baseball history was recorded when it was stopped in the 9th inning due to rain at Boston's Fenway Park.
- August 1, 1960
- Chubby Checker's The Twist was released.
- August 2, 1961
- The Beatles began their engagement as regular headliners at Liverpool's Cavern Club. They performed about 300 shows over the next two years.
- August 3, 1958
- The nuclear-powered submarine Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater.
- August 4, 1958
- Billboard Magazine introduced its Hot 100 record chart, which was part popularity and a barometer of the movement of potential hits. The first number one song was Ricky Nelson's Poor Little Fool.
- August 5, 1962
- Actress Marilyn Monroe was found dead in her Los Angeles home at age 36. Her death was ruled a probable suicide from an overdose of sleeping pills.
- August 6, 1961
- Gherman Stepanovich Titov is launched in Soviet spaceship Vostok II: makes 171/2 orbits in 25 hours, covering 434,960 miles before landing safely
- August 7, 1960
- Cuba begins confiscation of $770 million of U.S. property
- August 8, 1960
- 25,000 copies of Tell Laura I Love Her were destroyed by Decca Records. It was said that the song was too tasteless and vulgar for English sensibility.
- August 9, 1962
- German author Hermann Hesse died
- August 10, 1961
- England applies for membership in the European Common Market
- August 11, 1960
- The African republic of Chad gained independence from France
- August 12, 1960
- The first balloon satellite, the Echo 1, was launched by the United States from Cape Canaveral, Fla.
- August 13, 1961
- East Germans erect Berlin Wall between East and West Berlin to halt flood of refugees
- August 14, 1959
- The first meeting was held to organize the American Football League.
- August 15, 1961
- East German workers began construction of the Berlin Wall.
- August 16, 1960
- Britain granted independence to Cyprus.
- August 17, 1962
- East German border guards shot and mortally wounded 18-year-old Peter Fechter, who had attempted to cross over the Berlin Wall into the western sector.
- August 18, 1958
- The novel Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov was published.
- August 19, 1960
- American U-2 spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers sentenced to prison for 10 years freed in February 1962 in exchange for Soviet spy.
- August 20, 1960
- Connie Francis begins working on the film Where the Boys Are.
- August 21, 1959
- Hawaii becomes the 50th state
- August 22, 1959
- Stephen Rockefeller married Anne Marie Rasmussen. Anne had once been a maid for the powerful and wealthy Rockefeller family.
- August 23, 1960
- Broadway librettist Oscar Hammerstein II died in Doylestown, Pa.
- August 24, 1959
- Three days after Hawaiian statehood, Hiram L. Fong was sworn in as the first Chinese-American U.S. senator, while Daniel K. Inouye was sworn in as the first Japanese-American U.S. representative.
- August 25, 1960
- 17th summer olympics opens in Rome
- August 26, 1961
- The International Hockey Hall of Fame opened in Toronto.
- August 27, 1962
- The United States launched the Mariner 2 space probe, which flew past Venus the following December.
- August 28, 1961
- Please Mr. Postman was released by the Marvelettes.
- August 29, 1958
- George Harrison joined the band Quarrymen. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were also members.
- August 30, 1960
- A partial blockade was imposed on West Berlin by East Germany.
- August 31, 1962
- The Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago became independent within the British Commonwealth.
- September 1, 1961
- The first conference of neutral countries held in Belgrade
- September 2, 1962
- Ken Hubbs, of the Chicago Cubs, set a major-league baseball fielding record when he played errorless for his 74th consecutive game.
- September 3, 1962
- Poet e.e. cummings died
- September 4, 1959
- Mack the Knife by Bobby Darin was banned by a radio station in New York City.
- September 5, 1958
- The novel Doctor Zhivago by Russian author Boris Pasternak was published in the United States for the first time.
- September 6, 1959
- The first Barbie Doll was sold by Mattel Toy Corporation.
- September 7, 1962
- Writer Isak Dinesen died at 77.
- September 8, 1960
- NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, AL, was dedicated by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The facility had been activated in July earlier that year.
- September 9, 1960
- 4th American Football League season begins - Denver beat Boston 13-10
- September 10, 1961
- Mickey Mantle tied a major league baseball record for home runs when he hit the 400th of his career.
- September 11, 1962
- The Beatles recorded their first single, Love Me Do and P.S. I Love You, at EMI studios in London.
- September 12, 1960
- Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy addressed the issue of his Roman Catholic faith, telling a Protestant group in Houston, I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me.
- September 13, 1960
- The U.S. Federal Communications Commission banned payola.
- September 14, 1959
- The Soviet space probe Luna 2 became the first man-made object to reach the moon as it crashed onto the lunar surface.
- September 15, 1962
- The Beatles were called a nothing group after an interview with Peter Jones of the London Daily Mirror.
- September 16, 1959
- WWII movie Ten Seconds to Hell opened in theaters.
- September 17, 1961
- The Minnesota Vikings were debuted as the new National Football League (NFL) team.
- September 18, 1961
- United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold was killed in a plane crash in northern Rhodesia.
- September 19, 1959
- Nikita Khruschev was not allowed to visit Disneyland due to security reasons. Khrushchev reacted angrily.
- September 20, 1962
- Black student James Meredith was blocked from enrolling at the University of Mississippi by Governor Ross R. Barnett. (Meredith was later admitted.)
- September 21, 1961
- Earle Dickson, inventor (band-aid), dies at 68
- September 22, 1958
- Sherman Adams, assistant to President Eisenhower, resigned amid charges of improperly using his influence to help an industrialist.
- September 23, 1962
- The Jetsons premiered on ABC-TV. It was the first program on the network to be carried in color.
- September 24, 1960
- The first nuclear powered aircraft carrier was launched. The USS Enterprise set out from Newport News, VA.
- September 25, 1960
- Chubby Checker's Twist, hits #1
- September 26, 1960
- The first televised debate between presidential candidates Richard M. Nixon and John F. Kennedy took place in Chicago.
- September 27, 1961
- Sandy Koufax sets NL strikeout season record at 269
- September 28, 1960
- At Fenway, in his final major league plate appearance, Ted Williams hits a home run behind the Boston bullpen. It is Williams' 521st and last home run, putting him 3rd on the all-time list. The Splendid Splinter retires.
- September 29, 1958
- The US Supreme Court rules unanimously that Little Rock, Ark., schools must integrate
- September 30, 1962
- Black student James Meredith succeeded on his fourth try in registering for classes at the University of Mississippi.
- October 1, 1962
- James H. Meredith, escorted by federal marshals, registers at University of Mississippi
- October 2, 1958
- The former French colony of Guinea in West Africa proclaimed its independence.
- October 3, 1961
- The Dick Van Dyke Show debuted on CBS-TV.
- October 4, 1958
- The first trans-Atlantic passenger jetliner service was begun by British Overseas Airways Corp. with flights between London and New York.
- October 5, 1962
- The Beatles' first hit, Love Me Do, was released in the United Kingdom.
- October 6, 1961
- U.S. president John F. Kennedy advised American families to build or buy bomb shelters to protect them in the event of a nuclear exchange with the Soviet Union.
- October 7, 1958
- Potter Stewart appointed to US Supreme Court
- October 8, 1959
- The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Chicago White Sox 4 games to 2 to win the World Series
- October 9, 1958
- New York Yankees beat the Milwaukee Braves 4 games to 3 to win the World Series
- October 9, 1958
- Pope Pius XII died, 19 years after he was elevated to the papacy. He was succeeded by Pope John XXIII.
- October 9, 1961
- New York Yankees beat the Cincinnati Reds 4 games to 1 to win the World Series
- October 10, 1959
- Pan American World Airways announced the beginning of the first global airline service.
- October 11, 1962
- Pope John XXIII opens Second Vatican Council. Council holds four sessions, finally closing Dec. 8, 1965.
- October 12, 1960
- Soviet premier Nikita Khrushchev disrupted a U.N. General Assembly session by pounding his desk with a shoe during a dispute.
- October 13, 1960
- The Pittsburg Pirates beat the New York Yankees 4 games to 3 to win the World Series
- October 14, 1960
- Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy suggested formation of a Peace Corps during a talk at the University of Michigan.
- October 15, 1961
- Amnesty International, the worldwide organization to advocate human rights, was established in London
- October 16, 1962
- New York Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants 4 games to 3 to win the World Series
- October 17, 1960
- Billboard reported that Dion and the Belmonts were breaking up.
- October 18, 1958
- The first computer-arranged marriage took place on Art Linkletter's show.
- October 19, 1960
- The United States imposed an embargo on exports to Cuba covering all commodities except medical supplies and certain food products.
- October 20, 1960
- The Elvis Presley film G.I. Blues premiered.
- October 21, 1960
- Democrat John F. Kennedy and Republican Richard M. Nixon clashed in their fourth and final presidential debate.
- October 22, 1962
- President Kennedy announced an air and naval blockade of Cuba, following the discovery of Soviet missile bases on the island.
- October 23, 1962
- During the Cuban Missile Crisis, the U.S. quarantine of Cuba was approved by the Council of the Organization of American States (OAS).
- October 24, 1962
- The U.S. blockade of Cuba during the missile crisis officially began under a proclamation signed by President Kennedy
- October 25, 1962
- U.S. ambassador Adlai E. Stevenson presented photographic evidence of Soviet missile bases in Cuba to the U.N. Security Council.
- October 26, 1962
- In one of the most dramatic verbal confrontations of the Cold War, American U.N. Ambassador Adlai Stevenson asked his Soviet counterpart during a Security Council debate whether the USSR had placed missiles in Cuba. Don't wait for the translation - yes or no? Stevenson said. I am prepared to wait for my answer until hell freezes over.
- October 27, 1960
- Ben E. King records his first solo songs, Spanish Harlem and Stand by Me.
- October 28, 1958
- The Roman Catholic patriarch of Venice, Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, was elected Pope, taking the name John XXIII.
- October 29, 1961
- USSR fires 50-megaton hydrogen bomb, biggest explosion in history
- October 30, 1961
- The Soviet Union tested a hydrogen bomb with a force estimated at 58 megatons.
- October 31, 1961
- In the Soviet Union, the body of Joseph Stalin was removed from Lenin's Tomb where it was on public display.
- November 1, 1959
- Jacques Plante, of the Montreal Canadiens, became the first goalie in the NHL to wear a mask.
- November 2, 1959
- Charles Van Doren admitted to a House subcommittee that he had the questions and answers in advance of his appearances on the NBC-TV game show Twenty-One.
- November 3, 1960
- Tammy Grimes' Unsinkable Molly Brown, premieres in NYC
- November 4, 1961
- Bob Dylan made his concert hall debut in New York City. The show was seen by 50 people who paid two dollars each.
- November 5, 1960
- Johnny Horton was killed in an auto accident in Texas at the age of 33. He had the hit Battle of New Orleans.
- November 6, 1962
- The UN General Assembly adopts a resolution that condemned South Africa's racist apartheid policies.
- November 7, 1962
- Richard M. Nixon, who failed in a bid to become governor of California, held what he called his last press conference, telling reporters, You won't have Nixon to kick around anymore.
- November 8, 1960
- Massachusetts Sen. John F. Kennedy defeated Vice President Richard M. Nixon for the presidency.
- November 9, 1961
- The Professional Golfer's Association (PGA) eliminated is caucasians only rule.
- November 10, 1960
- Senate passes landmark Civil Rights Bill
- November 11, 1959
- The first episode of Rocky and His Friends aired.
- November 12, 1960
- The test launch of Mercury-Redstone 1 fails at 10 cm altitude
- November 13, 1961
- The Tokens' The Lion Sleeps Tonight was released.
- November 14, 1961
- The Elvis Presley film Blue Hawaii premiered.
- November 15, 1958
- Actor Tyrone Power dies of a heart attack at 44
- November 16, 1961
- House Speaker Sam Rayburn died in Bonham, Texas.
- November 17, 1962
- Washington's Dulles International Airport was dedicated by President Kennedy.
- November 18, 1961
- JFK sends 18,000 military advisors to South Vietnam
- November 19, 1959
- Ford Motor Co. announced it was halting production of the unpopular Edsel.
- November 20, 1962
- The Cuban Missile Crisis ended. The Soviet Union removed its missiles and bombers from Cuba and the U.S. ended its blockade of the island.
- November 21, 1959
- Jack Benny (violin) & Richard Nixon (piano) play their famed duet
- November 22, 1961
- The film, A Man for All Seasons, opened in New York City.
- November 23, 1960
- Tinseltown dedicated its Walk of Fame at Hollywood Blvd & Vine St
- November 24, 1960
- Wilt Chamberlainset an NBA record getting 55 rebounds in a game
- November 25, 1961
- The Everly Brothers were inducted into the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves.
- November 26, 1961
- Pro Baseball Rules Committee votes 8-1 against legalizing the spitball
- November 27, 1960
- CBS radio cancels Have Gun Will Travel.
- November 28, 1958
- The African nation of Chad became an autonomous republic within the French community.
- November 29, 1961
- Enos the chimp was launched from Cape Canaveral aboard the Mercury-Atlas 5 spacecraft, which orbited Earth twice before returning.
- November 30, 1958
- Coed Records released 16 Candles by the Crests.
- December 1, 1959
- Representatives of 12 countries, including the United States, signed a treaty in Washington setting aside Antarctica as a scientific preserve, free from military activity.
- December 2, 1961
- Cuban leader Fidel Castro declared himself a Marxist-Leninist who would lead Cuba to Communism.
- December 3, 1960
- The musical Camelot by Lerner and Loewe opened on Broadway.
- December 4, 1961
- Gene Chandler's Duke of Earl was released.
- December 5, 1961
- United Nations forces launched an attack in Katanga, the Congo, near Elizabethville.
- December 6, 1960
- Gene Autry and Bob Reynolds were granted the Los Angeles Angels baseball franchise by the American League.
- December 7, 1960
- Ivory Coast claims independence from France
- December 8, 1961
- Surfin', the Beach Boys first recording, was released.
- December 9, 1958
- Robert H.W. Welch Jr. and 11 other men met in Indianapolis to form the anti-Communist John Birch Society.
- December 10, 1958
- The first domestic passenger jet flight took place in the United States as a National Airlines Boeing 707 flew 111 passengers from New York City to Miami.
- December 11, 1961
- A U.S. aircraft carrier carrying Army helicopters arrived in Saigon - the first direct American military support for South Vietnam's battle against Communist guerrillas.
- December 12, 1961
- Martin Luther King Jr & 700 demonstraters arrested in Albany, Ga
- December 13, 1961
- The Beatles signed with manager Brian Epstein.
- December 14, 1961
- Jimmy Dean's Big Bad John is first country song to get a gold record
- December 15, 1961
- Former Nazi official Adolf Eichmann was sentenced to death by an Israeli court.
- December 16, 1960
- A United Air Lines DC-8 and a TWA Super Constellation collided over New York City, killing 134 people.
- December 17, 1959
- The film On the Beach premiered in New York City and in 17 other cities. It was the first motion picture to debut simultaneously in major cities around the world.
- December 18, 1961
- For the second consecutive year, AP names Wilma Rudolph female athlete of year
- December 19, 1959
- Walter Williams died in Houston, TX, at the age of 117. He was said to be the last surviving veteran of the U.S. Civil War.
- December 20, 1961
- Lover Come Back with Doris Day and Rock Hudson opened in theaters.
- December 21, 1958
- de Gaulle elected president of 5th Republic
- December 22, 1961
- James Davis became the first U.S. soldier to die in Vietnam, while U.S. involvement was still limited to the provision of military advisers.
- December 23, 1959
- The Drifters recorded This Magic Moment.
- December 24, 1962
- Cuba releases 1,113 prisoners of 1961 invasion attempt
- December 25, 1959
- Sony brings transistor TV 8-301 to the market
- December 26, 1961
- Jay & the Americans recorded She Cried.
- December 27, 1959
- Baltimore Colts beat the NY Giants 31-16 in NFL championship game
- December 28, 1958
- Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon & Theodore with David Seville) hit #1
- December 29, 1958
- Baltimore Colts beat NY Giants 23-17 in NFL championship game
- December 30, 1961
- Jack Nicklaus lost his first attempt at pro golf to Gary Player in an exhibition match in Miami, FL.
- December 31, 1961
- In the U.S., the Marshall Plan expired after distributing more than $12 billion in foreign aid.