1959

1959 was a year in the Gregorian calendar (the standard calendar used worldwide). It was a common year (not a leap year) that began on Thursday. It was one of the ten years of the 1950s and came before the end of the twentieth century.

During that year, world politics were shaped by the Cold War, the division between the United States and the Soviet Union. At the same time, the movement for independence in Africa and Asia was advancing, which in the 1960s led to the emergence of many new nations.

Notable events

In January 1959, the Cuban revolution concluded with Fulgencio Batista fleeing the country and Fidel Castro taking power. This change significantly affected Cuba-United States relations in the years that followed.

That year, Alaska and Hawaii became the 49th and 50th states of the United States. Tibet also experienced an uprising against Chinese rule, after which the Dalai Lama fled to India.

Somalia and the region

In 1959, southern Somalia was under trusteeship administration (Italian administration on behalf of the United Nations), being prepared for independence in 1960. Northern Somalia (Somaliland) remained a British colony. Political parties, such as the SYL, led the independence effort.

Science and culture

In 1959, the Soviet space program launched the Luna spacecraft, which took the first photographs of the far side of the moon. That same year, electronics firms made advances in the integrated circuit—an electronic component that became the foundation for later computer technology.