1959

Events

January 1 - End of the Battle of Santa Clara. Fulgencio Batista is overthrown as dictator of Cuba by Fidel Castro's 26th of July Movement, who assume control of the country.
January 3 - Robert Byrd is elected to the United States Senate.
March - The American Nazi Party is founded by George Lincoln Rockwell.
April 17 - Vito Genovese, boss of the Genovese crime family, is convicted of drug trafficking and is sentenced to 15 years in prison.
May 23 - Beginning of the Laotian Civil War.
June 5 - Lee Kuan Yew is named the first Prime Minister of Singapore.
July 25 - At the opening of the American National Exhibition in Moscow, United States Vice President Richard Nixon and USSR Premier Nikita Khrushchev engage in the "Kitchen Debate".
July 31 - ETA is founded.
August - Beginning of the Great Chinese Famine.
August 5 - Maurice Yaméogo is named the first President of Upper Volta.
November 2 - Beginning of the Rwandan Revolution.
November 15 - The Clutter family murders take place in Holcomb, Kansas when all four members of the Clutter family are killed by Perry Edward Smith and Richard Hickock.
Unknown - Fatah is founded by Yasser Arafat.