1959 New South Wales state election, Results
The result of the election showed little change but was a clear victory for Labor with a buffer of  2 seats in the parliament:


1959 New South Wales state election, Results
Labor regained the seat of Hurstville from  Clive Evatt who had sat as an Independent Labor member since his expulsion from the party. It had already reclaimed Kahibah at a by-election caused by the death of the Independent Labor Member Tom Armstrong. However Labor failed to take back the usually safe seat of Waratah from Frank Purdue. As expected Labor won Parramatta, Sutherland and Merrylands but lost Dubbo, Cronulla and Blacktown to the Liberals. It had already lost the seat of Wagga Wagga at a by-election caused by the death of Eddie Graham. Labor also lost Young to the Country Party.


1959 New South Wales state election, Results
The DLP performed poorly, finishing behind the Communist party with less than 2% of the vote.


1959 New South Wales state election, Seats changing party representation
This table lists changes in party representation since the 1956 election


1959 New South Wales state election, Seats changing party representation
‡ Labor won the seat of Kahibah at a 1957 by-election caused by the death of the  Independent Labor member Tom Armstrong


1959 New South Wales state election, Seats changing party representation
¶ The Liberal Party  won the seat of Wagga Wagga from  Labor at a 1957 by-election caused by the death of Eddie Graham


1959 New South Wales state election, Tabulated results
New South Wales state election, 21 March 1959Legislative Assembly << 1956–1962 >>


1959 New South Wales state election, Aftermath
Joseph Cahill died in October 1959 and was replaced by Robert Heffron who continued as Premier for the rest of the term. Pat Morton was replaced as Leader of the Opposition in July 1959 by Robert Askin. Charles Cutler remained Leader of the New South Wales Country Party throughout the term of the parliament. During the parliament there were 6 by-elections with Labor and the Country Party each winning a seat at the other party's expense.


1959 New Year Honours
The New Year Honours 1959 were appointments in many of the Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. They were announced on 30 December 1958 to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 1959.


1959 New Year Honours
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged by honour, with classes (Knight, Knight Grand Cross, etc.) and then divisions (Military, Civil, etc.) as appropriate.


1959 New Year Honours
At this time, awards were still being made within the United Kingdom honours list on the advice of the premiers of Australian states. There was also a (federal) Australian honours list of awards made "on the advice of Her Majesty's Australian Ministers". The separate Australian honours system began in 1975.


1959 New Year Honours, United Kingdom and Commonwealth, Royal Victorian Order, Member of the Royal Victorian Order (MVO)
At this time the two lowest classes of the Royal Victorian Order were "Member (fourth class)" and "Member (fifth class)", both with post-nominals MVO. "Member (fourth class)" was renamed "Lieutenant" (LVO) from the 1985 New Year Honours onwards.


1959 New Year Honours (New Zealand)
The 1959 New Year Honours in New Zealand were appointments by Elizabeth II on the advice of the New Zealand government to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by New Zealanders. The awards celebrated the passing of 1958 and the beginning of 1959, and were announced on 1 January 1959.


1959 New Year Honours (New Zealand)
The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour.


1959 New York Film Critics Circle Awards
The 25th New York Film Critics Circle Awards, honored the best filmmaking of 1959.


1959 New York Giants season
The 1959 New York Giants season was the franchise's 35th season in the National Football League. The Giants' defense became the second defense in the history of the NFL to lead the league in fewest rushing yards, fewest passing yards and fewest total yards. The 1959 Giants scored 284 points, more than in any of the previous four seasons in which Vince Lombardi was their offensive coordinator.


1959 New York Giants season, Playoffs, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1959 New York Yankees season
The 1959 New York Yankees season was the 57th season for the team in New York and its 59th overall. The team finished in third place in the American League with a record of 79–75, 15 games behind the Chicago White Sox. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games at Yankee Stadium.


1959 New York Yankees season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1959 New York Yankees season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1959 New York Yankees season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1959 New York Yankees season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1959 New York Yankees season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1959 New York state election
The 1959 New York state election was held on November 3, 1959, to elect the Chief Judge of the New York Court of Appeals.


1959 New York state election, Background
Chief Judge Albert Conway would reach the constitutional age limit of 70 years at the end of the year.


1959 New York state election, Nominations
Both Democrats and Republicans nominated Charles S. Desmond, the senior associate judge of the Court of Appeals, to succeed Conway.


1959 New Zealand Grand Prix
The 1959 New Zealand Grand Prix was a motor race held at the Ardmore Circuit on 10 January 1959.


1959 New Zealand gallantry awards
The 1959 New Zealand gallantry awards were announced via a special honours list dated 29 June 1959, and recognised one member of the New Zealand military forces for distinguished service and devotion to duty during the Malayan Emergency.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season
The 1959 New Zealand rugby league season was the 52nd season of rugby league that had been played in New Zealand.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season, International competitions
New Zealand toured Australia, losing the series 1-2. The team was coached by Travers Hardwick and included; Gary Phillips, Reese Griffiths, Cyril Eastlake, George P Turner, Neville Denton, George Menzies, Keith Roberts, Henry Maxwell, Jock Butterfield, captain Cliff Johnson, Trevor Kilkelly, Ron Ackland, Rex Percy, Brian Campbell, Joe Ratima and Mel Cooke.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season, International competitions
The Auckland Rugby League's champion Western Districts defeated the New South Wales Rugby League's St. George Dragons 8-7 at Carlaw Park in September. The Dragons had previously been undefeated during the season. The Dragons defeated the Ellerslie Eagles 11-10.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season, National competitions, Northern Union Cup
Auckland again held the Northern Union Cup at the end of the season.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Auckland
Western United won the Auckland Rugby League's Fox Memorial Trophy and Rukutai Shield. Western United defeated Richmond 15-0 in the Fox Memorial final. Ellerslie won the Roope Rooster and Stormont Shield.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Auckland
Auckland hosted a week-long club tournament to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Western United won the title, defeating Papanui (Canterbury) 39-14. Other competitors were Wellington Marist and Huntly South (Waikato). One week later Western United defeated the St. George Dragons 8-7.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Auckland
Under the Auckland Rugby League's "district scheme", which lasted until 1963, Otahuhu, Papakura and Papatoetoe combined to form "Southern Districts" and Mount Albert and Point Chevalier formed "Western Districts". Ponsonby refused to amalgamate with Richmond and instead was relegated into the second division.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Auckland
Tommy Baxter was the Western United's player-coach and the side also included vice-captain Henry Maxwell, Laurie Olliff and Don Hammond.


1959 New Zealand rugby league season, Club competitions, Other Competitions
Jock Butterfield was the captain-coach of Brunner in the West Coast Rugby League competition. Greymouth Marist defeated Papanui 31-13 to win the Thacker Shield.


1959 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia
The 1959 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia was the nineteenth tour of by New Zealand's national rugby league team, and the fourteen tour to visit Australia. The team lost the first two Test Matches of a three match series, but won every other match.


1959 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia, Touring Squad
The following players were listed in the program, Rugby League News,  for the match against New South Wales.


1959 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia, Matches
New South Wales FB: Brian Graham (22) ( St George),  WG: Ian Moir (27) ( Wests),  CE: Harry Wells (26) ( Wests),  CE: Reg Gasnier (20) ( St George),  WG: Don Parish (21) (Dubbo),  FE: Brian Clay (25) ( St George),  HB: Bobby Bugden (23) ( Wests),  LK: John Raper (20) ( Wests),  SR: Norm Provan (27) ( St George),  SR: Bill Owens (23) (Newcastle ),  PR: Rex Mossop (31) ( Manly),  HK: Ian Walsh (25) ( Eugowra),  PR: Billy Wilson (30) ( St George). Brian Carlson (26) ( Norths) was selected but withdrew.


1959 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia, Matches
Barry Harris (21) ( Newtown) was selected as a reserve but did not play. New Zealand FB: Gary Phillips, WG: Reese Griffiths, CE: Cyril Eastlake, CE: George Turner, WG: Neville Denton, FE: George Menzies, HB: Keith Roberts, LK: Rex Percy, SR: Ron Ackland, SR: Trevor Kilkelly, PR: Cliff Johnson, HK: Jock Butterfield, PR: Henry Maxwell.


1959 New Zealand rugby league tour of Australia, Matches, 2nd Test
Ipswich FB: Bill Cameron ( West End), WG: Don Lowry ( Booval Swifts), CE: Brian Walsh ( Brothers), CE: Mick Mulgrew ( Brothers), WG: Merv Cobb ( West End), FE: Don Barrett ( Booval Swifts), HB: Gerry O'Sullivan ( Brothers), LK: Thornton Jones ( West End), SR: Mick Scully ( West End), SR: Jim Foreman ( Booval Swifts), PR: Gary Parcell ( Brothers), HK: Bob Christison ( Railways), PR: Dan O'Dempsey ( Brothers),  Coach Les Heidke. New Zealand FB: Brian Reidy, WG: Murray Paterson, CE: George Turner, CE: Cyril Eastlake, WG: Tom Hadfield, FE: George Menzies, HB: Bill Snowdon, LK: Melville Cooke, SR: Don Hammond, SR: Peter Turner, PR: Joe Rātima, HK: William Schultz, PR: Jock Butterfield.


1959 Newfoundland general election
The 1959 Newfoundland general election was held on 20 August 1959 to elect members of the 32nd General Assembly of Newfoundland. It was won by the Liberal party.


1959 Newfoundland general election, Results
*The CCF supported the Newfoundland Democratic Party which was founded by the Newfoundland Federation of Labour to run candidates as a protest against the Liberal government's decertification of the International Woodworkers of America in the course of a logging strike. The Newfoundland Democratic Party ran eighteen candidates, none of whom was elected. The party went on to become the Newfoundland New Democratic Party in 1961.


1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament
The 1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament was a professional snooker tournament sponsored by the News of the World. The event was played under the Snooker Plus rules, a variant of snooker with two additional colours (orange and purple). The tournament was won by Joe Davis with Fred Davis finishing in second place. It was the eleventh and final News of the World Tournament, which ran from 1949/50 to 1959.


1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament, Snooker plus
Snooker plus was a variant of snooker created by Joe Davis in 1959 with two additional colours, orange (8 points) and purple (10 points). The orange spot was midway between the pink and blue, while the purple spot was midway between the brown and blue. If a frame ended in a tie, the purple was re-spotted on the black spot. The extra colours allowed a maximum break of 210. This variant failed to gain popularity but has appeared in some video games such as the World Snooker Championship series.


1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament, Format
There were three competitors, Joe Davis, Fred Davis and John Pulman, competing for prize money of £750. Matches were of 25 frames over two days. Each played the other, three times. All matches were played in Burroughes Hall, London.


1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament, Results
Joe Davis made the first century break, 108, on the opening day of the tournament.


1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament, Results
Joe Davis made sure of victory by beating John Pulman in the penultimate match. Fred Davis lost the last match 13–12 but he had needed to win only 11 frames to finish in second place ahead of Pulman.


1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament, Results
The positions were determined firstly by the number of matches won (MW) and, in the event of a tie, the number of frames won (FW).


1959 Nigerian general election
Parliamentary elections were held in Nigeria on 12 December 1959. The result was a victory for the Northern People's Congress, which won 134 of the 312 seats in the House of Representatives, despite the Action Group winning more votes. It formed a coalition with five other parties and two independents, holding a total of 148 seats. Voter turnout was 79.5%.


1959 Nigerian general election, Results
The Northern People's Congress-led coalition, also consisting of the Mabolaje Grand Alliance, Igala Union, Igbira Tribal Union, Niger Delta Congress and affiliated independents won 148 seats. The National Council of Nigeria and the Cameroons-led coalition, also consisting of the Northern Elements Progressive Union won 89 seats, while the Action Group and affiliated independents won 75 seats.


1959 Night Series Cup
The 1959 VFL Night Premiership Cup was the Victorian Football League end of season cup competition played in September of the 1959 VFL Premiership Season. This was the fourth season of the VFL Night Series. Run as a knock-out tournament, it was contested by the eight VFL teams that failed to make the 1959 VFL finals series. Games were played at the South Melbourne Cricket Ground, Albert Park, then the home ground of South Melbourne, as it was the only ground equipped to host night games. Fitzroy went on to win the night series cup, defeating Hawthorn in the final by 30 points.


1959 Nippon Professional Baseball season
The 1959 Nippon Professional Baseball season was the tenth season of operation of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB).


1959 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
The 1959 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. The Tar Heels were led by first-year head coach Jim Hickey and played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The team competed as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, finishing in second.


1959 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team
The 1959 North Dakota Fighting Sioux football team, also known as the Nodaks, was an American football team that represented the University of North Dakota in the North Central Conference (NCC) during the 1959 NCAA College Division football season. In its third year under head coach Marvin C. Helling, the team compiled a 2–5–1 record (1–4–1 against NCC opponents), finished in sixth place out of seven teams in the NCC, and was outscored by a total of 166 to 112. The team played its home games at Memorial Stadium in Grand Forks, North Dakota.


1959 North Dakota State Bison football team
The 1959 North Dakota State Bison football team was an American football team that represented North Dakota State University during the 1959 NCAA College Division football season as a member of the North Central Conference. In their third year under head coach Bob Danielson, the team compiled a 4–4–1 record.


1959 North Korean local elections
Elections to city, county, district, town, neighborhood, village and workers' district people's assemblies were held in North Korea on November 28, 1959.


1959 North Korean local elections
In the elections, 9,759 city, county and district people's assembly deputies and 53,882 town, neighborhood, village and workers' district people's assembly deputies were elected. Voter turnout was reported as 100%, with candidates receiving a 100% approval rate.


1959 North Korean parliamentary by-election
Parliamentary by-elections were held in North Korea on 19 July 1959 in 56 electoral districts. The reason for the by-election was an unusually high number of vacancies – more than a quarter of seats – in the Supreme People's Assembly.


1959 North Korean parliamentary by-election
The vacancies were caused by purges in the aftermath of an attempted coup d'état known as the August Faction Incident in 1956. Although there had been scheduled parliamentary elections in the meantime, in 1957, the purges continued into 1959. By the time of the by-election, 51 deputies had been purged and an additional five had died. Of those purged, 28 were members of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), seven from the Korean Democratic Party, eight from the Chondoist Chongu Party, three independents, two from the People's Republic Party, two from the Laboring People's Party, and one from the Union of People's Masses.


1959 North Korean parliamentary by-election
The Central Committee of the WPK forbade any mention about the upcoming elections in the media, probably in order to hide the true scope of the purges. Voters were simply informed that seats in their constituencies were open due to "anti-people activities" by their former delegates.


1959 North Korean parliamentary by-election
55 candidates of the WPK stood for election in as many single-candidate constituencies. Pak Sin-dok, the chairman of the Chondoist Chongu Party, stood in the remaining constituency. The voting procedure had been amended slightly from the previous election which had been criticized as undemocratic abroad: In 1957 there had been a white ballot box for votes "for" and a black one for votes "against". In 1959, there was only one box. A blank ballot paper counted as a vote "for" and one with the candidate's name crossed as "against". There were cubicles at the polls, but immense social pressure prevented virtually anyone from using them.


1959 North Korean parliamentary by-election
Some 1,200,000 votes were cast. Only 14 of them (about 0.001%) had been votes against the candidates. It was the last time that any voters had voted against in North Korean elections; all subsequent elections have reported 100% approval rates.


1959 North Texas State Eagles football team
The 1959 North Texas State Eagles football team represented the University of North Texas as a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. The Eagles, coached by Odus Mitchell, compiled a 9–2 record, and outscored their opponents 303 to 103. The Eagles were ranked for two weeks in the AP Poll. They shared the MVC title with Houston and finished the season with a 28–8 loss to New Mexico State in the 1959 Sun Bowl.


1959 Northeast Louisiana State Indians football team
The 1959 Northeast Louisiana State Indians football team was an American football team that represented Northeast Louisiana State College (now known as the University of Louisiana at Monroe) in the Gulf States Conference during the 1959 NCAA College Division football season. In their second year under head coach Jack C. Rowan, the team compiled a 2–8 record.


1959 Northern Cameroons referendum
A referendum on becoming part of Nigeria was held in Northern Cameroons in November 1959. Voters were given the choice between a union with Nigeria and postponing the decision. Voters favoured the latter, with 62.25% voting to postpone the decision. A second referendum was held in 1961, with 60% voting to join Nigeria and 40% voting to join Cameroon.


1959 Northern Illinois Huskies football team
The 1959 Northern Illinois Huskies football team represented Northern Illinois University in the 1959 NCAA College Division football season. The Huskies competed in the Interstate Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (IIAC). They were led by fourth-year head coach Howard Fletcher and played their home games at the 5,500-seat Glidden Field, located on the east end of campus.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election
General elections were held in Northern Rhodesia on 20 March 1959, although voting did not take place in two constituencies until 9 April. The United Federal Party (UFP) was expected to win the elections, and did so by taking 13 of the 22 elected seats on the Legislative Council.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Electoral system
The elections were the first held under the Lennox-Boyd constitution. It provided for a 30-member Legislative Council with 22 elected members, six official members and two appointed members. The 22 elected seats were divided into 12 "ordinary" seats with mostly European voters, six "special" seats mainly reserved for African voters, two reserved for African candidates and two reserved for European candidates. "Ordinary" voters had to have at least four years of secondary education and either an income of at least £300 a year or own property worth £500.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Electoral system
They could also qualify by having primary education and earning at least £480 a year or owning £1,000 of property, or for those not meeting the educational requirements, have an annual income of at least £720 or own over £1,500 of property. Certain people were automatically entitled to register as "ordinary voters", including ministers of religion, chiefs recognised by the Governor and wives of anyone qualified as an "ordinary" voter (although in the case of polygamous marriages, only the senior wife qualified).


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Electoral system
"Special" voters had to have at least two years of secondary education and an income of at least £120 a year, or have an income of at least £150 or own property worth £500 or more. Automatic qualification as a "special" voter was given to pensioners receiving a monthly or annual pension for at least 20 years' service for one employer, headmen or hereditary councillors with at least two years of unpaid service and who were recognised by their chief, or be the wife (or senior wife) of any qualified "special" voter. All voters had to be over 21, able to complete their registration form in English and have lived in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland for at two years and in their constituency for three months.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Electoral system
The African reserved seats were created by combining several ordinary seats, whilst the European reserved seats were based on combinations of the special seats. Every voter had two votes, one for their special or ordinary constituency member, and one for their reserved member. In the ordinary and European reserved seats, special votes were not allowed to account for more than a third of the total.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Electoral system
A total of 30,234 people were registered to vote, up from 15,505 for the 1954 elections. Of the 23,388 "ordinary" voters, 20,546 were Europeans, 2,046 Indians and 796 Africans. The 6,846 special voters included 6,821 Africans, 20 Europeans and five Indians.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Campaign
A total of 54 candidates contested the elections, of which 20 were African. Four parties ran in the election, with the UFP led by John Roberts putting forward 18 candidates, the Dominion Party 10, the Central Africa Party led by John Moffat seven and the Northern Rhodesian African National Congress led by Harry Nkumbula one (Nkumbula himself). Seventeen candidates ran as independents, with one running as a Central Africa Party independent. The Zambian African National Congress, a breakaway from the NRANC, called for a boycott. The UFP were unopposed in two seats. No candidates were nominated for the Northern and Luapula Special constituencies, requiring nominations to be reopened until 19 March.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Campaign
The UFP held a centrist position, supporting dominion status for the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and opposing the British Colonial Office (reflecting the views of most white Northern Rhodesians). The Dominion Party put forward a right-wing platform including supporting a partition of the Federation into European and African areas. The Central Africa Party ran on a liberal platform.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Results, By-elections
By-elections were held in the Luapula and Northern Special constituencies on 9 April.


1959 Northern Rhodesian general election, Aftermath
Following the election, Governor Arthur Benson appointed six ministers; John Roberts as Minister of Labour and Mines, Ebden Carlisle as Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, William Gray Dunlop as Minister of Transport and Works, Rodney Malcomson as Minister of Local Government, Gabriel Musumbulwa as Minister of African Education and Edson Mwamba as Minister of African Agriculture.


1959 Northwestern Wildcats football team
The 1959 Northwestern Wildcats team represented Northwestern University during the 1959 Big Ten Conference football season. In their fourth year under head coach Ara Parseghian, the Wildcats compiled a 6–3 record (4–3 against Big Ten Conference opponents), finished in fifth place in the Big Ten, and outscored their opponents by a combined total of 174 to 134. The team rose to #2 in the AP Poll before losing three consecutive games to end the season.


1959 Norwegian Football Cup
The 1959 Norwegian Football Cup was the 54th season of the Norwegian annual knockout football tournament. The tournament was open for all members of NFF, except those from Northern Norway. Skeid was the defending champions, but was eliminated by the second tier team Nessegutten in the fourth round.


1959 Norwegian Football Cup
The final was played at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo on 25 October 1959, and was contested by Viking, which had won the cup once in 1953, and Sandefjord who played their second cup final, having lost the final in 1957. Viking won 2-1 after extra time against Sandefjord in the final, and secured their second title.


1959 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team
The 1959 Notre Dame Fighting Irish football team represented the University of Notre Dame during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season.


1959 Ohio Bobcats football team
The 1959 Ohio Bobcats football team was an American football team that represented Ohio University in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. In their second season under head coach Bill Hess, the Bobcats compiled a 7–2 record (4–2 against MAC opponents), finished in second place in the MAC, and outscored all opponents by a combined total of 215 to 101.


1959 Ohio State Buckeyes football team
The 1959 Ohio State Buckeyes football team represented the Ohio State University in the 1959 Big Ten Conference football season. The Buckeyes compiled a 3–5–1 record.


1959 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, Game summaries, Indiana
Ohio State:  127 yards total offense; 5 first downs; 8 punts for 333 yards; missed FGs from 58 and 50 yards


1959 Ohio State Buckeyes football team, Game summaries, Indiana
Indiana: 179 yards total offense; 11 first downs; 7 punts for 290 yards


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash
The 1959 Okinawa F-100 crash (Japanese: 宮森小学校米軍機墜落事故), also known as the Miyamori Elementary School crash (宮森小学校米軍機墜落事故), occurred on June 30, 1959, when a North American F-100 Super Sabre of the United States Air Force crashed in Ishikawa, in United States-occupied Okinawa, killing 18 people.


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash, Accident
At 10:40 A.M., a United States Air Force F-100D Super Sabre, piloted by 34-years-old Captain John G. Schmitt Jr. from Chalmers, Indiana, became uncontrollable during a training or test flight from Kadena Air Base located in the towns of Kadena and Chatan. Schmitt ejected from the aircraft, landing safely and unhurt. However, the F-100 crashed into Miyamori Elementary School and surrounding houses in the nearby city of Ishikawa, killing 11 students and 6 other people in the neighborhood, and injuring 210 others including 156 students at the school.


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash, Accident
Immediately after the crash, troops of the armed police rushed to the accident site and worked on rescue operations. Most of the doctors residing in central Okinawa Island rushed to treat the victims. The fire caused by the accident was extinguished one hour later, with 27 buildings including 3 school buildings and 1 public building being destroyed, while 2 school buildings, 2 private houses and eight other buildings were half-destroyed. At the time of the accident, Miyamori Elementary School had about 1,000 children and teachers, with almost all children in the school taking a milk break at the end of the second hour of classes.


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash, Aftermath
The F-100 crash became a major tragedy in Okinawa as the victims were mostly very young schoolchildren, and contributed to increasingly ill-feelings towards the United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands from the Okinawan community. The crash led to fierce protests of anti-American sentiment in Okinawa, calling for the US occupation authorities to leave and for the islands to be returned to the control of the Government of Japan. The US military immediately launched a compensation scheme for victims, paying $4,500 for the dead and $2,300-$5,900 for serious injuries depending on disability.


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash, Aftermath
The US military paid a total of $119,066 in compensation for the accident, but this amount was only about 10% of the victims requested. The US authorities determined that the defective F-100 had experienced an engine fire despite recently undergoing repairs in Taiwan, and that Schmitt had attempted to aim the aircraft at an unpopulated hilly area before ejecting.


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash, Aftermath
In 1965, a memorial statue for the victims of the disaster was erected at the crash site in Ishikawa.


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash, Aftermath
In 1976, a former student at Miyamori Elementary School died at the age of 23 from complications related to burns caused by the crash 17 years earlier. Their death brought the sum of people killed in the F-100 crash to 18, and their name was added to the monument in 2010.


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash, Aftermath
On June 30, 2009, 800 people, including former students of Miyamori Elementary and relatives of the victims, attended a 50th-anniversary memorial service at the crash site, now in the city of Uruma. Okinawa Governor Hirokazu Nakaima spoke at the ceremony, saying, "The Okinawa people of the time were deeply saddened by the accident in which the lives of children having dreams and hopes for the future were lost."


1959 Okinawa F-100 crash, Aftermath
The F-100 crash and its aftermath were dramatized in the movie Himawari, directed by Yoshihiro Oikawa, completed in 2012.


1959 Oklahoma Sooners football team
The 1959 Oklahoma Sooners football team represented the University of Oklahoma during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. They played their home games at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium and competed as members of the Big Seven Conference. They were coached by head coach Bud Wilkinson.


1959 Oklahoma Sooners football team, Postseason, NFL draft
The following players were drafted into the National Football League following the season.


1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team
The 1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team represented the Oklahoma State University in the 1959 NCAA University Division baseball season. The team was coached by Toby Greene in his 16th season at Oklahoma State.


1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team
The Cowboys won the College World Series, defeating the Arizona Wildcats in the championship game.


1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The 1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team represented Oklahoma State University–Stillwater as an independent during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. In their fifth season under head coach Cliff Speegle, the Cowboys compiled a 6–4 record and outscored opponents by a combined total of 181 to 161.


1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
On offense, the 1959 team averaged 18.1 points scored, 195.2 rushing yards, and 118.5 passing yards per game. On defense, the team allowed an average of 15.1 points scored, 195.2 rushing yards, and 83.1 passing yards per game The team's statistical leaders included Jim Dillard with 582 rushing yards, Dick Soergel with 1,100 passing yards, Bill Dodson with 286 receiving yards, and Tony Banfield with 66 points scored.


1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team
The team played its home games at Lewis Field in Stillwater, Oklahoma.


1959 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team, After the season
The 1960 NFL Draft was held on November 30, 1959. The following Cowboys were selected.


1959 Ole Miss Rebels football team
The 1959 Ole Miss Rebels football team represented the University of Mississippi during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. Ole Miss finished the season with an overall record of ten wins and one loss (10–1), tied for second in the Southeastern Conference (SEC) and with a victory over LSU in the Sugar Bowl. The team gave up only 21 points all season, and were retroactively named national champions by Berryman, Billingsley, Dunkel and Sagarin (however, it is not recognized by the NCAA). Syracuse was crowned as the national champion by both the AP and the UPI wire services. The team was later rated the third best squad from 1956–1995 by Sagarin.


1959 Omloop Het Volk
The 1959 Omloop Het Volk was the 15th edition of the Omloop Het Volk cycle race and was held on 5 April 1959. The race started and finished in Ghent. The race was won by Seamus Elliott.


1959 Ontario general election
The 1959 Ontario general election was held on June 11, 1959, to elect the 98 members of the 26th Legislative Assembly of Ontario (Members of Provincial Parliament, or "MPPs") of the Province of Ontario.


1959 Ontario general election
The Ontario Progressive Conservative Party, led by Leslie Frost, won a sixth consecutive term in office, and maintained its majority in the legislature, although it lost 12 of the 83 seats it had won in the previous election.


1959 Ontario general election
The Ontario Liberal Party, led by John Wintermeyer, increased its caucus from 11 to 22 members, and continued in the role of official opposition. Liberal-Labour MPP Albert Wren was re-elected and continued to sit with the Liberal caucus. Wren died in 1961 and was succeeded in a by-election by Robert Gibson.


1959 Ontario general election
The social democratic Co-operative Commonwealth Federation (CCF), led by Donald C. MacDonald, won two additional seats, for a total of five.


1959 Open Championship
The 1959 Open Championship was the 88th Open Championship, held 1–3 July at Muirfield Golf Links in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland. Gary Player, age 23, shot a final round of 68 to win the first of his nine major titles, two strokes ahead of runners-up Fred Bullock and Flory Van Donck. It was the first of Player's three Claret Jugs; he won again in 1968 and 1974.


1959 Open Championship
Muirfield was originally scheduled to host in 1957, but it was transferred to St. Andrews because of petrol rationing following the "Suez Crisis" in late 1956. Muirfield was subsequently allocated the 1959 Championship.


1959 Open Championship
Qualifying took place on 29–30 June, with 18 holes at Muirfield and 18 holes at the number 1 course of Gullane Golf Club. There were no exemptions and the number of qualifiers was limited to a maximum of 100, and ties did not qualify. The qualifying score was 147 and 90 players advanced to the first round the next day; defending champion Peter Thomson led with 137 and won the £50 qualifying prize. The maximum number of players making the cut after 36 holes was again set at 50, and ties did not make the cut.


1959 Open Championship
The purse was increased to £5,000, up 150 from 4,850 in 1958; the winner's share remained unchanged at £1,000, but the prizes for second to fifth places were increased. Second place received £700, with 525 for third, 400 for fourth, and 325 for fifth.


1959 Open Championship
Only four Americans were in the field of 90 (Willie Goggin, Bob Sweeny, Bob Watson, and John Garrett) and none made the cut. Sweeny and Garrett were amateurs.


1959 Open Championship, Round summaries, First round
Fred Bullock and Arnold Stickley led after the first round on Wednesday at 68. A number of amateurs made good starts, the best was Michael Bonallack at 70.


1959 Open Championship, Round summaries, Second round
Bullock retained the lead after a second round 70 and Bonallack was one of four amateurs to make the cut. The three 'giants' Bobby Locke, Henry Cotton, and Thomson all made the cut, but all were eight or more strokes behind Bullock.


1959 Open Championship, Round summaries, Second round
Amateurs: Bonallack (−2), Carr (+1), Jack (+2), Wolstenholme (+4),Sweeny Jr (+7), Smith (+8), Garrett (+12), Dalziel (+13), Ferguson (+13), Stuart (+13).


1959 Open Championship, Round summaries, Third round
Gary Player teed off at 9:04 am (and 1:34 pm), two hours before the leaders, who started at 11:04 am (and 3:34 pm). He was out in 37 in his morning round, but came home in 33 and was only four strokes behind the leaders after 54 holes. Amateur Reid Jack of Scotland posted 68 and was only two shots back.


1959 Open Championship, Round summaries, Final round
Gary Player reached the last hole and a par four would have yielded a round of 66. However he drove into a bunker and three-putted for a double-bogey six, 68 for the round, and a total of 284. In the last group, Fred Bullock and Flory Van Donck both finished two shots behind Player. Reid Jack won the silver medal for leading amateur by finishing tied for fifth place, two ahead of Bonallack.


1959 Orange Bowl
The 1959 Orange Bowl featured the Syracuse Orangemen (8–1) and the Oklahoma Sooners (9–1) in the 25th annual Orange Bowl, played on Thursday, January 1, 1959, at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.


1959 Orange Bowl, Background
This was Oklahoma's fourth Orange Bowl in six seasons while Syracuse was making their second Orange Bowl appearance in six seasons. Oklahoma had won its thirteenth straight Big Seven title and Syracuse was an independent. The first of the day's four major bowl games, kickoff was at 1 p.m. EST on CBS television, and Oklahoma was a thirteen-point favorite.


1959 Orange Bowl, Game summary
Oklahoma scored early with a Prentice Gautt rushing touchdown three minutes into the game. With the quarter running down, Syracuse fumbled the ball back to the Sooners after driving to the Sooners red zone. With 2:56 left in the quarter, Brewster Hobby caught a lateral and then passed to Ross Coyle, who ran 79 yards for the touchdown and a 14–0 lead. After a scoreless second quarter, Hobby sealed the game when he returned a Syracuse punt 40 yards for a touchdown to make it 21–0 after three quarters.


1959 Orange Bowl, Game summary
Mark Weber gave the Orangemen their only points on his touchdown run after a 69-yard drive, but the two-point conversion failed on an incomplete pass, and that was the end of the scoring. Despite Syracuse's run attack, two fumbles by the backs and two passes that were intercepted doomed the Orange as Oklahoma won their fourth Orange Bowl in six seasons.


1959 Orange Bowl, Aftermath
In the following season, Syracuse went undefeated and won the national title.


1959 Oregon State Beavers football team
The 1959 Oregon State Beavers football team represented Oregon State College as an independent during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. In their fifth season under head coach Tommy Prothro, the Beavers compiled a 3–7 record and were outscored 178 to 166. They played three home games on campus at Parker Stadium in Corvallis and one at Multnomah Stadium in Portland.


1959 Oregon State Beavers football team
Earlier in the year, the Pacific Coast Conference (PCC) disbanded; this was the first of five years that Oregon State and Oregon competed as independents.


1959 Oregon Webfoots football team
The 1959 Oregon Webfoots football team represented the University of Oregon during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. Following the disbandment of the Pacific Coast Conference in the spring of 1959, Oregon was an independent for the next five seasons, then joined the successor conference (AAWU) in 1964. In their ninth season under head coach Len Casanova, the Webfoots compiled an 8–2 record and outscored their opponents, 209 to 113. The team divided its home schedule between Hayward Field in Eugene and Multnomah Stadium in Portland.


1959 Oregon Webfoots football team
The team's statistical leaders included Dave Grosz with 865 passing yards, Dave Powell with 495 rushing yards, and Greg Altenhofen with 240 receiving yards.


1959 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo)
1959 Országos  Bajnokság I (men's water polo) was the 53rd water polo championship in Hungary. There were ten teams who played two-round match for the title.


1959 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo), Final list
* M: Matches W: Win D: Drawn L: Lost G+: Goals earned G-: Goals got P: Point


1959 Országos Bajnokság I (men's water polo), 2. Class
1. Szentes 26, 2. MTK 25, 3. Csepel Autó 23, 4. Tatabánya 20, 5. Budai Spartacus 16, 6. Bp. VTSK 11, 7. Bp. Építők 9, 8. Hódmezővásárhelyi MTE 8, 9. Szolnoki Honvéd 6 point. SZEAC were deleted.


1959 Ottawa Rough Riders season
The 1959 Ottawa Rough Riders finished in 2nd place in the Interprovincial Rugby Football Union with an 8–6 record but lost to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the East Finals.


1959 PAP prime ministerial election
This is the only Prime Ministerial Election in Singapore history. The People's Action Party Central Executive Committee met on the victory of the 1959 Singaporean general election to elect a Prime Minister. At the end of the election, Lee Kuan Yew won by a mere 1 vote, that was voted by the then party Chairman Toh Chin Chye.


1959 PAP prime ministerial election, Candidates
On 12 November 1954, Lee, together with a group of fellow English-educated middle-class men whom he himself described as "beer-swilling bourgeois", formed the 'socialist' People's Action Party (PAP) in an expedient alliance with the pro-communist trade unionists. This alliance was described by Lee as a marriage of convenience, since the English-speaking group needed the Chinese-speaking pro-communists' mass support base while the communists needed a non-communist party leadership as a 'smoke-screen' because the Malayan Communist Party was illegal. At that time, almost 70% of Singapore spoke Chinese and various Chinese dialects as their native tongues, and those who speak English as their native tongue only comprised 20% or so of the population. They were therefore, a minority.


1959 PAP prime ministerial election, Candidates
Their common aim was to agitate for self-government and put an end to British colonial rule.


1959 PAP prime ministerial election, Candidates
An inaugural conference was held at the Victoria Memorial Hall, attended by over 1,500 supporters and trade unionists. Lee became secretary-general, a post he held until 1992, save for a brief period in 1957.


1959 PAP prime ministerial election, Candidates
A staunch anti-communist, he was a Chinese-educated orator who was one of the pioneer members of the People's Action Party (PAP) Ong was well-known among the Chinese community in Singapore, In the 1957 City Hall Elections, he was elected mayor after the PAP won 13 out of 32 seats contested, and due to the other opposition parties dividing themselves over the remaining 19 seats, the PAP gained the majority.


1959 PAP prime ministerial election, Candidates
Ong's anti-colonial stance shocked the British government and every City Council meetings then were considered entertainment for the spectators there. Ong continued to be in helm over the city council for two years until when the PAP gained control over Singapore in 1959, when the council was scrapped.


1959 PGA Championship
The 1959 PGA Championship was the 41st PGA Championship played from July 30 to August 2 at Minneapolis Golf Club in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, a suburb west of Minneapolis.


1959 PGA Championship
Six strokes back at the start of the final round, Bob Rosburg shot a 66 (−4) to win his only major championship at 277 (−3), one stroke ahead of runners-up Jerry Barber and Doug Sanders. Rosburg had managed only five birdies in the first three rounds, but had five in the first nine on Sunday to go out in 30, then a record. Barber shot a 65 on Friday and was the 36-hole and 54-hole leader at 205 (−5), with Sanders a stroke back. Barber won the title two years later, in a Monday playoff in 1961. Tied for fourteenth at 286 (+6) was Arnold Palmer.


1959 PGA Championship
This was the second year of stroke play at the PGA Championship, a match play event through 1957. Daily admission was three dollars on Thursday and Friday, and five dollars per day on the weekend. The winner's share was increased fifty per cent to $8,250; two years earlier, it was $8,000 for the final match play competition.


1959 PGA Championship
The Open Championship was played several weeks earlier in Scotland at Muirfield; only four Americans (two amateurs) were in the field and none made the cut.


1959 Pacific Tigers football team
The 1959 Pacific Tigers football team represented the College of the Pacific during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season.


1959 Pacific Tigers football team
Pacific competed as an independent in 1959. They played home games in Pacific Memorial Stadium in Stockton, California. In their seventh season under head coach Jack Myers, the Tigers finished with a record of five wins and four losses (5–4). For the season they outscored their opponents 132–117.


1959 Pacific Tigers football team, Team players in the AFL/NFL
The following College of the Pacific players were selected in the 1960 NFL Draft.


1959 Pacific Tigers football team, Team players in the AFL/NFL
The following College of the Pacific players were selected in the 1960 AFL Draft.


1959 Pacific Tigers football team, Team players in the AFL/NFL
The following finished their college career at Pacific, were not drafted, but played in the inaugural season of the AFL.


1959 Pacific hurricane season
The 1959 Pacific hurricane season featured the first Category 5 hurricane ever recorded in the Central Pacific basin.


1959 Pacific hurricane season
During the season, 15 storms developed, 5 of those became hurricanes, and 3 of those became major hurricanes. The strongest of the storms was Hurricane Dot, which was a Category 4 and made landfall on Kauai, Hawaii, as a Category 1. Patsy reached 175 miles per hour (282 km/h) winds, but had a pressure higher than Dot. The deadliest storm of the season was Hurricane Fifteen, which made landfall in Mexico at Category 4 and killed 1,800 people.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm One
A 55 mph (75 km/h) tropical storm was first located on June 9 while west of Mexico. It did not strengthen any further as it paralleled the Mexican coast. It made landfall near Los Mochis, Mexico on June 12 and dissipated shortly afterward. There are no reports of damages or deaths due to the storm.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Two
On June 25, a small tropical storm developed off the coast of Mexico. It attained winds of 50 mph at its peak. It later dissipated on June 27.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Clara
After a month of inactivity, a tropical storm formed several thousands of miles south-west of the southern tip of Baja California. This tropical storm began moving north-westwards while keeping its intensity. Winds peaked at 50 mph (85 km/h). On July 19, this tropical storm began moving west and finally dissipated 3 days later.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Clara
The name Clara was assigned from the North Pacific Typhoon name list.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Four
Soon after Tropical Storm Three dissipated, a new tropical storm formed in the open Pacific. Tropical Storm Four moved west, then west-north-west. Like the previous two tropical storms, it did not affect land. It dissipated on July 25.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Five
Tropical Storm Five was a short-lived tropical storm, only lasting a day. It peaked at a relatively weak 45 mph (75 km/h). It moved parallel to the Mexican coast.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dot
Dot was first identified as a strong tropical storm southeast of Hawaiʻi on August 1. The storm was potentially a continuation of a previously unnamed tropical cyclone that was monitored west of the Baja California Peninsula from July 24-27, but was never confirmed due to a lack of ship reports. Dot was quick to intensify, reaching hurricane intensity six hours after naming. By August 3, Dot reached its peak intensity, with maximum sustained winds reaching 150 mph (240 km/h). Intensity leveled off afterwards as Dot tracked westward before making a curve towards the northwest on August 5, after which the hurricane weakened at a faster clip. Dot made landfall the next day on Kauai as a minimal hurricane before dissipating west of the Hawaiian Islands on August 8.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dot
Dot produced heavy rainfall and gusty winds as it passed south of the Big Island, Lanai, Maui, Molokai, and Oahu, resulting in minor damage. In Oahu, some homes along the coast were unroofed, and damage from wave action was also reported. Damage from these four islands totaled US$150,000, and two indirect deaths occurred in Lanai. Extensive damage occurred on Kauai as Dot made landfall, producing wind gusts as high as 103 mph (166 km/h) and toppling trees and power lines. Widespread power outages affected the island, causing telecommunications and water systems to fail.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Dot
Although infrastructure was damaged to an extent by floodwater and strong winds, crops suffered the most losses. Cane sugar crops sustained US$2.7 million in losses. Overall, damage from Dot across Hawaii totaled US$6 million, and a disaster area declaration and state of emergency took effect for the archipelago after the hurricane's passage.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Seven
On August 4, a tropical storm formed at about 26°N, quite a long way north for tropical cyclone formation. This system gradually moved west and then turned to the west-south-west late on August 5. It dissipated a couple of hours later.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Eight
Tropical Storm Eight formed on August 19, several hundred miles west of Mexico. This system did not affect land so no deaths or damages were contributed to this tropical storm.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Nine
Just days after Tropical Storm Eight dissipated, meteorologists noticed a new tropical system that, once again, was out at sea. Although the storm reached 45 mph winds, it only lasted 2 days.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Ten
Hurricane Ten formed off the coast of Guatemala as a Category 1 hurricane. It nearly made landfall on September 6. The system turned to the north, then NNW on September 7. It made landfall in Baja California Sur and continued along the state before weakening to a tropical storm, then a tropical depression. It dissipated near the USA-Mexico border.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Patsy
On September 6, reports from aircraft indicated the existence of a hurricane near the International Date Line. Earlier stages were missed because of a lack of data in the isolated area. Six hours after classification, Patsy reached Category 5 strength, with winds of 160 mph, although it is possible Category 5 status was reached before. A trough moved Patsy northeast. The trough then weakened, and allowed Patsy to curve northwest. The Japan Meteorological Agency's best track at this time Patsy crossed the dateline, at Category 4 strength.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Patsy
A second trough then formed, dominated the first, and recurved Patsy northeast, recrossing the dateline, at Category 3 intensity. The storm then quickly weakened due to unfavorable conditions, while slowly curving northwards. From reports, it is estimated Patsy dissipated on September 10, though other reports credit Patsy with having regenerated as a tropical depression on September 13, north of Hawaii. Patsy's track around the International Date Line was unseen and erratic. Typhoon June's track one year prior was somewhat similar to Patsy's.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Patsy
Patsy is also an uncommon west to east crosser of the dateline, and one of only a few storms known to have crossed the dateline twice. Including only systems recognized by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, there have been only six other recorded systems that have crossed the dateline from west to east.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Patsy
The National Hurricane Center's "best track" data set has Patsy exclusively east of the dateline from detection to dissipation. The Japan Meteorological Agency's "best track" does not give windspeeds, only indicating that Patsy was a typhoon. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center's report disagrees on location but also has Patsy's maximum windspeed east of the dateline; the JMA's data does not indicate windspeeds. Patsy was the first known Pacific hurricane to reach Category 5 intensity on the Saffir–Simpson scale. Also, its maximum reported windspeed of 150 knots (280 km/h) makes it the central Pacific hurricane with the highest sustained winds until Hurricane John tied this record in 1994.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Twelve
Twelve stayed to sea and was a hurricane for its life.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Wanda
Tropical Storm Wanda existed from September 26 to September 27. The name Wanda was assigned from the North Pacific Typhoon name list.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Tropical Storm Fourteen
Tropical Storm Fourteen existed from October 19 to October 21.


1959 Pacific hurricane season, Systems, Hurricane Fifteen
The most notable storm this year was the 1959 Mexico Hurricane. It made landfall as a Category 4 on October 27 and killed at least 1800 people.


1959 Pacific typhoon season
The 1959 Pacific typhoon season was regarded as one of the most devastating years for Pacific typhoons on record, with China, Japan and South Korea sustaining catastrophic losses.


1959 Pacific typhoon season
The scope of this article is limited to the Pacific Ocean, north of the equator and west of the International Date Line. Storms that form east of the Date Line and north of the equator are called hurricanes; see 1959 Pacific hurricane season. All typhoons were assigned a name and number. Tropical storms and tropical depressions formed in the entire west Pacific basin were assigned a name and number by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, but the latter was not added if no reconnaissance missions were assigned. Systems handled by the responsibility of the USWB and FWB featured no number.


1959 Pacific typhoon season
The 1959 Pacific typhoon season featured 24 tropical cyclones, though operationally 59 total areas of investigation were classified by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC); three systems were handled by the responsibility of FWB at Pearl Harbor and the USWB at Honolulu. Three systems were questionable due to lack of reconnaissance aircraft use. In total, the season featured 65 tropical cyclones and areas of investigation operationally, including central Pacific Hurricane Patsy, which was operationally believed to have crossed the International Date Line into the western Pacific. The first annual tropical cyclone report for the western North Pacific Ocean was issued by the agency.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Season summary
Of the 33 tropical cyclones and 65 total areas of investigation, 18 storms attained typhoon status, which was below the yearly average of 19. At least nine other tropical systems never exceeded tropical storm intensity operationally. Most of the systems were noted to have developed within the typical spawning grounds for typhoons originating from easterly waves within the Intertropical Convergence Zone; the exceptions were Ellen and Georgia which developed from cold-core troughs extending southward into the tropical latitudes. Of the 18 typhoons that formed, five were first detected within 300 miles (500 km) of the island of Guam.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Season summary
Three of the typhoons developed at a slow rate, while three others rapidly intensified to typhoon status within hours. Only four typhoons were small in diameter, while at least three typhoons developed to large sizes and became the dominant tropical features during the season. Two of the typhoons — Joan and Vera — featured sea-level pressures below 900 millibars and were the most intense tropical cyclones during the season, each featuring winds of 190 mph (305 km/h) or greater. Of the total number of typhoons, 215 reconnaissance missions were flown into the storms, including 3,799 observations and 391 total fixes. The average track error for each advisory for storms during the season was 63.9 miles (102.8 km) for 12-hour forecasts and 301.6 miles (485.4 km) for 48-hour forecasts.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Storm Ruby
The first tropical storm of the season was detected by reconnaissance aircraft on February 27 about 300 miles (480 km) south of Yap with winds of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h). Moving erratically westward, Ruby maintained intensity until it passed 90 miles (140 km) south of Palau on February 28, when it began to weaken and move to the west-northwest. Ruby weakened to below tropical storm intensity on March 1 and then turned to the southwest. It dissipated later on the same day 300 miles (480 km) east of Mindanao. Ruby did not affect any major land masses.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Storm Sally
Three days after Ruby dissipated, the second tropical cyclone of the season was detected 200 miles (320 km) southeast of Majuro in the Marshall Islands with winds of 65 miles per hour (105 km/h) After drifting northwest, Sally moved to the southwest on March 5 and then began to move westward, with its winds fluctuating to 50 miles per hour (80 km/h). Sally soon restrengthened on March 6, reaching a secondary peak of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h), and maintained its intensity for 18 hours as it moved steadily westward.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Storm Sally
After weakening to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) on March 8, Sally briefly jogged to the west-northwest on March 9, and it began to re-intensify as it turned back to the west, quickly reaching its third peak of 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) on March 10. Sally slowly weakened as it turned to the northwest and slowed in forward speed, with its winds decreasing to 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) on March 11. After briefly restrengthening to 60 miles per hour (97 km/h) on March 12, Sally turned to the west and quickly weakened to a tropical depression. The depression briefly turned to the west-southwest and dissipated on March 13 300 miles (480 km) east of Mindanao.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Tilda
One month after Sally dissipated, the first typhoon of the season formed from a closed cyclonic circulation 300 miles (480 km) south of Chuuk. The circulation drifted westward, and reports from the surface showed intensification. On April 14 a reconnaissance aircraft mission estimated winds of tropical storm force, and the third tropical storm of the season was named Tilda. Tilda slowly moved northwest on April 15 as it intensified into a typhoon. Tilda then moved generally to the northwest with minor fluctuations on April 16 and on the following day before turning northward on April 18, when it rapidly intensified.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Tilda
Tilda attained its peak intensity of 145 mph (233 km/h) 400 miles (640 km) west of Guam on April 19, and it slowly weakened as it turned north-northeast and decreased in forward speed. The typhoon became quasi-stationary for 30 hours on April 20, weakening to a minimal typhoon in the process by the next day. After drifting under weak steering currents, Tilda accelerated to the north-northeast on April 22 and weakened to a tropical storm. Tilda dissipated on April 23 as it merged with the upper-level westerlies 130 miles (210 km) southwest of Iwo Jima. Thirty-seven warnings for Tilda were issued by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center over the course of seven days. Tilda caused no damage or direct deaths.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Depression Violet
Tropical Depression Violet existed offshore Vietnam from June 28 to June 29.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Storm Wilda
After two months of inactivity, a tropical depression formed on July 4 in the South China Sea 480 miles (770 km) west of Luzon. After briefly drifting northeast, the depression moved erratically northward on July 5, and it made landfall on mainland China east of Hong Kong on July 6. The depression quickly dissipated after moving inland. Operationally the system was classified as a tropical storm under the name Wilda, but post-analysis determined the tropical cyclone never attained winds of 39 mph (63 km/h) or greater. No reconnaissance aircraft investigated the system, which was one of only three disturbances not monitored during the season.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Depression Anita
Tropical Depression Anita existed in the vicinity of the Federated States of Micronesia from July 4 to July 6.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Billie
An area of disturbed weather east of the Philippines organized into a tropical depression on July 12. Moving to the northwest, it quickly strengthened, reaching tropical storm status later on July 12 and typhoon strength. After peaking at 105 mph (169 km/h), Billie crossed over northeastern Taiwan, quickly weakened, and made landfall on eastern China on the 15th. A trough of low pressure brought the storm northeastward, where after weakening to a tropical storm, it traversed the Yellow Sea and crossed the Korean Peninsula, losing tropical characteristics on the 18th. Typhoon Billie caused extreme flooding in northeastern Taiwan, causing $500,000 in property damage, leaving 10,000 homeless in the capital city of Taipei, and killing 1. In Japan, the outer edges of the typhoon caused torrential rains, killing 45 and destroying more than 65,000 houses.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Ellen
115 mph (185 km/h) Typhoon Ellen, which reached its peak while south of Japan on August 4, struck the southern part of the country on the 7th. It paralleled the southern portion of the archipelago, and became extratropical on the 9th over the open western Pacific Ocean. Ellen dropped up to 35 inches (890 mm) of rainfall on Japan, killing 11 and causing severe rice crop damage.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Ellen
Ellen's greatest effect, however, was on Taiwan, where torrential rains associated with the typhoon caused disastrous flooding that killed nearly 700, left tens of thousands homeless, and destroyed much of the transportation infrastructure in the central and southwestern part of the island. Some locations received almost 50 inches of rain in three days, exceeding local annual average totals.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Ellen
The heaviest rain event was on August 7, when as much as 25 inches (640 mm) of rain fell in the mountains and western plains, causing rivers and streams to burst through levees and flood thousands of hectares of farmland, washing away rural villages, and causing widespread urban flooding as well in Taichung and other cities. The economic impact was particularly extensive and long-lasting due to the widespread flooding of farmland. In Taiwan the event is remembered as the "Great August 7 (8-7) Flood".


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Depression Fran
Tropical Depression Fran existed near Guam from August 11 to August 12.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Georgia
Just 4 days after Ellen hit Japan, 105 mph (169 km/h) Typhoon Georgia hit the southeastern portion of the country. Georgia brought more heavy rains to the country, causing 246 fatalities and leaving over 50,000 homeless. Georgia caused torrential damage to Japan's railroad network, and, combined with Typhoon Ellen, produced a damage total of $50 million (1959 USD).


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Depression Hope
Tropical Depression Hope existed in the South China Sea from August 17 to August 19.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Iris
Typhoon Iris, which formed on August 19 to the east of Luzon, passed near the northeastern portion of the island on the 21st as a minimal typhoon. It turned to the northwest, peaking at 105 mph (169 km/h) before weakening to a tropical storm. Iris made landfall on southeastern China on the 22nd, and quickly dissipated. Typhoon Iris caused rough seas off the coast of Luzon, sinking at least two ships and killing 89 people. In China, the storm brought torrential rains, killing 720 people with 996 missing in the Fujian province in southeast China; however, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the death toll may be as high as 2,334.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Joan
On August 25, Tropical Storm Joan formed in the open Western Pacific, and attained typhoon status early the next day. As Joan moved to the west-northwest, it continued to rapidly intensify, reaching Super Typhoon status on the 28th and peak winds of 195 mph (314 km/h) on the 29th. Such winds are dubious, due to the infancy of Reconnaissance Aircraft at the time and the lack of satellite images. Nevertheless, Joan was a powerful typhoon, and struck eastern Taiwan with estimated winds of 185 mph (298 km/h) on the 29th.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Joan
It rapidly weakened while crossing the island and the Formosa Strait, and dissipated over China on the 31st. Strong winds and heavy flooding caused 11 casualties and $3 million in crop damage. Property damage was extensive as well, with 3,308 houses destroyed from the typhoon. In China, 3 people were killed and 57 were injured from Joan.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Storm Kate
Tropical Storm Kate existed just east of the Philippines from August 25 to August 27.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Louise
Just 5 days after Joan hit Taiwan, 135 mph (217 km/h) Typhoon Louise hit southeastern Taiwan, and quickly weakened as it moved northward. After weakening to a tropical depression over China, it restrengthened to a tropical storm before hitting North Korea and dissipating on September 7. Louise left 6 dead and over 6000 homeless.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Depression Marge
Tropical Depression Marge existed in the South China Sea from September 2 to September 3.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Storm Nora
Tropical Storm Nora existed from September 5 to September 12.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Depression Opal
Tropical Storm Opal existed from September 5 to September 6.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Patsy
On September 6, reports from aircraft indicated the existence of a tropical storm near the International Date Line. Earlier stages were missed because of a lack of data in the isolated area. A trough moved Patsy northeast. A second trough then developed, dominated over the first, and recurved Patsy northeast. It then slowly headed northwards and gradually weakened. It dissipated on September 10. Patsy's erratic path near the dateline was unusual and no known tropical cyclone had taken such a path over the previous ten years, although that of Typhoon June 1958 was somewhat similar.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Patsy
The Japan Meteorological Agency's "best track" does not give windspeeds, only indicating that Patsy was a typhoon. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center's report disagrees on location but also has Patsy's maximum windspeed east of the dateline; the JMA's data does not indicate windspeeds. Patsy is an uncommon west-to-east crosser of the dateline. Including only systems recognized by the Central Pacific Hurricane Center, that has only happened six times since.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Depression Ruth
Tropical Depression Ruth existed from September 8 to September 10.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Sarah
Super Typhoon Sarah, which peaked at 190 mph (310 km/h) on September 15, weakened to a 115 mph (185 km/h) typhoon just before making landfall on southern South Korea on the 17th. It continued to the northeast, and dissipated on the 19th over northern Japan. In the Ryūkyū Islands, Sarah's high winds and rain caused 6 deaths and destroyed 6,000 houses, causing $2 million in crop damage. In all of Korea, extreme flooding and storm surge killed 669 people and left 782,126 homeless one day before Chuseok, which is one of the Korea's biggest holidays. Extreme crop damage and property damage amounted to $100 million (1959 USD) ($638 million 2005 USD). Flooding in Japan killed 24, with thousands of houses either destroyed or damaged.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Depression Thelma
Tropical Depression Thelma existed between Palau and Guam from September 18 to September 19.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Vera
Vera developed on September 20 between Guam and Chuuk State, and initially tracked westward before taking a more northerly course, reaching tropical storm strength the following day. By this point Vera had assumed a more westerly direction of movement and had begun to rapidly intensify, and reached its peak intensity on September 23 with maximum sustained winds equivalent to that of a modern-day Category 5 hurricane. With little change in strength, Vera curved and accelerated northward, resulting in a landfall on September 26 near Shionomisaki on Honshu.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Vera
Atmospheric wind patterns caused the typhoon to briefly emerge into the Sea of Japan before recurving eastward and moving ashore Honshu for a second time. Movement over land greatly weakened Vera, and after reentering the North Pacific Ocean later that day, Vera transitioned into an extratropical cyclone on September 27; these remnants continued to persist for an additional two days.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Vera
Though Vera was accurately forecast and its track into Japan was well anticipated, limited coverage of telecommunications, combined with lack of urgency from Japanese media and the storm's intensity, greatly inhibited potential evacuation and disaster mitigation processes. Rainfall from the storm's outer rainbands began to cause flooding in river basins well in advance of the storm's landfall. Upon moving ashore Honshu, the typhoon brought a strong storm surge that destroyed numerous flood defense systems, inundating coastal regions and sinking ships. Damage totals from Vera reached US$600 million (equivalent to US$5.33 billion in 2020). The number of fatalities caused by Vera remain discrepant, though current estimates indicate that the typhoon caused more than 5,000 deaths, making it one of the deadliest typhoons in Japanese history. It also injured almost 39,000 people and made around 1.5 million people homeless.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Amy
Typhoon Amy developed near Yap on October 3. After strengthening and subsequent weakening, Amy struck Japan. Shortly thereafter, the system became extratropical on October 9.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Tropical Storm Babs
Tropical Storm Babs developed in the South China Sea on October 5. The storm struck the western side of Luzon, before entering the Pacific Ocean. By October 10, Babs dissipated south of the Ryukyu Islands.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Charlotte
An area of low pressure organized into a tropical depression on October 9 to the east of the Philippines. It moved northwestward, quickly intensifying to typhoon status on the 10th. Charlotte continued to intensify, and reached a peak of 165 mph (266 km/h) on the 13th before recurving to the northeast. Cooler, drier air weakened the typhoon, and after passing near Okinawa on the 16th it paralleled the southern coast of Japan offshore. The weakening storm turned to the east, and dissipated on the 19th.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Charlotte
Charlotte brought a total of 24 inches (610 mm) of rain on Okinawa, causing landslides that damaged much of the island. Crop damage was severe, with 75% of the rice crop destroyed. The five feet of flooding in some areas damaged 618 homes and destroyed 275. In all, Charlotte caused 46 casualties and left 1,068 homeless.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Dinah
Just weeks after Super Typhoon Vera, another northward moving 170 mph (270 km/h) Super Typhoon was moving northward toward Japan. Dinah's turn to the northeast spared the country, and it became extratropical on October 21 to the east of the archipelago.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Freda
A disturbance in the Intertropical Convergence Zone organized into a tropical storm to the east of the Philippines on November 13. Freda moved west-northwestward, attaining typhoon status the next day. As it paralleled the northeast coast of Luzon, it rapidly intensified to a 135 mph (217 km/h) typhoon, and made landfall on the 16th with slightly weaker winds of 120, the weakening due to land interaction. Freda rapidly weakened as it crossed the island, and turned to the north. After passing close to Taiwan on the 18th, it accelerated to the north and became extratropical on the 20th. Freda brought torrential rains to the city of Manila, driving two vessels aground. Crop damage was heavy on the southern part of the island, while 7,600 were left homeless from the flooding. Freda caused 58 fatalities as it passed through the Philippines.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Gilda
On December 18, 175 mph (270 km/h) Super Typhoon Gilda made landfall on the eastern Philippines. It quickly crossed the archipelago, and weakened over the South China Sea. Gilda made landfall on southeastern Vietnam on the 21st as a tropical storm, and dissipated the next day. Gilda caused 23 casualties in the Philippines from extensive rainfall, and left nearly 60,000 homeless.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Systems, Typhoon Harriet
On December 30, just weeks after Gilda, 150 mph (233 km/h) Typhoon Harriet hit the eastern Philippines. It weakened as it crossed the islands, and dissipated over the South China Sea on January 2. Harriet brought strong winds and rainfall to Luzon, causing considerable property and crop damage. In all, the typhoon killed 5 and left more than 12,000 homeless.


1959 Pacific typhoon season, Storm names
Two Central Pacific storms developed and were named Dot and Wanda. The policy at the time was to use the Western Pacific nomenclature for the basin.


1959 Palanca Awards
The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature winners in the year 1959 (rank, title of winning entry, name of author).


1959 Pan American Games
The third Pan American Games were held in Chicago, Illinois, United States between August 28 and September 7, 1959.


1959 Pan American Games, Host city selection
One city initially submitted a bid to host the 1959 Pan American Games that was recognized by the Pan American Sports Organization (PASO), along with three cities that withdrew their bids. On March 11, 1955, at the IV Pan American Congress in Mexico City, PASO selected Cleveland unanimously to host the III Pan American Games.


1959 Pan American Games, Host city selection
On April 15, 1957, Cleveland asked PASO to be relieved of their assignment as the host city. Subsequently, both Guatemala City and Rio de Janeiro informed PASO that they would not be able to host the games either. Two cities came forward as candidates host the games, Chicago and São Paulo, and on August 3, 1957, Chicago was selected over São Paulo by a vote of 13 to 6.


1959 Pan American Games, Organization
Once Chicago took over the game following Cleveland's withdrawal, there were 18 months left to organize the games. The games were held on-schedule nonetheless. The games were the first Pan American Games to be held in the  Northern Hemisphere's summer. The previous two editions were held in March.


1959 Pan American Games, The Games
The games opened on August 27, 1959, in sunny 90 °F (32 °C) heat before 40,000 people in Chicago, Illinois, United States at Soldier Field.


1959 Pan American Games medal table
The 1959 Pan American Games, officially known as the III Pan American Games, were a continental multi-sport event held in Chicago, United States, from August 27 to September 7, 1959. At the Games, 2,263 athletes selected from 25 National Olympic Committees (NOCs) participated in events in 18 sports. Nineteen nations earned medals during the competition, and eleven won at least one gold medal.


1959 Pan American Games medal table, Medal table
The ranking in this table is based on medal counts published by several media organizations. By default, the table is ordered by the number of gold medals won by the athletes representing a nation. (In this context, a nation is an entity represented by a NOC). The number of silver medals is taken into consideration next and then the number of bronze medals. If nations are still tied, equal ranking is given and they are listed alphabetically by IOC country code.


1959 Pan American Games medal table, Medal table
To sort this table by nation, total medal count, or any other column, click on the  icon next to the column title.


1959 Papua New Guinean by-elections
By-elections for all three elected seats in the Legislative Council were held in Papua and New Guinea on 12 September 1959. The incumbent MLCs had resigned due to the imposition of income tax in the territory by the Australian government. All three seats were won by candidates supported by the Taxpayers' Association (which opposed the new tax). The three new MLCs all resigned by 1 October.


1959 Papua New Guinean by-elections, Background
On 22 June 1959 the three elected members of the Legislative Council – Ian Downs, Ernest James and Dudley Jones – resigned from the Council, issuing a joint statement saying that the income tax legislation had been introduced without an inquiry they had demanded, that the public did not have adequate representation on the Council  and that the proposed legislation was too complicated and contained several anomalies. The three also stated that they would not run for re-election unless the council was made more representative.


1959 Papua New Guinean by-elections, Campaign
Despite threats to boycott the elections, by the time nominations closed on 4 August, both the New Guinea Islands and Papua constituencies had two candidates, and only the New Guinea Mainland constituency had no nominations, although Sydney Barker's nomination for the seat arrived four minutes late. When nominations re-opened on 1 September, Barker submitted his application and became the sole contestant.


1959 Papua New Guinean by-elections, Campaign
New Guinea Islands was contested by John Chipper, a contractor in Rabaul, and William Thomas, a planter in Kokopo. Papua was contested by Stephenson Fox, an accountant, and Vincent Sanders, a contractor. Chipper and Sanders were both backed by the Taxpayers' Association and pledged to resign if requested. Barker also pledged to resign if required.


1959 Papua New Guinean by-elections, Aftermath
All three elected members resigned shortly after the elections; Chipper and Sanders resigned on 29 September and Barker two days later.


1959 Paraguayan Primera División season
The 1959 season of the Paraguayan Primera División, the top category of Paraguayan football, was played by 10 teams. The national champions were Olimpia.


1959 Paris–Nice–Rome
The 1959 Paris–Nice–Rome was the 17th edition of the Paris–Nice cycle race and was held from 4 March to 14 March 1959. The race started in Paris and finished in Rome. It was the only time the race covered this route from Nice to Rome. The race was won by Jean Graczyk of the Helyett team.


1959 Paris–Roubaix
The 1959 Paris–Roubaix was the 57th edition of the Paris–Roubaix, a classic one-day cycle race in France. The single day event was held on 12 April 1959 and stretched 262.5 km (163 mi) from Paris to the finish at Roubaix Velodrome. The winner was Noël Foré from Belgium.


1959 Paris–Tours
The 1959 Paris–Tours was the 53rd edition of the Paris–Tours cycle race and was held on 11 October 1959. The race started in Paris and finished in Tours. The race was won by Rik Van Looy.


1959 Pau Grand Prix
The 1959 Pau Grand Prix was a Formula Two motor race held on 18 May 1959 at the Pau circuit, in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, France. The Grand Prix was won by Maurice Trintignant for the second year in a row, driving the Cooper T51. Bruce McLaren finished second and Lucien Bianchi third.


1959 Penistone by-election
A by-election was held for the British House of Commons constituency of Penistone in South Yorkshire on 11 June 1959. The seat had become vacant on the death of the Labour Member of Parliament Henry McGhee, who had held the seat since the 1935 general election.


1959 Penn Quakers football team
The 1959 Penn Quakers football team was an American football team that represented the University of Pennsylvania during the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. Penn was named champion of the Ivy League.


1959 Penn Quakers football team
In their sixth and final year under head coach Steve Sebo, the Quakers compiled a 7–1–1 record and outscored opponents 195 to 74. Barney Berlinger was the team captain.


1959 Penn Quakers football team
Penn's 6–1 conference record was the best in the Ivy League, earning the conference championship. The Quakers outscored their Ivy opponents 147 to 52.


1959 Penn Quakers football team
Penn played its home games at Franklin Field adjacent to the university's campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


1959 Penn State Nittany Lions baseball team
The 1959 Penn State Nittany Lions baseball team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 1959 NCAA University Division baseball season. The head coach was Joe Bedenk, serving his 29th year.


1959 Penn State Nittany Lions baseball team
The Nittany Lions lost in the College World Series, defeated by the Oklahoma State.


1959 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 1959 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 1959 NCAA University Division football season. The team was coached by Rip Engle and played its home games in New Beaver Field in University Park, Pennsylvania.


1959 Pepperdine Waves football team
The 1959 Pepperdine Waves football team represented George Pepperdine College as an independent during the 1959 NCAA College Division football season. The team was led by fifth-year head coach John Scolinos. For the 1959 season, the Waves moved home games back to Sentinel Field on the campus of Inglewood High School in Inglewood, California. They had previously played at Sentinel Field in 1946, 1947, and 1949. Pepperdine finished the season with a record of 2–5–1.


1959 Pepperdine Waves football team, Team players in the NFL
No Pepperdine players were selected in the 1960 NFL Draft.


1959 Peruvian Primera División
The 1959 season of the Primera División Peruana, the top category of Peruvian football, was played by 10 teams. The national champions were Universitario. At the end of the regular season (home and away matches) teams were split in 2 groups of 5 teams: top 5 played for the title and bottom 5 played for the relegation. Teams carried their regular season records and played an additional round (4 further matches). Sporting Cristal won a play-off against Ciclista Lima to determine 5th place in the first stage.


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season
The 1959 Philadelphia Eagles season was the franchise's 27th season in the National Football League. They improved on their previous output of 2–9–1, winning seven games. The team failed to qualify for the playoffs for the tenth consecutive season.


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season, Off-season, NFL Draft
The 1959 NFL Draft was held on December 2, 1958 (rounds 1–4) and January 21, 1959 (rounds 5–30). The draft was 30 rounds long, and had 12 teams making picks. A total of 360 players were selected in this year draft. There was no Lottery bonus pick this year as it had run the course as all 12 teams had been given the bonus pick.


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season, Off-season, NFL Draft
As the Green Bay Packers had the worst record, a 1-10- 1, in the 1958 NFL season they had the first draft pick and selected Randy Duncan who played Quarterback for the Iowa Hawkeyes was the first pick. The Packers lone win was on Sunday, October 26, 1958 38–35 over the Eagles in Green Bay.


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season, Off-season, NFL Draft
The Philadelphia Eagles and the Chicago Cardinals both had a 2–9–1 record in the 1958 season, and that was the 2nd worst record in the league, rotated in picking 2nd or 3rd in each round. Both of these teams defeated during the season the eventful Eastern Division champion New York Giants during the regular season. The Eagle 1st round pick, 2nd in the draft, was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for Norm Van Brocklin. The Eagles' first pick in the draft was in round 2 with the 15th pick.


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season, Off-season, NFL Draft
In this year's NFL Season the Eagles and Packer would both improve to 7–5–0. Then in 1960 the Eagles and Packers would meet in the 1960 NFL Championship Game in Philadelphia.


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season, Off-season, Player selections
The table shows the Eagles selections and what picks they had that were traded away and the team that ended up with that pick. It is possible the Eagles' pick ended up with this team via another team that the Eagles made a trade with. Not shown are acquired picks that the Eagles traded away.


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season, Schedule, Standings
Note: Tie games were not officially counted in the standings until 1972.


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season, Roster
(All time List of Philadelphia Eagles players in franchise history)


1959 Philadelphia Eagles season, Postseason
Before the start of the 1960 Season, but after the 1960 NFL Draft, on March 19, the NFL had an expansion draft for the Dallas Cowboys. The Philadelphia Eagles lost, Dick Bielski a tight end, Gerry Delucca an offensive tackle, and Bil Striegel, a linebacker.


1959 Philadelphia Phillies season
The 1959 Philadelphia Phillies season was the 77th season in the history of the franchise. During spring training, manager Eddie Sawyer told the press, "We're definitely not a last place club... I think the biggest thing we've accomplished is getting rid of the losing complex. That alone makes us not a last place club." The Phillies finished in last place in 1959, seven games behind seventh-place St. Louis and 23 games behind the pennant and World Series winning Dodgers. They attracted 802,515 fans to Connie Mack Stadium, seventh in the eight-team league.


1959 Philadelphia Phillies season, Offseason
In early 1959, Phillies owner Bob Carpenter proposed building a new ballpark for the Phillies on 72 acres (290,000 m2) adjacent to the Garden State Park Racetrack in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. Connie Mack Stadium was 50 years old, did not have sufficient parking, and the sale of alcohol was banned at sports venues in Pennsylvania. Beer sales were legal in New Jersey. The proposed ballpark would have seated 45,000 fans, been expandable to 60,000, and would have had 15,000 parking spaces. The Phillies would eventually move to the South Philadelphia Sports Complex in 1971. On January 13, Carpenter also changed general managers, replacing Roy Hamey with John J. Quinn, recruited from the defending two-time National League champion Milwaukee Braves. Quinn would run the Phils' front office for almost 14 full seasons.


1959 Philadelphia Phillies season, Regular season
On April 11, coach Benny Bengough was removed from the coaching staff and reassigned to the front office where he worked in team public relations.


1959 Philadelphia Phillies season, Player stats, Batting, Starters by position
Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1959 Philadelphia Phillies season, Player stats, Batting, Other batters
Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in


1959 Philadelphia Phillies season, Player stats, Pitching, Starting pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1959 Philadelphia Phillies season, Player stats, Pitching, Other pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1959 Philadelphia Phillies season, Player stats, Pitching, Relief pitchers
Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; SV = Saves; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts


1959 Philadelphia municipal election
Philadelphia's municipal election of November 3, 1959 involved contests for mayor, all seventeen city council seats, and several other executive and judicial offices. Citywide, the Democrats took majorities of over 200,000 votes, continuing their success from the elections four years earlier. Richardson Dilworth, who had been elected mayor in 1955, was re-elected over Republican nominee Harold Stassen. The Democrats also took fifteen of seventeen city council seats, the most seats allowed to any one party under the 1951 city charter. They further kept control of the other citywide offices. The election represented a continued consolidation of control by the Democrats after their citywide victories of the previous eight years.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, Background
After taking control of the city government in 1951, Democrats consolidated their majorities with further success in 1955 and 1957. They hoped to continue the victories made possible by the continuing coalition of reform-minded independents and the Democratic organization led by Democratic City Committee chairman William J. Green, Jr., but tension between the two groups had begun to increase by 1959 as more of the jobs and elected offices went to organization men, with reformers being increasingly marginalized.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, Background
The Republican organization had largely collapsed after the 1955 defeat, but looked to rebuild and consolidate under the leadership of former sheriff Austin Meehan. However, as political scientist Robert Freedman wrote several years later, "there was not much left to consolidate." The Philadelphia Inquirer noted the dire condition of the Republicans while predicting a major Democratic victory: "the Republican organization has been on the border of collapse during the last few years and it is probable that it will not man a number of polling places on Election Day."


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, Mayor
In the mayor's race, incumbent Democrat Richardson Dilworth ran for reelection against Republican Harold Stassen. After service in World War I and a law degree from Yale, Dilworth practiced law in Philadelphia. He and Joseph S. Clark, Jr., were allies in the anti-corruption reform effort that had swept the city eight years earlier in coalition with the Democratic political organization. Dilworth had run for mayor unsuccessfully in 1947, with Clark as his campaign manager. In 1949, he was elected City Treasurer. He resigned that post to run for governor in 1950, but was defeated by Republican John S. Fine.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, Mayor
Democratic party leaders had intended Dilworth to be their candidate for mayor again in 1951, but when Clark announced his candidacy, Dilworth agreed to run for district attorney instead, and won. In 1955, Dilworth got his shot at the mayor's office when Clark instead ran for the Senate; he was elected with 59% of the vote. Four years later, he was renominated without opposition.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, Mayor
The Republicans nominated Harold Stassen. In 1938, Stassen was elected Governor of Minnesota at the age of thirty-one. He became known as an efficient, honest, and moderately liberal governor, and was reelected in 1940 and 1942. Stassen resigned as governor shortly after his 1942 reelection to serve in World War II. He made an unsuccessful bid for the Republican nomination for president in 1948; later that year, he was appointed president of the University of Pennsylvania. After four years, he left that position to work in the Dwight D. Eisenhower administration as  a special assistant for nuclear disarmament efforts. In 1958, he sought the nomination for Governor of Pennsylvania, but was unsuccessful.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, Mayor
As the 1959 election approached, Republican City Committee leaders Wilbur H. Hamilton and Austin Meehan backed Stassen for their party's nomination. Triumphing over token opposition in the May primary, Stassen pledged to cut taxes and promised to run a "fusion campaign," inviting the support of Democrats dissatisfied with Dilworth's administration. Dilworth called for more spending, especially on streets, highways, and public housing, and admitted that increased taxation was likely the price of those improvements.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, Mayor
As in 1955, the result was a landslide for Dilworth. Dilworth called the victory "greater than we had anticipated" and said the scale of the landslide "puts us on a spot. We really have to deliver during the next four years." Stassen said he would return to his law practice and promised to continue to build the Republican Party in Philadelphia. Dilworth secured nearly two-thirds of the vote and fifty-eight out of fifty-nine wards, continuing a trend of Democratic dominance in the city's politics.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, City Council
Philadelphians elected a seventeen-member city council in 1959, with ten members representing districts of the city, and the remaining seven being elected at-large. For the at-large seats, each political party could nominate five candidates, and voters could only vote for five, with the result being that the majority party could only take five of the seven seats, leaving two for the minority party. The Democrats' citywide dominance continued into the city council races, as took control of all ten of the district seats, up from nine in the previous election. They also retained five of seven at-large seats.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, City Council
In the at-large races, four incumbent Democratic candidates, Victor E. Moore, Paul D'Ortona, Marshall L. Shepard, and Leon Kolankiewicz, were re-elected. A fifth Democrat, state legislator Mary Varallo, was elected to the seat vacated by Henry W. Sawyer when he declined to run for re-election. On the Republican side, at-large councilman Louis Schwartz retired and was replaced by Virginia Knauer. Incumbent Thomas M. Foglietta, a lawyer and son of former councilman Michael Foglietta, was re-elected. Losing bids for the Republican at-large seats were attorneys Emil F. Goldhaber and William S. Rawls, and Baptist minister Clarence M. Smith.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, City Council
At the district level, Democratic incumbents Emanuel Weinberg (district 1), Gaetano Giordano (district 2), Harry Norwitch (district 3), Samuel Rose (district 4), Michael J. Towey (district 6), James Hugh Joseph Tate (district 7), Henry P. Carr (district 9), and John M. McDevitt (district 10) were all reelected. In the 5th district, Raymond Pace Alexander chose not to run for re-election and fellow Democrat Thomas McIntosh took his place. In the 8th, the Republicans lost their only district-level seat when Wilbur H. Hamilton narrowly lost out to Democrat Alfred Leopold Luongo.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, City commissioners
In the race for city commissioners, each party nominated two candidates and the top three were elected. The office was a county office, a holdover from the time before consolidation of the townships in Philadelphia County into one city. The most important of the remaining duties of the commissioners in Philadelphia was the conduct of the city's elections; they also had responsibility for regulating weights and measures. The Democrats' success continued in those races, with incumbent commissioners Maurice S. Osser and Thomas P. McHenry being easily reelected. For the third seat, reserved for the minority party, Republican former city councilman Louis Menna edged out the incumbent Republican commissioner, Walter I. Davidson.


1959 Philadelphia municipal election, Other offices and ballot measures
Democrat William M. Lennox was reelected county sheriff, his third consecutive term. Louis Amarando, also a Democrat, was reelected clerk of the court of quarter sessions (a court whose jurisdiction was later transferred to the court of common pleas). In the special election for Register of Wills that followed the previous officeholder's appointment as a judge, Democrat John F. Walsh, Jr. easily defeated Republican Jay H. Rosenfeld (Walsh had been appointed in 1959 to fill the vacancy).