WHAT ALL HAPPENED JANUARY TO MAY 1959
Find out what all happened January to May 1959

Separatists in the Maldives declare the establishment of the United Suvadive Republic. (3. January 1959)

Luna 1, the first spacecraft to reach the vicinity of the Moon and to orbit the Sun, is launched by the Soviet Union. (2. January 1959)

The North Vietnamese Army establishes Group 559, whose responsibility is to determine how to maintain supply lines to South Vietnam; the resulting route is the Ho Chi Minh trail. (19. May 1959)

President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a bill into law allowing for Hawaiian statehood, which would become official on August 21. (18. March 1959)

Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1. (16. February 1959)

Discoverer 1, an American spy satellite that is the first object intended to achieve a polar orbit, is launched. It failed to achieve orbit. (28. February 1959)

At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missile is accomplished. (6. February 1959)

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, crosses the border into India and is granted political asylum. (31. March 1959)

Project Vanguard: Vanguard 2 – The first weather satellite is launched to measure cloud-cover distribution. (17. February 1959)

The Barbie doll makes its debut at the American International Toy Fair in New York. (9. March 1959)

Alaska is admitted as the 49th U.S. state. (3. January 1959)

Iakovos is enthroned as Greek Orthodox Archbishop of America. (1. April 1959)

The Organization of American States drafts an agreement to create the Inter-American Development Bank. (8. April 1959)

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, flees Tibet for India. (17. March 1959)

Tibetan uprising: Fearing an abduction attempt by China, 300,000 Tibetans surround the Dalai Lama's palace to prevent his removal. (10. March 1959)

A team of computer manufacturers, users, and university people led by Grace Hopper meets to discuss the creation of a new programming language that would be called COBOL. (8. April 1959)

The R-7 Semyorka, the first intercontinental ballistic missile, becomes operational at Plesetsk, USSR. (9. February 1959)

Knox Mine Disaster: Water breaches the River Slope Mine near Pittston City, Pennsylvania in Port Griffith; 12 miners are killed. (22. January 1959)

The 1st Grammy Awards are held. (4. May 1959)

Jack Kilby of Texas Instruments files the first patent for an integrated circuit. (6. February 1959)