In 1959, Fidel Castro took over Cuba. The United States and the Soviet Union kept up the space race, taking further steps closer to the moon. Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev argued in a model kitchen in Russia then the Soviet leader toured the United States. A steel strike lagged for 116 days.

“Ben-Hur,” “North by Northwest” and “Some Like It Hot” were box office hits. John Knowles’ “A Separate Peace” was published. Bobby Darin and Frankie Avalon were stars and Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper died in a snowy plane crash. “Bonanza,” “The Twilight Zone” and “Dennis the Menace” all premiered on television.

Johnny Unitas led the Baltimore Colts to the NFL championship. Don Drysdale led the Los Angeles Dodgers to a World Series win. Bill Russell and Bob Cousy won another NBA championship for the Celtics. The Montreal Canadiens won their fourth straight Stanley Cup.

Frank Lloyd Wright, John Foster Dulles, Billie Holiday, Errol Flynn and George Marshall all died.

In Galesburg, residents began drinking from the Mississippi River as the pipeline was completed. Galesburg High School graduated its last class downtown before moving to Fremont Street. Baseball legend Jimmie Foxx moved in to be the face of a new restaurant and a Galesburg woman mourned as her son, George Reeves, famous for playing Superman, committed suicide.

The space race went back and forth throughout the year, beginning with Russia’s launch of Luna 1 on Jan. 2. While intended to hit the moon, it missed, but passed within 6,000 km of it.

On Feb. 17, the United States launched its first weather satellite, Vanguard 2.

“For two weeks,” read the Register-Mail, “the tiny sphere, equipped with photocells, radio transmitters and a tape recorder, will measure light reflections from clouds, land and sea as it circles the earth 16 times in each 24 hours.”

Mar. 3, the United States launched its first probe to escape the Earth’s gravitational pull, Pioneer 4.

“Scientists expressed assurance that the gold plated cone would speed on past the moon into orbit around the sun,” read the Register-Mail.

In early April, the “Mercury Seven” were announced by NASA. These seven men were to become the first American astronauts.

Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard and Deke Slayton were to be the seven to pilot the Mercury manned space program from 1961 to 1963.

The Register-Mail reported that they were “chosen above all others for the honor and the glory and the danger of being the first to carry their country’s colors into space.”

May 28th saw the next step toward those men entering space, as the United States launched two monkeys 300 miles into the sky at speeds reaching 10,000 mph.

“The little female monkeys, named Able and Baker,” said the newspaper, “are the first living creatures known to have ridden into space and returned safely.”

On Sep. 12, Russia shot at the moon again with Luna 2. The next day, it hit its target.

“It was fired from a spinning target hurtling through space toward a moving target — a feat as difficult as hitting a gnat with a rifle at a distance of several miles.”

October saw the launch of Luna 3, which gave humans their first look at the far side of the moon.

“Scientists in America and throughout the world hailed the Soviet photographs as a remarkable achievement,” read the Register-Mail.

In July, while Vice President Nixon was visiting an American cultural exhibit in Moscow, when he and Nikita Krushchev traded barbs in the kitchen of a model home.

At one point, the Soviet pointed out "the Americans have created their own image of the Soviet man and think he is as you want him to be. But he is not as you think ... Moreover, all you have to do to get a house is to be born in the Soviet Union. You are entitled to housing. I was born in the Soviet Union. So, I have a right to a house. In America, if you don't have a dollar — you have the right to choose between sleeping in a house or on the pavement. Yet you say that we are slaves of communism."

The year began with the news of rebel leader Fidel Castro taking of Cuba as President Batista fled Havana.

“Castro, the bearded, 32-year-old leader of the rebels,” read the Register-Mail, “bested the Cuban army, air force and navy, received a thunderous ovation in Santiago when he emerged from the hills to begin the takeover of government.”

Talbot Fisher is weekend reporter for The Register-Mail. Contact him at

talbotefisher16@gmail.com; follow him on twitter at @TalbotFisher16