49 Star Flag
Years Flown: 1959 - 1960
US Presidents:
The 49-Star flag was official with the admission of Alaska to the United States as the 49th State on 03 Jan 1959. The flag was official for only one year.
Politics and Government
August 21, 1959: Hawaii becomes the 50th U.S. state.
September 26, 1959: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing NASA.
January 20, 1960: U.S. Senator John F. Kennedy announces his candidacy for the presidency.
May 6, 1960: President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960, which aims to safeguard the right to vote and protect the civil rights of African Americans.
June 15, 1960: The United States Supreme Court rules in the case of "Boynton v. Virginia," declaring segregation in interstate bus and rail stations unconstitutional, contributing to the ongoing conversation about civil rights and equal education opportunities.
Science, Technology and Medicine
August 7, 1959: The U.S. launches the Explorer 6 satellite, sending back the first pictures of Earth from space.
September 26, 1959: U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the National Aeronautics and Space Act, establishing NASA.
November 24, 1959: The U.S. National Library of Medicine opens the first national computer-based medical information retrieval system.
November 25, 1959: The Antarctic Treaty is signed, setting aside the continent for scientific research and cooperation.
February 10, 1960: The U.S. Navy submarine USS Triton begins its submerged circumnavigation of the Earth.
April 6, 1960: The first successful weather satellite, TIROS-1, is launched by the United States.
April 9, 1960: The U.S. Navy submarine USS Triton completes its submerged circumnavigation of the Earth.
April 27, 1960: U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first oral contraceptive pill, "Enovid."
Education
October 1, 1959: The National Defense Education Act (NDEA) is signed into law, providing federal funding to improve science, mathematics, and foreign language education in American schools.
April 22, 1960: The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) announces its plans to establish the Lincoln Laboratory to conduct research in various fields, including education technology.
June 1, 1960: The U.S. Supreme Court rules in the case of McGhee v. Sipes, emphasizing the importance of equal access to education for children of military personnel stationed overseas.
June 23, 1960: President Eisenhower signs the Higher Education Facilities Act, providing federal assistance for the construction of academic facilities in colleges and universities.
Arts, Culture and Literature
February 3, 1959: Rock and roll musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. Richardson die in a plane crash.
July 1, 1959: African American musician Ray Charles cancels a concert in Georgia due to racial segregation.
July 15, 1959: The steel strike, one of the largest labor strikes in U.S. history, begins.
November 16, 1959: The Clutters, a Kansas family, are murdered in a case that would inspire Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood."
February 1, 1960: Four African American college students stage a sit-in at a Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, as part of the civil rights movement, sparking discussions on equality and social justice in educational institutions.
July 2, 1960: Harper Lee's novel "To Kill a Mockingbird" is published, addressing themes of racial injustice and providing educational insights into the challenges of prejudice in the American South.
Sports
September 13, 1959: Rocky Marciano, former heavyweight boxing champion, retires undefeated as the reigning champion with a record of 49 wins and 0 losses.
November 29, 1959: The American Football League (AFL) holds its first championship game, known as the AFL Championship Game, which later evolves into the Super Bowl.
February 9, 1960: The Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, begin, marking the first time the Games are held in the United States since 1932.
December 3, 1959: The American Football Coaches Association and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics establish the American Football Coaches Association Academic Achievement Award to recognize college football players' academic excellence.
International Events (July 4, 1959 - July 3, 1960)
August 25, 1959: The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is established in Thailand.
September 13, 1959: The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 becomes the first human-made object to reach the moon.
November 25, 1959: The Antarctic Treaty is signed, setting aside the continent for scientific research and cooperation.
July 24, 1959: The U.S. and the Soviet Union hold the Camp David Summit, marking the first personal meeting between U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev.
October 25, 1959: The United States recognizes Fidel Castro as the Prime Minister of Cuba after the overthrow of Fulgencio Batista's regime.
January 2, 1960: Senegal gains independence from France
February 29, 1960: The United States imposes an embargo on all exports to Cuba, signaling increasing tensions between the two countries.
May 1, 1960: The U-2 incident occurs when a U.S. spy plane, piloted by Francis Gary Powers, is shot down over Soviet territory, leading to heightened Cold War tensions.
June 18, 1960: The Congo Crisis begins as violence erupts following the African country's declaration of independence from Belgium, leading to U.S. involvement in the region.
June 30, 1960: The newly independent African country of Madagascar establishes diplomatic relations with the United States.
July 3, 1960: Ghana becomes the first sub-Saharan African country to gain independence, marking a significant milestone in the decolonization movement.
October 1, 1960: Nigeria gains independence from British colonial rule.