A look at life the year the Mount was born
Rod Serling’s seminal horror anthology The Twilight Zone had just whisked viewers into the fifth dimension, gasoline was 25 cents a gallon, and Mount Saint Mary College became a four-year institution of higher learning. The year 1959 brought new beginnings for the college, but ushered in a time of growth and change for the nation as well.
Hail to the Chief
Republican Dwight D. Eisenhower, who had commanded the Allied forces during the WWII D-Day Normandy Invasion 15 years earlier, held the highest office in the land.
Swing low, sweet chariot race
Charlton Heston starred in Ben-Hur. It had a budget of more than $15 million and was the highest grossing film of 1959.
Joining the Lower 48
In January, Alaska became the 49th state. Hawaii followed suit in August, becoming America’s 50th state.
Please, Mr. Postman
Stamps cost just 4 cents (or 7 cents for air mail) in 1959.
The final frontier
A pair of primates became the first beings to experience space travel and safely return home to Earth.
And the award goes to...
At the 31st Academy Awards ceremony, the musical comedy Gigi won Best Picture.
Moose and squirrel
In addition to the iconic title characters, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle and Friends introduced the world to the likes of Boris and Natasha, Dudley Do-Right, and Mr. Peabody and Sherman.
Tearing up the charts
Johnny Horton’s “The Battle of New Orleans” was number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The day music died
Musicians Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper perished in a plane crash that was revisited years later in Don McLean’s iconic musical opus “The Day the Music Died.”
'I still want a hula hoop'
The first Grammy awards were held in May. “The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)” earned three awards, including Best Comedy Performance.
See the Chevrolet in the USA
The Chevrolet Impala, introduced the previous year, was one of the most popular cars with US consumers.