AUGUST 5, 1959

WEDNESDAY
1959 Coca-Cola advertising artwork
$1,000 INVESTED IN COKE STOCK (KO) IN 1959
WOULD HAVE MADE YOU $2,583,736 IN THE 2025 DATASET
Min Wage Hourly$0.98
Median Home Price$11,450.00
Gas Price Avg$0.31
Bread Price Avg$0.21
Movie Ticket Avg$0.67
First Class Stamp$0.04
Milk Price Avg$0.97
Top Movies From 1959
Show screen release and event cards
1 Ben-Hur
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Ben-Hur
2 Sleeping Beauty
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Sleeping Beauty
3 Some Like It Hot
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Some Like It Hot
4 Pillow Talk
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Pillow Talk
5 Imitation of Life
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Imitation of Life
6 Suddenly, Last Summer
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Suddenly, Last Summer
7 Operation Petticoat
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Operation Petticoat
8 North by Northwest
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North by Northwest
9 Rio Bravo
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Rio Bravo
10 Anatomy of a Murder
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Anatomy of a Murder
The Diary of Anne Frank
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The Diary of Anne Frank
The Mouse That Roared
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The Mouse That Roared
Al Capone
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Al Capone
The Hanging Tree
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The Hanging Tree
Compulsion
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Compulsion
The Nun's Story
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The Nun's Story
Darby O'Gill and the Little People
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Darby O'Gill and the Little People
Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
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Tarzan's Greatest Adventure
The Horse Soldiers
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The Horse Soldiers
The Tingler
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The Tingler
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
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The Man Who Could Cheat Death
The Big Fisherman
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The Big Fisherman
The Angry Hills
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The Angry Hills
The Buccaneer
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The Buccaneer
The Killer Shrews
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The Killer Shrews
The Giant Behemoth
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The Giant Behemoth
Separate Tables
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Separate Tables
Bell, Book and Candle
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Bell, Book and Candle
Some Came Running
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Some Came Running
The Last Hurrah
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The Last Hurrah
The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
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The 7th Voyage of Sinbad
Auntie Mame
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Auntie Mame
The Geisha Boy
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The Geisha Boy
The Naked Maja
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The Naked Maja

August 5, 1959 Trivia

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Television from this era Β· August 5, 1959
Perry Mason poster
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Perry Mason
Bonanza poster
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Bonanza
The Twilight Zone poster
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The Twilight Zone
The Rifleman poster
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The Rifleman
Lassie poster
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Lassie
Tony Awards poster
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Tony Awards
Wagon Train poster
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Wagon Train
21 Beacon Street poster
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21 Beacon Street
Black Saddle poster
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Black Saddle

Exact-date daily brief

August 5, 1959

On August 5, 1959, significant tension surfaced in the U.S. Congress as accusations emerged against labor unions concerning a contentious reform bill. A House committee chairman asserted that unions attempted to exert undue influe...

Inventions & Breakthroughs of August 1959

Gadgets, lab surprises, odd bets, and future-shocks from this slice of the calendar.

1 Integrated Circuit Production
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Integrated Circuit Production
2 Weather Satellite Launch
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Weather Satellite Launch
3 Computer Mouse Concept
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Computer Mouse Concept
4 Artificial Intelligence Language (LISP)
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Artificial Intelligence Language (LISP)
5 Commercial Laser Prototype
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Commercial Laser Prototype
6 Jet Turbofan Engine
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Jet Turbofan Engine
7 Automatic Dishwasher
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Automatic Dishwasher
8 Medical CAT Scan Concept
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Medical CAT Scan Concept
9 Digital Watch Prototype
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Digital Watch Prototype
10 Satellite Communication Relay
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Satellite Communication Relay

The Sounds of

Popular recordings and roots/country selections associated with the year

Headlines From August 5, 1959

Full News Archive

  • Headline: Labor Unions and Reform Bill Controversy. Impact: As unions attempted to take over the committee, they inadvertently sparked a nationwide union membership surge. This led to the creation of the 'Union of Unions' in 1975, which was just an excuse for endless meetings and free donuts. Fact: Did you know that the term 'take over' in politics often means 'we'll pretend to listen while we do whatever we want'?.
  • Headline: Significant Earthquake Off California's Coast. Impact: This earthquake, though minor, was the beginning of a long-standing rivalry between seismologists and surfers, who argued over whose day was ruined the most. Fact: Earthquakes are nature's way of reminding us that the ground isn't as stable as we thought... kind of like most relationships.
  • Headline: Hopes to Trim Spending Next Year for the First Time Since 1944; GOVERNOR SEEKS REDUCED BUDGET. Impact: Rockefeller's ambitious budget cuts led to a wave of creativity in state departments, where officials became experts in 'creative accounting'β€”a skill still widely practiced today. Fact: Trimming the budget is usually just code for 'let's pretend we can have everything we want for less.' Spoiler alert: it doesn't work.
  • Headline: Faubus Not Available. Impact: The refusal to comply with desegregation orders created a ripple effect that would echo through decades of civil rights activism, resulting in more protests, more sit-ins, and ultimately, more changesβ€”albeit slowly. Fact: Sometimes, not being available is just code for 'I'm too busy maintaining the status quo.'.
  • Headline: Mongolian Communist Line Vies With Genghis Khan's Tradition; This is the third of five articles on Outer Mongolia by a New York Times correspondent who recently visited there. Communists' Line in Outer Mongolia Vies With the Tradition of Genghis Khan TRADITION SLOWS TECHNICAL GAINS Influence of Buddhism Still Is Strong -- Nomad Culture Defies Modernization. Impact: The tension between tradition and modernization in Mongolia led to a bizarre cultural fusion of Genghis Khan-themed cafes serving vegan dishes, which only confused tourists further. Fact: You can’t have a proper meal in Mongolia unless it’s served with a side of historical irony.
  • Headline: HOFFA DENOUNCED IN SENATE REPORT FOR UNION ABUSES; Racket Committee Presents 'Indictment' of 21 Counts -- Accuses 2 Top Aides TEAMSTER HEAD DEFIANT Says 'to Hell With Them' -- Monitors Upheld by Justice Frankfurter HOFFA DENOUNCED IN SENATE REPORT. Impact: Hoffa’s defiance and subsequent legal troubles inspired future generations of union leaders to adopt the same bravado, often leading to colorful headlines and frantic press conferences. Fact: Saying 'to hell with them' is a classic negotiating tacticβ€”right up there with throwing a stapler when you don’t get your way.
  • Headline: HUMPHREY FORCES ASK KENNEDY TEST; Issue a Friendly Challenge for Wisconsin Primary -- Nixon Ahead, Quinn Says. Impact: This friendly challenge eventually spiraled into a series of political rivalries that taught future candidates the valuable lesson that 'friendly' and 'politics' should never be in the same sentence. Fact: Friendly challenges in politics are kind of like asking someone to a duelβ€”except with more paperwork and less honor.
  • Headline: SENATE UNIT SETS NEW HOUSING BILL; Modified Plan Is Approved After Group Decides Not to Try to Upset Veto SENATE UNIT SETS NEW HOUSING BILL. Impact: The Senate's cautious approach to housing reform led to decades of bureaucratic gridlock, ensuring that the phrase 'we’ll get to it later' became a staple in government vocabulary. Fact: Senators setting new housing bills is a lot like a cat playing with a toyβ€”it looks like progress, but really it's just a lot of circling and nothing getting done.
  • Headline: Hogan Investigating Heavyweight Title Bout Promotion; ROSENSOHN HEARD IN FIGHT INQUIRY Rackets Investigation Calls Promoter of Title Bout -- Johansson to Fly Here. Impact: This investigation became a template for sports scandals, paving the way for future promoters to get creative with their excusesβ€”like claiming they were just 'exploring alternative business models.'. Fact: Boxing promotions are like soap operas: full of drama, questionable characters, and the occasional surprise twist that leaves everyone wondering how they got there.

Wall Street Time Machine

The Right Call: A historical $1,000 investment comparison using the stored long-range dataset.
Rank #1
JNJ
Johnson & Johnson
Price in 1959
$0.06
Stored value
$3,433,940

Johnson & Johnson - If you invested $1,000 in 1959, it would be worth $3,433,940 today (3433.9x return)

Rank #2
PG
Procter & Gamble
Price in 1959
$0.25
Stored value
$586,657

Procter & Gamble - If you invested $1,000 in 1959, it would be worth $586,657 today (586.7x return)

Rank #3
MO
Philip Morris
Price in 1959
$0.00
Stored value
$23,651,341

Philip Morris - If you invested $1,000 in 1959, it would be worth $23,651,341 today (23651.3x return)

🦸 Top 5 Comics
The Flash #105
The Flash #105
$2,000
Showcase #22
Showcase #22
$50
Adventure Comics #260
Adventure Comics #260
$500
Journey into Mystery #53
Journey into Mystery #53
$8,000
Tales to Astonish #1
Tales to Astonish #1
$475
🧸 Top 5 Toys
Barbie Doll
Barbie Doll
$150.00
Chatty Cathy Doll
Chatty Cathy Doll
$425.00
View-Master
View-Master
$40.00
Colorforms
Colorforms
$250.00
Etch A Sketch
Etch A Sketch
$75.00
⚾ Top 5 Trading Cards
1959 Topps Mickey Mantle #10
1959 Topps Mickey Mantle #10
$500,000
1959 Barbie Number 1 Card
1959 Barbie Number 1 Card
$83,000
1959 Fleer Ted Williams #5 Ted’s Idol β€˜Babe Ruth’
1959 Fleer Ted Williams #5 Ted’s Idol β€˜Babe Ruth’
$350
1959 Swedish Rekord Journal Wayne Gretzky
1959 Swedish Rekord Journal Wayne Gretzky
$75,000
1959 Bazooka Baseball Card #4 Willie Mays
1959 Bazooka Baseball Card #4 Willie Mays
$250,000