| 1959
— In 1959 both Alaska and Hawaii were ratified
as the 49th and 50th states, respectively. The Supreme
Court also ruled this year that a person can be tried
for the same offense in both a state and federal court
(double jeopardy). Also this year:
- Fidel
Castro’s forces topple Batista’s government
in Cuba. Castro executes Batista’s supporters
and establish a totalitarian regime. Batista flees
to the Dominican Republic.
- Rodgers
and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music
opens on Broadway.
- The
first weather station in space Vanguard II
sends back the first pictures of cloud cover.
- Two
monkeys, Abel and Baker, return safely from a space
flight that reaches an altitude of 300 miles.
- Pope
John XXIII calls for Vatican Council II, the first
ecumenical council since 1870.
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