What Happened in December 1958

Historical Events

Flower Drum Song

Dec 1 Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein's musical "Flower Drum Song", directed by Gene Kelly, and starring Miyoshi Umeki, opens at St James Theater, NYC; runs for 602 performances, winning a Tony Award

Dec 2 1959 NFL Draft: Randy Duncan QB University of Iowa #1 pick by Green Bay Packers
Dec 2 24th Heisman Trophy Award: Pete Dawkins, Army (HB)
Dec 2 Benelux treaty signed by Belgium, Netherlands & Luxembourg
Dec 2 KNOP TV channel 2 in North Platte, NB (NBC) begins broadcasting
Dec 3 Indonesian parliament accepts nationalisation of Dutch businesses
Dec 4 American pilots Bob Timm and John Cook take off from Las Vegas, Nevada in "The Hacienda", their modified Cessna 172, in an attempt to break recently set airplane flight endurance record; effort succeeds almost 65 days later [1]
Dec 4 Dahomey (Benin), Ivory Coast become autonomous within French Community
Dec 4 Finnish government of Fagerholm resigns
Dec 5 Phils drop plans for NY sportcast as Yanks threat to do same in Philadelphia

Subscriber Trunk Dialling

Dec 5 Subscriber Trunk Dialling (STD) is inaugurated in the UK by Queen Elizabeth II when she speaks to the Lord Provost in a call from Bristol to Edinburgh.

Queen of the United Kingdom Elizabeth II

Dec 5 The Preston bypass, the UK's first stretch of motorway, opens to traffic for the first time. It is now part of the M6 and M55 motorways.
Dec 5 WTOL TV channel 11 in Toledo, OH (CBS) begins broadcasting
Dec 6 US lunar probe Pioneer 3 reaches 107,269 km, falls back
Dec 7 Romulo Betancourt elected President of Venezuela
Dec 9 Robert W. Welch Jr and 11 other men meet in Indianapolis to form the conservative and anti-Communist John Birch Society
Dec 10 1st domestic (NY-Miami) passenger jet flight-National 707 flew 111
Dec 10 U of Pitts agrees to buy Forbes Field from the Pirates
Dec 11 4th (last) Dutch government of Drees falls

J.B.

Dec 11 Archibald MacLeish's play "J.B." premieres in NYC

Dec 11 Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) gains autonomy from France
Dec 12 Dutch social democratic party-ministers/premier Drees dismissed
Dec 12 Indian leg spin bowler Subhash "Fergie" Gupte takes 9-102 v W Indies at Kanpur

Summerall's Winning Goal

Dec 14 Pat Summerall kicks game winning field goal for the New York Giants against the Cleveland Browns at Yankee Stadium

CBS, Fox, and ESPN Sportscaster Pat Summerall

Ballon d'Or

Dec 16 Ballon d'Or: Real Madrid's French midfielder Raymond Kopa wins award for best football player in Europe ahead of German winger Helmut Rahn and French forward Just Fontaine

Dec 16 Bogota warehouse fire kills 82

Lindsay's Scoring Record

Dec 17 Ted Lindsay becomes highest scoring left wing in NHL history, passing Aurel Joliat who retired with 270; scores twice and adds an assist In Chicago Black Hawks' 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins at Chicago Stadium

Dec 18 Niger gains autonomy within French Community (National Day)
Dec 18 Project SCORE, world’s 1st communications satellite launched from Cape Canaveral

First Broadcast from Space

Dec 19 First radio broadcast from space, US President Dwight D. Eisenhower sends a Christmas message "to all mankind, America's wish for peace on Earth and goodwill to men everywhere" [1]

34th US President and WWII General Dwight D. Eisenhower

De Gaulle First President

Dec 21 Charles De Gaulle wins 7 year term as 1st President of the 5th Republic of France

Dec 22 "Whoop-Up" opens at Shubert Theater NYC for 56 performances
Dec 22 2nd Dutch Beel government forms
Dec 22 Christmas novelty single "The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don't Be Late)" by David Seville and the Chipmunks reaches #1 - the only holiday chart-topper until Mariah Carey’s "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in 2019
Dec 23 Abdallah Ibrahim forms government in Morocco

"A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green"

Dec 23 Musical revue "A Party with Betty Comden and Adolph Green" opens at John Golden Theatre, NYC; runs for 38 performances

Dec 28 "The Chipmunk Song" by the Chipmunks (Alvin, Simon & Theodore with David Seville) hits #1
Dec 28 "The Greatest Game Ever Played": Baltimore Colts win the 26th NFL championship against the New York Giants 23-17 at Yankee Stadium, in the first ever sudden-death overtime game in NFL history. 17 future members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame were involved in the game.
Dec 29 TV soap "Young Dr Malone" debuts
Dec 30 French franc devalued
Dec 31 47th Davis Cup: USA beats Australia in Brisbane (3-2)

Shoemaker's Record 4th Win

Dec 31 Bill Shoemaker 1st jockey to win national riding championship 4X

Racing Hall of Fame Jockey Bill Shoemaker

Batista To Flee

Dec 31 Cuban dictator Fulgencio Batista tells his Cabinet he is fleeing the country

Cuban President and Dictator Fulgencio Batista

Dec 31 International Geophyscial Year ends

Events in 1958

Famous Birthdays

Dec 1 Alberto Cova, Italian athlete (Olympic gold 10,000m 1984; World C'ship gold 10,000m 1983), born in Inverigo, Italy
Dec 1 Charlene Tilton, American actress (Lucy Ewing - Dallas), born in San Diego, California
Dec 1 Gary Peters, American politician (Senator-D-Michigan 2015-, Rep-D-Michigan 2009-15), born in Pontiac, Michigan
Dec 1 Javier Aguirre, Mexican soccer midfielder and manager (59 caps; Atlético Madrid, Espanyol; Mexico, Japan), born in Mexico City
Dec 1 Lisa Fischer, American vocalist and songwriter ("How Can I Ease the Pain"), born in Brooklyn, New York
Dec 2 George Saunders, American writer (Lincoln in the Bardo), born in Amarillo, Texas
Dec 2 Randy Gardner, American figure skater (World C'ships gold pairs [with Tai Babilonia] 1979; US C'ships 1976–1980), born in Los Angeles, California
Dec 2 Vladimir Parfenovich, Soviet canoeist, Olympic gold K1-500, K-2 500, K-2 1,000 1980; 9 gold World C'ships 1979-83), born in Minsk, Belarus
Dec 3 David Stephenson, English rugby league outside back (10 caps Great Britain; Wigan RLFC, Salford RLFC), born in Lytham St Annes, England (d. 2022)
Dec 4 Sergei Starikov, Russian ice hockey defenseman and coach (Olympics gold 1984, 88; silver 1980; New Jersey Devils), born in Chelyabinsk, Russia
Dec 5 Dean Erickson, American actor and founder and CEO of Bionic Capital LLC, born in Maine
Dec 5 Patrick Hawkes, English composer, organist, pianist, and conductor, born in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, England
Dec 6 Nick Park, British filmmaker and animator (Wallace and Gromit), born in Preston, Lancashire, England
Dec 7 "Ravishing" Rick Rude, American professional wrestler, born in St. Peter, Minnesota (d. 1999)
Dec 7 Edd Hall, American TV announcer (Jay Leno's The Tonight Show), born in Boston, Massachusetts
Dec 8 Billy Hufsey, actor (Christopher-Fame, Days of our Life)

Dec 8 Bird McIntyre [Albert Thongchai McIntyre], Thai pop singer, luk thung musician, and actor, born in Bangkok, Thailand
Dec 8 George Rogers, American College Football Hall of Fame running back (Heisman Trophy 1980, U of South Carolina; #1 pick 1981 NFL Draft; Super Bowl 1987; NO Saints, Washington Redskins), born in Duluth, Georgia
Dec 8 Wayne Dickert, slalom double canoe (Olympic 11th 1996), born in Chattanooga, Tennessee
Dec 9 Rikk Agnew, American guitarist (The Adolescents), born in Newport Beach, California
Dec 10 John J. York, American actor (Mac Scorpio-General Hospital), born in Chicago, Illinois

Nikki Sixx (65 years old)

Dec 11 Jr.], American rock bassist and songwriter (Mötley Crüe - "Girls, Girls, Girls"), born in San Jose, California

Dec 11 Regina Marsikova, Czech tennis player, born in Prague, Czechoslovakia
Dec 12 Sheree J. Wilson, American actress (Our Family Honor, Dallas), born in Rochester, Minnesota
Dec 13 Clark Brandon, American actor (Fast Food), born in New York City
Dec 13 Dana Strum [Strumwasser], American rock bassist (Slaughter - "Up All Night"; "Days Gone By"), born in Washington, D.C.
Dec 13 Detlef Macha, German track cyclist (World C'ship gold GDR 4000m individual pursuit 1978, 81, 82, team 1981), born in Greiz, Germany (d. 1994)
Dec 13 Lynn-Holly Johnson, American actress (Ice Castles), born in Chicago, Illinois
Dec 14 Jan Dijksma, Dutch rock bassist (Weekend at Waikiki), born in the Netherlands
Dec 14 Mike Scott, Scottish rocker (Blues Inc; Waterboys - "Rainbow Warrior"), born in Edinburgh, Scotland
Dec 14 Peter "Spider" Tracy, English rock tin whistle player and vocalist (The Pogues - "Fairy Tale Of New York"), born in Eastbourne, England
Dec 14 Steven Rock-Savage, American actor (Shadow Play), born in Melville, Louisiana
Dec 16 Bart Oates, NFL center (NY Giants, SF 49ers)
Dec 17 Mike Mills, American rock bassist (R.E.M. - "The One I Love"), born in Berkeley, California
Dec 18 Julia Wolfe, American composer ("Anthracite Fields" Pulitzer Prize for Music 2015), born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Dec 18 Nadhim Shaker, Iraqi soccer defender (57 caps; Al-Tayaran) and coach (Iraq), born in Baghdad, Iraq (d. 2020)
Dec 19 Limahl [Christopher Hamill], English pop singer (Kajagoogoo - "Too Shy"), born in Pemberton, Lancashire, England
Dec 19 Steven Isserlis, British cellist, born in London
Dec 20 Steve Sailer, American political commentator
Dec 22 David Heavener, American actor and country musician, born in Louisville, Kentucky
Dec 22 Frank Gambale, Australian jazz fusion guitarist, born in Canberra, Australia
Dec 22 Lenny Von Dohlen, American actor (Love Kills, Electric Dreams), born in Augusta, Georgia
Dec 23 Joan Severance, American actress (Hear No Evil, See No Evil), born in Houston, Texas
Dec 23 Paula-Mae Weekes, Trinidadian politician and jurist (1st female President of Trinidad and Tobago 2018-), born in Port of Spain, Trinidad
Dec 23 Victoria Williams, American folk-rock-country singer (Loose), born in Shreveport, Louisiana
Dec 24 Bob Smith, American author and a groundbreaking gay comedian (The Tonight Show, Funny Gay Males), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 2018)

Michael Flynn (65 years old)

Dec 24 American general and National Security Advisor (2017), born in Middletown, Rhode Island

Dec 24 Munetaka Higuchi, Japanese drummer, born in Nara Prefecture, Japan
Dec 25 Alannah Myles, Canadian singer-songwriter and actress (Rockinghorse, Black Velvet), born in Toronto, Ontario
Dec 25 Joop Hiele, Dutch soccer goalkeeper (7 caps; Feyenoord 318 games, SVV, FC Dordrecht '90, Go Ahead Eagles), born in Rotterdam, Netherlands

Rickey Henderson (65 years old)

Dec 25 American Baseball HOF outfielder (10 × MLB All-Star; World Series 1989, 93; AL MVP 1990; MLB stolen bases record 1,406; Oakland A's, NY Yankees), born in Chicago, Illinois

Dec 26 Adrian Newey, British Formula One engineer, born in Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom
Dec 27 Steffen Mensching, writer
Dec 27 Steve Jones, American golfer (US Open 1996, 8 PGA Tour titles), born in Artesia, New Mexico
Dec 28 Carl Marsden, bodyguard
Dec 28 Carlos Carson, football player
Dec 28 Joe Diffie, American country singer and guitarist (Home), born in Tulsa, Oklahoma (d. 2020)
Dec 28 Mike McGuire, American country music songwriter and drummer (Shenandoah - "If Bubba Can Dance (I Can Too)"), born in Hamilton, Alabama
Dec 28 Terry Butcher, British soccer player
Dec 29 Nancy J. Currie-Gregg, U.S. Army officer and astronaut (STS 57, 70, sk: 88), born in Wilmington, Delaware
Dec 30 Brandon Clark, American actor (Sean-The Fitzpatricks), born in New York City
Dec 30 Rod Harrington, English darts player and broadcaster (World Matchplay C'ship 1998, 99; PDC World C'ship 1999 runner-up), born in Boreham, Essex, England
Dec 30 Steven L Smith, astronaut (STS 68, 82), born in Phoenix, Arizona
Dec 31 Geoff Marsh, Australian cricket batsman (50 Tests, 4 x 100s; 117 ODIs, 9 x 100s; West Australia), born in Northam, Australia

Born in 1958

Famous Weddings

Ingrid Bergman

Dec 21 Actress Ingrid Bergman (43) weds producer Lars Schmidt

Famous Deaths

Dec 1 Patricia "Boots" Mallory, American dancer and actress (Handle With Care), dies from chronic throat disease at 45
Dec 4 Red Murray, American baseball outfielder (NL home run leader 1909 NY Giants), dies of acute leukemia at 74
Dec 5 Ferdinand Bruckner [Theodor Tagger], Austrian-German playwright (Races), dies at 67
Dec 6 Erwin Bodky, German-American composer, dies at 62

Tris Speaker (1888-1958)

Dec 8 American Baseball HOF outfielder (World Series 1912, 15, 20; AL MVP 1912; career batting average .345 [6th all-time]; Cleveland Indians) and manager (Cleveland Indians 1919-26), dies at 70

Dec 10 Adolfo Camarillo, American horse breeder (b.1864)
Dec 10 Juliane Gabriels, Flemish physician (Artus Quellin), dies at 72
Dec 12 Milutin Milanković, Serbian astronomer and geophysicist (linked long-term changes in climate to astronomical factors affecting the amount of solar energy received at Earth’s surface), dies at 79
Dec 13 Ahmed Mukhtar Baban, premier of Iraq, executed
Dec 13 Barhanuddin Bashajan, Iraqi minister of Foreign affairs, executed
Dec 13 Brand Dirck Ochse, Dutch filmmaker and co-founder (Polygoon), dies at 66
Dec 13 Rafiq Aref, Iraqi chief-staff Arabs Statenbond, executed
Dec 13 Tim Moore, American actor (Amos 'n' Andy), dies at 71
Dec 15 Wolfgang Pauli, Swiss-American theoretical physicist (Pauli inhibition, Nobel 1945), dies at 58
Dec 21 H. B. Warner, British actor (Sunset Boulevard, The King of Kings), dies at 83
Dec 21 Lion Feuchtwanger, philosopher/writer (Der falsche Nero), dies at 74
Dec 22 Fjodor W Gladkow, Russian author (Cement), dies at 75
Dec 26 Harry Redman, American composer, writer, and artist, dies on 89th birthday
Dec 29 Doris Humphrey, American dancer and choreographer (Dances of Women), dies at 63
Dec 31 Gustav Hermann Unger, German composer, dies at 72

On This Day