When This Dropped

April 21, 1959

President
Eisenhower
Dow (EOY)
679
Gas/gal
$0.31
Min Wage
$1.00

Gas cost $0.31 a gallon in the spring of 1959, and the Dow Jones stood at 679 — a deadlock over arms talks between U.S. Secretary of State Herter and Soviet Foreign Minister Gromyko dominated international headlines as Cold War tensions over Berlin continued to simmer. On movie screens, "Some Like It Hot" was drawing big crowds, and Frank Sinatra's Grammy-winning album "Come Dance with Me" was a fixture on home turntables across the country. The Boston Celtics defeated the Minneapolis Lakers to claim the NBA championship, and on May 28, two monkeys named Miss Baker and Miss Able were launched into space aboard a Jupiter rocket from Cape Canaveral and successfully recovered, making them the first living creatures to return safely from spaceflight.

On the cover

Magazine Covers — April 21, 1959

New York Times
Time
TV Guide
Nat. Geographic

NY Times Headlines — Week of April 21, 1959

High Court Curbs States On Pickets; Prohibits Damages Against Unions Even If Actions Violate U. S. Law

Senate Confirms Herter In 4 Hours By A Vote Of 93-0; Drops 7-Day Waiting Period To Dramatize Its Approval Of Dulles' Successor

World Events — April 1959

Time Person of the Year — 1959

Charles de Gaulle
Person of the Year
Charles de Gaulle

On the radio

Billboard Charts — April 21, 1959

April Love
Pat Boone with Orchestra Conducted by Billy Vaughn
Best Sellers #1
"April Love"
Pat Boone with Orchestra Conducted by Billy Vaughn

Grammy Awards

Come Dance with Me
Frank Sinatra
Grammy Album of the Year
"Come Dance with Me"
Frank Sinatra
The Battle of New Orleans
Johnny Horton
Grammy Song of the Year
"The Battle of New Orleans"
Johnny Horton
Mack the Knife
Bobby Darin
Grammy Record of the Year
"Mack the Knife"
Bobby Darin
Bobby Darin
Grammy Best New Artist
Bobby Darin

On the bookshelf

Exodus
NYT Fiction #1
"Exodus"
Twixt Twelve and Twenty
NYT Non-Fiction #1
"Twixt Twelve and Twenty"
The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters
Robert Lewis Taylor
Pulitzer Prize Fiction
"The Travels of Jaimie McPheeters"
Robert Lewis Taylor
The Magic Barrel
Bernard Malamud
National Book Award Fiction
"The Magic Barrel"
Bernard Malamud
Mistress to an Age
J. Christopher Herold
National Book Award Nonfiction
"Mistress to an Age"
J. Christopher Herold

On the television

Nielsen Top 10 — 1958–59 Season

Gunsmoke
Nielsen #1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Nielsen
Top 10
TV Shows
Nielsen Ratings
Top 10 TV Shows
1958–59 Season

Emmy Winners — 1959

Playhouse 90
Emmy Drama Series
Playhouse 90
The Art Carney Special
Emmy Comedy Series
The Art Carney Special
Raymond Burr
Perry Mason
Emmy Lead Actor
Raymond Burr
Perry Mason
Jane Wyatt
Father Knows Best
Emmy Lead Actress
Jane Wyatt
Father Knows Best

At the movies

Box Office & Oscar Winners — April 21, 1959

Some Like It Hot
Box Office #1
Some Like It Hot
Ben-Hur
Oscar Best Picture
Ben-Hur
William Wyler
Ben-Hur
Oscar Best Director
William Wyler
Ben-Hur
Charlton Heston
Ben-Hur
Oscar Best Actor
Charlton Heston
Ben-Hur
Simone Signoret
Room at the Top
Oscar Best Actress
Simone Signoret
Room at the Top

On the field

Sports Champions — April 21, 1959

NFL Champion
Baltimore Colts
World Series
Los Angeles Dodgers
def. Chicago White Sox
NBA Champion
Boston Celtics
def. Minneapolis Lakers
Stanley Cup
Montreal Canadiens
def. Toronto Maple Leafs

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