1959

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Cost of an overdue library book goes up to 10¢
Balboa Library's resident cat, "Lady," is written up in the Orange County section of the L.A. Times
The USS Bennington pays a social call to Newport: local residents have the opportunity to tour the 880 ft. aircraft carrier for a weekend in August
Vice-President Richard Nixon spends a relaxing day playing golf and "[delighting] the gallery" at the Irvine Coast Country Club
City officials receive State approval to make improvements to Corona del Mar State and City Beach Park

First pictures of Earth taken from space
Dalai Lama flees Tibet after that country is invaded by China
Ruth Handler creates the Barbie doll
President Nixon and Soviet Premier Khrushchev argued Captialism versus Communism in their heated "Kitchen Debate."
BankAmerica ushered in the age of credit with the introduction of their credit card (now knows as VISA)
For these and other news stories, visit the People's History Blog

Popular movies included "Some Like it Hot," "Suddenly Last Summer," "North by Northwest," and "The Nun's Story."
First nude love scene shown in a legitimate movie house in 1959. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the film, French import "The Lovers,"did not fit the legal definition of obscenity
Lorraine Hansberry's play "A Raisin in the Sun," starring Sidney Poitier, opened in New York on March 11th.
Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical "The Sound of Music" opened on November 16th.

Gunsmoke was the most watched show for the third year in a row.
Debuts included "Bonanza," "Dennis the Menace," "The Twilight Zone," and the "The Untouchables."
The“Quiz Show Scandal” erupted when it was discovered that Charlie Van Doren, a Columbia University instructor, cheated on the game show “Twenty-One”.