Some significant events that happened in the year 1959 include:

• Fidel Castro became the Prime Minister of Cuba after the revolution.
• Alaska became the 49th state of the United States.
• The Saint Lawrence Seaway opened, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes.
• The Microchip was invented by Jack Kilby, setting the foundation for modern computing.
• The first Barbie doll was introduced by Mattel.
• The first successful test flight of the Boeing 707 commercial jetliner took place.
• March 18: Dalai Lama flees Tibet and takes refuge in India after a failed uprising against the Chinese.
• May 25: The first ascent of Mount Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal.
• September 2: The Soviet Union's Luna 2 probe becomes the first human-made object to reach the moon.
• October 4: The Soviet Union's Sputnik 2 probe launches with a dog named Laika on board, becoming the first living creature to enter space.
• December 4: The United Nations adopts a resolution calling for the end of apartheid in South Africa.
• The first episode of the popular TV show "Bonanza".