Events in Film & Television in 1959

Jan 9 "Rawhide" with Clint Eastwood premieres on CBS TV

Mar 5 16th Golden Globes: "The Defiant Ones", David Niven, & Susan Hayward win

Mar 29 "Some Like It Hot", directed by Billy Wilder and starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis, and Jack Lemmon, is released in NYC

Mar 30 WNED TV channel 17 in Buffalo, NY (PBS) begins broadcasting
Apr 6 31st Academy Awards: "Gigi", Susan Hayward & David Niven win
Apr 14 KDIN TV channel 11 in Des Moines, IA (PBS) begins broadcasting
Apr 24 WICD TV channel 15 in Champaign, IL (NBC/ABC) begins broadcasting
Apr 28 KLOE TV channel 10 in Goodland, KS (CBS) begins broadcasting
Apr 28 KPLR TV channel 11 in Saint Louis, MO (IND) begins broadcasting
Apr 28 6th National Film Awards (India): "Sagar Sangamey" wins the Golden Lotus
May 4 "The 400 Blows", French film directed by François Truffaut, starring Jean-Pierre Léaud, is released
May 13 Kraft Music Hall with Milton Berle last airs on NBC-TV
May 15 12th Cannes Film Festival: "Black Orpheus" directed by Marcel Camus wins the Palme d'Or
May 16 WTOM TV channel 4 in Cheboygan, MI (NBC) begins broadcasting
Jun 13 "Sammy Kaye Show" last airs on ABC-TV
Jun 18 New York City premiere of the film version of Kathryn Hulme's "The Nun's Story"
Jul 1 WVTV TV channel 18 in Milwaukee, WI (IND) begins broadcasting
Jul 2 Ed Wood's "Plan 9 From Outer Space", called one of the worse films ever, premieres
Jul 6 WENH TV channel 11 in Durham, NH (PBS) begins broadcasting
Jul 12 NBC uses cameras to show catchers signals during Yankee-Red Sox game

Jul 17 "North by Northwest" directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant and Eva Marie Saint premieres in Los Angeles

Jul 18 Los Angeles premiere of the film version of Kathryn Hulme's "The Nun's Story"
Aug 1 WAAY TV channel 31 in Huntsville, AL (ABC/NBC) begins broadcasting
Aug 23 20th Venice Film Festival: "The Great War" directed by Mario Monicelli and "General della Rovere" directed by Roberto Rossellini jointly awarded Golden Lion
Sep 12 "Bonanza" premieres on NBC-TV
Sep 14 WQEX TV channel 16 in Pittsburgh, PA (PBS) begins broadcasting
Sep 28 "Hennesey" debuts on CBS-TV
Sep 29 "Many Loves Of Dobie Gillis" debuts on CBS-TV
Sep 29 "Philip Marlowe" debuts on ABC-TV
Oct 2 Rod Serling's "Twilight Zone" premieres on CBS-TV

Oct 7 "Pillow Talk" film directed by Michael Gordon and starring Doris Day and Rock Hudson is first released

Oct 11 KTHI TV channel 11 in Fargo-Grand Forks, ND (NBC) begins broadcasting
Oct 14 WMUB (now WPTO) TV channel 14 in Oxford, OH (PBS) begins broadcasting
Oct 15 KNDO TV channel 23 in Yakima, WA (NBC) begins broadcasting
Oct 20 WABG TV channel 6 in Greenwood-Greenville, MS (ABC) 1st broadcast
Nov 8 KJTV (now KGET) TV channel 17 in Bakersfield, CA (NBC) 1st broadcast
Nov 10 Corinne Rottschaeffer of the Netherlands elected Miss World

Nov 18 "Ben-Hur" directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston premieres in New York City (Academy Awards Best Picture 1960)