September 1959

Saturday 12:

Bonanza premiers. First regularly-scheduled TV program presented in color.

Monday 14:

The Soviet probe Luna 2 crashes onto the Moon, becoming the first man-made object to reach it.

Tuesday 15:

Nikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the United States.

Saturday 19:

Nikita Khrushchev is barred from visiting Disneyland.

Friday 25:

Solomon Bandaranaike, prime minister of Sri Lanka is assassinated by a Buddhist monk, Talduwe Somarama, and dies the next day.

Sunday 27:

Nearly 5000 people die on the main Japanese island of Honshu as the result of a typhoon.