1958 in the United States

Incumbents

Federal government">Federal government of the United States">Federal government

• President: Dwight D. Eisenhower
• Vice President: Richard Nixon
• Chief Justice: Earl Warren
• Speaker of the House of Representatives: Sam Rayburn
• Senate Majority Leader: Lyndon B. Johnson
• Congress: 85th

  Governors

Lieutenant Governors

Events

January–March

• January 8 - 14-year-old Bobby Fischer wins the United States Chess Championship.
• January 13 - In One, Inc. v. Olesen, the Supreme Court affirms that homosexual writing is not per se obscene.
• January 18 - Battle of Hayes Pond: Armed Lumbee Indians confront the Ku Klux Klan in Maxton, North Carolina.
• January 28 - Hall of Fame baseball player Roy Campanella is involved in an automobile accident that ends his career and leaves him paralyzed.
• January 31 - The first successful American satellite, Explorer 1, is launched into orbit.
• February 5 - The Tybee Bomb, a 7,600 pound Mark 15 hydrogen bomb, is lost in the waters off Savannah, Georgia.
• February 11 - Ruth Carol Taylor is the first African American woman hired as a flight attendant. Working for Mohawk Airlines, her career lasts only six months, due to another discriminatory barrier - the airline's ban on married flight attendants.
• February 20 - A test rocket explodes at Cape Canaveral.
• February 28 - Prestonsburg, Kentucky bus disaster: The worst school bus accident in U.S. history up to this date occurs at Prestonsburg, Kentucky; 27 are killed.
• March 1 - Archbishop of Chicago Samuel Stritch is appointed Pro-Prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Propagation of Faith, thus becoming the first American to head a dicastery of the Roman Curia.
• March 8 - The USS Wisconsin is decommissioned, leaving the United States Navy without an active battleship for the first time since 1896.
• March 11 - 1958 Mars Bluff B-47 nuclear weapon loss incident: A U.S. B-47 bomber accidentally drops an atom bomb on Mars Bluff, South Carolina. Its conventional explosives destroy a house and injure several people, but no nuclear fission occurs.
• March 17 - The United States launches the Vanguard 1 satellite.
• March 19 - Monarch Underwear Company fire in New York.
• March 24 - The U.S. Army inducts Elvis Presley, transforming "The King Of Rock & Roll" into U.S. private #53310761.
• March 26
• *The United States Army launches Explorer 3.
• *The 30th Academy Awards ceremony takes place; The Bridge on the River Kwai wins 7 Academy Awards, including Academy Award for Best Picture.

  April–June

• April – Unemployment in Detroit reaches 20%, marking the height of the Recession of 1958 in the United States.
• April 15 - The San Francisco Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 8–0 at San Francisco's Seals Stadium, in the first Major League Baseball regular-season game ever played in California.
• April 21 - A United Airlines DC-7 and U.S. Air Force F-100 Super Sabre fighter jet collide near Las Vegas, Nevada, killing all 49 aboard the two aircraft.
• May 9 - Actor-singer Paul Robeson, whose passport has been reinstated, sings in a sold-out one-man recital at Carnegie Hall. The recital is such a success that Robeson gives another one at Carnegie Hall a few days later. But after these two concerts, Robeson is seldom seen in public in the United States again. His Carnegie Hall concerts are later released on records and on CD.
• May 12 - A formal North American Aerospace Defense Command agreement is signed between the United States and Canada.
• May 13 - During a visit to Caracas, Venezuela, Vice President Richard M. Nixon's car is attacked by anti-American demonstrators.
• May 20 - A Capital Airlines airliner and Air National Guard jet collide near Brunswick, Maryland, killing 12.
• May 23 - Explorer 1 ceases transmission.
• May 30 - The bodies of unidentified soldiers killed in action during World War II and the Korean War are buried at the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.
• June 2 - In San Simeon, California, Hearst Castle opens to the public for guided tours.
• June 15 – The first Pizza Hut restaurant opens in Wichita, Kansas.
• June 17 – The U.S. slams the execution of Imre Nagy as a "shocking act of cruelty".

  July–September

• July – The plastic hula hoop is first marketed.
• July 3 – 1958 US–UK Mutual Defence Agreement signed in Washington, D.C.
• July 7 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Alaska Statehood Act into United States law.
• July 9 - 1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami: A 7.8 strike-slip earthquake in Southeast Alaska causes a landslide that produces a megatsunami. The runup from the waves reached on the rim of Lituya Bay.
• July 15 - During the 1958 Lebanon crisis, 5,000 United States Marines land in the capital Beirut in order to protect the pro-Western government there.
• July 29 - The U.S. Congress formally creates the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
• August 3 - The nuclear powered submarine USS Nautilus becomes the first vessel to cross the North Pole under water.
• August 17 - The first Thor-Able rocket is launched, carrying Pioneer 0, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station Launch Complex 17. The launch fails due to a first stage malfunction.
• August 18 - Vladimir Nabokov's controversial novel Lolita is published in the United States.
• August 23 – President Dwight D. Eisenhower of the U.S. signs the Federal Aviation Act of 1958, transferring all authority over aviation in the U.S. to the newly created Federal Aviation Agency.
• August 27 - Operation Argus: The United States begins nuclear tests over the South Atlantic.
• September 15 - Newark Bay rail accident kills 48 people and injuries the same amount.
• September 23 - The Spirit of Detroit statue is dedicated in Detroit, Michigan.

  October–December

• October 1 - NASA starts operations and replaces the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.
• October 9 - The New York Yankees defeat the Milwaukee Braves, 4 games to 3, to win their 18th World Series Title.
• October 11 - Pioneer 1, the second and most successful of the three-project Able space probes, becomes the first spacecraft launched by the newly formed NASA.
• November 23 - Have Gun, Will Travel debuts on American radio.
• December 1 - Our Lady of the Angels School fire: At least 90 students and 3 nuns are killed in a fire at Our Lady of the Angels School in Chicago.
• December 6 - A third Thor-Able rocket launch, carrying the Pioneer 2 probe, is unsuccessful due to a third-stage ignition failure.
• December 9 - The right-wing John Birch Society is founded in the U.S. by Robert W. Welch, Jr., a retired candy manufacturer.
• December 19 - A message from President Dwight D. Eisenhower is broadcast from SCORE, the world's first communications satellite, launched by the U.S. the previous day.
• December 25 - Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker is shown on prime-time television in color for the first time, as an episode of the CBS anthology series Playhouse 90.
• December 28 - 1958 NFL Championship Game: The Baltimore Colts beat the New York Giants 23–17 in overtime to win the NFL Championship.

  Undated

• Based on birth rates, the post-war baby boom ends in the United States as an 11-year decline in the birth rate begins.
• Illinois observes the centennial of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates.
• The United Kingdom, Soviet Union, and the U.S. agree to stop testing atomic bombs for 3 years.
• Robert Frank publishes his photographic essay The Americans

  Ongoing

• Cold War
• Space Race

  Births

January

• January 1
• * Dave Silk, American ice hockey player and coach
• * Grandmaster Flash, born Joseph Saddler, African American hip-hop/rap DJ
• January 4
• * Andy Borowitz, American comedian and author
• * James J. Greco, American businessman
• * Jim Powers, American wrestler
• January 6 – Scott Bryce, American actor, director, and producer
• January 8 – Betsy DeVos, 11th United States Secretary of Education
• January 11
• * Alyson Reed, American dancer and actress
• * Vicki Peterson, American rock musician
• January 12 – Curt Fraser, American ice hockey coach
• January 20 – Lorenzo Lamas, American actor, martial artist and reality show participant
• January 21 – Gareth Branwyn, American journalist and critic
• January 23 – Steve Christoff, American professional ice hockey player
• January 24 – Neil Allen, baseball player and coach
• January 26
• * Anita Baker, African-American soul and R&B singer
• * Ellen DeGeneres, American actress and comedian
• January 27 – Susanna Thompson, American actress
• January 29 – Stephen Lerner, American labor and community activist

  February

• February 7 – Kevin Schon, American voice actor
• February 8 – Sherri Martel, American professional wrestler
• February 16
• * Ice-T, born Tracy Marrow, American rapper
• * Nancy Donahue, American fashion model and entrepreneur
• February 17 – Alan Wiggins, American baseball player
• February 18 – Gar Samuelson, American drummer
• February 21
• * Jack Coleman, American actor and screenwriter
• * Jake Steinfeld, American actor
• * Mary Chapin Carpenter, American singer
• February 24 – Todd Fisher, American actor
• February 25 – Kurt Rambis, American basketball player
• February 26
• * Susan J. Helms, American astronaut
• * Tim Kaine, American politician
• February 27
• * Maggie Hassan, American politician
• * Michael LeMoyne Kennedy, American lawyer and activist
• * Nancy Spungen, American groupie and girlfriend of Sid Vicious
• February 28 – Mark Pavelich, American professional ice hockey player

  March

• March 4 – Patricia Heaton, American actress
• March 9 – Linda Fiorentino, American actress
• March 10
• * Steve Howe, American baseball player
• * Sharon Stone, American actress and producer
• March 15 – John Friedrich, American actor
• March 18
• * John Elefante, American singer and producer
• * Kayo Hatta, American film director
• March 20 – Holly Hunter, American actress
• March 23
• * Eldon Hoke, American singer and drummer
• * Michael Sorich, American voice actor, actor, writer, director and voice director
• March 25 – John Ensign, American politician
• March 26 – Todd Joseph Miles Holden, American-born social scientist, author, basketball coach
• March 28
• * Bart Conner, American gymnast
• * Curt Hennig, American professional wrestler
• March 31 – Lisa Michelson, American voice actress

  April

• April 1 – D. Boon, American singer and guitarist
• April 3 – Alec Baldwin, American actor, producer and comedian
• April 4 – Constance Shulman, American actress
• April 14 – John D'Aquino, American film and television actor
• April 21 – Andie MacDowell, American actress
• April 26 – Giancarlo Esposito, Italian-American actor
• April 28 – Hal Sutton, American golfer
• April 29
• * Michelle Pfeiffer, American actress
• * Eve Plumb, American actress

  May

• May 4 – Keith Haring, American artist
• May 8 – Lovie Smith, American football player and coach
• May 10
• * Rick Santorum, American politician
• * Ellen Ochoa, American astronaut, first Hispanic woman to go into space
• May 11
• * Christian Brando, American actor and eldest child of Marlon Brando
• * Walt Terrell, American baseball player
• May 12
• * Jennifer Hetrick, American actress
• * Tony Oliver, American voice actor
• * Eric Singer, American rock drummer
• May 15 – Ron Simmons, American professional wrestler
• May 19 – Jenny Durkan, American politician
• May 20
• * Ron Reagan, political pundit and son of U.S. president Ronald Reagan
• * Jane Wiedlin, American musician and actress
• May 21 – Tom Feeney, American politician
• May 23
• * Mitch Albom, American author
• * Drew Carey, American comedian and actor
• * Lea DeLaria, American comedian and actress
• May 25 – Carrie Newcomer, American singer-songwriter & musician
• May 26 – Margaret Colin, American actress
• May 27 – Linnea Quigley, American actress
• May 29 – Annette Bening, American actress
• May 30 – Ted McGinley, American actor

  June

• June 2
• * Lex Luger, former American professional wrestler
• * Brian Regan, American stand-up comedian
• June 4 – Gordon P. Robertson, American televangelist and son of Pat Robertson
• June 5 – Eric Strobel, American professional ice hockey player
• June 7 – Prince, born Prince Rogers Nelson, African-American rock musician
• June 8
• * Cyril O'Reilly, American actor
• * Keenen Ivory Wayans, African-American comedian, actor, and director
• June 9 – Tony Horwitz, American journalist and author
• June 10 – James F. Conant, American philosopher
• June 11 – Tim Draper, American venture capitalist
• June 12
• * Rebecca Holden, American actress, singer, and entertainer
• * Meredith Brooks, American singer, songwriter and guitarist
• June 14 – Eric Heiden, American speed skater
• June 15 – Wade Boggs, American baseball player
• June 17 – Jello Biafra, American punk musician and activist
• June 20
• * Ron Hornaday, Jr., American race car driver
• * Chuck Wagner, American actor
• June 21 – Eric Douglas, American actor
• June 22
• * Bruce Campbell, American actor, producer, writer and director
• * John Murray, American actor
• June 24
• * John Tortorella, American ice hockey coach
• * Tom Lister Jr., American actor and professional wrestler
• June 26 – Glen Stewart Godwin, American fugitive and convicted murderer
• June 27 – Jeffrey Lee Pierce, American musician
• June 29 – Jeff Coopwood, American actor, broadcaster and singer
• June 30 – Tommy Keene, American singer-songwriter

  July

• July 2 – Thomas Bickerton, Methodist bishop
• July 5 – Bill Watterson, American cartoonist and the author of the comic strip Calvin and Hobbes
• July 8 – Kevin Bacon, American actor
• July 20 – Billy Mays, American salesman

  August

• August 10 – Don Swayze, American actor
• August 13 – Lizzie Grey, American musician
• August 15 – Rondell Sheridan, American actor
• August 16
• * Angela Bassett, African-American screen actress and film director
• * Madonna, born Madonna Louise Ciccone, pop singer and performer
• August 17 – Belinda Carlisle, pop rock singer
• August 18
• * Reg E. Cathey, African-American actor
• * Madeleine Stowe, American actress
• August 19 – Rick Snyder, American politician
• August 20 – Michael Silka, American spree killer
• August 22
• * Brady Boone, American professional wrestler
• * Colm Feore, American-born Canadian actor
• August 24 – Steve Guttenberg, American actor
• August 25
• * Tim Burton, American film director
• * Christian LeBlanc, American actor
• August 26 – Billy Ray Irick, American convicted murderer
• August 28 – Colm Feore, American-Canadian actor
• August 29 – Michael Jackson, African-American singer and musician
• August 31 – Julie Brown, American actress

  September

• September 4 – Drew Pinsky, American celebrity doctor
• September 6 – Jeff Foxworthy, American comedian
• September 10 – Chris Columbus, American film director, writer, and producer
• September 16
• * Orel Hershiser, American baseball player
• * Jennifer Tilly, Canadian-American actress
• September 22 – Joan Jett, American rock musician
• September 24 – Kevin Sorbo, American actor
• September 26 – Darby Crash, American rock songwriter, singer
• September 27 – Shaun Cassidy, American actor, producer and screenwriter
• September 30 – Marty Stuart, American singer

  October

• October 4
• * Ned Luke, American actor
• * Wendy Makkena, American actress
• October 5 – Neil deGrasse Tyson, African-American astrophysicist
• October 9 – Michael Paré, American actor
• October 10 – Tanya Tucker, American singer
• October 13 – Maria Cantwell, American politician
• October 16 – Tim Robbins, American actor and director
• October 17 – Alan Jackson, American country singer and songwriter
• October 18 – Letitia James, American lawyer, activist and politician
• October 20
• * Scott Hall, American professional wrestler
• * Viggo Mortensen, Danish-American actor
• October 24
• * Vincent K. Brooks, American general
• * Chip Hooper, American tennis player and coach

  November

• November 2 – Willie McGee, African-American baseball player
• November 5 – Robert Patrick, American actor
• November 8 – Jeff Speakman, American actor and martial artist
• November 12
• * Megan Mullally, American actress, singer and media personality
• * Nick Stellino, Italian-American chef and author
• November 16 – Marg Helgenberger, American actress
• November 17 – Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, American actress and singer
• November 18
• * Karen Pence, American educator, teacher, painter, wife of Mike Pence, Second Lady of the United States
• * Oscar Nunez, Cuban-American actor and comedian
• * Kath Weston, American anthropologist, author and academic
• November 19 – Michael Wilbon, American sportswriter
• November 22 – Jamie Lee Curtis, American actress and author
• November 25 – Darlanne Fluegel, American actress
• November 28 – Dave Righetti, American baseball player
• November 30 – Stacey Q, American singer & actress

  December

• December 1 – Charlene Tilton, American actress
• December 25
• * Hanford Dixon, American football player
• * Rickey Henderson, African-American baseball player
• * Cheryl Chase, American voice actress and singer
• December 28 – Twila Paris, Christian musician
• December 31 – Bebe Neuwirth, American actress

  Deaths

• January 1
• * Archie Alexander, designer
• * Edward Weston, photographer
• January 6 - Lois Irene Marshall, wife of Thomas R. Marshall, Second Lady of the United States
• January 8 - Mary Colter, architect and designer
• January 11 - Edna Purviance, silent film actress
• January 13 - Jesse L. Lasky, film producer
• February 1 - Clinton Davisson, physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1937
• February 27 - Harry Cohn, film producer
• March 22
• * Mike Todd, film producer
• * Art Cohn, screenwriter
• March 28
• * W. C. Handy, African American blues composer
• * Chuck Klein, baseball player
• May 5 - James Branch Cabell, fantasy writer
• June 10 - Angelina Weld Grimke, African American lesbian journalist and poet
• July 9 - James H. Flatley, naval aviator and admiral
• July 26 - Eugene Millikin, U.S. Senator from Colorado from 1941 to 1957
• August 14 or 15 - Big Bill Broonzy, African American blues singer-songwriter
• August 27 - Ernest Lawrence, nuclear physicist, winner of the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1939
• August 29 - Marjorie Flack, artist, illustrator and writer
• September 25 - John B. Watson, psychologist
• October 8 - Lori J.Stratton, environmental toxicologist, innovative acid precipitation research in Green Mountains of Vermont
• October 19 - Mary F. Hoyt, first woman appointed to the U.S. federal civil service, in 1883
• October 29 - Zoë Akins, playwright, poet and author
• November 15
• * Samuel Hopkins Adams, writer
• * Tyrone Power, actor
• November 21:
• * Mel Ott, baseball player
• * Lion Feuchtwanger, German-American novelist and playwright
• December 29 - Doris Humphrey, dancer and choreographer