1958 Snapshot
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The Vibe
Pop Culture
Hula Hoop Craze
Slang
"Hot Rod"
Price Check
Gas: $0.25
Notable Deaths
Pope Pius XII, Ronald Colman
Music & Style
Crooners
World Affairs
NASA Founded
Lebanon Crisis
Year's Summary
- Global Events: NASA is officially formed. The first transatlantic jet passenger service begins. Charles de Gaulle becomes President of France.
- Culture & Mood: The 'Day the Music Died' looms as rock stars face various tragedies. LEGO bricks as we know them today are patented.
- Fashion & Slang: Cardigan sweaters and pearls. A fast car is a 'Hot Rod.'
- Fun Fact: The 'Peace Symbol' (☮) is designed by Gerald Holtom for a British anti-nuclear protest; it would soon become a global icon.
- 1 Jan 1958: Establishment of the European Economic Community (EEC) – Following the previous year's Treaty of Rome, the EEC formally commenced operations, establishing a customs union and common market among six founding European nations to drive post-war economic integration and industrial cooperation.
- 31 Jan 1958: United States Enters the Space Age with Explorer 1 – Prompted by Soviet space achievements, the United States successfully launched Explorer 1 into orbit. The satellite carried onboard scientific instruments that discovered the Earth's radiation belts, known as the Van Allen radiation belts, marking a major triumph for American aerospace research.
- 29 Jul 1958: Establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) – US President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the National Aeronautics and Space Act into law, officially creating NASA as a civilian agency dedicated to leading United States aeronautical and space exploration research during the escalating Cold War technological race.
- 4 Oct 1958: France Adopts Constitution and Establishes the Fifth Republic – Amidst the intense political instability of the Algerian Crisis, French voters overwhelmingly approved a new constitution drafted under the leadership of Charles de Gaulle. This historic political restructuring established the French Fifth Republic, significantly strengthening executive presidential powers and shaping modern French governance.
- 27 Oct 1958: Construction Begins on the Atomium in Brussels – Designed by engineer André Waterkeyn for the 1958 Brussels World's Fair (Expo 58), the monumental Atomium structure opened to symbolize scientific progress, atomic energy optimism, and post-war international cooperation in peaceful technological advancement.
- 18 Nov 1958: Launch of the Nigerian Independence and Constitutional Movement – Nigerian nationalist leaders secured agreements with British colonial authorities establishing a firm timetable for full national independence, setting the stage for the historic end of British rule in West Africa scheduled for 1960.
- 30 Dec 1958: Establishment of the Inter-American Development Bank Proposed – Latin American and US diplomats laid the foundational framework for the Inter-American Development Bank, designed to finance economic and social development projects across Central and South America throughout the developing post-war period.
- 31 Dec 1958: Turning Point of the Cuban Revolution – Rebel forces led by Fidel Castro and Che Guevara decisively defeated government troops under Fulgencio Batista in the Battle of Santa Clara, prompting Batista to flee Cuba and leading directly to the establishment of a revolutionary socialist government in the Western Hemisphere.