Born in 1959
Turns 67 in 2026
Gifts for someone born in 1959
1959 Front PageTheir name. The news from their year.Unframed from $51.50Add their name
Their birth chartThe sky as astrology reads it, cast for one birth.Unframed from $51.50
The Years We Were BornThe whole family, together in years.Unframed from $51.50
Our Story timelineTheir life, told in your words.Unframed from $51.50
Front Page: New Zealand edition. The year is filled in; add their name in the editor. “Your name” is a placeholder. Light news is selected. A new keepsake, not an original newspaper.
BACK TO 1959 · New Zealand
A little history to go with their gift.
Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev debated political systems beside a model kitchen at an exhibition in Moscow. NASA’s Little Joe 6 tested Mercury spacecraft hardware, while a plane crash near Clear Lake killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J. P. Richardson.
What happened in 1959?
Nixon and Khrushchev argue over the good life
At the 1959 American National Exhibition in Moscow, Richard Nixon and Nikita Khrushchev debated capitalism and communism around a model kitchen.
Twelve nations sign Antarctic Treaty
Twelve countries signed the Antarctic Treaty on December 1, 1959; it set terms for peaceful use and scientific cooperation and entered into force in 1961.
National Archives of Australia · United Nations Treaty Series
Alex Olmedo takes the Wimbledon men’s title
Alex Olmedo won the Wimbledon men’s singles title in 1959, defeating Australia’s Rod Laver in the final.
Firsts and new ideas
A satellite sends home a picture of Earth
Explorer 6 transmitted the first photograph of Earth taken by a satellite, a crude view of Pacific clouds.
Number ones and music in 1959
Chart positions belong to the country and chart named in each record.
Johnny Devlin leads New Zealand record sales, distributor says
In February 1959, Auckland distributor Philip Warren told Billboard that Johnny Devlin had become New Zealand's top-selling recording artist.
A Detroit label starts a hit-making journey
Berry Gordy founded Tamla Records in Detroit on January 12, 1959, launching the independent label that grew into Motown.
Prices and everyday money in 1959
New Zealand figures in the money of the time. Units and sources matter: these are not today's prices.
| Item or measure | Then | Unit and source |
|---|---|---|
| Bread (white) | 8d | 28oz Statistics New Zealand |
| Minimum weekly wage, adult male baker journeyman | 254s 3d | per week; average of four principal districts Department of Statistics, New Zealand |
| Domestic first-class surface letter postage (minimum rate) | 5d for the first ounce; 3d for each additional ounce | one inland letter, first ounce United Nations, Postal and Telecommunications Administration (New Zealand country response) |
Planning the birthday
Someone born in 1959 turns 67 in 2026. Before their birthday they are one year younger. Choose the birth year for the print; add the full date in the editor if you know it.
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