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World Events European Economic Community (Common Market) becomes effective (Jan. 1). Egypt and Syria merge into United Arab Republic (Feb. 1). Khrushchev becomes Premier of Soviet Union as Bulganin resigns (Mar. 27). Background: Rulers of Russia since 1533 Gen. Charles de Gaulle becomes French premier (June 1), remaining in power until 1969. Eisenhower orders US Marines into Lebanon at request of President Chamoun, who fears overthrow (July 15). New French constitution adopted (Sept. 28), de Gaulle elected president of 5th Republic (Dec. 21). World Statistics Population: 2.945 billion Nobel Peace Prize: Rev. Dominique Georges Henri Pire (Belgium) U.S. Events US Supreme Court rules unanimously that Little Rock, Ark., schools must integrate (Sept. 29). Background: Civil Rights Army's Jupiter-C rocket fires first US satellite, Explorer I, into orbit (Jan. 31). U.S. Statistics President: Dwight D. Eisenhower Vice President: Richard M. Nixon Population: 174,881,904 Life expectancy: 69.6 years Homicide Rate (per 100,000): 4.5 Economics US GDP (1998 dollars):   $467.3 billion Federal spending:   $82.41 billion Federal debt:   $279.7 billion Consumer Price Index:   28.9 Unemployment:   4.3% Cost of a first-class stamp:   $0.03 ($0.04 as of 8/1/58) Sports World Series NY Yankees d. Milwaukee Braves (4-3) NBA Championship St. Louis Hawks d. Boston (4-2) Stanley Cup Montreal d. Boston (4-2) Wimbledon Women: Althea Gibson d. A. Mortimer (8-6 6-2) Men: Ashley Cooper d. N. Fraser (3-6 6-3 6-4 13-11) Kentucky Derby Champion Tim Tam NCAA Basketball Championship Kentucky d. Seattle (84-72) NCAA Football Champions LSU (AP, UPI) (11-0-0) & Iowa (FW) (8-1-1) World Cup Brazil d. Sweden (5-2) Entertainment Billboard debuts its Hot 100 chart. Ricky Nelson's "Poor Little Fool" boasts the first No. 1 record. Alvin Ailey establishes the American Dance Theatre. Elvis Presley is inducted into the U.S. Army (March 24). Movies Vertigo, Gigi, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, The Defiant Ones Books Antonin Artaud, The Theatre and Its Double Truman Capote, Breakfast at Tiffany's John Cheever, The Housebreaker of Shady Hill Jack Kerouac, The Subterraneans, The Dharma Bums Stanley Kunitz, Selected Poems, 1928—1958 Theodore Roethke, Words for the Wind Claude Lévi-Strauss, Structural Anthropology Leon Uris, Exodus Entertainment Awards Pulitzer Prizes Fiction: A Death in the Family, James Agee Music: Vanessa, Samuel Barber Drama: Look Homeward, Angel, Ketti Frings Oscars awarded in 1958 Academy Award, Best Picture: The Bridge on the River Kwai, Sam Spiegel, producer (Columbia) Nobel Prize for Literature: Boris Pasternak (USSR) (declined) 1958 Emmy Awards 1958 Tony Awards Miss America: Marilyn Van Derbur (CO) Science First transatlantic jet passenger service started by BOAC, with a New York to London route (Oct. 4). Background: Famous Firsts in Aviation The existence of the Van Allen Belt, a radiation belt surrounding the Earth, is confirmed by the Explorer I satellite. Background: Astronomy NASA initiates Project Mercury, aimed at putting a man in space within two years. Background: US Staffed Space Flights Nobel Prizes in Science Chemistry: Frederick Sanger (UK), for determining molecular structure of insulin Physics: Pavel A. Cherenkov, Ilya M. Frank, and Igor E. Tamm (all USSR), for work resulting in development of cosmic-ray counter Physiology or Medicine: Joshua Lederberg (US), for work with genetic mechanisms; George W. Beadie and Edward L. Tatum (both US), for discovering how genes transmit hereditary characteristics Deaths Robert Donat Norman Bel Geddes Alfred Noyes RETURN TO THE 1958 CLASS WEB PAGE