Year: 1959

Categories
Television

H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man: The Rocket

  • June 21, 1959

H.G. Wells' The Invisible ManThe 24th episode of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, based on Wells’ story, airs on ITV; this episode will air in December 1959 in the U.S. on CBS. Glyn Owen guest stars in an episode written by Michael Pertwee (older brother of future Doctor Who star Jon Pertwee).

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Categories
Science & Technology Weather & Climate

Weather radar, pre-Doppler

  • June 26, 1959

WRS-57 consoleThe U.S. Weather Bureau installs the first WSR-57 weather radar in what in intended to eventually be a network of weather radars spanning the entire country. Derived from World War II radars, the WSR-57 is first installed at the National Hurricane Center in Miami, Florida, where it offers as much as two days’ advance notice of storms approaching the Florida coast in the years before weather satellites. This radar remains in service until 1992, when it is literally ripped off the NHC’s roof by the winds of Hurricane Andrew. It is later replaced by a WSR-88 NEXRAD radar, though by that time satellite imagery has become the primary means of remotely detecting major tropical weather events.

Categories
Television

H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man: Shadow Bomb

  • June 28, 1959

H.G. Wells' The Invisible ManThe 25th episode of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, based on Wells’ story, airs on ITV; this episode will air in December 1959 in the U.S. on CBS. Walter Gotell (The Spy Who Loved Me) and Ian Hendry (The Avengers) star in an episode co-written by Brian Clemens (The Avengers) and Ian Stuart Black (Doctor Who).

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Categories
Television

H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man: The Big Plot

  • July 5, 1959

H.G. Wells' The Invisible ManThe 26th and final episode of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man, based on Wells’ story, airs on ITV; this episode will air in December 1959 in the U.S. on CBS. Barbara Shelley stars. The role of the invisible man himself, Dr. Peter Brady, has been played in voice-over by actor Tim Turner without on-screen credit in all 26 episodes.

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Categories
Explorer Uncrewed Spaceflight

Explorer 6

  • August 7, 1959

Explorer 6NASA launches the Earth-orbiting satellite Explorer 6 atop a Thor-Able rocket, intended to study various space and upper atmospheric phenomena, as well as to take photos of Earth with an experimental camera system designed to refine engineering concepts for monitoring weather from orbit. Explorer 6 does indeed capture the first (admittedly less than ideal) photo of Earth taken from orbit, from a vantage point of 17,000 miles above Mexico in its elliptical orbit. Explorer 6 will remain in orbit for just under two years.

Categories
Luna Uncrewed Spaceflight

Luna 2

  • September 12, 1959

Luna 2Soviet space scientists and engineers score another first, launching Luna 2 toward the moon with the intention of a successful crash landing, with the unmanned vehicle sending back data until it is destroyed in the impact. With no engines of its own, Luna 2 is at the mercy of whatever trajectory is imparted to it by its booster rocket, ultimately taking a day and a half to slam into the lunar dust near the flat plain known as Mare Imbrium. A small metal sphere aboard Luna 2 bears the year and country of origin; a replica of that sphere is later presented to American President Eisenhower by Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev.

Categories
Television

Men Into Space: Moon Probe

  • September 30, 1959

Men Into SpaceThe first episode of the science fiction drama series Men Into Space premieres on CBS, starring William Lundigan. Angie Dickinson guest stars. This is a rare instance of a network program produced by Ziv Television, which is better known for its syndicated offerings. Men Into Space predicts several future developments in the space program with surprising accuracy, given both its budget and the fact that men have yet to go into space at the time of the series’ premiere.

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Categories
Luna Uncrewed Spaceflight

Luna 3: first look at the moon’s far side

  • October 4, 1959

Luna 3The Soviet Union’s Luna 3 unmanned probe is launched toward the moon, where it transmits the first images of the moon’s far side back to Earth – a sight that has never been seen by humans before since the moon’s near side is tidally locked toward Earth. Luna 3’s closest pass to moon brings it to within 4,000 miles of the lunar surface, and despite low signal strength and data errors during transmission, nearly 20 images of the moon’s far side are sent back to Soviet scientists via a process not unlike sending a fax.

Categories
Television

13 Demon Street: The Black Hand

  • October 23, 1959

13 Demon StreetThe first episode of the syndicated horror anthology series 13 Demon Street airs on stations across the U.S. Hosted by Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man), and created (and frequently written and directed) by Curt Siodmak (The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man Returns), the series was filmed in Sweden with a motley mixture of American, British, and Swedish actors, with mostly Swedish talent behind the scenes.

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Categories
Television

13 Demon Street: Fever

  • October 30, 1959

13 Demon StreetThe second episode of the syndicated horror anthology series 13 Demon Street airs on stations across the U.S. Hosted by Lon Chaney Jr. (The Wolf Man), and created (and frequently written and directed) by Curt Siodmak (The Wolf Man, The Invisible Man Returns), the series was filmed in Sweden with a motley mixture of American, British, and Swedish actors, with mostly Swedish talent behind the scenes. Alf Kjellin (Ice Station Zebra) guest stars.

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