Dwight Eisenhower is president of the US Fidel Castro takes power in Cuba Alaska is admitted as the 49th state Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500 stock car race Tibet’s Dalai Lama escapes to India Hawaii admitted as the 50th state Soviet premiere Krushchev begins unprecedented visit to US The Barbie doll debuts John McEnroe, Kyle MacLachlan, Tom Arnold, Perry Farrell, Kevin Spacey, and Weird Al Yankovic are born A plane crash kills Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and The Big Bopper – becomes known as “The Day The Music Died” Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series Baltimore Colts win the NFL championship Montreal Canadiens win the Stanley Cup Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein is published The Twilight Zone debuts on TV | 
