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August 14, 1959

Revisit the news, notable people, and historical moments connected to this date.

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Headlines from August 14, 1959

DISCOVERER SHOT INTO POLAR ORBIT; Fifth Attempt Succeeds -Effort to Recover Capsule Will Be Made Today DISCOVERER SHOT INTO POLAR ORBIT

By Special to The New York Time

inventories in 14 cities

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BRIDGE IS STARTED ACROSS NARROWS; Ground Is Broken on Staten Island for $320,000,000 Link With Brooklyn Bridge Across Narrows Started With Ceremony on Staten Island

By Joseph C. Ingraham

boat illus

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Mayor Bars Two Moses Aides As Part-Time Title I Officials; WAGNER INSISTS 2 MOSES' AIDES GO

By Paul Crowell

Wagner rules out continued part-time use of Spargo, Lebwohl in view of his and Estimate Bd's instructions to Moses; reiterates all Com staff should be full-time employes; Com, in reply to questions put to Wagner by NY Post, says Pokrass was never 'redesignated' Mid-Harlem sponsor but merely reconfirmed as prospective sponsor; denies profits were made by sponsors who defaulted on construction of Manhattantown (now Pk West Village), NYU-Bellevue (now Kips Bay), and Pratt Inst projects

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City and Washington Vie for World's Fair; WORLD'S FAIR TILT BEGUN BY 2 CITIES

By Special to The New York Times

Washington, DC, seeks fair; Comr McLaughlin repts plans after Sen Javits and Repr Kelly offer resolutions authorizing Pres to invite foreign nations to participate in NYC fair; says group has been at work on plans for 15 mos

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HOUSE APPROVES LABOR BILL URGED BY THE PRESIDENT; A STRICT MEASURE Final Vote Due Today -- Deadlock Possible at This Session HOUSE APPROVES LABOR MEASURE

By Joseph A. Loftusspecial To the New York Times

HR, 229-201, tentatively passes Landrum-Griffin bill; Landrum and Griffin illus; Sen bill contrasted; sponsors accept some amendments; HR, 183-179, defeats Harris amendment to exemptry and airline workers from provisions; Harris denies he was asked to seek such exemptions; vote on Landrum-Griffin bill lauded by McClellan, scored by Meany, Sen Kennedy, Teamsters Union; labor reprs score Rayburn failure to deliver more Dem votes against bill; Rayburn and Johnson reptdly feel it would be unwise for Dems to enter '60 election campaign without enacting some labor reform law; maneuver by Repr Teller in questioning Landrum and Griffin on secondary boycott provisions seen aimed at allowing ILGWU to use boycott in certain circumstances

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Notable Births

1959Frank Brickowski, American basketball player^[†]

Francis Anthony Brickowski is an American former professional basketball player, who started his career playing 3 seasons overseas before playing 13 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

1959Marcia Gay Harden, American actress^[†]

Marcia Gay Harden is an American actress. Her accolades include an Academy Award, a Tony Award, and nominations for four Primetime Emmy Awards.

1959Magic Johnson, American basketball player and coach^[†]

Earvin "Magic" Johnson Jr. is an American businessman and former professional basketball player. Often regarded as the greatest point guard of all time, Johnson spent his entire career with the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). After winning a national championship with the Michigan State Spartans in 1979, Johnson was selected first overall in the 1979 NBA draft by the Lakers, leading the team to five NBA championships during their "Showtime" era. Johnson retired abruptly in 1991 after announcing that he had contracted HIV, but returned to play in the 1992 All-Star Game, winning the All-Star MVP Award. After protests against his return from his fellow players, he retired again for four years, but returned in 1996, at age 36, to play 32 games for the Lakers before retiring for the third and final time.

Historical Events

1959Founding and first official meeting of the American Football League.^[†]

The American Football League (AFL) was a major professional American football league that operated for ten seasons from 1960 until 1970, when it merged with the older National Football League (NFL), and became the American Football Conference. The upstart AFL operated in direct competition with the more established NFL throughout its existence. It was more successful than earlier rivals to the NFL, including not only the organizations founded in 1926, 1936, and 1940, respectively, under the AFL name, but also the later All-America Football Conference, which existed between 1944 and 1950, but conducted operations only between 1946 and 1949.

Historical Context for August 14, 1959

In 1959, the world population was approximately 2,965,950,351 people^[†]