January 17 » The United States takes possession of Wake Island in the Pacific Ocean.
February 14 » Voting machines are approved by the U.S. Congress for use in federal elections.
March 27 » Emilio Aguinaldo leads Filipino forces for the only time during the Philippine–American War at the Battle of Marilao River.
March 31 » Malolos, capital of the First Philippine Republic, is captured by American forces.
September 13 » Henry Bliss is the first person in the United States to be killed in an automobile accident.
December 11 » Second Boer War: In the Battle of Magersfontein the Boers commanded by general Piet Cronjé inflict a defeat on the forces of the British Empire commanded by Lord Methuen trying to relieve the Siege of Kimberley.
Day of death February 5, 1959
The temperature on February 5, 1959 was between -3.4 °C and 3.2 °C and averaged -0.9 °C. There was 7.7 hours of sunshine (83%). The average windspeed was 3 Bft (moderate breeze) and was prevailing from the east-northeast. Source: KNMI
February 17 » Project Vanguard: Vanguard 2: The first weather satellite is launched to measure cloud-cover distribution.
February 20 » The Avro Arrow program to design and manufacture supersonic jet fighters in Canada is cancelled by the Diefenbaker government amid much political debate.
May 16 » The Triton Fountain in Valletta, Malta is turned on for the first time.
June 14 » Dominican exiles depart from Cuba and land in the Dominican Republic to overthrow the totalitarian government of Rafael Trujillo. All but four are killed or executed.
August 17 » Quake Lake is formed by the magnitude 7.5 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake near Hebgen Lake in Montana.
September 12 » Bonanza premieres, the first regularly scheduled TV program presented in color.
When copying data from this family tree, please include a reference to the origin: Hendrik Dreyer, "Dreyer Tree", database, Genealogy Online (https://www.genealogieonline.nl/dreyer-tree/I13280.php : accessed February 3, 2026), "Petrus Adriaan Johannes (Piet) Dreyer (1899-1959)".
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