Timeline October 1959

Events in October 1959 5

• 1909 – 1959 Errol Flynn (1909-1959) Died 14 October 1959, aged 50 Flynn was an Australian-American actor who became one of Hollywood's leading swashbuckling stars, famous for roles in The Adventures of Robin Hood and Captain Blood. His off-screen reputation for hard living was as well known as his film career. He died of a heart attack at age 50.
• 1921 – 1959 Mario Lanza (1921-1959) Died 7 October 1959, aged 38 Lanza was an American tenor and film actor whose powerful voice and starring role in The Great Caruso made him one of the most popular singers of his era. His recordings introduced operatic and classical repertoire to a mass audience. He died in Italy from a heart attack.
• 1959 – 2000 Kirsty MacColl (1959-2000) Died 18 December 2000, aged 41 Kirsty MacColl was an English singer-songwriter known for "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He's Elvis", a cover of Billy Bragg's "A New England", and her duet with Shane MacGowan on the Pogues' "Fairytale of New York". She was killed by a powerboat while diving with her sons in Mexico. Her family long campaigned over the death.
• 1959 – 2025 Mauricio Funes (1959-2025) Died 21 January 2025, aged 65 Salvadoran television journalist who served as president of El Salvador from 2009 to 2014.
• 1959 Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opens in New York Frank Lloyd Wright's final major work debuts The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum opened on Fifth Avenue in New York, its spiraling concrete form designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The building opened six months after Wright's death and became one of the most recognizable museum buildings in the world. It houses a major collection of modern and contemporary art.