January 10, 1959 (Saturday)
- The U.S. District Court in Atlanta ordered the University System of Georgia to admit qualified African-Americans in its segregated colleges, striking down a requirement that at least two college alumni had to sign for a student to enroll. Meanwhile the federal court in Little Rock ordered the school board to integrate and reopen the Arkansas city's high schools, which had been closed for four months.
- Born: Mark Martin, American NASCAR driver; in Batesville, Arkansas, and Rigoberta Menchú, Guatemalan writer, 1992 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, in Chimel
Read more about this topic: January 1959
Famous quotes containing the word january:
“I have never been disappointed when I asked in a humble and sincere way for God’s help. I pray often. I think I pray more often since January 12th.”
—Jimmy Carter (James Earl Carter, Jr.)