March 4, 1959 (Wednesday)
- Pioneer IV became the second man-made object to pass the Moon and to enter an orbit around the sun, becoming the first American-made planetary object. The Soviet satellite Lunik had achieved solar orbit on January 7. Contact with Pioneer IV was lost two days later after its batteries ran out of power.
- The government of Cuba nationalized the Cuban Telephone Company, a subsidiary of ITT.
- Born: Rick Ardon, Australian news anchor, in Perth; Irina Strakhova, Russian race walker, in Novosibirsk
- Died: Maxie Long, 80, Olympic track medalist 1900
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Famous quotes containing the word march:
“The next thing his Lordship does, after clearing of the coast, is the dividing of his forces, as he calls them, into two squadrons, one of places of Scriptures, the other of reasons....
All that I have to say touching this, is that I observe a great part of those his forces do look and march another way, and some of them fight amongst themselves.”
—Thomas Hobbes (1579–1688)