Films: Some Like It Hot, Ben-Hur
Books: Naked Lunch by William S Burroughs, Sweet Bird of Youth by Tennessee Williams
Music: Connie Francis sings Lipstick on your Collar
Events: Fidel Castro becomes Cuban President, Buddy Holly killed, world glimpses far side of moon
Have your say, which brands encapsulate the zeitgeist of 1959, Barbie, Hovercraft, Opal Fruits, Xerox, Cadbury Flake, Fyffes or is there a brand we missed?
Barbara Millicent Roberts, better known as Barbie was born in 1959. The first Barbie doll wore a black and white zebra striped swimsuit and ponytail in blonde or brunette. The doll was targeted at older girls and marketed as a "Teenage Fashion Model." Around 350,000 Barbie dolls were sold during the first year of production.
Barbie wasn't the only enduring girl to make her first appearance this year. Cadbury introduced the very first flake girl who became famous as a symbol of indulgence and secret pleasure. The early black and white campaigns used the strap line, "Sixpence-worth of Heaven."
Alec Issigonis, the man behind the groundbreaking Morris Minor, developed the Mini prototype which launched this year. But it wasn't the only revolutionary form of transport to make a grand entrance this year. There was also the Hovercraft, or the "man-made flying saucer" that could hover over land and water. Meanwhile, Xerox launched the first-ever plain paper photocopier.
Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles made its first ever TV ad starring a young couple in a sweet shop, with the voiceover: "Yes, now you too can enjoy the best sweets in the world.. Rowntree's Fruit Pastilles!" It was up to Fyffe to remind us of the convenience of fruit, "Unzip a banana."
To celebrate our 50th Anniversary, The Marketing Society has selected the 50 brands that shone most brightly in each of the last 50 years. Visit www.50goldenbrands.com to see how we did and get involved. Who have we missed? Where were you? Your involvement will help us finalise the definitive 50 Golden Brands in time for our anniversary in 2009.