List of state leaders in 1959

1958 state leaders - Events of 1959 - 1960 state leaders - State leaders by year

See also:

List of religious leaders in 1959
List of international organization leaders in 1959

Contents

1 Africa
2 Asia
3 Europe
4 North America
5 Oceania
6 South America
7 References

Africa

Ethiopia
- Monarch - Haile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia (1941–1974)
- Prime Minister - Abebe Aregai, Prime Minister of Ethiopia (1957–1960)
Ghana
- Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Ghana (1957–1960)
- Governor-General - William Hare, Earl of Listowel, Governor-General of Ghana (1957–1960)
- Prime Minister - Kwame Nkrumah, Prime Minister of Ghana (1952–1960)^[1]
Guinea
- President - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (1958–1984)
Liberia
- President - William Tubman, President of Liberia (1944–1971)
Libya
- Monarch - Idris, King of Libya (1951–1969)
- Prime Minister - Abdul Majid Kubar, Prime Minister of Libya (1957–1960)
Morocco
- Monarch - Mohammed V, King of Morocco (1955–1961)^[2]
- Prime Minister - Abdallah Ibrahim, Prime Minister of Morocco (1958–1960)
South Africa
- Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of South Africa (1952–1961)
- Governor-General -
  1. Ernest George Jansen, Governor-General of South Africa (1951–1959)
  2. Lucas Cornelius Steyn, Officer Administering the Government of South Africa (1959–1960)
- Prime Minister - Hendrik Verwoerd, Prime Minister of South Africa (1958–1966)
Sudan
- President - Ibrahim Abboud, President of Sudan (1958–1964)
- Prime Minister - Ibrahim Abboud, Prime Minister of Sudan (1958–1964)
Tunisia
- President - Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia (1957–1987)
United Arab Republic
- President - Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of the United Arab Republic (1954–1970)^[3]
- Prime Minister - Gamal Abdel Nasser, Prime Minister of the United Arab Republic (1954–1962)^[4]

Asia

Afghanistan
- Monarch - Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan (1933–1973)
- Prime Minister - Mohammed Daoud Khan, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1953–1963)
Bhutan
- Monarch - Jigme Dorji Wangchuck, King of Bhutan (1952–1972)
- Prime Minister - Jigme Palden Dorji, Prime Minister of Bhutan (1952–1964)
Burma
- President - Win Maung, President of Burma (1957–1962)
- Prime Minister - Ne Win, Prime Minister of Burma (1958–1960)
Cambodia
- Monarch - Norodom Suramarit, King of Cambodia (1955–1960)
- Prime Minister - Prince Norodom Sihanouk, Prime Minister of Cambodia (1958–1960)
Ceylon
- Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Ceylon (1952–1972)
- Governor-General - Sir Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke, Governor-General of Ceylon (1954–1962)
- Prime Minister -
  1. S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1956–1959)
  2. Wijeyananda Dahanayake, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka (1959–1960)
China (People's Republic of China)
- Communist Party Leader - Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1935–1976)
- Head of State -
  1. Mao Zedong, Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1949–1959)
  2. Liu Shaoqi, Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1959–1968)
- Premier - Zhou Enlai, Premier of the People's Republic of China (1949–1976)
India
- President - Rajendra Prasad, President of India (1950–1962)
- Prime Minister - Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India (1947–1964)
Indonesia
- President - Sukarno, President of Indonesia (1945–1967)
- Prime Minister - Djuanda Kartawidjaja, Prime Minister of Indonesia (1957–1959)
Iran
- Monarch - Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, Shah of Iran (1941–1979)
- Prime Minister - Manouchehr Eghbal, Prime Minister of Iran (1957–1960)
Iraq
- Head of State - Muhammad Najib ar-Ruba'i, Chairman of the Sovereignty Council of Iraq (1958–1963)
- Prime Minister - Abd al-Karim Qasim, Prime Minister of Iraq (1958–1963)
Israel
- President - Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, President of Israel (1952–1963)
- Prime Minister - David Ben-Gurion, Prime Minister of Israel (1955–1963)
Japan
- Monarch - Hirohito, Emperor of Japan (1926–1989)
- Prime Minister - Nobusuke Kishi, Prime Minister of Japan (1957–1960)
Jordan
- Monarch - Hussein, King of Jordan (1952–1999)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Samir al-Rifai, Prime Minister of Jordan (1958–1959)
  2. Hazza` al-Majali, Prime Minister of Jordan (1959–1960)
North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea)
- Communist Party Leader - Kim Il-sung, General Secretary of the Korean Workers' Party (1948–1994)
- Head of State - Choi Yong-kun, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme People's Assembly of North Korea (1957–1972)
- Premier - Kim Il-sung, Premier of North Korea (1948–1972)
South Korea (Republic of Korea)
- President - Syngman Rhee, President of South Korea (1948–1960)
Laos
- Monarch -
  1. Sisavang Vong, King of Laos (1946–1959)^[5]
  2. Savang Vatthana, King of Laos (1959–1975)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Phoui Sananikone, Prime Minister of Laos (1958–1959)
  2. Sounthone Pathammavong, Prime Minister of Laos (1959–1960)
Lebanon
- President - Fuad Chehab, President of Lebanon (1958–1964)
- Prime Minister - Rashid Karami, Prime Minister of Lebanon (1958–1960)
Malaya
- Monarch - Tuanku Abdul Rahman, Yang di-Pertuan Agong of Malaya (1957–1960)
- Prime Minister - Tunku Abdul Rahman, Prime Minister of Malaya (1955–1970)^[6]
Mongolia
- Communist Party Leader - Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal, General secretary of the Central Committee of the Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (1958–1984)
- Head of State - Jamsrangiin Sambuu, Chairman of the Presidium of the State Great Hural of Mongolia (1954–1972)
- Premier - Yumjaagiin Tsedenbal, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Mongolia (1952–1974)
Muscat and Oman
- Monarch - Said Bin Taimur, Sultan of Muscat and Oman (1932–1970)
Nepal
- Monarch - Mahendra, King of Nepal (1955–1972)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Subarna Shamsher Rana, Prime Minister of Nepal (1958–1959)
  2. Bishweshwar Prasad Koirala, Prime Minister of Nepal (1959–1960)
Pakistan
- President - Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan (1958–1969)
Philippines
- President - Carlos P. Garcia, President of the Philippines (1957–1961)
Saudi Arabia
- Monarch - Saud, King of Saudi Arabia (1953–1964)
- Prime Minister - Prince Faisal, Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia (1954–1960)
United Suvadive Republic (unrecognized secessionist state)
- declared independence on 3 January 1959
- President - Abdullah Afeef, President of the United Suvadive Republic (1959–1963)
Taiwan (Republic of China)
- President - Chiang Kai-Shek, President of the Republic of China (1950–1975)
- Premier - Chen Cheng, President of the Executive Yuan of the Republic of China (1958–1963)
Thailand
- Monarch - Bhumibol Adulyadej, King of Thailand (1946–present)
- Prime Minister - Sarit Thanarat, Prime Minister of Thailand (1959–1963)
Turkey
- President - Celâl Bayar, President of Turkey (1950–1960)
- Prime Minister - Adnan Menderes, Prime Minister of Turkey (1950–1960)
North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam)
- Communist Party Leader - Hồ Chí Minh, General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (1956–1960)
- President - Hồ Chí Minh, President of North Vietnam (1945–1969)
- Premier - Phạm Văn Đồng, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of North Vietnam (1955–1987)^[7]
South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam)
- President - Ngô Đình Diệm, President of South Vietnam (1955–1963)
Yemen
- Monarch - Ahmad bin Yahya, King of Yemen (1955–1962)

Europe

Albania
- Communist Party Leader - Enver Hoxha, First Secretary of the Albanian Party of Labor (1944–1985)
- Head of State - Haxhi Lleshi, Chairman of the Presidium of the People's Assembly of Albania (1953–1982)
- Premier - Mehmet Shehu, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Albania (1954–1981)
Andorra
- Monarchs -
  - French Co-Prince -
    1. René Coty, French Co-Prince of Andorra (1954–1959)
    2. Charles de Gaulle, French Co-Prince of Andorra (1959–1969)
  - Episcopal Co-Prince - Ramon Iglesias i Navarri, Episcopal Co-Prince of Andorra (1943–1969)
- First Syndic - Francesc Cairat Freixes, First Syndic of Andorra (1937–1960)
Austria
- President - Adolf Schärf, Federal President of Austria (1957–1965)
- Chancellor - Julius Raab, Federal Chancellor of Austria (1953–1961)
Belgium
- Monarch - Baudouin I, King of the Belgians (1951–1993)
- Prime Minister - Gaston Eyskens, Prime Minister of Belgium (1958–1961)
Bulgaria
- Communist Party Leader - Todor Zhivkov, General Secretary of the Bulgarian Communist Party (1954–1989)
- Head of State - Dimitar Ganev, Chairman of the Presidium of the National Assembly of Bulgaria (1958–1964)
- Premier - Anton Yugov, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bulgaria (1956–1962)
Czechoslovakia
- Communist Party Leader - Antonín Novotný, First Secretary of the Communisty Party of Czechoslovakia (1953–1968)
- President - Antonín Novotný, President of Czechoslovakia (1957–1968)
- Prime Minister - Viliam Široký, Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (1953–1963)
Denmark
- Monarch - Frederick IX, King of Denmark (1947–1972)
- Prime Minister - H. C. Hansen, Prime Minister of Denmark (1955–1960)
Finland
- President - Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland (1956–1981)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Karl-August Fagerholm, Prime Minister of Finland (1958–1959)
  2. V. J. Sukselainen, Prime Minister of Finland (1959–1961)
France
- President -
  1. René Coty, President of France (1954–1959)
  2. Charles de Gaulle, President of France (1959–1969)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Charles de Gaulle, President of the Council of Ministers of France (1958–1959)
  2. Michel Debré, Prime Minister of France (1959–1962)
East Germany (German Democratic Republic)
- Communist Party Leader - Walter Ulbricht, First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1950–1971)
- President - Wilhelm Pieck, President of East Germany (1949–1960)
- Premier - Otto Grotewohl, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of East Germany (1949–1964)
West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany)
- President -
  1. Theodor Heuss, Federal President of West Germany (1949–1959)
  2. Heinrich Lübke, Federal President of West Germany (1959–1969)
- Chancellor - Konrad Adenauer, Federal Chancellor of West Germany (1949–1963)
Greece
- Monarch - Paul, King of the Hellenes (1947–1964)
- Prime Minister - Konstantinos Karamanlis, Prime Minister of Greece (1958–1961)
Hungary
- Communist Party Leader - János Kádár, First Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (1956–1988)
- Head of State - István Dobi, Chairman of the Presidential Council of Hungary (1952–1967)
- Premier - Ferenc Münnich, President of the Council of Ministers of Hungary (1958–1961)
Iceland
- President - Ásgeir Ásgeirsson, President of Iceland (1952–1968)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Emil Jónsson, Prime Minister of Iceland (1958–1959)
  2. Ólafur Thors, Prime Minister of Iceland (1959–1963)
Ireland
- President -
  1. Seán T. O'Kelly, President of Ireland (1945–1959)
  2. Éamon de Valera, President of Ireland (1959–1973)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Éamon de Valera, Taoiseach of Ireland (1957–1959)
  2. Seán Lemass, Taoiseach of Ireland (1959–1966)
Italy
- President - Giovanni Gronchi, President of Italy (1955–1962)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Amintore Fanfani, President of the Council of Ministers of Italy (1958–1959)
  2. Antonio Segni, President of the Council of Ministers of Italy (1959–1960)
Liechtenstein
- Monarch - Franz Joseph II, Prince of Liechtenstein (1938–1989)
- Prime Minister - Alexander Frick, Head of Government of Liechtenstein (1945–1962)
Luxembourg
- Monarch - Charlotte, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg (1919–1964)^[8]
- Prime Minister -
  1. Pierre Frieden, President of the Government of Luxembourg (1958–1959)
  2. Pierre Werner, President of the Government of Luxembourg (1959–1974)
Monaco
- Monarch - Rainier III, Prince of Monaco (1949–2005)
- Head of Government -
  1. Henry Soum, Minister of State of Monaco (1953–1959)
  2. Émile Pelletier, Minister of State of Monaco (1959–1962)
Kingdom of the Netherlands
- Monarch - Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands (1948–1980)
- Netherlands (constituent country)
  - Prime Minister -
    1. Louis Beel, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1958–1959)
    2. Jan de Quay, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1959–1963)
- Netherlands Antilles (constituent country)
  - Governor - Antonius B. Speekenbrink, Governor of the Netherlands Antilles (1957–1961)
  - Prime Minister - Efraïn Jonckheer, Prime Minister of the Netherlands Antilles (1954–1968)
- Suriname (constituent country)
  - Governor-General - Jan van Tilburg, Governor-General of Suriname (1956–1963)
  - Prime Minister - Severinus Désiré Emanuels, Prime Minister of Suriname (1958–1963)
Norway
- Monarch - Olav V, King of Norway (1957–1991)
- Prime Minister - Einar Gerhardsen, Prime Minister of Norway (1955–1963)
Poland
- Communist Party Leader - Władysław Gomułka, First Secretary of the Central Committee of Polish United Workers' Party (1956–1970)
- Head of State - Aleksander Zawadzki, Chairman of the Council of State of Poland (1952–1964)
- Premier - Józef Cyrankiewicz, President of the Council of Ministers of Poland (1954–1970)
Portugal
- President - Américo Thomaz, President of Portugal (1958–1974)
- Prime Minister - António de Oliveira Salazar, President of the Council of Ministers of Portugal (1932–1968)
Romania
- Communist Party Leader - Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej, First Secretary of the Romanian Workers' Party (1955–1965)
- Head of State - Ion Gheorghe Maurer, Chairman of the Presidium of the Great National Assembly of Romania (1958–1961)
- Premier - Chivu Stoica, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of Romania (1955–1961)
San Marino
- Captains Regent
  1. Domenico Forcellini and Pietro Reffi, Captains Regent of San Marino (October 1958–March 1959)
  2. Marino Benedetto Belluzzi and Agostino Biordi, Captains Regent of San Marino (April 1959–September 1959)
  3. Giuseppe Forcellini and Ferruccio Piva, Captains Regent of San Marino (October 1959–March 1960)
Soviet Union
- Communist Party Leader - Nikita Khrushchev, First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union (1953–1964)
- Head of State - Kliment Voroshilov, Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (1953–1960)
- Premier - Nikita Khrushchev, Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union (1958–1964)
Spain
- Head of State - Francisco Franco, Head of State of Spain (1936–1975)
- Prime Minister - Francisco Franco, President of the Government of Spain (1939–1973)
Sweden
- Monarch - Gustaf VI Adolf, King of Sweden (1950–1973)
- Prime Minister - Tage Erlander, Prime Minister of Sweden (1946–1969)
Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Council^[9]:
  
  Philipp Etter (1934–1959), Max Petitpierre (1944–1961), Hans Streuli (1953–1959), Paul Chaudet (1954–1966, President), Giuseppe Lepori (1954–1959), Thomas Holenstein (1955–1959), Friedrich Traugott Wahlen (1958–1965), Jean Bourgknecht (1959–1962), Willy Spühler (1959–1970), Ludwig von Moos (1959–1971), Hans-Peter Tschudi (1959–1973)
United Kingdom
- Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom (1952–present)
- Prime Minister - Harold Macmillan, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom (1957–1963)
Vatican City
- Monarch - Pope John XXIII, Sovereign of the State of the Vatican City (1958–1963)
- President of the Governorate - Nicola Canali, President of the Governorate of Vatican City State (1939–1961)
- Holy See
  - Secretary of State - Domenico Tardini, Cardinal Secretary of State (1952–1961)
Yugoslavia
- Communist Party leader - Josip Broz Tito, General Secretary of the League of Communists of Yugoslavia (1945–1980)
- President - Josip Broz Tito, President of Yugoslavia (1953–1980)
- Premier - Josip Broz Tito, Chairman of the Federal Executive Council of Yugoslavia (1945–1963)

North America

Canada
- Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada (1952–present)
- Governor General -
  1. Vincent Massey, Governor General of Canada (1952–1959)
  2. Georges Vanier, Governor General of Canada (1959–1967)
- Prime Minister - John Diefenbaker, Prime Minister of Canada (1957–1963)
Costa Rica
- President - Mario Echandi Jiménez, President of Costa Rica (1958–1962)
Cuba
- President -
  1. Fulgencio Batista, President of Cuba (1952–1959)
  2. Anselmo Alliegro y Milá, Acting President of Cuba (1959)
  3. Carlos Modesto Piedra, Provisional President of Cuba (1959)
  4. Manuel Urrutia Lleó, President of Cuba (1959)
  5. Osvaldo Dorticós Torrado, President of Cuba (1959–1976)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Gonzalo Güell, Prime Minister of Cuba (1958–1959)
  2. José Miró Cardona, Prime Minister of Cuba (1959)
  3. Fidel Castro, Prime Minister of Cuba (1959–2008)^[10]
Dominican Republic
- President - Héctor Trujillo, President of the Dominican Republic (1952–1960)
El Salvador
- President - José María Lemus, President of El Salvador (1956–1960)
Guatemala
- President - Miguel Ydígoras Fuentes, President of Guatemala (1958–1963)
Haiti
- President - François Duvalier, President of Haiti (1957–1971)
Honduras
- President - Ramón Villeda Morales, President of Honduras (1957–1963)
Mexico
- President - Adolfo López Mateos, President of Mexico (1958–1964)
Nicaragua
- President - Luis Somoza Debayle, President of Nicaragua (1956–1963)
Panama
- President - Ernesto de la Guardia, President of Panama (1956–1960)
United States of America
- President - Dwight D. Eisenhower, President of the United States (1953–1961)

Oceania

Australia
- Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia (1952–present)
- Governor-General - Sir William Slim, Governor-General of Australia (1953–1960)
- Prime Minister - Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia (1949–1966)
New Zealand
- Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of New Zealand (1952–present)
- Governor-General - Charles Lyttelton, Viscount Cobham, Governor-General of New Zealand (1957–1962)
- Prime Minister - Walter Nash, Prime Minister of New Zealand (1957–1960)

South America

Argentina
- President - Arturo Frondizi, President of Argentina (1958–1962)
Bolivia
- President - Hernán Siles Zuazo, President of Bolivia (1956–1960)
Brazil
- President - Juscelino Kubitschek, President of Brazil (1956–1961)
Chile
- President - Jorge Alessandri, President of Chile (1958–1964)
Colombia
- President - Alberto Lleras Camargo, President of Colombia (1958–1962)
Ecuador -
- President - Camilo Ponce Enríquez, President of Ecuador (1956–1960)
Paraguay
- President - Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (1954–1989)
Peru
- President - Manuel Prado Ugarteche, President of Peru (1956–1962)
- Prime Minister -
  1. Luis Gallo Porras, President of the Council of Ministers of Peru (1958–1959)
  2. Pedro Gerardo Beltrán Espantoso, President of the Council of Ministers of Peru (1959–1961)
Uruguay
- Head of State -
  1. Carlos Fischer, President of the National Council of Government of Uruguay (1958–1959)
  2. Martín Echegoyen, President of the National Council of Government of Uruguay (1959–1960)
Venezuela
- President -
  1. Edgar Sanabria, President of Venezuela (1958–1959)
  2. Rómulo Betancourt, President of Venezuela (1959–1964)

References

^ Ghana only became independent in 1957.
^ Morocco only became independent in 1956.
^ Gamal Abdel Nasser was President of Egypt between 1954 and 1958.
^ Gamal Abdel Nasser was Prime Minister of Egypt between 1954 and 1958.
^ Laos only became independent in 1953.
^ Malaya only became independent in 1957.
^ Prime minister of Vietnam from 1976 to 1987.
^ In exile between 1940 and 1945.
^ The seven member Swiss Federal Council is the collective head of state and the government of Switzerland. Within the Council, the President of the Swiss Confederation serves solely in a primus inter pares capacity for one year.
^ The position Prime Minister of Cuba was abolished on 2 December 1976, but President of the Council of Ministers was created and it continued to be held by Fidel Castro.