1959

The Hula Hoop is all the rage, and, no, it did not originate in Hawaii, our newest state. In other hoop news, West Virginia's Jerry West and the St. Louis Hawks' Bob Pettit are the top scorers, Cal and the Celtics the top teams. Other champions: the Dodgers, Colts, Canadiens, Ernie Davis's Syracuse Orangemen. And Khrushchev and Nixon battle to a draw in the kitchen debate.

IN SI'S WORDS
SUMMIT MEETING

What the duel proved, chiefly, is that against Russell, Chamberlain cannot get away with the few simple offensive moves he has found so effective against lesser men. Every time he tried to use his chief weapon, a fallaway jump shot, Russell went up with him; Russell's large hand flicked away at his vision, slapped at the ball, once blocked it outright—a shocking experience for Wilt Chamberlain....

Chamberlain hit exactly four baskets; the rest of his 30 points were made on tip-ins and a few dunk shots....

Driven to extreme measures by Russell's tenacity, he tried more hook shots than he had in all his previous games—which is just what Russell wanted him to do, because the hook is a difficult and unnatural maneuver....
—JEREMIAH TAX

Jacques Plante's mask changes the face of NHL goalies.

State flags: Alaska and Hawaii, Nos. 49 and 50, join the union.

Ingemar Johansson, who KOs Floyd Patterson, is the first non-American heavyweight champion in 25 years.

Billiards ace Willie Hoppe, who won his first world title when he was just 18, dies at 71.

The Lincoln Memorial is in, wheat out, on the penny.

FASHION PLATE
Sugar Ray Robinson

Harvey Haddix hurls 12 perfect innings, loses.

EIGHT PHOTOS

"We definitely will be improved this year. Last year we lost 10 games. This year we only scheduled nine."
—RAY JENKINS, MONTANA STATE FOOTBALL COACH