1959
1959 is the year the integrated circuit was patented and Cuba's revolution succeeded.
- Odd
- Composite
Where 1959 fits
Why 1959 is special
Noyce's silicon design, filed in 1959, is the one that could be manufactured at scale. Every processor since descends from it rather than from the earlier germanium demonstration.
Same number, different meanings
How 1959 is understood across different contexts — never implying one meaning because of another.
- Mathematics
Noyce's silicon design, filed in 1959, is the one that could be manufactured at scale. Every processor since descends from it rather than from the earlier germanium demonstration.
- History
In 1959, the first spacecraft reached the Moon, and the Antarctic Treaty was signed.
- Technology & computing
Kilby demonstrated an integrated circuit in 1958; Noyce's 1959 silicon planar design is the one that could actually be mass-produced. The distinction between a working prototype and a manufacturable product is the whole of the difference.
- Media & popular culture
The Marshall model 1959 Super Lead, introduced in 1965, is the 100-watt head associated with much late-1960s and 1970s rock guitar. The number is a model designation and does not indicate the year of introduction.
1959 is part of
Factors & digit properties
- Divisors (4)
- 1, 3, 653, 1959
- Prime factorisation
- 3 × 653
- Digit sum
- 24
- Digital root
- 6
Representations
- Decimal
- 1959
- Scientific notation
- 1.959 × 10^3
Roman numerals
M C M L I X
MCMLIX uses the subtractive pair IX: one before ten — ten minus one.
Binary
1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1
1 × 1,024 + 1 × 512 + 1 × 256 + 1 × 128 + 0 × 64 + 1 × 32 + 0 × 16 + 0 × 8 + 1 × 4 + 1 × 2 + 1 × 1 = 1,959
Octal
3 6 4 7
3 × 512 + 6 × 64 + 4 × 8 + 7 × 1 = 1,959
Hexadecimal
7 a 7
7 × 256 + a × 16 + 7 × 1 = 1,959
Read as powers of two: 1,024 + 512 + 256 + 128 + 32 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 1,959.
In historical numeral systems
Egyptian
1 lotus, 9 coils of rope, 5 hobbles, 9 strokes
1 × 1,000 + 9 × 100 + 5 × 10 + 9 × 1 = 1,959. The signs are simply repeated and added; where they sit on the line is a matter of layout, not value.
Babylonian
3 corner wedges + 2 vertical wedges (sixties place), 3 corner wedges + 9 vertical wedges (units place)
32 × 60 + 39 = 1959. Places are separated by a space on the tablet, with the higher place written first.
Systems that simply cannot reach this value are left out. Where a script needs a font most readers do not have, the reading is given instead of the glyphs — see number systems for each system in full.
Other mathematical patterns
- Deficient number
- Happy number
- Semiprime
- Lucky number (mathematical sieve)
Related numbers & connections
1959 is a year in the 20th century, in the 1950s.
Kilby demonstrated an integrated circuit in 1958; Noyce's silicon design the following year is the one that could be manufactured at scale, and every processor since descends from it.
View 1958 →History
In 1959, the first spacecraft reached the Moon, and the Antarctic Treaty was signed.
DocumentedHistoryGeography: globalPeriod: 1959
Technology & computing
Kilby demonstrated an integrated circuit in 1958; Noyce's 1959 silicon planar design is the one that could actually be mass-produced. The distinction between a working prototype and a manufacturable product is the whole of the difference.
DocumentedTechnology & computingPeriod: 1959
Media & popular culture
The Marshall model 1959 Super Lead, introduced in 1965, is the 100-watt head associated with much late-1960s and 1970s rock guitar. The number is a model designation and does not indicate the year of introduction.
DocumentedMedia & popular cultureGeography: United KingdomPeriod: 1965–
Common questions
Is 1959 a prime number?
No, 1959 is not prime.
What are the factors of 1959?
The factors of 1959 are 1, 3, 653, 1959.
What is 1959 in Roman numerals?
1959 in Roman numerals is MCMLIX. IX is subtractive: one before ten — ten minus one. Written additively it would be MDCCCCLVIIII, which Roman inscriptions used freely — the strict subtractive form is a later convention.
About this page's data
Mathematical facts:computed directly from the number's value — nothing to source or verify externally.
Contextual records: 3 reviewer-confirmed records, sourced and reviewed before publication.
Last reviewed: 15 July 2026