Historical eventJanuary 261959

Chain Island

The 41-acre (17 ha) Chain Island is listed for sale by the California State Lands Commission, with a minimum bid of $5,226.

Everything on January 26Original source

In context

When
Monday, January 26 195967 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
20th century · 1950s
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

At a glance

Dates: From 1959.

Place: Sacramento County, United States.

Type: island.

What happened

History The first Europeans to document Chain Island's existence were the party of Cadwalader Ringgold , who made a survey of it (and other islands in the area) on an 1850 expedition. [ 1 ] In 1902, plans were made for controlling flooding on the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers by straightening their channels to drain more quickly into the sea; Chain Island was one of many landforms in the path of this direct flow, and it was identified for removal. [ 2 ] In May 1903,

Chain Island is an island in Suisun Bay, downstream of the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta in northern California, and the westernmost piece of land in Sacramento County. In the late 1800s, it was considered an "obstruction to navigation" on the Sacramento River. As it was built up significantly from hydraulic mining tailings upstream on the river, plans were made in the early 20th century to remove it and recoup costs by mining the debris. However, this never happened;

January 26 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 1959Chain Island
  2. 1998Clinton–Lewinsky scandal
  3. 2001Seismic magnitude scales
  4. 2001Death of Diane Whipple
  5. 20012001 Gujarat earthquake
  6. 2009Antananarivo
  7. 2009Nadya Suleman
  8. 20152015 Los Llanos Air Base crash
  9. 2015Syrian civil war
  10. 2020Sikorsky S-76
  11. 20212021 Indian farmers' Republic Day protest

Also in 1959

  • September 13Luna 2The Soviet spacecraft Luna 2 (model pictured) struck the Moon, the first spacecraft to reach another celestial body.
  • September 15Nikita KhrushchevNikita Khrushchev becomes the first Soviet leader to visit the United States.
  • June 14Disneyland MonorailDisneyland Monorail System, the first daily operating monorail system in the Western Hemisphere, opens to the public in Anaheim, California.
  • August 17Miles DavisAmerican musician Miles Davis released Kind of Blue, which became one of the best-selling and most critically acclaimed jazz recordings o…
  • November 21Disc jockeyAmerican disc jockey Alan Freed (pictured), who popularized the term rock and roll, was fired from WABC-AM for his role in the payola sca…
  • November 16The Sound of MusicThe Sound of Music, a musical by Rodgers and Hammerstein based on The Story of the Trapp Family Singers, opened on Broadway at the Lunt-F…
  • November 16National Airlines Flight 967National Airlines Flight 967 explodes in mid-air over the Gulf of Mexico, killing all 42 aboard.
  • March 181959 Tibetan uprisingTibetan uprising: After the 14th Dalai Lama sought refuge at Sera Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet, Chinese forces bombarded the monastery, infl…

Everything we record for 1959 →

Sources

Cite this page

“Chain Island”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/chain-island-1959-january-26, accessed October 24, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Chain Island happen?

January 26 1959 — 67 years ago, on a Monday.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

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