1959 state leaders - Events of 1960 - 1961 state leaders - State leaders by year

Africa

• Guinea - Ahmed Sékou Touré, President of Guinea (1958-1984)
• Liberia - William V.S. Tubman, President of Liberia (1944-1971)
• South Africa
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of South Africa (1952-1961)
  • Governor-General - Charles Robberts Swart, Governor-General of South Africa (1959-1961)
  • Prime Minister - Hendrik Frensch Verwoerd, Prime Minister of South Africa (1958-1966)
• Tunisia - Habib Bourguiba, President of Tunisia (1957-1987)

Asia

• Afghanistan
  • Monarch - Mohammed Zahir Shah, King of Afghanistan (1933-1973)
  • Prime Minister - Sardar Mohammad Daud Khan, Prime Minister of Afghanistan (1953-1963)
• Brunei - Omar Ali Saifuddin III, Sultan of Brunei (1950–1967)
• People's Republic of China
  • Head of State - Liu Shaoqi, Chairman of the People's Republic of China (1959-1968)
  • Premier - Zhou Enlai, Premier of the State Council (1949-1976)
  • Head of Communist Party - Mao Zedong, Chairman of the Communist Party of China (1935-1976)
• India
  • President - Rajendra Prasad, President of India (1950-1962)
  • Prime Minister - Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India (1947-1964)
• Japan
  • Monarch - Showa Emperor, Showa Emperor of Japan (1926-1989)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Nobusuke Kishi, Prime Minister of Japan (1957-July 19 1960)
    2. Hayato Ikeda, Prime Minister of Japan (July 19 1960-1964)
• South Korea -
  • President -
    1. Syngman Rhee, President of the Republic of Korea (1948-1960)
    2. Yun Boseon, President of the Republic of Korea (1960-1962)
  • Prime Minister-
    1. Ho Chong , Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1960)
    2. John Myon Chang , Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (1960-1961)
• Malaya
  • Tuanku Abdul Rahman ibni al-Marhum Yamtuan Muhammad, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (1957-April 1, 1960)
  • Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (April 1, 1960 - September 1, 1960)
  • Tuanku Syed Putra ibni Almarhum Syed Hassan Jamalullail, Yang di-Pertuan Agong (September 1, 1960-1965)
  • Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Alhaj, Prime Minister of Malaya (1957-1970)
• Pakistan - Muhammad Ayub Khan, President of Pakistan (1958-1969)
• Taiwan (Republic of China)
  • President - Chiang Kai-Shek, President of the Republic of China (1947-1975)
  • Premier - Chen Cheng, President of the Executive Yuan (1958-1963)

Australia and Oceania

• Australia
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen, Head of the Commonwealth (1952-present)
  • Governor-General -
    1. Sir William Slim, Governor-General of Australia (1953-1960)
    2. William Morrison, Governor-General of Australia (1960-1961)
  • Prime Minister - Sir Robert Menzies, Prime Minister of Australia (1939-1941, 1949-1966)

Europe

• Denmark
  • Monarch - Frederick IX, King of Denmark (1947-1972)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Hans Christian Hansen, Prime Minister of Denmark (1955-21 February 1960)
    2. Viggo Kampmann, Prime Minister of Denmark (21 February 1960-1962)
• Finland
  • President - Urho Kekkonen, President of Finland (1956-1981)
  • Prime Minister - Jussi Sukselainen , Prime Minister of Finland (1959-1961)
• France
  • President - Charles de Gaulle, President of France (1959-1969)
  • Prime Minister - Michel Debré, Prime Minister of France (1959-1962)
• Federal Republic of Germany
  • President - Heinrich Lübke, President of the Federal Republic of Germany (1959-1969)
  • Chancellor - Konrad Adenauer, Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany (1949-1963)
• German Democratic Republic
  • Communist Party Leader - Walter Ulbricht, General Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (1950-1971)
  • Head of State -
    1. Wilhelm Pieck, President of the German Democratic Republic (1949-1960)
    2. Johannes Dieckmann, Acting President of the German Democratic Republic (1960)
    3. Walter Ulbricht, Chairman of the Council of State (1960-1973)
  • Premier - Otto Grotewohl, Chairman of the Council of Ministers (1949-1964)
• Ireland
  • President - Éamon de Valera, President of Ireland (1959-1973)
  • Prime Minister - Seán Lemass, Taoiseach (1957-1966)
• Italy
  • President - Giovanni Gronchi , President of Italy (1955-1962)
  • Prime Minister -
    1. Antonio Segni, Prime Minister of Italy (1959-1960)
    2. Fernando Tambroni, Prime Minister of Italy (1960)
    3. Amintore Fanfani, Prime Minister of Italy (1960-1963)
• Netherlands
  • Monarch - Juliana , Queen of the Netherlands (1948-1980)
  • Prime Minister - Jan de Quay, Prime Minister of the Netherlands (1959-1963)
• Sweden
  • Monarch - Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden, King of Sweden (1950-1973)
  • Prime Minister - Tage Erlander, Prime Minister of Sweden (1946-1969)
• 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
  • Pope - John XXIII, Bishop of Rome (1958-1963)
  • Secretary of State - Domenico Cardinal Tardini , Cardinal Secretary of State (1952-1961)

Middle East

• Israel
  • President - Yitzhak Ben-Zvi, President of Israel (1952-1963)
  • Prime Minister - David Ben-Gurion, Prime Minister of Israel (1955-1963)
• Oman - Said Bin Taimur, Sultan of Oman (1932-1970)
• United Arab Republic
  • President - Gamal Abdel Nasser, President of the United Arab Republic (1958-1970)
  • Prime Minister - Gamal Abdel Nasser, Prime Minister of the United Arab Republic (1958-1962)

North America and the Caribbean

• Canada
  • Monarch - Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada (1952-present)
  • Governor General - Georges Vanier, Governor General (1959-1967)
  • Prime Minister - John Diefenbaker, Prime Minister (1957-1963)
• United States - Dwight Eisenhower, President of the United States (1953-1961)

South America

• Brazil - Juscelino Kubitschek de Oliveira, President of Brazil (1956-1961)
• Paraguay - Alfredo Stroessner, President of Paraguay (1954-1989)
• Peru - Manuel Prado y Ugarteche, President of Peru (1956-1962)