Historical Events
- Feb 8 Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom issued an Order-in-Council, stating that she and her family would be known as the House of Windsor, and that her descendants will take the name "Mountbatten-Windsor".
- Feb 13 France becomes the 4th nuclear nation by exploding the 70 kilo-ton "Gerboise Bleue" atomic bomb in the French Algerian Sahara desert [1]
- Feb 29 Agadir earthquake in Morocco kills a third of the population (12,000-15,000)
- Mar 25 1st guided missile launched from nuclear powered sub (Halibut)
- May 9 US becomes the first country to legalize the birth control pill
- May 10 US atomic submarine USS Triton completes 1st submerged circumnavigation of the globe
- Jun 23 1st contraceptive pill is made available for purchase in the U.S.
- Sep 14 Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi-Arabia and Venezuela form the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- Dec 20 The National Liberation Front, better known as the Viet Cong, is officially formed in South Vietnam
- More Historical Events
1960 in Film & TV
- Feb 3 "La Dolce Vita" directed by Federico Fellini and starring Marcello Mastroianni and Anita Ekberg has its film premiere in Italy
- Feb 26 Vera Miles stars in"Mirror Image" episode of CBS anthology series "The Twilight Zone"
- Mar 17 One of the first French New Wave films, "Breathless", directed by Jean-Luc Godard, starring Jean-Paul Belmondo and Jean Seberg is released in France
- Jun 16 "Psycho", psychological horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock, starring Janet Leigh, Anthony Perkins, and Vera Miles, opens in New York City
- Sep 8 Nationwide release (US) of Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" starring Anthony Perkins and Janet Leigh
- Oct 6 "Spartacus", directed by Stanley Kubrick and starring Kirk Douglas and Laurence Olivier, premieres in NYC
1960 in Music
- Jan 1 Johnny Cash plays first of many free concerts behind bars at San Quentin Prison, California; Merle Haggard among the inmate audience
- Apr 3 Elvis Presley records ‘It's Now Or Never’, ‘Fever’ and ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ at RCA studios in Nashville, Tennessee
- May 3 Musical "Fantasticks" by Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones, premieres in NYC (world's longest running musical)
- Jun 19 Loretta Lynn records "I'm a Honky Tonk Girl"
- Sep 19 Chubby Checker's "The Twist" hits #1 on the Billboard Hot 100
- Oct 27 American pop and soul singer Ben E. King records "Spanish Harlem" & "Stand By Me"
- Nov 14 Ray Charles' single "Georgia On My Mind" reaches #1
1960 in Sport
- Jan 11 LaMar Clark sets pro boxing record of 44 consecutive knockouts
- Feb 1 Australian Championships Men's Tennis: In a classic all-Australian final Rod Laver beats Neale Fraser 5-7, 3-6, 6-3, 8-6, 8-6; Laver's first Grand Slam title
- Aug 25 AFL begins placing players names on back of their jerseys
- Sep 15 Maurice Richard announces his retirement. He finishes his career with 544 goals, an NHL record at the time.
- Oct 29 Cassius Clay's [Muhammad Ali] 1st professional fight; beats Tunney Hunsaker on points in 6 rounds in Louisville, Kentucky
Did You Know?
Did You Know?"To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee is first published by J. B. Lippincott & Co.
On July 11, 1960
Ayrton Senna
Jeffrey Dahmer
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Tilda Swinton
John F. Kennedy Jr.
Cathy MoriartyFamous People in 1960
Arnold Palmer
Burt Lancaster
Edward Teller
Elizabeth Taylor
Emilio G. Segrè
Linus Pauling
Willard Libby
William ShockleyWorld Leaders in 1960
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Mao Zedong
Nikita Khrushchev
Would You Believe?
"The Flintstones" the first animated sitcom created by Hanna-Barbera premieres on ABC in the US
On September 30, 1960
Famous Weddings
- Jan 22 Comedic actor Bob Denver (25) weds Maggie Ryan in California
- Jan 31 Songwriter Adolph Green marries actress and singer Phyllis Newman in NYC
- Mar 31 Actor Yul Brynner (39) weds fashion house executive Doris Kleiner (32) in Mexico City; divorce in 1967
Famous Divorces
- Mar 4 American comedienne Lucille Ball files for divorce from Cuban-American singer Desi Arnaz, after 14 years of marriage
- Mar 26 Academy Award-winning actor Yul Brynner (39) divorces actress Virginia Gilmore (40) after 15 years of marriage
- Jun 14 Actress Laraine Day (39) divorces manager Leo Durocher (53) due to incompatibility after 12 years of marriage
More Weddings & Divorces
Albert Camus
Melvin Purvis
Boris Pasternak
Albert Kesselring
Otto Frederick Rohwedder
Clark GableArticles and Photos
‘Guinea Pigs’ Befriend Super Surgeon
Sir Archibald McIndoe was a New Zealand-born surgeon whose pioneering treatment of burns victims during the Second World War revolutionised plastic surgery.April 12The Twist Dance Craze
Young people in Berlin taking part in the Twist dance craze, 1964September 19How Britain Fell in Love with Lady Chatterley
After a sensational trial, the courts cleared the way for the controversial novel Lady Chatterley's Lover to go on sale in Britain, causing a stampede.November 10Coronation Street, King of the Soaps
Thought to have no great future when launched on this day, Coronation Street still reigns supremeDecember 9
