The almanac
The 1960 Edition
Limited to about 102 million copies: the babies born worldwide in 1960. About 61 million are still in circulation.
Estimates from the UN World Population Prospects 2024. How we count
What happened in 1960
- Two men reach the deepest oceanThe bathyscaphe Trieste carried Don Walsh and Jacques Piccard seven miles down to the Challenger Deep.January 23 · Source: Naval History and Heritage Command
- Radio telescope sets a space recordJodrell Bank in England kept in touch with the probe Pioneer V at 407,000 miles away.March 14 · Source: BBC On This Day
- First weather satellite goes upNASA launched TIROS-1, the first satellite built to photograph clouds from orbit.April 1 · Source: NASA Earth Observatory
- The first laser shinesTheodore Maiman fired a ruby rod in Malibu and got a burst of coherent light.May 16 · Source: American Physical Society
- Wilma Rudolph wins third goldAt the Rome Olympics she anchored the US 4x100m relay after winning the 100m and 200m.September 11 · Source: BBC On This Day
- The Flintstones premiere on ABCThe first animated sitcom in prime time brought Fred and Wilma to living rooms.September 30 · Source: Television Academy Foundation, The Interviews
- Etch A Sketch is Christmas's hitOhio Art's drawing toy, sold with TV ads, became the must-have gift that December.December · Source: The Strong National Museum of Play
Famous people born in 1960
- Diego MaradonaArgentine football player and manager · born October 30
- Ayrton SennaBrazilian racing driver · born March 21
- Julianne MooreBritish-American actress and author · born December 3
- Antonio BanderasSpanish actor · born August 10
- Jean-Claude Van DammeBelgian actor and martial artist · born October 18
- BonoIrish singer · born May 10
- Gary LinekerEnglish football pundit and former player · born November 30
- Colin FirthEnglish actor and producer · born September 10
From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia languages write about them. Spotted a mistake?
No. 1 songs of 1960
- El PasoMarty Robbins · first week at No. 1: January 4, 1960
- Running BearJohnny Preston · first week at No. 1: January 18, 1960
- Teen AngelMark Dinning · first week at No. 1: February 8, 1960
- The Theme From "A Summer Place"Percy Faith And His Orchestra · first week at No. 1: February 22, 1960
- Stuck On YouElvis Presley With The Jordanaires · first week at No. 1: April 25, 1960
- Cathy's ClownThe Everly Brothers · first week at No. 1: May 23, 1960
- Everybody's Somebody's FoolConnie Francis · first week at No. 1: June 27, 1960
- Alley-OopHollywood Argyles · first week at No. 1: July 11, 1960
- I'm SorryBrenda Lee · first week at No. 1: July 18, 1960
- Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polkadot BikiniBrian Hyland · first week at No. 1: August 8, 1960
- It's Now Or NeverElvis Presley With The Jordanaires · first week at No. 1: August 15, 1960
- The TwistChubby Checker · first week at No. 1: September 19, 1960
- My Heart Has A Mind Of Its OwnConnie Francis · first week at No. 1: September 26, 1960
- Mr. CusterLarry Verne · first week at No. 1: October 10, 1960
- Save The Last Dance For MeThe Drifters · first week at No. 1: October 17, 1960
- I Want To Be WantedBrenda Lee · first week at No. 1: October 24, 1960
- Georgia On My MindRay Charles · first week at No. 1: November 14, 1960
- StayMaurice Williams & The Zodiacs · first week at No. 1: November 21, 1960
- Are You Lonesome To-night?Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires · first week at No. 1: November 28, 1960
Billboard Hot 100, chart weeks of 1960. Spotted a mistake?
If you were born in 1960
- Older than the first human in spaceYuri Gagarin became the first human to fly into space and orbit the Earth on April 12, 1961.
- Older than the Beatles on Ed SullivanThe Beatles made their first live American TV appearance, on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964.
- Older than the Ford MustangThe Ford Mustang was unveiled to the public at the New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964.
- Older than the first spacewalkAlexei Leonov became the first person to float freely outside a spacecraft on March 18, 1965.
- Younger than NASANASA officially opened for business on October 1, 1958.
- Younger than the microchipJack Kilby demonstrated the first working integrated circuit (microchip) at Texas Instruments on September 12, 1958.
- Younger than the LEGO brickThe LEGO Group filed the patent for the modern interlocking LEGO brick on January 28, 1958.