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1960

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• • British
    • Scottish
  • Canadian
  • Danish
  • Irish
  • Italian

2713

1409
ԹՎ ՌՆԹ

6710

116–117

1881–1882

1367

2910

8 Eliz. 2 – 9 Eliz. 2

2504

1322

7468–7469

己亥年 (Earth Pig)
4657 or 4450
    — to —
庚子年 (Metal Rat)
4658 or 4451

1676–1677

3126

1952–1953

5720–5721

2016–2017

1881–1882

5060–5061

11960

960–961

1338–1339

1379–1380

Shōwa35
(昭和35年)

1891–1892

49

Gregorian minus 13 days

4293

ROC49
民國49年

492

2503

阴土猪年
(female Earth-Pig)
2086 or 1705 or 933
    — to —
阳金鼠年
(male Iron-Rat)
2087 or 1706 or 934

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1960.

1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar, the 1960th year of the Common Era (CE) and Anno Domini (AD) designations, the 960th year of the 2nd millennium, the 60th year of the 20th century, and the 1st year of the 1960s decade.

It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism.

Events[edit]

January[edit]

• January 1 – Cameroon becomes independent from France.^[1]
• January 9–11 – Aswan Dam construction begins in Egypt.
• January 10 – British Prime Minister Harold Macmillan makes the "Wind of Change" speech for the first time, to little publicity, in Accra, Gold Coast (modern-day Ghana).
• January 19 – A revised version of the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, which allows U.S. troops to be based on Japanese soil, is signed in Washington, D.C. by Prime Minister Nobusuke Kishi and President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The new treaty is opposed by the massive Anpo protests in Japan.^[2]
• January 21
  • Coalbrook mining disaster: A coal mine collapses at Holly Country, South Africa, killing 435 miners.
  • Avianca Flight 671 crashes and burns upon landing at Montego Bay, Jamaica killing 37, the worst air disaster in Jamaica's history and the first for Avianca.
• January 22
  • Charles de Gaulle, President of France, dismisses Jacques Massu as commander-in-chief of French troops in Algeria.
  • Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh descend into the Mariana Trench in the bathyscaphe Trieste, reaching the depth of 10,911 meters (35,797 feet), and become the first human beings to reach the lowest spot on Earth.
• January 24 – A major insurrection occurs in Algiers against French colonial policy.

February[edit]

• February 1 – Greensboro sit-ins: In Greensboro, North Carolina, four black students from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University begin a sit-in at a segregated Woolworth's lunch counter. Although they are refused service, they are allowed to stay at the counter. The event triggers many similar non-violent protests throughout the Southern United States, and six months later the original four protesters are served lunch at the same counter.
• February 3 – Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Harold Macmillan makes the Wind of Change speech to the South African Parliament in Cape Town (although he had first made the speech, to little publicity, in Accra, Gold Coast – modern-day Ghana – on January 10).
• February 5 – The first CERN particle accelerator becomes operational in Geneva, Switzerland.
• February 8 – Hollywood Walk of Fame is established.
• February 10 – A conference about the proposed independence of the Belgian Congo begins in Brussels, Belgium.
• February 11 – Twelve Indian soldiers die in clashes with Red Chinese troops along their small common border.
• February 13 – Gerboise Bleue: France tests its first atomic bomb, in the Sahara DesertofAlgeria.
• February 18 – The 1960 Winter Olympics begin at the Squaw Valley Ski ResortinPlacer County, California.
• February 26 – Alitalia Flight 618: An airliner en route to New York crashes into a cemetery at Shannon, Ireland, shortly after takeoff, killing 34 of the 52 persons on board.
• February 29 – The 5.7 M_w  Agadir Earthquake shakes coastal Morocco with a maximum perceived intensity of X (Extreme), destroying Agadir and leaving 12,000 dead and another 12,000 injured.

March[edit]

• March 5 – Alberto Korda takes his iconic photograph of Che Guevara, Guerrillero Heroico, in Havana.
• March 6
  • Vietnam War: The United States announces that 3,500 American soldiers will be sent to Vietnam.
  • The Canton of Geneva in Switzerland gives women the right to vote.
• March 17
  • Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 710 crashes near Tell City, Indiana, killing all 63 on board.
  • U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower approves a covert Central Intelligence Agency plan to train a paramilitary force against Cuba, which would result in the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion.^[4]
• March 21 – The Sharpeville massacre in South Africa results in more than 69 black protesters shot dead by police, 300 injured.
• March 22 – Arthur Leonard Schawlow and Charles Hard Townes receive the first patent for a laser, in the United States.
• March 23 – Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev meets French President Charles de Gaulle in Paris.
• March 29 – "Tom Pillibi" sung by 18-year-old Jacqueline Boyer (music by André Popp, lyrics by Pierre Cour) wins the Eurovision Song Contest 1960 for France.

April[edit]

• April 1
  • Abdul Rahman of Negeri Sembilan, 1st Yang di-Pertuan AgongofMalaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Hisamuddin Alam Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah, SultanofSelangor.
  • The United States launches the first weather satellite, TIROS-1.
  • The 1960 United States Census begins. There are 179,323,175 U.S. residents on this day.^[5] All people from Latin America are listed as white, including blacks from the Dominican Republic, European whites from Argentina and Mexicans who resemble Native Americans.
• April 4 – At the 32nd Academy Awards Ceremony, Ben-Hur wins a record 11 Oscars, including Best Picture.
• April 9 – White gunman David Pratt shoots South African Prime Minister Hendrik VerwoerdinJohannesburg, wounding him seriously.
• April 12 – Eric Peugeot, the youngest son of the founder of the Peugeot Corporation, is kidnapped in Paris. He is released on April 15, in exchange for $300,000 in ransom.
• April 19 – April Revolution: South Korean students hold a nationwide pro-democracy protest against President Syngman Rhee, eventually leading him to resign from office.
• April 21 – In Brazil, the country's capital (Federal District) is relocated from the city of Rio de Janeiro to the new city, Brasília, in the highlands. The actual city of Rio de Janeiro becomes the State of Guanabara.
• April 27 – Togo gains independence from France, with the French-administered United Nations Trust Territory being terminated.

May[edit]

• May 1
  • The U-2 incident: Several Soviet surface-to-air missiles shoot down an American Lockheed U-2 spy plane. Its pilot, Francis Gary Powers of the Central Intelligence Agency, is captured.
  • In India, this day is declared as 'Maharashtra Divas', i.e., Maharashtra Day (also celebrated as 'Kaamgaar Divas', i.e., Workers Day).
• May 3 – The European Free Trade Association (EFTA) is established.
• May 4 – West German refugee minister Theodor Oberländer is dismissed because of his Nazi past.
• May 6 – United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs the Civil Rights Act of 1960 into law.
• May 10 – The U.S. nuclear-powered submarine USS Triton, under the command of Captain Edward L. Beach Jr., completes the first underwater circumnavigation of the Earth (codenamed Operation Sandblast).
• May 11 – In Buenos Aires, four Mossad agents abduct fugitive Nazi German war criminal Adolf Eichmann in order that he can be taken to Israel and put on trial. This is announced on May 23 by Prime Minister of Israel David Ben-Gurion. Eichmann is convicted and executed in 1962.
• May 13 – A joint Swiss and Austrian expedition makes the first ascent of the Asian mountain Dhaulagiri, the world's 7th highest mountain.
• May 14 – The Kenyan African National Congress Party is founded in Kenya, when 3 political parties join forces.
• May 15 – The satellite Sputnik 4 is launched into orbit by the Soviet Union.
• May 16
  • Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev demands an apology from President Dwight D. Eisenhower for the U-2 reconnaissance plane flights over the Soviet Union, thus aborting the summit meeting scheduled for Paris in 1960.
  • Theodore Maiman operates the first laser.
• May 18 – Real Madrid beats Eintracht Frankfurt 7–3 at Hampden Park, Glasgow, and wins the 1959–60 European Cup in Association football.
• May 22 – The 9.5 M_w Valdivia earthquake affects Chile with a maximum Mercalli intensity of XII (Extreme). This megathrust earthquake ruptures from AraucotoChiloé Archipelago, causing the most powerful earthquake on record and a destructive basin-wide tsunami.
• May 27 – In Turkey, a bloodless military coup d'état removes President Celâl Bayar, and installs General Cemal Gürsel as the head of state.
• May 30 – Cemal Gürsel forms the new government of Turkey (its 24th government, composed mostly of so-called "technocrats").

June[edit]

• June 1 – New Zealand's first television station begins broadcasting, in the city of Auckland.
• June 5 – The Lake Bodom murders occur in Finland.
• June 9 – 1960 Pacific typhoon season: Typhoon Mary kills 1,600 people in China.
• June 10 – The "Hagerty Incident" – As part of the ongoing Anpo protests in Japan against the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty, a car carrying Dwight D. Eisenhower's press secretary James Hagerty and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Douglas MacArthur II is mobbed by protesters outside of Tokyo's Haneda Airport, requiring the occupants to be rescued by a U.S. Marine helicopter.^[6]
• June 15
  • The "June 15 Incident" – As part of the massive Anpo protests against the U.S.-Japan Security Treaty in Japan, radical student activists from the Zengakuren student federation attempt to storm the National Diet compound, precipitating a battle with police in which female Tokyo University student Michiko Kanba is killed.^[7]
  • The BC Ferries company, later to become the second-largest ferry operator in the world, commences service between Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay, British Columbia, Canada.
• June 16 – Premiere of Alfred Hitchcock's landmark thriller film, Psycho in the United States.
• June 19 – The new U.S.-Japan Security Treaty is automatically ratified 30 days after passing the Lower House of the Diet.^[8]
• June 20 – The short-lived Mali Federation, consisting of the Sudanese Republic (modern-day Republic of Mali) and Senegal, gains independence from France.
• June 22 – 1960 Quebec general election: the ruling Union nationale, led by Antonio Barrette, is defeated by the Quebec Liberal Party, led by Jean Lesage, beginning the 'Quiet Revolution' in the historically conservative Canadian province.^[9]
• June 23 – Japanese prime minister Nobusuke Kishi announces his resignation.
• June 24
  • Joseph Kasa-Vubu is elected as the first President of the independent Democratic Republic of the Congo.
  • Assassination attemptofVenezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt.
• June 26
  • The State of Somaliland (the former British Somaliland protectorate) receives its independence from the United Kingdom. Five days later, it unites as scheduled with the Trust Territory of Somalia (the former Italian Somaliland), to form the Somali Republic.
  • The Malagasy Republic (Madagascar) becomes independent from France.
• June 28 – King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand arrives in Washington, D.C. for a 4-day royal visit to the U.S.
• June 30
  • The Belgian Congo receives its independence from Belgium, as the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). A civil war follows shortly.
  • Public demonstrations by democratic and left forces against Italian government support of the post-fascist Italian Social Movement, are heavily suppressed by police.

July[edit]

• July 1
  • Ghana becomes a republic, and Kwame Nkrumah becomes its first President.
  • Cold War: A Soviet Air Force MiG-19 fighter plane flying north of Murmansk, Russia, over the Barents Sea, shoots down a six-man RB-47 Stratojet reconnaissance plane of the U.S. Air Force. Four of the U.S. Air Force officers are killed, and the two survivors are held prisoner in the Soviet Union.
  • The Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) gains its independence from Italy. Concurrently, it unites as scheduled with the five-day-old State of Somaliland (the former British Somaliland) to form the Somali Republic.
• July 4 – Following the admission of the State of Hawaii as the 50th state in August 1959, the new (and continuing) 50-star flag of the United States is first officially flown over Philadelphia.
• July 10 – The Soviet Union national football team defeats the Yugoslavia national football team 2–1 in Paris, to win the first UEFA European Championship.
• July 11 – Congo Crisis: Moise Tshombe declares the Congolese province of Katanga independent. He requests and receives help from Belgium.
• July 12 – Chin Peng is exiled from MalaysiatoThailand, and the Malayan state of emergency is lifted.
• July 14 – The United Nations Security Council decides to send troops to Katanga to oversee the withdrawal of Belgian troops.
• July 20 – Ceylon elects Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike as its Prime Minister, the world's first elected female head of government (she takes office the following day).
• July 21 – English navigator Francis Chichester wins the first Single-Handed Trans-Atlantic Race, arriving in New York aboard Gypsy Moth III having made a record solo Atlantic crossing in 40 days.^[1]
• July 25 – The Woolworth Company's lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina, the location of a sit-in that has sparked demonstrationsbyNegroes across the Southern United States, serves a meal to its first black customer.
• July 25–28 – In Chicago, the 1960 Republican National Convention nominates Vice President Richard Nixon as its candidate for President of the United States, and Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., as its candidate to become the new vice-president.

August[edit]

• August 1 – Dahomey (modern-day Benin) becomes independent from France.
• August 3 – Niger becomes independent from France.
• August 5 – Upper Volta (modern-day Burkina Faso) becomes independent from France.
• August 6 – In the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville) (later the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Albert Kalonji declares the independence of the Autonomous State of South Kasai.
• August 7
  • The Ivory Coast becomes independent from France.
  • The world's first standard gauge passenger preserved railway, the Bluebell Railway, opens to the public in southern England.
• August 9 – The government of Laos is overthrown in a coup.
• August 11 – Chad becomes independent from France.
• August 13 – Ubangi-Shari becomes independent from France, as the Central African Republic. It later becomes the Central African Empire.
• August 15 – Middle Congo becomes independent from France, as the Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville).
• August 16
  • The Mediterranean island of Cyprus receives its independence from the United Kingdom.
  • Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at an altitude of about 102,800 feet (31,300 meters). Kittinger sets world records for: high-altitude jump; free-fall by falling 16.0 miles (25.7 kilometers) before opening his parachute; first space dive, and fastest speed attained by a human being without mechanical or chemical assistance, about 982 k.p.h (614 m.p.h.). Kittinger survives more or less uninjured. He is also the first man to make a solo crossing of the Atlantic Ocean in a gas balloon, and the first man fully to witness the spherical curvature of the Earth. (Felix Baumgartner breaks his space diving record in 2012.)
• August 17
  • The newly named Beatles begin a 48-night residency at the Indra Club in Hamburg, West Germany.
  • Gabon becomes independent from France.
  • The trial of American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers begins in Moscow.
• August 19
  • Cold War: Moscow, American U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers is sentenced to 10 years in prison for espionage.
  • Sputnik program: The Soviet Union launches the satellite Sputnik 5, with the dogs Belka and Strelka (the Russian for "Squirrel" and "Little Arrow"), 40 mice, two rats and a variety of plants. This satellite returns to Earth the next day and all animals are recovered safely.
• August 20 – Senegal breaks away from the Mali Federation, declaring its independence.
• August 25 – The 1960 Summer Olympic Games begin in Rome.
• August 29 – Hurricane Donna kills 50 people in Florida and New England.

September[edit]

• September 1
  • Sultan Hisamuddin Alam Shah, SultanofSelangor and 2nd Yang di-Pertuan AgongofMalaysia, dies in office. He is replaced by Tuanku Syed Putra, RajaofPerlis.
  • Disgruntled railroad workers effectively halt operations of the Pennsylvania Railroad in the United States, marking the first shutdown in the company's history (the event lasts two days).
• September 2 – The first elections of the Parliament of the Central Tibetan Administration (in exile in India) are held. The Tibetan community observes this date as Democracy Day.
• September 5
  • 1960 Summer Olympic Games: Muhammad Ali (at this time Cassius Clay) of the United States wins the gold medal in light-heavyweight boxing.
  • Congolese President Joseph Kasa-Vubu dismisses Patrice Lumumba's entire government, and also places Lumumba under house arrest.
  • Poet Léopold Sédar Senghor is the first elected President of Senegal.
• September 6 – William Hamilton Martin and Bernon F. Mitchell, two American cryptologists, announce their defection to the Soviet Union at a press conference in Moscow.
• September 8 – In Huntsville, Alabama, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicates the Marshall Space Flight Center (which had been activated by NASA on July 1).
• September 9 – The first regular season game in the American Football League (established as a rival league to the NFL) takes place at Boston's Nickerson Field. The Denver Broncos defeat the Boston Patriots, 13–10.
• September 10 – 1960 Summer Olympic Games: Abebe BikilaofEthiopia wins the gold medal in the marathon, running barefoot in a world time, and becoming the first person from Sub-Saharan Africa to win Olympic gold.
• September 14
  • Colonel Joseph Mobutu takes power in Republic of the Congo via a military coup.
  • The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is founded by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.
• September 21 – Mexican President Adolfo López Mateos nationalizes the country's electrical system.
• September 22 – Mali, the sole remaining member of the "Mali Federation" (following the withdrawal of Senegal one month earlier), declares its full independence as the Republic of Mali.

October[edit]

• October 1 – Nigeria becomes independent from the United Kingdom, and Nnamdi Azikiwe becomes its first native-born Governor General.
• October 3 – Jânio Quadros is elected President of Brazil, for a five-year term.
• October 7 – Nigeria becomes the 99th member of the United Nations.
• October 12 – Cold War: Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev pounds his shoe on a table at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly, his way of protesting the discussion of the Soviet Union's policies toward Eastern Europe.
• October 14
  • Presidential candidate John F. Kennedy first suggests the idea for the Peace Corps of the United States.
  • The Premier of New South Wales officially opens Warragamba Dam,^[10] one of the world's largest domestic water supply dams.
• October 24 – Nedelin catastrophe: A large rocket explodes on the launch pad at the Baikonur Cosmodrome, killing at least 92 people of the Soviet space program.

November[edit]

• November 8 – 1960 United States presidential election: In a close race, Democratic U. S. Senator John F. Kennedy is elected over Republican U. S. Vice President Richard Nixon, to become (at 43) the second youngest man to serve as President of the United States, and the youngest man elected to this position.
• November 14
  • Belgium threatens to leave the United Nations over criticism of its policy concerning the Republic of the Congo.
  • Stéblová train disaster: A head-on collision between two trains in Pardubice, Czechoslovakia, kills 118 people.
• November 22 – The United Nations supports the government of Joseph Kasavubu and Joseph Mobutu in the Republic of the Congo.
• November 26 – 1960 New Zealand general election: The National Party defeats the governing Labour Party after only three years in office. National leader Keith Holyoake becomes Prime Minister of New Zealand for a second time.
• November 28 – Mauritania becomes independent of France.

December[edit]

• December – The African and Malagasy Organisation for Economic Cooperation (OAMCE – Organisation Africain et Malagache de Coopération Économique) is established.
• December 1
  • Patrice Lumumba, deposed premier of the Republic of the Congo, is arrested by the troops of Colonel Joseph Mobutu.
  • ASoviet satellite containing live animals (dogs Pcholka and Mushka) and plants is launched into orbit. Due to a malfunction, it burns up during re-entry.
  • Striking coal miners at the Miike Coal Mine in Japan return to work, ending the unprecedented 312-day-long Miike Struggle.^[11]
• December 2 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower authorizes the use of $1.0 million for the relief and resettlement of Cuban refugees, who had been arriving in Florida at the rate of about 1,000 per week.
• December 4 – The admission of Mauritania to the United Nations is vetoed by the Soviet Union.
• December 7 – The United Nations Security Council is called into session by the Soviet Union, in order to consider Soviet demands for the Security Council to seek the immediate release of former Congolese Premier Patrice Lumumba.
• December 8 – For the first time, Mary Martin's Peter Pan is presented as a stand-alone 2-hour special on NBC television in the United States, instead of as part of an anthology series. This version, rather than being presented live, is shown on videotape, enabling NBC to repeat it as often as they wish without having to restage it. Although nearly all of the adult actors repeat their original Broadway roles, all of the original children have, ironically, outgrown their roles and are replaced by new actors.
• December 9 – French President Charles de Gaulle's visit to Algeria is bloodied by European and Muslim rioters, in Algeria's largest cities. These riots cause 127 deaths.
• December 13
  • 1960 Ethiopian coup attempt: While Emperor Haile SelassieofEthiopia visits Brazil, his Kebur Zabagna (Imperial Bodyguard) leads a military coup against his rule, proclaiming that the emperor's son, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen Taffari, is the new emperor.
  • The countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua announce the formation of the Central American Common Market.
  • The U.S. Navy's Commander Leroy Heath (pilot) and Lieutenant Larry Monroe (bombardier/navigator) establish a world flight-altitude record of 91,450 feet (27,870 m), with payload, in an A-5 Vigilante bomber carrying 2,200 lb (1,000 kg), and better the previous world record by over four miles (6.4 km).
• December 14
  • Antoine Gizenga proclaims in the Democratic Republic of the Congo that he has taken over as the country's premier.
  • The first tied test is held by the West Indian cricket team in AustraliainBrisbane.
• December 15
  • King Mahendra of Nepal deposes the democratic government in his country and takes direct control himself.
  • King Baudouin of Belgium marries Doña Fabiola de Mora y Aragón.
• December 16
  • Secretary of State Christian Herter announces that the United States will commit five nuclear submarines and eighty Polaris missiles to the defense of the NATO countries by the end of 1963.
  • New York mid-air collision: A United Airlines DC-8 collides in mid-air with a TWA Lockheed Constellation over Staten Island in New York City. All 128 passengers and crewmembers on the two airliners, and six people on the ground, are killed.
• December 17 – Troops loyal to Emperor Haile SelassieinEthiopia overcome the coup that began on December 13, returning the reins to the Emperor upon his return from a trip to Brazil. The Emperor absolves his own son of any guilt.
• December 19 – Fire sweeps through the USS Constellation, to become the U.S. Navy's largest aircraft carrier, while she is under construction at the Brooklyn Navy Yard; killing 50 workers and injuring 150.
• December 23 – Hilkka Saarinen née Pylkkänen is murdered in the so-called the "oven homicide" case in Krootila, Kokemäki, Finland.^[12]

World population[edit]

• World population: 3,021,475,000
  • Africa: 277,398,000
  • Asia: 1,701,336,000
  • Europe: 604,401,000
  • Latin America: 218,300,000
  • North America: 204,152,000
  • Oceania: 15,888,000

Births[edit]

January[edit]

• January 2 – Naoki Urasawa, Japanese manga author and artist
• January 4
  • Michael Stipe, American rock singer (R.E.M.)^[13]
  • April Winchell, American writer and voice actress
• January 6
  • Natalia Bestemianova, Soviet ice dancer, 1988 Olympic Champion
  • Kari Jalonen, Finnish ice hockey player
  • Nigella Lawson, English journalist, broadcaster, television personality, gourmet and food writer
  • Miriam O'Callaghan, Irish media personality
• January 7 – Mohammad Javad Zarif, Iranian politician, diplomat
• January 10
  • Jurrie Koolhof, Dutch footballer and manager (d. 2019)
  • Negro Casas, Mexican professional wrestler
  • Brian Cowen, Taoiseach of Ireland
• January 12
  • Oliver Platt, Canadian actor
  • Dominique Wilkins, French-born American basketball player^[14]
• January 16
  • Wan Mohammad Khair-il Anuar, Malaysian politician, architect and entrepreneur (d. 2016)
  • Richard Elliot, Scottish-born American saxophonist
• January 18 – Mark Rylance, English actor, theatre director and playwright
• January 20
  • Sabar Koti, Indian singer (d. 2018)
  • Will Wright, American computer game designer
• January 21 – Mamoru Nagano, Japanese designer
• January 22 – Michael Hutchence, Australian rock musician (INXS) (d. 1997)
• January 23 – Patrick de Gayardon, French skydiver and skysurfing pioneer (d. 1998)
• January 27 – Samia Suluhu, President of Tanzania
• January 29
  • Gia Carangi, American model (d. 1986)^[15]
  • Sean Kerly, British field hockey player^[16]
  • Greg Louganis, American diver
  • Tigran Sargsyan, Armenian former Prime Minister of Armenia
• January 31 – Grant Morrison, Scottish comic book writer and playwright

February[edit]

• February 2 – Jari Porttila, Finnish sports journalist
• February 3 – Joachim Löw, German football manager
  • Kerry Von Erich, American professional wrestler (d. 1993)
• February 4 – Jonathan Larson, American composer and playwright (d. 1996)
• February 7
  • Yasunori Matsumoto, Japanese voice actor
  • James Spader, American actor and producer
• February 8
  • Benigno Aquino III, 15th President of the Philippines (d. 2021)
  • Alfred Gusenbauer, Chancellor of Austria
• February 9 – Frederik Ndoci, Albanian singer, songwriter, poet, writer, actor and international Recording artist
• February 13 – Pierluigi Collina, Italian football (soccer) referee
• February 14
  • Olivia Cheng, Hong Kong actress
  • Meg Tilly, American-Canadian actress and novelist
• February 16 – Tineke Huizinga, Dutch politician
• February 18
  • Gazebo, Italian musician
  • Tony Anselmo, American animator and voice actor^[17]
• February 19 – Prince Andrew, Duke of York, British prince and second son of Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh
• February 20
  • Kee Marcello, Swedish rock guitarist (Easy Action, Europe)
  • Cándido Muatetema Rivas, 4th Prime Minister of Equatorial Guinea (d. 2014)
• February 21
  • Laurent Petitguillaume, French radio and television host
  • Ricky Tosso, Peruvian actor (d. 2016)
• February 23 – Naruhito, Emperor of Japan
• February 24 – Wendy Sharpe, Australian artist
• February 27
  • Andrés Gómez, Ecuadorian tennis player
  • Paul Humphreys, English musician (OMD)
• February 28
  • Tōru Ōkawa, Japanese voice actor
  • Dorothy Stratten, Canadian model and actress (d. 1980)

March[edit]

• March 2 – Hector Calma, Filipino basketball player
• March 4
  • Mikko Kuustonen, Finnish singer and songwriter
  • John Mugabi, Ugandan boxer and World Junior Middleweight champion
• March 7 – Ivan Lendl, Czech tennis player
• March 8
  • Finn Carter, American actress
  • Jeffrey Eugenides, American author
• March 10
  • Anne MacKenzie, Scottish broadcaster
  • Anthony Fisher, Australian prelate of the Catholic Church and a friar of the Order of Preachers
• March 11 – Sharon Jordan, American actress
• March 12 – Minoru Niihara, Japanese singer (Loudness)
• March 13
  • Joe Ranft, American screenwriter, animator, storyboard artist and voice actor (d. 2005)^[18]
  • Adam Clayton, English-born Irish musician (U2)
• March 15 – Rosa Beltrán, Mexican writer, lecturer, and academic
• March 17 – Arye Gross, American actor
• March 20 – Norbert Pohlmann, German computer scientist
• March 21 – Ayrton Senna, Brazilian triple Formula One world champion (d. 1994)
• March 23
  • Nicol Stephen, Scottish politician
  • Yoko Tawada, Japanese writer
• March 24
  • Jan Berglin, Swedish cartoonist
  • Kelly Le Brock, American-English model and actress
  • Nena, German singer
• March 25 – Brenda Strong, American actress
• March 26 – Jennifer Grey, American actress
• March 27
  • Hans Pflügler, German footballer
  • Renato Russo, Brazilian singer (Legião Urbana) (d. 1996)
• March 29 – Hiromi Tsuru, Japanese voice actress (d. 2017)

April[edit]

• April 1 – Michael Praed, British actor
• April 2 – Linford Christie, British athlete
• April 4 – Hugo Weaving, Nigerian-born Australian actor
• April 8 – John Schneider, American actor
• April 9 – Isabel Coixet, Spanish film director
• April 10
  • Fabio Golfetti, Brazilian musician and record producer (Violeta de Outono, Gong)
  • Héctor Rivoira, Argentine football manager and player (d. 2019)
• April 11 – Jeremy Clarkson, English journalist, television show host and comedian
• April 12 – David Thirdkill, American basketball player^[19]
• April 13
  • Dinesh Kaushik, Indian politician
  • Rudi Völler, German footballer and manager
• April 14 – Brad Garrett, American actor, comedian and voice actor
• April 15
  • Susanne Bier, Danish film director
  • King Philippe of Belgium
• April 16
  • Wahab Akbar, Filipino politician (d. 2007)
  • Rafael Benítez, Spanish football manager
  • Pierre Littbarski, German footballer and coach
  • Sok Siphana, Cambodian lawyer^[20]
• April 18
  • Neo Rauch, German painter
  • J. Christopher Stevens, American diplomat, U.S. Ambassador to Libya (d. 2012)
• April 19
  • Gustavo Petro, President of Colombia, 2022–2026
• April 20 – Miguel Díaz-Canel, Cuban politician, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba and 17th President of Cuba
• April 23
  • Valerie Bertinelli, American actress and presenter^[21] (born April 23, 1960)^[22]
  • Steve Clark, English guitarist (Def Leppard) (d. 1991)
  • David Gedge, English musician (The Wedding Present and Cinerama)
  • Léo Jaime, Brazilian writer, actor and musician (João Penca e Seus Miquinhos Amestrados )
  • Claude Julien, Canadian ice hockey coach
• April 24 – Masami Kikuchi, Japanese voice actor
• April 25 – Michael Lohan, American television personality; father of Lindsay Lohan
• April 28
  • Elena Kagan, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States
  • Ian Rankin, Scottish crime novelist
• April 29 – Steve Blum, American voice actor

May[edit]

• May 2
  • Stephen Daldry, English film director
  • Gjorge Ivanov, President of Macedonia
• May 4 – Werner Faymann, Chancellor of Austria
• May 8
  • Franco Baresi, Italian footballer
  • Sergey Belyayev, Kazakhstani shooter (d. 2020)
  • Patrick McKenna, Canadian actor and comedian
• May 10
  • Bono, Irish rock singer (U2)
  • Merlene Ottey, Jamaican-Slovenian former track and field sprinter^[23]
• May 14 – Ronan Tynan, Irish tenor
• May 15 – Julian Jarrold, English film and television director and producer
• May 16
  • Landon Deireragea, Nauruan politician
  • Lovebug Starski, American rapper and disc jockey (d. 2018)
• May 17 – John Payne, English actor and voice actor
• May 18
  • Jari Kurri, Finnish hockey player
  • Yannick Noah, French tennis player
• May 19 – Yazz, British pop singer
• May 20
  • John Billingsley, American actor
  • Tony Goldwyn, American actor, voice actor, and film director
• May 21
  • Jeffrey Dahmer, American serial killer (d. 1994)
  • Mark Ridgway, Australian cricketer
  • Vladimir Salnikov, Russian swimmer
• May 21 – Mohanlal, Indian actor
• May 22
  • Amir Ishemgulov, Russian biologist and politician (d. 2020)
  • Hideaki Anno, Japanese director
• May 23 – Linden Ashby, American actor
• May 24
  • Greg Conescu, Australian rugby league player
  • Guy Fletcher, British keyboardist (Dire Straits)
  • Doug Jones, American actor
  • Kristin Scott Thomas, English actress
• May 25 – Amy Klobuchar, American politician
• May 26 – Rob Murphy, American baseball player
• May 27
  • Alexander Bashlachev, Soviet poet and rock musician (d. 1988)
  • D. Kupendra Reddy, Indian politician
• May 29
  • Thomas Baumer, Swiss economist, interculturalist and personality assessor
  • Neil Crone, Canadian actor
• May 30
  • Micah Barnes, Canadian pop singer-songwriter
  • Carmen Velasquez, American justice, New York City Civil Court
• May 31 – Chris Elliott, American actor and comedian

June[edit]

• June 2
  • P. Balasubramaniam, Malaysian police officer (d. 2013)
  • Tony Hadley, British pop musician and was lead singer of Spandau Ballet
  • Kyle Petty, American NASCAR driver and sports commentator
  • Maria Lourdes Sereno, Filipina jurist, 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
• June 3 – Catherine Davani, first female Papua New Guinean judge (d. 2016)
• June 5 – Seiichi Endo, Japanese criminal (d. 2018)
• June 6 – Steve Vai, American guitarist
• June 7 − Hirohiko Araki, Japanese manga writer
• June 8
  • Gary Trousdale, American animator and film director
  • Mick Hucknall, English rock singer and songwriter (Simply Red)
• June 11 – Mehmet Oz, Turkish-American cardiothoracic surgeon and television personality
• June 12 – Corynne Charby, French model, actress and singer
• June 15 – Michèle Laroque, French actress
• June 17
  • Thomas Haden Church, American actor and film director
  • Adrián Campos, Spanish Formula One driver (d. 2021)^[24]
• June 18 – Coco Fusco, Cuban-American artist, writer, and curator
• June 20 – Anatoly Donika, Russian former professional ice hockey player
• June 21 – Karl Erjavec, Slovenian lawyer and politician
• June 22 – Erin Brockovich, American environmental activist
• June 23 – Per Morberg, Swedish actor, chef and news presenter
• June 26 – Mauro Carlesse, Brazilian politician, Governor of Tocantins
• June 27 – Michael Mayer, American theatre director, film director, television director and playwright
• June 28 – John Elway, American football player
• June 29 – Ivans Ribakovs, Latvian politician
• June 30
  • Anna Šišková, Slovak actress
  • Tony Bellotto, Brazilian guitarist and writer
  • Diego Trujillo, Colombian actor
  • Vincent Klyn, New Zealand-born actor and surfer
  • Murray Cook, musician

July[edit]

• July 1
  • Kōji Ishii, Japanese voice actor
  • Mikael Håfström, Swedish film director and screenwriter
  • Evelyn "Champagne" King, American disco singer
• July 3
  • Vince Clarke, British musician and composer (Depeche Mode, Erasure)
  • Perrine Pelen, French alpine skier
  • Håkan Loob, Swedish ice hockey player
• July 4 – Roland Ratzenberger, Austrian Formula One driver (d. 1994)
• July 5
  • Brad Loree, Canadian actor and stuntman
  • Hugo Rubio, Chilean football player
• July 6
  • Ferenc Juhász, Minister of Defence for Hungary
  • Lyudmyla Denisova, Ukrainian politician
• July 7 – Kevin A. Ford, American astronaut
• July 8
  • Thilo Martinho, German composer and singer-songwriter
  • Eleanor Scott, British archaeologist and politician
• July 9
  • Yūko Asano, Japanese actress and singer
  • Charles Gavin, Brazilian drummer and producer
  • Wanda Vázquez Garced, Puerto Rican politician, Governor
  • Michael Feichtenbeiner, German football coach
• July 10
  • Jeff Bergman, American voice actor, comedian and impressionist
  • Ariel Castro, Puerto Rican-American convicted kidnapper, rapist and former bus driver (d. 2013)
• July 11 – Jafar Panahi, Iranian filmmaker^[25]
• July 12 – Sully Díaz, Puerto Rican actress and singer
• July 13
  • Ian Hislop, British journalist and broadcaster
  • Frane Perišin, Croatian actor
• July 14
  • Kyle Gass, American music singer-songwriter-guitarist/actor
  • Jane Lynch, American actress, comedian and author
  • Taung Galay Sayadaw, Burmese buddhist monk
  • Angélique Kidjo, Beninese singer-songwriter and activist
• July 15
  • Dennis Storhøi, Norwegian actor
  • Martyn Joseph, Welsh singer-songwriter
  • Sergio Kato, Brazilian actor, television host, comedian and martial artist
• July 16
  • Cedric Foo, Singaporean politician and corporate executive
  • Jacqueline Gold, British businesswoman (d. 2023)
  • PJ Powers, South African musician
• July 17
  • Robin Shou, Hong Kong martial artist and actor
  • Mark Burnett, British television and film producer
  • Jan Wouters, Dutch football player and manager
• July 19 – Atom Egoyan, Armenian-Canadian film maker
• July 20 – Jonathon Morris, English actor and television presenter
• July 21
  • Ezequiel Viñao, Argentine-born composer
  • Fritz Walter, German footballer
• July 22 − John Leguizamo, Colombian-American actor, comedian and producer^[26]
• July 27 – Uddhav Thackeray, Indian Politician
• July 28
  • Jonathan Gold, American food critic (d. 2018)
  • Harald Lesch, German physicist, astronomer, natural philosopher, author, television presenter, professor of physics
• July 30 – Richard Linklater, American director
• July 31 – Dale Hunter, Canadian ice hockey player and coach

August[edit]

• August 1
  • Chuck D, American rapper (Public Enemy)
  • Professor Griff, American rapper (Public Enemy)
• August 4
  • Dean Malenko, American professional wrestler
  • José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Prime Minister of Spain
• August 7
  • Rosana Pastor, Spanish actress
  • David Duchovny, American actor
• August 10
  • Antonio Banderas, Spanish actor and film director
  • Kenny Perry, American golfer
• August 12 – Laurent Fignon, French road bicycle racer (d. 2010)
• August 13
  • Koji Kondo, Japanese composer
  • Phil Taylor, English darts player
  • Lorna Simpson, American photographer and multimedia artist
• August 14 – Sarah Brightman, English soprano singer and actress
• August 15 – Judy Holt, British television actress
• August 16
  • Franz Welser-Möst, Austrian conductor^{[citation needed]}
  • Timothy Hutton, American actor
• August 17 – Sean Penn, American actor and film director
• August 18 – Stuart Matthewman, English songwriter
• August 19 – Morten Andersen, American football player
• August 20 – Elizabeth Alda, American actress
• August 22 – Regina Taylor, American actress
• August 23 – Chris Potter, Canadian actor and musician
• August 24 – Cal Ripken Jr., American baseball player
• August 26
  • Branford Marsalis, American musician
  • Ola Ray, American actress and model
• August 28
  • Jodi Carlisle, American actress
  • Leroy Chiao, American engineer, retired NASA astronaut^[27]
• August 29 – Viire Valdma, Estonian actress