From AmericolaWiki
1962 (MCMLXII) was a common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar). In Chinese Zodiac, the "year" of the Ox ended on February 4, 1962 and the "year" of the Tiger began on February 5, 1962.
[edit] Events
[edit] January
[edit] February
- February 2 - For the first time in 403 years, Neptune and Pluto align.
- February 3 - The U.S. announces its trade embargo against Cuba.
- February 4 - The Sunday Times becomes the first paper to print a colour supplement.
- February 4-February 5 - During the new moon and solar eclipse of February 4-5, 1962, an extremely rare grand conjunction of the classical planets occurred (it included all five of the naked-eye planets plus the Sun and Moon), all of them within 16° of one another on the ecliptic. At the precise moment of the new moon/solar eclipse, five celestial bodies (the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Jupiter) were clustered within 3° of each other, with the Earth in close conjunction with them. Taken in totality though, this grand conjunction included the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, with the Earth also in alignment with the Sun and Moon at the exact moment of the new moon/solar eclipse (eight celestial bodies in total).
- February 5 - French President Charles de Gaulle calls for allowing Algeria to be an independent nation.
- February 6 - Negotiations between U.S. Steel and the U.S. Department of Commerce begin.
- February 7 - The United States Government bans all U.S.-related Cuban imports and exports.
- February 7 - A coal mine explosion in Saarland, West Germany kills 299.
- February 9 - The Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation opens.
- February 10 - Captured American spy pilot Francis Gary Powers is exchanged for captured Soviet spy Rudolf Abel in Berlin.
- February 12 - Six members of the Committee of 100 of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament are found guilty of a breach of the Official Secrets Act.
- February 14 - First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy takes television viewers on a tour of the White House.
- February 15 - Urho Kekkonen is re-elected president of Finland.
- February 16 - Heavy storms flood Germany's North Sea coast, mainly around Hamburg; more than 300 people die, thousands lose their homes.
- February 17 - Flooding occurs in the North Sea coasts.
- February 20 - Project Mercury: While aboard Friendship 7, John Glenn becomes the first American to orbit the Earth, three times in 4 hours, 55 minutes.
- February 23 - Twelve European countries form the European Space Agency.
- June 3 - Air France charter flight Chateau de Sully, a Boeing 707, over-runs the runway at Orly Airport in Paris; 130 of 132 passengers are killed, two flight attendants survive. Most victims are cultural and civic leaders of Atlanta, Georgia.
- June 6 - President John F. Kennedy gives the commencement address at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.
- June 11 - President John F. Kennedy gives the commencement address at Yale University.
- June 11 - Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin become the only apparently successful escapees from the Alcatraz Island prison. There is no conclusive evidence that they survived the attempt.
- June 15 - Students for a Democratic Society complete the Port Huron Statement.
- June 17 - The OAS signs a truce with the FLN in Algeria, but a day later announces that it will continue the fight on behalf of French Algerians.
- June 17 - Brazil beats Czechoslovakia 3-1 to win the 1962 FIFA World Cup.
- June 22 - An Air France Boeing 707 jet crashes into terrain during bad weather in Guadeloupe, West Indies, killing all 113 on board. It is the airline's second fatal accident in just 3 weeks.
- June 25 - Engel v. Vitale: The United States Supreme Court rules that mandatory prayers in public schools are unconstitutional.
- June 26 - A two-day steel strike begins in Italy, in support of increased wages and five-day working week.
- June 30 - The last soldiers of the French Foreign Legion leave Algeria.
[edit] August
[edit] September
- September 1 - A referendum in Singapore supports the Malayan Federation.
- September 1 - Typhoon Wanda strikes Hong Kong, killing at least 130 and wounding more than 600.
- September 2 - The Soviet Union agrees to send arms to Cuba.
- September 8 - Newly independent Algeria, by referendum, adopts a constitution.
- September 12 - President John F. Kennedy declares that the U.S. will put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
- September 15 - The Beatles are signed by Parlophone Records.
- September 21 - A border conflict between China and India erupts into fighting.
- September 21 - New Musical Express, a British music magazine, publishes a story about two 13-year-old schoolgirls, Sue and Mary, releasing a disc on Decca, and adds, "A Liverpool group, The Beatles, have recorded 'Love Me Do' for Parlophone Records, set for October 5 release."
- September 26 - Civil war erupts in Yemen.
- September 27 - A flash flood in Barcelona, Spain, kills more than 440.
- September 27 - Rachel Carson's book Silent Spring is released, giving rise to the modern environmentalist movement.
- September 28 - Prime Minister Ahmed Ben Bella founds the first government in Algeria.
- September 29 - The Canadian Alouette 1, the first satellite built outside the United States and the Soviet Union, is launched from Vandenberg AFB in California.
- September 30 - CBS broadcasts the final episodes of Suspense and Yours Truly, Johnny Dollar, marking the end of the Golden Age of Radio.
[edit] October
[edit] November
- November 1 - The Soviets begin dismantling their missiles in Cuba.
- November 3 - The term "Personal computer" is first mentioned by the media.
- November 5 - Franz Josef Strauß, the West German defence minister, is relieved of his duties over the Spiegel scandal, due to his alleged involvement in police action against the magazine.
- November 5 - Saudi Arabia breaks off diplomatic relations with Egypt, following a period of unrest partly caused by the defection of several Saudi princes to Egypt.
- November 5 - A coal mining disaster in Ny-Ålesund kills 21 people. The Norwegian government is forced to resign in the aftermath of this accident in August, 1963.
- November 6 - Apartheid: The United Nations General Assembly passes a resolution condemning South Africa's racist apartheid policies, and calls for all UN member states to cease military and economic relations with the nation.
- November 7 - Richard M. Nixon loses the California governor's race. In his concession speech, he states that this is his "last press conference" and that "you won't have Dick Nixon to kick around any more".
- November 17 - In Washington, DC, U.S. President John F. Kennedy dedicates Dulles International Airport.
- November 20 - The Cuban Missile Crisis ends: In response to the Soviet Union agreeing to remove its missiles from Cuba, U.S. President John F. Kennedy ends the quarantine of the Caribbean nation.
- November 23 - United Airlines Flight 297 crashes, killing all 17 on board.
- November 26 - Spiegel scandal: German police end their occupation of Der Spiegel offices.
- November 27 - French President Charles De Gaulle orders Georges Pompidou to form a government.
- November 29 - An agreement is signed between Britain and France to develop the Concorde supersonic airliner.
- November 30 - The United Nations General Assembly elects U Thant of Burma as the new UN Secretary-General.
[edit] December
- December 2 - Vietnam War: After a trip to Vietnam at the request of U.S. President John F. Kennedy, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mike Mansfield becomes the first American official not to make an optimistic public comment on the war's progress.
- December 7 - Prince Rainier III of Monaco revises the principality's constitution, devolving some of his formerly autocratic power to several advisory and legislative councils.
- December 8 - The first period of the Second Vatican Council closes.
- December 8 - In Brunei, Sheik Azaharin stages a one-day rebellion.
- December 8 - The North Kalimantan National Army revolts in Brunei (first stirrings of the Indonesian Confrontation).
- December 9 - Tanganyika (now Tanzania) becomes a republic within the Commonwealth, with Julius Nyerere as president.
- December 11 - In West Germany, a coalition government of Christian Democrats, Christian Socialists, and Free Democrats is formed.
- December 14 - U.S. spacecraft Mariner 2 flies by Venus, becoming the first probe to successfully transmit data from another planet.
- December 19 - Britain acknowledges the right of Nyasaland (now Malawi) to secede from the Central African Federation.
- December 19 - The last foreign-occupied territory of India, Daman and Diu, is integrated into India.
- December 22 - "Big Freeze" in Britain: no frost-free nights until March 5, 1963.
- December 24 - Cuba releases last 1,113 participants in the Bay of Pigs Invasion to the U.S., in exchange for food worth $53 million.
- December 30 - United Nations troops occupy the last rebel positions in Katanga; Moise Tshombe moves to South Rhodesia.
[edit] Unknown dates
[edit] Births
[edit] January
- January 3 - Guy Pratt, English bassist, songwriter, actor & comedian (worked for Pink Floyd, Michael Jackson, Coverdale Page)
- January 5 - Joe Monzo, American composer
- January 7 - Abigail Johnson, American financial businessperson
- January 7 - Hallie Todd, American actress
- January 8 - Chris Marion, American musician (Little River Band)
- January 14 - Michael McCaul, American politician
- January 17 - Jim Carrey, Canadian actor and comedian
- January 18 - Jeff Yagher, American actor
- January 21 - Tyler Cowen, American economist
- January 21 - Marie Trintignant, French actress (d. 2003)
- January 30 - King Abdullah II of Jordan
[edit] February
- February 4 - Clint Black, American musician
- February 5 - Jennifer Jason Leigh, American actress
- February 6 - Axl Rose, American singer (Guns N' Roses)
- February 7 - Garth Brooks, American musician
- February 7 - Eddie Izzard, British actor and comedian
- February 8 - Malorie Blackman, British-born author
- February 10 - Cliff Burton, American bassist (Metallica) (d. 1986)
- February 10 - Bobby Czyz, American boxer
- February 11 - Sheryl Crow, American singer
- February 12 - Nana Ioseliani, Georgian chess player
- February 12 - Jimmy Kirkwood, Irish-born field hockey player
- February 13 - Aníbal Acevedo Vilá, American politician
- February 17 - Lou Diamond Phillips, American actor
- February 18 - Julie Strain, American actress and model
- February 20 - Kenn Nesbitt, American poet and children's author
- February 21 - Vanessa Feltz, British television presenter
- February 21 - Chuck Palahniuk, American author
- February 21 - David Foster Wallace, American writer
- February 22 - Steve Irwin, Australian herpetologist and television personality (The Crocodile Hunter) (d. 2006)
- February 22 - Lenda Murray, American bodybuilder
- February 23 - Melinda Mays, Playboy Playmate
- February 24 - Michelle Shocked, American musician
- February 24 - Teri Weigel, Playboy Playmate and adult actress
- February 25 - Birgit Fischer, German kayaker
- February 27 - Adam Baldwin, American actor
- February 27 - Grant Show, American actor
- March 2 - Jon Bon Jovi, American singer, songwriter, and actor
- March 2 - Raimo Summanen, Finnish ice hockey player and coach
- March 3 - Jackie Joyner-Kersee, American athlete
- March 3 - Herschel Walker, American football player
- March 4 - Simon Bisley, British comic book artist
- March 4 - Lolo Ferrari, French actress (d. 2000)
- March 4 - David Sparrow, British actor
- March 6 - Erika Hess, Swiss alpine skier
- March 7 - Taylor Dayne, American singer
- March 8 - Michael Graham, American singer, entertainer
- March 10 - Seiko Matsuda, Japanese pop singer/songwriter
- March 12 - Darryl Strawberry, baseball player
- March 15 - Terence Trent D'Arby, American-born singer
- March 16 - Branco Mello, Brazilian singer, actor and writer
- March 17 - Clare Grogan, Scottish actress and singer
- March 18 - Thomas Ian Griffith, American actor
- March 19 - Ivan Calderón, Puerto Rican Major League Baseball player (d. 2003)
- March 20 - Stephen Sommers, American film director
- March 21 - Matthew Broderick, American actor
- March 21 - Rosie O'Donnell, American comedian, actress, talk show host, and publisher
- March 23 - Steve Redgrave, English rower
- March 23 - Jenny Wright, American actress
- March 24 - Renee Rosnes, Canadian jazz pianist/composer
- March 25 - Marcia Cross, American actress
- March 26 - John Stockton, American basketball player
- March 30 - MC Hammer, American rapper
- April 1 - Phillip Schofield, British TV presenter
- April 2 - Mark Shulman, American children's author
- April 3 - Mike Ness, American musician (Social Distortion)
- April 4 - Ava Fabian, Playboy Playmate
- April 8 - Izzy Stradlin, American musician (Guns N' Roses)
- April 9 - Imran Sherwani, British field hockey player
- April 10 - Steve Tasker, American football player
- April 11 - Vincent Gallo, American actor
- April 12 - Art Alexakis, American singer and musician (Everclear)
- April 13 - Jennifer Rubin, American actress/model
- April 15 - Nawal El Moutawakel, Moroccan hurdler
- April 16 - Ian MacKaye, American musician
- April 19 - Al Unser, Jr., American race car driver
- April 20 - Henry Joseph Nasiff Jr., Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf from The Howard Stern Show (d. 2001)
- April 23 - John Hannah, Scottish actor
- April 23 - Hillel Slovak, American mucician (Red Hot Chili Peppers) (d. 1988)
- April 24 - Steve Roach, champion rugby league prop forward
- April 26 - Colin Anderson, English footballer
- May 1 - Debi Diamond, American adult actress
- May 2 - Jimmy White, British snooker player
- May 3 - Anders Graneheim, Swedish bodybuilder
- May 4 - Oleta Adams, American soul and jazz singer
- May 4 - Tracy Vaccaro, [American model
- May 9 - David Gahan, English singer (Depeche Mode)
- May 10 - David Fincher, American film director
- May 12 - Emilio Estevez, American actor
- May 13 - Eduardo Palomo, Mexican actor (d. 2003)
- May 14 - Ian Astbury, British singer (The Cult)
- May 14 - C.C. Deville, American guitarist (Poison)
- May 17 - Lise Lyng Falkenberg, Danish writer
- May 17 - Craig Ferguson, Scot
