Year 1960

Share what you know about the year you were born.

960 was a significant year with many notable events around the world. Here are some key highlights:

Global Events

• Cameroon gained independence from France on January 1.
• The Aswan Dam construction began in Egypt on January 9.
• The U.S.-Japan Security Treaty was revised, allowing U.S. troops to be stationed in Japan.
• NASA launched Pioneer 5, a space probe that traveled between Earth and Venus.
• The Beatles performed their first public performance at the Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany.

United Kingdom

• The Mau Mau Uprising in Kenya ended with the lifting of the state of emergency.
• Harold Macmillan’s “Wind of Change” speech was delivered in Accra, Ghana, and later in Cape Town, South Africa.
• The Queen gave birth to Prince Andrew, her third child and second son.
• The Cheapside Street Whisky Bond Fire in Glasgow killed 19 firemen, marking the UK’s worst peacetime fire services disaster.

United States

• The U.S. entered the Vietnam War, with helicopters and personnel landing in Saigon.
• John F. Kennedy was inaugurated as the 35th President of the United States.

These are just a few of the many events that shaped 1960. Is there a specific event or topic from that year you’re particularly interested in?