Explore 3652 historical events from 1960–1969.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting p…
The Food and Drug Administration announces it will approve birth control as an additional indication for Searle's Enovid
The University of California, Berkeley is a public land-grant research university in the Southside and Northside neighborhoods of Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 18…
Hundreds of University of California, Berkeley students congregate for the first day of protest against a visit by the H
Theodore Harold Maiman was an American engineer and physicist who is widely credited with the invention of the laser. Maiman's laser led to the subsequent development of many other…
Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California
Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country in the Indian Ocean that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying of…
Madagascar gains its independence from France
The Belgian Congo was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. It is today the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Belgian Congo gains independence as Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville)
The Republic of Dahomey, simply known as Dahomey, was established on 4 December 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Prior to attaining autonomy, it had be…
France legislates for the independence of Dahomey (later Benin), Upper Volta (later Burkina Faso) and Niger.
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami or the Great Chilean earthquake occurred on 22 May 1960. Most studies have placed it at 9.4–9.6 on the moment magnitude scale, making it th…
The Great Chilean earthquake, measuring 9
A tsunami is a series of waves in a water body caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and und…
A tsunami caused by an earthquake in Chile the previous day kills 61 people in Hilo, Hawaii
The 1960 Valdivia earthquake and tsunami or the Great Chilean earthquake occurred on 22 May 1960. Most studies have placed it at 9.4–9.6 on the moment magnitude scale, making it th…
Following the 1960 Valdivia earthquake, the largest ever recorded earthquake, Cordón Caulle begins to erupt
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a smaller part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black S…
In Turkey, a military coup removes President Celâl Bayar and the rest of the democratic government from office
Charlotte Motor Speedway is a 1.500 mi (2.414 km) quad-oval intermediate speedway in Concord, North Carolina. It has hosted various major races since its inaugural season of racing…
Charlotte Motor Speedway holds its first NASCAR race, the inaugural World 600
The Russian Children's Center "Orlyonok" is a federal state all-year camp for children aged 11–16. It is located in the Southern Federal District of Russia, on the eastern shore of…
Orlyonok, the main Young Pioneer camp of the Russian SFSR, is founded.
The UGM-27 Polaris missile was a two-stage solid-fueled nuclear-armed submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM). As the United States Navy's first SLBM, it served from 1961 to 19…
The Polaris missile is successfully launched from a submarine, the USS George Washington, for the first time.
The Volkswagen Act is a set of German federal laws enacted in 1960, regulating the privatization of Volkswagenwerk GmbH into the Volkswagen Group. In order to maintain government…
The German Volkswagen Act comes into force.
Project Echo was the first passive communications satellite experiment. Each of the two American spacecraft, launched in 1960 and 1964, were metalized balloon satellites acting as …
Echo 1A, NASA's first successful communications satellite, is launched.
The Mali Federation was a federation in West Africa that linked the French colonies of Senegal and the Sudanese Republic for two months in 1960. It was founded on 4 April 1959 as a…
The Mali Federation gains independence from France (it later splits into Mali and Senegal)
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting p…
The United States Food and Drug Administration declares Enovid to be the first officially approved combined oral contrac
Venezuela, officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and various islands and islets…
Venezuelan President Rómulo Betancourt is injured in an assassination attempt
Cryptography, or cryptology, is the practice and study of techniques for secure communication in the presence of adversarial behavior. More generally, cryptography is about constru…
Cold War: Two cryptographers working for the United States National Security Agency left for vacation to Mexico, and fro
Aeroflot Flight 036 was a regularly scheduled passenger flight operated by Aeroflot from Cairo International Airport to Bykovo Airport. On 17 August 1960, the Ilyushin Il-18 opera…
Aeroflot Flight 036 crashes in Soviet Ukraine, killing 34.
Ustadz Wahab M. Akbar was a Filipino politician who served three terms as governor of Basilan, during which time he was known for his "eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth" policy for…
Wahab Akbar, Filipino politician (died 2007)
Rafael Benítez Maudes is a Spanish professional football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of Super League Greece club Panathinaikos.
Rafael Benítez, Spanish footballer and manager
Pierre Michael Littbarski is a German professional football manager and former player of 1. FC Köln and the West Germany national team. Known for his dribbling abilities, he was ma…
Pierre Littbarski, German footballer and manager
The Trust Territory of Somaliland, officially the Trust Territory of Somaliland under Italian Administration, was a United Nations Trust Territory from 1950 to 1960, following the …
The Trust Territory of Somaliland (the former Italian Somaliland) gains its independence from Italy. Concurrently, it…