Timeline January 1962

Events in January 1962 14

• 1919 – 1962 Ernie Kovacs (1919-1962) Died 13 January 1962, aged 42 American comedian and television pioneer Ernie Kovacs died in a car accident in Los Angeles on January 13, 1962. He was known for his surreal, experimental approach to early television comedy that influenced later generations of TV producers. His widow, actress Edie Adams, spent years working to preserve his television legacy.
• 1962 Australian Open 1962 Men: Rod Laver · Women: Margaret Smith Laver completed the calendar Grand Slam in 1962.
• 1962 Mandela leaves South Africa in secret Military training in Algeria, fundraising across Africa and in London He returned in July. He was arrested three weeks later.
• 1962 Patsy Cline releases She's Got You Number one Another country number one.
• 1962 1962: Graham Hill BRM Hill won his first title driving for BRM, beginning a career that would make him the only driver to win the Triple Crown of motorsport: the World Championship, the Indianapolis 500 and the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
• 1962 – 1970 Early Career and National Theatre Began appearing in films in the 1960s. Worked with the National Theatre alongside Laurence Olivier and Maggie Smith, building his reputation as a versatile classical actor.
• 1962 – 1968 Hit Factory with Dionne Warwick With Hal David, wrote a remarkable run of hit songs for Dionne Warwick including Walk on By, I Say a Little Prayer, Do You Know the Way to San Jose and Anyone Who Had a Heart. Fifteen titles reached the American Top 40.
• 1962 Marriage to Edgar de Haas Married bassist Edgar de Haas. They would have two children, both of whom became performers: son Darius de Haas, a Broadway actor, and daughter Aisha de Haas, a singer and actress.
• 1962 Professional Stage Debut Made his professional stage debut at Dublin's Gate Theatre in a production of Othello, having written a fabricated CV to gain entry.
• 1962 – 1972 Relationship with Joseph Cornell Had a passionate, platonic relationship with the surrealist artist Joseph Cornell, 26 years her senior. They called each other daily, sketched each other, and he sent her personalised collages. The relationship lasted until his death in 1972.
• 1962 – 1966 Union College Attended Union College, a small liberal arts school in Barbourville, Kentucky, majoring in chemistry and mathematics. Paid his tuition by raising cattle and growing tobacco on the family farm. Graduated with a BA in 1966.
• 1962 Western Samoa gains independence First Pacific island nation to gain 20th-century independence Western Samoa became independent from New Zealand administration on January 1, 1962, the first Pacific island nation to do so in the 20th century. Malietoa Tanumafili II became joint head of state. The country later renamed itself Samoa in 1997.
• 1962 – 2024 Ismail Haniyeh (1962-2024) Died 31 July 2024, aged 62 Palestinian politician and Hamas leader, prime minister of the Palestinian Authority in 2006-07, assassinated in Tehran.
• 1962 – present Olga Tokarczuk Nobel in Literature Acclaimed novelist and activist who won the Nobel Prize for 2018.