1964

Events in 1964 82

• 1874 – 1964 Herbert Hoover 29th President — the Great Depression Herbert Hoover (Aug 10, 1874 – Oct 20, 1964) was the 31st President 1929-1933. He took office just months before the Wall Street Crash of 1929 and was blamed for the Great Depression. He lived to age 90.
• 1880 – 1964 Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964) Died 5 April 1964, aged 84 MacArthur was an American general who commanded Allied forces in the Pacific during the Second World War and oversaw the postwar occupation of Japan. He also led United Nations forces during the early Korean War before being relieved of command by President Truman.
• 1880 – 1964 Sean O'Casey (1880-1964) Died 18 September 1964, aged 84 O'Casey was an Irish dramatist known for plays depicting working-class Dublin life, including "Juno and the Paycock" and "The Plough and the Stars". His work remains a central part of the Irish theatrical canon.
• 1888 – 1964 Harpo Marx (1888-1964) Died 28 September 1964, aged 75 Marx was an American comedian and film star, the silent, harp-playing member of the Marx Brothers comedy team. His visual, anarchic comic style made him one of the most recognisable performers of early Hollywood.
• 1889 – 1964 Jawaharlal Nehru (1889-1964) Died 27 May 1964, aged 74 Nehru was the first Prime Minister of independent India, serving from 1947 until his death. A leading figure in the independence movement alongside Gandhi, he shaped India's early foreign policy of non-alignment.
• 1891 – 1964 Cole Porter (1891-1964) Died 15 October 1964, aged 73 Porter was an American composer and songwriter known for witty, sophisticated musicals and standards including "Anything Goes" and "Night and Day". His work remained a staple of American popular song for decades.
• 1892 – 1964 Eddie Cantor (1892-1964) American comedian, singer and actor, a star of Ziegfeld's Follies, early radio and television, and founder of the March of Dimes name.
• 1893 – 1964 Palmiro Togliatti (1893-1964) Died 21 August 1964, aged 71 Togliatti led the Italian Communist Party for nearly four decades, building it into the largest communist party in Western Europe. He died while visiting the Soviet Union, and the city of Tolyatti was later named in his honour.
• 1895 – 1964 Gracie Allen (1895-1964) American comedian, the scatterbrained half of Burns and Allen on stage, radio and television.
• 1901 – 1964 Paul of Greece (1901-1964) Died 6 March 1964, aged 62 Paul reigned as King of the Hellenes from 1947 until his death, a period marked by postwar reconstruction and Cold War tension in Greece. He was succeeded by his son, Constantine II.
• 1904 – 1964 Peter Lorre (1904-1964) Died 23 March 1964, aged 59 Lorre was a Hungarian-American actor known for his distinctive voice and appearances in films such as "M", "Casablanca" and "The Maltese Falcon". He became one of Hollywood's most recognisable character actors after fleeing Nazi Germany.
• 1906 – 1964 William Bendix (1906-1964) American actor known for tough-guy roles and as Chester A. Riley in The Life of Riley.
• 1907 – 1964 Rachel Carson (1907-1964) Died 14 April 1964, aged 56 Carson was an American marine biologist and author whose book "Silent Spring" exposed the environmental harm of pesticides. Her work is widely credited with helping launch the modern environmental movement.
• 1908 – 1964 Ian Fleming (1908-1964) Died 12 August 1964, aged 56 Fleming was a British author best known for creating the James Bond spy series. He wrote twelve Bond novels and two short story collections, drawing on his own wartime naval intelligence experience.
• 1913 – 1964 Alan Ladd (1913-1964) Died 29 January 1964, aged 50 Ladd was an American film actor best known for his starring role in the 1953 western "Shane". He was one of Hollywood's leading box-office draws through the 1940s and early 1950s.
• 1925 – 1964 Flannery O'Connor (1925-1964) Died 3 August 1964, aged 39 O'Connor was an American writer known for Southern Gothic novels and short stories exploring morality and religion, including "A Good Man Is Hard to Find". She wrote much of her work while suffering from lupus, which caused her early death.
• 1925 – 1964 Yukio Mishima Japanese novelist Mishima explored beauty, death, and tradition in modern Japan through highly stylized literary works.
• 1931 – 1964 Sam Cooke (1931-1964) Died 11 December 1964, aged 33 Cooke was an American singer and songwriter widely regarded as one of the pioneers of soul music, with hits including "You Send Me" and "A Change Is Gonna Come". He was shot and killed under disputed circumstances at a Los Angeles motel.
• 1964 "The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt" Written by 22-year-old John Rostill Released "The Rise and Fall of Flingel Bunt", reaching #5 in the UK charts — written by John Rostill at just 22 years old, demonstrating the songwriting talent within the band beyond Marvin and Welch.
• 1964 – 2023 Andy Rourke (1964-2023) Died 19 May 2023, aged 59 English bassist of the Smiths, whose melodic playing underpinned the band's sound.
• 1964 Civil Rights Act Civil Rights Act Lyndon Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act on 2 July 1964, outlawing discrimination by race, colour, religion, sex or national origin and ending segregation in public accommodations. It passed after the longest filibuster in Senate history. The Voting Rights Act followed a year later.
• 1964 Diet Pepsi launched First major diet cola — 1964 Pepsi launched Diet Pepsi in 1964, the first major diet cola from a leading brand. Also in 1964, Pepsi acquired the Mountain Dew brand. Both moves positioned the company as an innovator and significantly broadened its market reach beyond the core cola product.
• 1964 – 2023 Gianluca Vialli (1964-2023) Died 6 January 2023, aged 58 Italian striker for Sampdoria, Juventus and Chelsea who won the European Cup as a player and the FA Cup as a manager.
• 1964 – 2022 Mark Lanegan (1964-2022) Died 22 February 2022, aged 57 American singer of Screaming Trees and a solo career of unusual depth, one of the defining voices of the Seattle scene.
• 1964 Pantomime: "Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp" London Palladium Performed in the pantomime "Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp" at the London Palladium, with Cliff Richard as Aladdin and the Shadows as the comic characters Wishee, Washee, Noshee and Poshee.
• 1964 – 1970 Simon & Garfunkel American folk rock duo Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel — The Sound of Silence, Mrs. Robinson and Bridge Over Troubled Water.
• 1964 – present Star Trek — The Complete Franchise TV series and films, 1966-present Star Trek — Gene Roddenberry's vision of a hopeful human future among the stars. Thirteen theatrical films, fifteen TV series, and sixty years of boldly going. From the NBC rejection of The Cage in 1964 to Strange New Worlds season 4 in 2026 — the most expansive science fiction franchise in television history.
• 1964 – 1973 The Byrds American rock band Los Angeles band of Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, Chris Hillman and Michael Clarke — pioneers of folk rock, psychedelia and country rock.
• 1964 – 1996 The Kinks English rock band London band of brothers Ray and Dave Davies, with Pete Quaife and Mick Avory — inventors of the power-chord riff and chroniclers of English life.
• 1964 – 1973 The Velvet Underground American rock band Lou Reed, John Cale, Sterling Morrison and Maureen Tucker — Andy Warhol's house band and the root of punk and alternative rock.
• 1964 – present The Who English rock band London rock band of Roger Daltrey, Pete Townshend, John Entwistle and Keith Moon — known for explosive live shows and the rock operas Tommy and Quadrophenia.
• 1964 Tokyo Olympics and the bullet train Japan announces its postwar return to the world The 1964 Tokyo Olympics — the first held in Asia — showcased a fully recovered, modern Japan. Days before the games opened, the Tokaido Shinkansen "bullet train" began service between Tokyo and Osaka, the world's first high-speed rail line and a symbol of Japanese engineering.
• 1964 Willis Reed drafted The Knicks draft center Willis Reed, the cornerstone of the championship teams to come.
• 1964 US Surgeon General links smoking to cancer Landmark public health report published The Surgeon General's report concluded that cigarette smoking causes lung cancer and other diseases, based on a review of thousands of studies. It triggered decades of anti-smoking public health policy in the United States.
• 1964 Zanzibar Revolution Sultanate overthrown by African-majority uprising Revolutionaries overthrew the Sultan of Zanzibar and his largely Arab-dominated government shortly after independence, killing thousands in the ensuing violence. The revolution paved the way for Zanzibar's union with Tanganyika later that year.
• 1964 Sam Cooke records A Change Is Gonna Come Civil rights anthem Inspired by Blowin' in the Wind and his own experience of racism.
• 1964 Ed Sullivan Show appearance 73 million viewers — February 9, 1964 The Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9, 1964, watched by an estimated 73 million Americans — 34% of the US population. It launched the British Invasion and transformed American pop culture overnight.
• 1964 G.I. Joe action figure launched Hasbro introduces the first "action figure" Hasbro debuted G.I. Joe at the American International Toy Fair, coining the term "action figure" to market a poseable doll to boys. It became one of the best-selling toy lines of the twentieth century.
• 1964 – 1997 Chris Farley (1964-1997) Died 18 December 1997, aged 33 Chris Farley was an American comedian and Saturday Night Live cast member known for physical comedy sketches and films including Tommy Boy and Black Sheep. He died of a drug overdose in Chicago at age 33. His death drew comparisons to that of his idol John Belushi.
• 1964 Cassius Clay defeats Sonny Liston for the heavyweight title Clay later adopts the name Muhammad Ali The 22-year-old Clay upset the heavily favoured Liston in Miami Beach to win the world heavyweight boxing championship. Days later he announced his conversion to the Nation of Islam and adopted the name Muhammad Ali.
• 1964 Great Alaska earthquake Magnitude 9.2 quake and tsunami The most powerful earthquake ever recorded in North America struck Prince William Sound, killing around 130 people through ground shaking and resulting tsunamis. It remains the second-largest earthquake ever recorded worldwide.
• 1964 Jerry Lee Lewis records Live at the Star-Club, Hamburg Live album Often called the greatest live rock and roll album.
• 1964 IBM announces the System/360 Family of compatible mainframe computers IBM unveiled the System/360, a family of mutually compatible computers spanning a wide range of performance and price. The architecture became hugely influential and dominated the mainframe computing industry for decades.
• 1964 Sidney Poitier wins Academy Award for Best Actor First Black man to win the award Poitier won the Oscar for his role in "Lilies of the Field," becoming the first Black actor to win the Academy Award for Best Actor. The award was seen as a landmark moment for Black representation in Hollywood.
• 1964 Ford Mustang unveiled Debut of an iconic American car Ford introduced the Mustang at the New York World's Fair, launching the "pony car" segment of affordable sporty automobiles. It became one of the best-selling new car models in automotive history.
• 1964 The Rolling Stones Debut album — April 17, 1964 The Rolling Stones' self-titled debut album was released on April 17, 1964 in the UK, reaching number 1. Largely covers of American R&B and blues, it established their raw, dangerous sound in contrast to the Beatles' more polished image.
• 1964 1964 World Snooker Championship Revival of the Title First of the challenge matches. Winner: John Pulman; Runner-up: Fred Davis. Score: 19–16.
• 1964 New York World's Fair opens Flushing Meadows exhibition of technology and culture The fair opened at Flushing Meadows-Corona Park showcasing exhibits from dozens of nations and corporations, including early computing and space-age technology displays. It drew over 50 million visitors across its two seasons.
• 1964 Tanganyika and Zanzibar unite to form Tanzania Creation of the United Republic of Tanzania Following the Zanzibar Revolution, the mainland state of Tanganyika and the island state of Zanzibar merged into a single sovereign nation. The union was later renamed the United Republic of Tanzania.
• 1964 The Drifters record Under the Boardwalk Day after Rudy Lewis' death Recorded the day after their lead singer died.
• 1964 Palestine Liberation Organization founded Established at the first Palestinian National Council Palestinian delegates meeting in Jerusalem founded the PLO to represent the Palestinian people and pursue the goal of an independent Palestinian state. It would later become the internationally recognised representative of the Palestinian national movement.
• 1964 Nelson Mandela sentenced to life imprisonment Rivonia Trial verdict in Pretoria Mandela and seven co-defendants were convicted of sabotage against the apartheid state and sentenced to life imprisonment. The trial made Mandela an internationally recognised symbol of resistance to apartheid, though he would not be released for another 26 years.
• 1964 – 1982 Mandela arrives on Robben Island Prisoner 466/64, in a cell seven feet square Hard labour in the lime quarry damaged his eyes permanently. He studied and taught for eighteen years.
• 1964 Freedom Summer murders of civil rights workers Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner killed in Mississippi Three civil rights workers registering Black voters in Mississippi were abducted and murdered by Ku Klux Klan members with the involvement of local police. Their deaths, and the search for their bodies, drew national attention to violent resistance against the civil rights movement.
• 1964 The Beach Boys top the charts with I Get Around First number one Their first US number one.
• 1964 Malawi gains independence from Britain Nyasaland becomes Malawi The former British protectorate of Nyasaland achieved independence under Prime Minister Hastings Banda, who became the country's first president two years later. The new nation took the name Malawi.
• 1964 A Hard Day's Night Third album and first film — July 10, 1964 A Hard Day's Night was released on July 10, 1964, alongside their debut film of the same name directed by Richard Lester. The album, all original Lennon-McCartney compositions, reached number 1 in both the UK and US.
• 1964 – 2017 Chris Cornell (1964-2017) Died 18 May 2017, aged 52 American singer and songwriter, frontman of Soundgarden and Audioslave and a leading figure of the 1990s grunge movement. Known for his powerful vocal range, he also released acclaimed solo work. He died by suicide following a concert in Detroit.
• 1964 Roy Orbison releases Oh, Pretty Woman Number one Number one in the US and UK.
• 1964 Gulf of Tonkin incident Naval clashes off North Vietnam The USS Maddox reported an engagement with North Vietnamese torpedo boats, followed by a disputed second incident two days later. The events became the pretext for direct American military escalation in Vietnam.
• 1964 The Kinks release You Really Got Me UK number one A distorted power-chord riff that points the way to hard rock and punk.
• 1964 – 2012 Adam Yauch (1964-2012) Died 4 May 2012, aged 47 American musician known as MCA, a founding member of the pioneering hip-hop group the Beastie Boys. He died of cancer of a salivary gland after a years-long battle with the disease.
• 1964 Gulf of Tonkin Resolution passed US Congress authorises military force in Vietnam Following the Gulf of Tonkin incident, Congress passed a joint resolution granting President Johnson broad authority to use military force in Southeast Asia without a formal declaration of war. It became the legal basis for the rapid expansion of US involvement in the Vietnam War.
• 1964 – present Mats Wilander The Tactician Won seven Grand Slam titles, including three out of four in 1988.
• 1964 – 1995 Eazy-E (1964-1995) Died 26 March 1995, aged 30 Eazy-E, born Eric Wright, was a rapper and a founding member of the influential gangsta rap group N.W.A. He also ran Ruthless Records, which launched the careers of Dr. Dre and Ice Cube. He died of complications from AIDS shortly after publicly disclosing his diagnosis.
• 1964 Goldfinger — Sean Connery Bond investigates gold magnate Auric Goldfinger, uncovers a plan to contaminate Fort Knox and meets henchman Oddjob and pilot Pussy Galore. The laser table scene and the golden woman are among the most imitated images in cinema. The film defines the Bond formula: gadgets, one-liners, a spectacular villain and an impossible scheme. Budget: $3 million. Box office: $124.9 million.
• 1964 Malta gains independence from Britain End of colonial rule in Malta Malta became an independent state within the Commonwealth after more than 160 years of British rule. It remained a monarchy under Queen Elizabeth II until becoming a republic a decade later.
• 1964 Warren Commission report released Official findings on the Kennedy assassination The commission investigating the assassination of President John F. Kennedy concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had acted alone. The report remained controversial and fuelled decades of alternative theories about the assassination.
• 1964 Free Speech Movement begins at Berkeley Student protest over campus political activity Students at the University of California, Berkeley began a campaign of protest and civil disobedience after the university banned on-campus political activity. The movement became a template for the student activism that spread across American campuses later in the decade.
• 1964 1964 Summer Olympics XVIII Olympiad - Tokyo First Games held in Asia. Winner: USA.
• 1964 Martin Luther King Jr. awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Recognised for nonviolent civil rights leadership King received the prize for his leadership of the nonviolent campaign against racial segregation in the United States, becoming the youngest laureate at the time. He donated the prize money to the civil rights movement.
• 1964 Nikita Khrushchev removed from power Ousted by the Soviet Politburo Khrushchev was forced to resign as First Secretary of the Communist Party and Premier following a coordinated move by senior colleagues, who cited erratic policymaking and the failures of the Cuban Missile Crisis and agricultural reforms. Leonid Brezhnev succeeded him as party leader.
• 1964 China detonates its first nuclear weapon Test 596 at Lop Nur China became the fifth nation to successfully test a nuclear weapon, joining the United States, Soviet Union, United Kingdom and France. The test significantly altered the strategic balance in Asia during the Cold War.
• 1964 Zambia gains independence from Britain Northern Rhodesia becomes Zambia The former British protectorate of Northern Rhodesia became independent as the Republic of Zambia, with Kenneth Kaunda as its first president. Independence followed a decade of nationalist agitation against colonial rule.
• 1964 – present Marco van Basten The Swan of Utrecht Three-time Ballon d'Or winner; famous for his spectacular volley in the Euro 1988 final.
• 1964 Van Morrison and Them release Gloria Garage rock standard A B-side that becomes one of the most covered rock songs.
• 1964 Lyndon Johnson wins US presidential election Landslide victory over Barry Goldwater Johnson won a full term in his own right in one of the largest landslides in American electoral history, defeating conservative Republican senator Barry Goldwater. The result gave Johnson a mandate to pursue his Great Society domestic agenda.
• 1964 Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge opens Longest suspension bridge span in the world at the time The bridge connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn opened to traffic, holding the record for the longest suspension span in the world for 17 years. It remains a key crossing for New York City.
• 1964 The Cage — unaired pilot Gene Roddenberry's original pilot for Star Trek, starring Jeffrey Hunter as Captain Christopher Pike, is filmed and submitted to NBC. The network rejects it as "too cerebral" but unusually commissions a second pilot — the only time in NBC history this has happened. The footage is later incorporated into the two-part episode "The Menagerie" (1966).
• 1964 Beatles For Sale Fourth album — December 4, 1964 Beatles For Sale was released on December 4, 1964. A more introspective album reflecting the pressures of Beatlemania, it reached number 1 in the UK and is notable for early signs of the world-weariness that would characterise their later work.
• 1964 John Coltrane records A Love Supreme Four-part suite A spiritual suite recorded in a single session.
• 1964 Sam Cooke shot dead in Los Angeles Hacienda Motel Killed at 33 in disputed circumstances.