The year was highlighted by
protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide.
Events
January–February
*
January 5
Events Pre-1600
*1477 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; Duchy of Burgundy, Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France.
1601–1900
*1675 – Battle of Turckh ...
– "
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring ( cs, Pražské jaro, sk, Pražská jar) was a period of political liberalization and mass protest in
the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected First Sec ...
":
Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the
Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.
*
January 10
Events Pre-1600
*49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war.
* 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the be ...
–
John Gorton is sworn in as 19th
Prime Minister of Australia
The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister heads the executive branch of the Australian Government, federal government of Australia and is also accountable to Parliament of A ...
, taking over from
John McEwen after being
elected leader of the
Liberal Party the previous day, following the
disappearance of Harold Holt. Gorton becomes the only
Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
to become Prime Minister, though he immediately transfers to the
House of Representatives through the
1968 Higgins by-election
A by-election was held for the Australian House of Representatives seat of Higgins on 24 February 1968. It was triggered by the presumed drowning death of the Prime Minister and Liberal Party MP Harold Holt on 17 December 1967.
Background
O ...
in Holt's vacant seat.
*
January 15
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
* 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...
– The
1968 Belice earthquake
The 1968 Belice earthquake sequence took place in Sicily between 14 and 15 January. The largest shock measured 5.5 on the moment magnitude scale, with five others of magnitude 5+. The maximum perceived intensity was X (''Extreme'') on the Mer ...
in
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
kills 380 and injures around 1,000.
*
January 21
Events Pre-1600
* 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa.
* 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Co ...
**
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
:
Battle of Khe Sanh – One of the most publicized and controversial battles of the war begins, ending on
April 8
Events Pre-1600
* 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
* 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
*1139 – Ro ...
.
**
1968 Thule Air Base B-52 crash
On 21 January 1968, an aircraft accident, sometimes known as the Thule affair or Thule accident (; da, Thuleulykken), involving a United States Air Force (USAF) B-52 bomber occurred near Thule Air Base in the Danish territory of Greenland. The ...
: A U.S.
B-52 Stratofortress
The Boeing B-52 Stratofortress is an American long-range, subsonic, jet-powered strategic bomber. The B-52 was designed and built by Boeing, which has continued to provide support and upgrades. It has been operated by the United States Air ...
crashes in Greenland, discharging 4
nuclear bomb
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions (thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bomb ...
s.
*
January 23
Events Pre-1600
* 393 – Roman emperor Theodosius I proclaims his eight-year-old son Honorius co-emperor.
* 971 – Using crossbows, Song dynasty troops soundly defeat a war elephant corps of the Southern Han at Shao.
*1264 & ...
–
North Korea
North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...
seizes the , claiming the ship violated its territorial waters while spying.
*
January 25
Events Pre-1600
* 41 – After a night of negotiation, Claudius is accepted as Roman emperor by the Senate.
* 750 – In the Battle of the Zab, the Abbasid rebels defeat the Umayyad Caliphate, leading to the overthrow of the dynasty ...
–
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
i submarine sinks in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 69.
*
January 28
Events Pre-1600
* 98 – On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany.
* 814 – The death of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, brings about the accession o ...
–
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
submarine ''
Minerve'' sinks in the Mediterranean Sea, killing 52.
*
January 30
Events Pre-1600
*1018 – Poland and the Holy Roman Empire conclude the Peace of Bautzen.
*1287 – King Wareru founds the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and proclaims independence from the Pagan Kingdom.
1601–1900
*1607 – An estimated ...
–
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: The
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. It was launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the forces o ...
begins as
Viet Cong forces launch a series of surprise attacks across
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
.
*
January 31
Events Pre-1600
* 314 – Pope Sylvester I is consecrated, as successor to the late Pope Miltiades.
* 1208 – The Battle of Lena takes place between King Sverker II of Sweden and his rival, Prince Eric, whose victory puts him on the t ...
**
Viet Cong soldiers attack the
Embassy of the United States, Saigon.
**
Nauru
Nauru ( or ; na, Naoero), officially the Republic of Nauru ( na, Repubrikin Naoero) and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country and microstate in Oceania, in the Central Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Ki ...
president
Hammer DeRoburt declares independence from
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
.
*
February 1
Events Pre-1600
* 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
* 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Mon ...
**
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: A
Viet Cong officer named
Nguyễn Văn Lém
Nguyễn () is the most common Vietnamese surname. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Nguyên (元)is a different word and surname.
By some estimates 39 percent of Vietnamese people bear this s ...
is executed by
Nguyễn Ngọc Loan, a
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
ese National Police Chief. The event is photographed by
Eddie Adams. The photo makes headlines around the world, eventually winning the
1969 Pulitzer Prize
The following are the Pulitzer Prizes for 1969.
Journalism awards
*Public Service:
**The ''Los Angeles Times'', for its exposé of wrongdoing within the Los Angeles City Government Commissions, resulting in resignations or criminal convictions ...
, and sways U.S. public opinion against the war.
** The
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
and the
New York Central Railroad
The New York Central Railroad was a railroad primarily operating in the Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The railroad primarily connected greater New York and Boston in the east with Chicago and St. Louis in the Midw ...
merge to form
Penn Central
The Penn Central Transportation Company, commonly abbreviated to Penn Central, was an American Railroad classes, class I railroad that operated from 1968 to 1976. Penn Central combined three traditional corporate rivals (the Pennsylvania Railroad ...
, the largest ever corporate
merger
Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) are business transactions in which the ownership of companies, other business organizations, or their operating units are transferred to or consolidated with another company or business organization. As an aspect ...
up to this date.
*
February 6
Events Pre-1600
* 1579 – The Archdiocese of Manila is made a diocese by a papal bull with Domingo de Salazar being its first bishop.
1601–1900
* 1685 – James II of England and VII of Scotland is proclaimed King upon the death of ...
–
February 18
Events Pre-1600
* 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy.
* 1268 &ndas ...
– The
1968 Winter Olympics
The 1968 Winter Olympics, officially known as the X Olympic Winter Games (french: Les Xes Jeux olympiques d'hiver), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 18 February 1968 in Grenoble, France. Thirty-seven countries participated. Frenchm ...
are held in
Grenoble, France.
*
February 12
Events Pre-1600
*1404 – The Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sophie performed the first post-mortem autopsy for the purposes of teaching and demonstration at the Heiligen–Geist Spital in Vienna.
*1429 – English forces under ...
–
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
:
Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất massacre
The Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất massacre ( ko, 퐁니·퐁넛 양민학살 사건, Vietnamese: ''Thảm sát Phong Nhất và Phong Nhị'') was a massacre of unarmed citizens in the villages of Phong Nhị and Phong Nhất, Điện Bàn D ...
.
*
February 24
Events Pre-1600
* 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
* 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence.
* 13 ...
–
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: The
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. It was launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the forces o ...
is halted;
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
recaptures
Huế
Huế () is the capital of Thừa Thiên Huế province in central Vietnam and was the capital of Đàng Trong from 1738 to 1775 and of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty from 1802 to 1945. The city served as the old Imperial City and admi ...
.
*
February 25
Events Pre-1600
* 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor.
* 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II.
...
–
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
:
Hà My massacre.
March–April
*
March 2
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his ''bucellarii'' are almost cut o ...
–
Baggeridge Colliery closes marking the end of over 300 years of
coal mining
Coal mining is the process of extracting coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from ...
in the
Black Country
The Black Country is an area of the West Midlands county, England covering most of the Metropolitan Boroughs of Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall. Dudley and Tipton are generally considered to be the centre. It became industrialised during its ro ...
of England.
*
March 6 – Un-recognized
Rhodesia
Rhodesia (, ), officially from 1970 the Republic of Rhodesia, was an unrecognised state in Southern Africa from 1965 to 1979, equivalent in territory to modern Zimbabwe. Rhodesia was the ''de facto'' successor state to the British colony of S ...
executes 3 black citizens, the first executions since
UDI Udi may refer to:
Places
* Udi, Enugu, a local government areas and city in Nigeria
* Udi, a place in the Etawah district of Uttar Pradesh, India
People
* Udi Gal (born 1979), Israeli Olympic sailor
* Udi Vaks (born 1979), Israeli Olympic judoka
...
, prompting international condemnation.
*
March 7
Events Pre-1600
* 161 – Marcus Aurelius and L. Commodus (who changes his name to Lucius Verus) become joint emperors of Rome on the death of Antoninus Pius.
* 1138 – Konrad III von Hohenstaufen was elected king of Germany at Cob ...
–
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: The
First Battle of Saigon
The First Battle of Saigon, fought during the Tet Offensive of the Vietnam War, was the coordinated attack by communist forces, including both the North Vietnamese Army and the ''Viet Cong'' (VC), against Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam.
...
ends.
*
March 8
** The first student protests spark the
1968 Polish political crisis
The Polish 1968 political crisis, also known in Poland as March 1968, Students' March, or March events ( pl, Marzec 1968; studencki Marzec; wydarzenia marcowe), was a series of major student, intellectual and other protests against the ruling Poli ...
.
** The
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
ballistic missile submarine
A ballistic missile submarine is a submarine capable of deploying submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) with nuclear warheads. The United States Navy's hull classification symbols for ballistic missile submarines are SSB and SSBN – t ...
''K-129'' sinks with all 98 crew members, about 90
nautical mile
A nautical mile is a unit of length used in air, marine, and space navigation, and for the definition of territorial waters. Historically, it was defined as the meridian arc length corresponding to one minute ( of a degree) of latitude. Today ...
s (104 miles or 167 km) southwest of
Hawaii
Hawaii ( ; haw, Hawaii or ) is a state in the Western United States, located in the Pacific Ocean about from the U.S. mainland. It is the only U.S. state outside North America, the only state that is an archipelago, and the only stat ...
.
*
March 10–
11 –
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
:
Battle of Lima Site 85, the largest single ground combat loss of United States Air Force members (12) during the (at this time) secret war later known as the
Laotian Civil War
The Laotian Civil War (1959–1975) was a civil war in Laos which was waged between the Communist Pathet Lao and the Royal Lao Government from 23 May 1959 to 2 December 1975. It is associated with the Cambodian Civil War and the Vietnam War ...
.
*
March 11 – U.S. President
Lyndon B. Johnson mandates that all computers purchased by the federal government support the
ASCII
ASCII ( ), abbreviated from American Standard Code for Information Interchange, is a character encoding standard for electronic communication. ASCII codes represent text in computers, telecommunications equipment, and other devices. Because of ...
character encoding
Character encoding is the process of assigning numbers to Graphics, graphical character (computing), characters, especially the written characters of Language, human language, allowing them to be Data storage, stored, Data communication, transmi ...
.
*
March 12
Events Pre-1600
* 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius.
* 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...
**
Mauritius
Mauritius ( ; french: Maurice, link=no ; mfe, label=Mauritian Creole, Moris ), officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island nation in the Indian Ocean about off the southeast coast of the African continent, east of Madagascar. It incl ...
achieves independence from British rule.
** U.S. President
Lyndon B. Johnson barely edges out antiwar candidate
Eugene McCarthy
Eugene Joseph McCarthy (March 29, 1916December 10, 2005) was an American politician, writer, and academic from Minnesota. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the United States Senate from 1959 to 1971. ...
in the
New Hampshire Democratic primary
The New Hampshire presidential primary is the first in a series of nationwide party primary elections and the second party contest (the first being the Iowa caucuses) held in the United States every four years as part of United States presiden ...
, a vote which highlights the deep divisions in the country, and the party, over
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
.
*
March 13
Events Pre-1600
*624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh.
*1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War.
*1591 – At the Battle of Tond ...
– The first
Rotaract
Rotaract originally began as a Rotary International
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goo ...
club is chartered in
North Charlotte
Old North Charlotte is a neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina. Old North Charlotte, contrary to its name, comprises a large section of the city's east side.
Old North Charlotte is one of Charlotte's oldest neighborhoods and can trace its ...
, North Carolina.
*
March 14
Events Pre-1600
* 1074 – Battle of Mogyoród: Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeat their cousin Solomon, King of Hungary, forcing him to flee to Hungary's western borderland.
* 1590 – Battle of Ivry: Henry of Navarre and the Huguen ...
–
Nerve gas leaks from the U.S. Army
Dugway Proving Ground near
Skull Valley, Utah
Skull Valley is a long''Utah Atlas & Gazetteer,'' DeLorme, 6th ed., 2014, pp. 15, 16, 23 & 24 valley located in east Tooele County, Utah, United States at the southwest of the Great Salt Lake. The valley trends north–south, but turns sligh ...
.
*
March 16
**
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
–
My Lai Massacre: American troops kill scores of civilians. The story will first become public in November 1969 and will help undermine public support for the U.S. efforts in Vietnam.
** U.S. Senator
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...
enters the race for the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
presidential nomination.
*
March 18 –
Gold standard
A gold standard is a monetary system in which the standard economic unit of account is based on a fixed quantity of gold. The gold standard was the basis for the international monetary system from the 1870s to the early 1920s, and from the la ...
: The
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature of the federal government of the United States. It is bicameral, composed of a lower body, the House of Representatives, and an upper body, the Senate. It meets in the U.S. Capitol in Washing ...
repeals the requirement for a
gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...
reserve to back U.S. currency.
*
March 19–
23 –
Afrocentrism
Afrocentrism is an approach to the study of world history that focuses on the history of people of recent African descent. It is in some respects a response to Eurocentric attitudes about African people and their historical contributions. It ...
,
Black Power,
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: Students at
Howard University in Washington, D.C., signal a new era of militant student activism on college campuses in the U.S. Students stage rallies, protests and a 5-day
sit-in
A sit-in or sit-down is a form of direct action that involves one or more people occupying an area for a protest, often to promote political, social, or economic change. The protestors gather conspicuously in a space or building, refusing to mo ...
, laying siege to the administration building, shutting down the university in protest over its
ROTC
The Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC ( or )) is a group of college- and university-based officer-training programs for training commissioned officers of the United States Armed Forces.
Overview
While ROTC graduate officers serve in all ...
program and the Vietnam War, and demanding a more Afrocentric curriculum.
*
March 22
Events Pre-1600
* 106 – Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea.
* 235 – Roman emperor Severus Alexander is murdered, marking the start of the Crisis of the Third Century.
* 871 – Æthelr ...
–
Daniel Cohn-Bendit
Daniel Marc Cohn-Bendit (; ; born 4 April 1945) is a French-German politician of Jewish descent. He was a student leader during the unrest of May 1968 in France and was also known during that time as ''Dany le Rouge'' (French for "Danny the Red" ...
("Danny the Red") and 7 other students occupy the administrative offices of the
University of Nanterre
Paris Nanterre University (French: ''Université Paris Nanterre''), formerly Paris-X and commonly referred to as Nanterre, is a public research university based in Nanterre, Paris, France. It is one of the most prestigious French universities, ma ...
, setting in motion a chain of events that lead France to the brink of revolution in May.
*
March 24 –
Aer Lingus Flight 712
Aer Lingus Flight 712 crashed en route from Cork to London on 24 March 1968 killing all 61 passengers and crew. The aircraft, a Vickers Viscount 803 named "St. Phelim", crashed into the sea off Tuskar Rock, County Wexford. Although the investi ...
crashes en route from
Cork
Cork or CORK may refer to:
Materials
* Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product
** Cork (plug), a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container
***Wine cork
Places Ireland
* Cork (city)
** Metropolitan Cork, also known as G ...
to London near
Tuskar Rock, Wexford, killing 61 passengers and crew.
*
March 28
Events Pre-1600
* AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.
* 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Di ...
–
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian high school student
Edson Luís de Lima Souto
Edson Luís de Lima Souto (; February 24, 1950 – March 28, 1968) was a Brazilian teenage student killed by the military police of Rio de Janeiro after a confrontation in the restaurant Calabouço (), in downtown Rio de Janeiro. Edson was one o ...
is shot by the police in a protest for cheaper meals at a restaurant for low-income students. The aftermath of his death is one of the first major events against the
military dictatorship
A military dictatorship is a dictatorship in which the military exerts complete or substantial control over political authority, and the dictator is often a high-ranked military officer.
The reverse situation is to have civilian control of the m ...
.
*
April 2
Events Pre-1600
*1513 – Having spotted land on March 27, Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León comes ashore on what is now the U.S. state of Florida, landing somewhere between the modern city of St. Augustine and the mouth of the St. Jo ...
– Bombs explode at midnight in two department stores in
Frankfurt-am-Main
Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian dialects, Hessian: , "Franks, Frank ford (crossing), ford on the Main (river), Main"), is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as o ...
;
Andreas Baader and
Gudrun Ensslin are later arrested and sentenced for
arson
Arson is the crime of willfully and deliberately setting fire to or charring property. Although the act of arson typically involves buildings, the term can also refer to the intentional burning of other things, such as motor vehicles, wat ...
.
*
April 4
Events Pre-1600
* 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines.
* 190 – Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground.
* 611 – ...
**
Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr., an African-American clergyman and civil rights leader, was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST. He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital, where he died at 7 ...
:
Martin Luther King Jr. is shot dead at the
Lorraine Motel in
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the seat of Shelby County in the southwest part of the state; it is situated along the Mississippi River. With a population of 633,104 at the 2020 U.S. census, Memphis is the second-mos ...
.
King-assassination riots erupt in major American cities, lasting for several days afterwards.
**
Apollo program: Apollo-Saturn mission 502 (
Apollo 6) is launched, as the second and last uncrewed test-flight of the
Saturn V
Saturn V is a retired American super heavy-lift launch vehicle developed by NASA under the Apollo program for human exploration of the Moon. The rocket was human-rated, with multistage rocket, three stages, and powered with liquid-propellant r ...
launch vehicle.
**
AEK Athens wins the
FIBA European Cup Winners Cup Final in
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
against
Slavia Prague, in front of a record attendance of 80,000 spectators. It is the first major European trophy won at club level of any sport in Greece.
*
April 6
** "
La, la, la" by
Massiel (music and lyrics by Manuel de la Calva and Ramón Arcusa) wins the
Eurovision Song Contest 1968
The Eurovision Song Contest 1968 was the 13th edition of the annual Eurovision Song Contest. It took place in London, United Kingdom, following the country's first victory at the with the song " Puppet on a String" by Sandie Shaw. Despite havi ...
for Spain, at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
in London.
** A shootout between
Black Panthers
The Black Panther Party (BPP), originally the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense, was a Marxism-Leninism, Marxist-Leninist and Black Power movement, black power political organization founded by college students Bobby Seale and Huey P. New ...
and police in
Oakland, California
Oakland is the largest city and the county seat of Alameda County, California, United States. A major West Coast of the United States, West Coast port, Oakland is the largest city in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, the third ...
, results in several arrests and deaths, including 17-year-old Panther
Bobby Hutton
Robert James Hutton (April 21, 1950 – April 6, 1968), also known as "Lil' Bobby", was the treasurer and first recruit to join the Black Panther Party.[Richmond, Indiana explosion
The Richmond, Indiana, explosion was a double explosion in the United States in 1968. It occurred at 1:47 PM EST on April 6, in downtown Richmond, Indiana. The explosions killed 41 people and injured more than 150. The primary explosion was du ...]( ...<br></span></div>.
** <div class=)
: A double explosion in downtown
Richmond
Richmond most often refers to:
* Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States
* Richmond, London, a part of London
* Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England
* Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada
* Richmond, California, ...
kills 41 and injures 150.
*
April 7 – British racing driver
Jim Clark
James Clark Jr. OBE (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965. A versatile driver, he competed in sports cars, touring cars and in the Indianapol ...
is killed in a
Formula 2 race at
Hockenheim
Hockenheim () is a town in northwest Baden-Württemberg, Germany, about 20 km south of Mannheim and 10 km west of Walldorf. It is located in the Upper Rhine valley on the tourist theme routes "Baden Asparagus Route" () and Bertha Benz M ...
.
*
April 10
Events Pre-1600
* 428 – Nestorius becomes the Patriarch of Constantinople.
* 837 – Halley's Comet makes its closest approach to Earth at a distance equal to 0.0342 AU (5.1 million kilometres/3.2 million miles).
* 1407 ...
– The ferry strikes a
reef
A reef is a ridge or shoal of rock, coral or similar relatively stable material, lying beneath the surface of a natural body of water. Many reefs result from natural, abiotic processes— deposition of sand, wave erosion planing down rock out ...
at the mouth of
Wellington Harbour, New Zealand, with the loss of 53 lives, in Cyclone Giselle, which has created the windiest conditions ever recorded in New Zealand.
*
April 11
**
Josef Bachmann
Josef Erwin Bachmann (12 October 1944 – 24 February 1970) became widely known in Germany for his assassination attempt on the Marxist activist Rudi Dutschke, firing three bullets at him, on 11 April 1968. Bachmann was convicted of the attack an ...
tries to assassinate
Rudi Dutschke, leader of the left-wing movement (
APO) in Germany, and tries to commit suicide afterwards, failing in both, although Dutschke dies of his brain injuries 11 years later.
** German left-wing students blockade the
Springer Press
Axel Springer SE () is a German digital and popular periodical publishing house which is the largest in Europe, with numerous multimedia news brands, such as '' Bild'', ''Die Welt'', and ''Fakt'' and more than 15,000 employees. It generated to ...
HQ in Berlin and many are arrested (one of them
Ulrike Meinhof
Ulrike Marie Meinhof (7 October 1934 – 9 May 1976) was a German left-wing journalist and founding member of the Red Army Faction (RAF) in West Germany, commonly referred to in the press as the "Baader-Meinhof gang". She is the reputed author ...
).
*
April 20 –
Pierre Elliott Trudeau
Joseph Philippe Pierre Yves Elliott Trudeau ( , ; October 18, 1919 – September 28, 2000), also referred to by his initials PET, was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 15th prime minister of Canada from 1968 to 1979 and ...
becomes the 15th Prime Minister of Canada.
*
April 23
Events Pre-1600
* 215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
* 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southe ...
** President
Mobutu releases captured
mercenaries
A mercenary, sometimes also known as a soldier of fortune or hired gun, is a private individual, particularly a soldier, that joins a military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any o ...
in the
Congo
Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa:
* Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...
.
** Surgeons at the Hôpital de la Pitié, Paris, perform Europe's first heart transplant, on Clovis Roblain.
** The
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...
is created by the union in
Dallas
Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...
, Texas, of the former Methodist and Evangelical United Brethren churches.
*
April 23
Events Pre-1600
* 215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
* 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southe ...
–
30 –
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
:
Columbia University protests of 1968 – Student protesters at
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
in New York City take over administration buildings and shut down the university.
*
April 26 – The
nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission (fission bomb) or a combination of fission and fusion reactions ( thermonuclear bomb), producing a nuclear explosion. Both bom ...
"Boxcar" is
tested at the
Nevada Test Site in the biggest detonation of
Operation Crosstie.
May–June
*
May 2 – The
Israel Broadcasting Authority
The Israel Broadcasting Authority (IBA; ) was Israel's public broadcaster from 1948 to 2017.
History
The Israel Broadcasting Authority was an outgrowth of the radio station ''Kol Yisrael'', which made its first broadcast as an independent st ...
commences television broadcasts.
*
May 3 –
Braniff Flight 352
Braniff International Airways Flight 352 was a scheduled domestic flight from William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, Texas, United States, to Dallas Love Field in Dallas; on May 3, 1968, a Lockheed L-188A Electra flying on the route, registration ...
crashes near
Dawson, Texas
Dawson is a town in Navarro County, in the U.S. state of Texas. The population was 807 at the 2010 census.
History
The town was established in 1847 and was the second town established in the county.
Geography
Dawson is located at (31.895427 ...
, United States, killing all 85 people on board.
*
May 13
Events Pre-1600
*1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book '' Revelations of Divine Love''.
* 1501 – Amerigo Vespu ...
–
Paris student riots: One million march through the streets of Paris.
*
May 13
Events Pre-1600
*1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book '' Revelations of Divine Love''.
* 1501 – Amerigo Vespu ...
–
Manchester City
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The tw ...
wins the
1967–68 Football League First Division
In the 1967–68 Football League First Division season Manchester City won the First Division title for the second time in the club's history. They won the title on 11 May, with a 4–3 win at Newcastle United whilst the defending champions and th ...
by 2 clear points, over club rivals Manchester United
*
May 16
Events Pre-1600
* 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan.
*1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
* 1364 ...
–
Ronan Point
Ronan Point was a 22-storey tower block in Canning Town in Newham, East London, that partly collapsed on 16 May 1968, only two months after it had opened. A gas explosion blew out some load-bearing walls, causing the collapse of one entire corn ...
, a 23 floor tower block in Canning Town, east London, partially collapses after a gas explosion, killing 5.
*
May 17 – The
Catonsville Nine
The Catonsville Nine were nine Catholic activists who burned draft files to protest the Vietnam War. On May 17, 1968, they took 378 draft files from the draft board office in Catonsville, Maryland and burned them in the parking lot.
List of the N ...
enter the
Selective Service offices in
Catonsville, Maryland
Catonsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. The population was 41,567 at the 2010 census. The community lies to the west of Baltimore along the city's border. Catonsville contains the majority of th ...
, take dozens of selective service draft records, and burn them with
napalm
Napalm is an incendiary mixture of a gelling agent and a volatile petrochemical (usually gasoline (petrol) or diesel fuel). The name is a portmanteau of two of the constituents of the original thickening and gelling agents: coprecipitated al ...
as a protest against the
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
.
*
May 18
Events Pre-1600
* 332 – Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople.
* 872 – Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 4 ...
**
Mattel
Mattel, Inc. ( ) is an American multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment company founded in January 1945 and headquartered in El Segundo, California. The company has presence in 35 countries and territories and sells products in more ...
's ''
Hot Wheels
Hot Wheels is an American brand of scale model cars introduced by American toymaker Mattel in 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox until 1997, when Mattel bought Tyco Toys, then owner of Matchbox.
Many automobile manufacturers have ...
'' toy cars are introduced.
**
West Bromwich Albion
West Bromwich Albion Football Club () is an English professional football club based in West Bromwich, West Midlands, England. They compete in the EFL Championship, the second tier of English football. The club was formed in 1878 and has pla ...
win the Football Association Cup, defeating Everton 1–0 after extra time. The winning goal is scored by
Jeff Astle.
*
May 19
**
A general election is held in Italy.
** Nigerian forces capture
Port Harcourt and form a ring around the
Biafrans. This contributes to a humanitarian disaster as the surrounded population already suffers from hunger and starvation.
*
May 22
Events Pre-1600
* 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu.
* 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
* 853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt.
* 11 ...
– The U.S. nuclear-powered
submarine
A submarine (or sub) is a watercraft capable of independent operation underwater. It differs from a submersible, which has more limited underwater capability. The term is also sometimes used historically or colloquially to refer to remotely op ...
''Scorpion'' sinks with 99 men aboard, 400 miles southwest of the
Azores
)
, motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace")
, anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores")
, image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg
, map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union
, map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...
.
*
May 29 –
Manchester United
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of City of Salford, Salford to ...
wins the
European Cup Final, becoming the first English team to do so.
*
May 30
Events Pre-1600
* 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometres ...
–
Bobby Unser
Robert William Unser (February 20, 1934 – May 2, 2021) was an American automobile racer. At his induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994, he had the fourth most IndyCar Series wins at 35 (behind his brother Al, A. J. Fo ...
wins the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
.
*
June 2 –
Student demonstrations in Yugoslavia start in
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
.
*
June 3
Events Pre-1600
* 350 – The Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, proclaims himself Roman emperor, entering Rome at the head of a group of gladiators.
* 713 – The Byzantine Empire, Byzantine emperor Philippikos Ba ...
–
Radical feminist Valerie Solanas shoots
Andy Warhol
Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore the relationsh ...
at his New York City studio,
The Factory
The Factory was Andy Warhol's studio in New York City, which had four locations between 1963 and 1987. The Factory became famed for its parties in the 1960s. It was the hip hangout spot for artists, musicians, celebrities and Warhol's superstar ...
; he survives after a 5-hour operation.
*
June 4 – The
Standard & Poor's 500 index in the United States closes above 100 for the first time, at 100.38.
*
June 5
Events Pre-1600
*1257 – Kraków, in Poland, receives city rights.
*1283 – Battle of the Gulf of Naples: Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon, destroys the Neapolitan fleet and captures Charles II of Naples, Charles ...
–
Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy: U.S. presidential candidate
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...
is shot at the
Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles.
Sirhan Sirhan is arrested.
*
June 7 – The
Ford sewing machinists strike for
equal pay starts at the
Ford Dagenham plant in London.
*
June 10 –
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
beats
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
2–0 in a replay to win the
1968 European Championship. The original final on
June 8
Events Pre-1600
* 218 – Battle of Antioch: With the support of the Syrian legions, Elagabalus defeats the forces of emperor Macrinus.
* 452 – Attila leads a Hun army in the invasion of Italy, devastating the northern provinces ...
ended 1–1.
*
June 12
Events Pre-1600
* 910 – Battle of Augsburg: The Hungarians defeat the East Frankish army under King Louis the Child, using the famous feigned retreat tactic of the nomadic warriors.
* 1240 – At the instigation of Louis IX of Fr ...
– The horror film ''
Rosemary's Baby'' premieres in the U.S.
*
June 17
Events Pre-1600
* 653 – Pope Martin I is arrested and taken to Constantinople, due to his opposition to monothelitism.
* 1242 – Following the Disputation of Paris, twenty-four carriage loads of Jewish religious manuscripts were bur ...
– The
Malayan Communist Party launches a
second insurgency and the state of emergency is again imposed in
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federation, federal constitutional monarchy consists of States and federal territories of Malaysia, thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two r ...
.
*
June 20
Events Pre-1600
* 451 – Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius' battles Attila the Hun. After the battle, which was inconclusive, Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory.
* 1180 – First Battle of Uji, starting ...
–
Austin Currie
Joseph Austin Currie (11 October 1939 – 9 November 2021) was an Irish politician who served as a Minister of State for Justice with responsibility for Children's Rights from 1994 to 1997. He served as a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Dublin West ...
, Member of the
Parliament of Northern Ireland, along with others, squats in a house in
Caledon to protest discrimination in housing allocations.
*
June 23
Events Pre-1600
* 229 – Sun Quan proclaims himself emperor of Eastern Wu.
* 1266 – War of Saint Sabas: In the Battle of Trapani, the Venetians defeat a larger Genoese fleet, capturing all its ships.
* 1280 – The Spanish Re ...
**
Puerta 12 tragedy: A football stampede in
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...
leaves 74 dead and 150 injured.
** The first round of voting takes place in the
French legislative elections scheduled following the public unrest of
May
May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars and is the third of seven months to have a length of 31 days.
May is a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May ...
.
*
June 26
** The
Bonin Islands
The Bonin Islands, also known as the , are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands, some directly south of Tokyo, Japan and northwest of Guam. The name "Bonin Islands" comes from the Japanese word ''bunin'' (an archaic readi ...
are returned to Japan after 23 years of occupation by the United States Navy.
** The "
March of the One Hundred Thousand The March of the One Hundred Thousand ( pt, Passeata dos Cem Mil) was a manifestation of popular protest against the Military dictatorship in Brazil, which occurred on June 26, 1968 in Rio de Janeiro, organized by the student movement and with the p ...
" takes place in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
as crowds demonstrate against the
Brazilian military government
The military dictatorship in Brazil ( pt, ditadura militar) was established on 1 April 1964, after a coup d'état by the Brazilian Armed Forces, with support from the United States government, against President João Goulart. The Brazilian dicta ...
.
July–August
*
July 1
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor.
* 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...
– The
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty opens for signature.
*
July 4
Events Pre-1600
* 362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans.
* 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaim ...
– British yachtsman
Alec Rose
Sir Alec Rose (13 July 1908 – 11 January 1991) was a nursery owner and fruit merchant in England who, after serving in the Royal Navy during World War II, developed a passion for amateur single-handed sailing. He took part in the second single-h ...
, 59, receives a hero's welcome as he sails into
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, after his 354-day round-the-world trip.
*
July 17 –
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein ( ; ar, صدام حسين, Ṣaddām Ḥusayn; 28 April 1937 – 30 December 2006) was an Iraqi politician who served as the fifth president of Iraq from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003. A leading member of the revolution ...
becomes Vice Chairman of the Revolutionary Council in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
after a ''
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
''.
*
July 18
Events Pre-1600
* 477 BC – Battle of the Cremera as part of the Roman–Etruscan Wars. Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman army.
* 387 BC – Roman- Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia: A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, l ...
– The semiconductor company
Intel
Intel Corporation is an American multinational corporation and technology company headquartered in Santa Clara, California. It is the world's largest semiconductor chip manufacturer by revenue, and is one of the developers of the x86 seri ...
is founded.
*
July 20 – The first International
Special Olympics Summer Games are held at
Soldier Field
Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Opened in 1924 and reconstructed in 2003, the stadium has served as the home of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League (NFL) since 1 ...
in Chicago, Ill, with about 1,000 athletes with intellectual disabilities.
*
July 23–
28 – Black militants led by Fred (Ahmed) Evans engage in a fierce gunfight with police in the
Glenville Shootout of
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, in the United States.
*
July 25
Events Pre-1600
* 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops.
* 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. ...
–
Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City, Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his ...
publishes the
encyclical
An encyclical was originally a circular letter sent to all the churches of a particular area in the ancient Roman Church. At that time, the word could be used for a letter sent out by any bishop. The word comes from the Late Latin (originally from ...
entitled ''
Humanae vitae
''Humanae vitae'' (Latin: ''Of Human Life'') is an encyclical written by Pope Paul VI and dated 25 July 1968. The text was issued at a Vatican press conference on 29 July. Subtitled ''On the Regulation of Birth'', it re-affirmed the teaching of ...
'', on
birth control
Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
.
*
July 26
Events Pre-1600
* 657 – First Fitna: In the Battle of Siffin, troops led by Ali ibn Abu Talib clash with those led by Muawiyah I.
* 811 – Battle of Pliska: Byzantine Emperor Nikephoros I is killed and his heir Staurakios is seri ...
– Vietnam War:
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
ese opposition leader
Trương Đình Dzu
Trương Đình Dzu (10 November 1917 – ) was a South Vietnamese lawyer and politician who unsuccessfully ran as a candidate for the presidency in the 1967 elections against Nguyễn Văn Thiệu and his running mate Nguyễn Cao Kỳ, who ...
is sentenced to 5 years
hard labor, for advocating the formation of a
coalition government
A coalition government is a form of government in which political parties cooperate to form a government. The usual reason for such an arrangement is that no single party has achieved an absolute majority after an election, an atypical outcome in ...
as a way to move toward an end to the
war.
*
July 29 –
Arenal Volcano erupts in
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
for the first time in centuries.
*
August 1 – The
Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul
Municipal University of São Caetano do Sul (Portuguese: ''Universidade Municipal de São Caetano do Sul'', USCS) is a university in São Caetano do Sul, Brazil.
History
The institution was first known as ''Faculdade Municipal de Ciências Econ ...
is established in
São Caetano do Sul
São Caetano do Sul (or São Caetano) ('' Saint Cajetan of the South''. ) is a city in São Paulo state in Brazil. It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo. The population is 161,957 (2020 est.) in an area of 15.33 km2. It is the ci ...
,
São Paulo
São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...
.
*
August 2
Events Pre-1600
*338 BC – A Macedonian army led by Philip II defeated the combined forces of Athens and Thebes in the Battle of Chaeronea, securing Macedonian hegemony in Greece and the Aegean.
*216 BC – The Carthaginian arm ...
– The magnitude () 7.6
Casiguran earthquake affects the
Aurora province
Aurora, officially the Province of Aurora ( fil, Lalawigan ng Aurora; ilo, Probinsia ti Aurora), is a province in the Philippines located in the eastern part of Central Luzon region, facing the Philippine Sea. Its capital is Baler and borders, cl ...
in the Philippines with a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (''Violent''), killing at least 207 and injuring 261.
*
August 5
Events Pre-1600
*AD 25 – Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty.
* 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are ...
–
8 – The
Republican National Convention
The Republican National Convention (RNC) is a series of presidential nominating conventions held every four years since 1856 by the United States Republican Party. They are administered by the Republican National Committee. The goal of the Repu ...
in
Miami Beach, Florida
Miami Beach is a coastal resort city in Miami-Dade County, Florida. It was incorporated on March 26, 1915. The municipality is located on natural and artificial island, man-made barrier islands between the Atlantic Ocean and Biscayne Bay, the ...
nominates
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
for U.S. president and Spiro Agnew for vice president.
* August 11 – The last steam passenger train service runs in Britain. A selection of British Railways steam locomotives make the 120-mile journey from Liverpool to Carlisle, Cumbria, Carlisle and return to Liverpool – the journey is known as the Fifteen Guinea Special.
* August 18 – Two charter buses are forced into the Hida River on National Highway Route 41 in Japan in an accident caused by heavy rain; 104 are killed.
* August 20–August 21, 21 – Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia: The '
Prague Spring
The Prague Spring ( cs, Pražské jaro, sk, Pražská jar) was a period of political liberalization and mass protest in
the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It began on 5 January 1968, when reformist Alexander Dubček was elected First Sec ...
' of political liberalization ends, as 750,000 Warsaw Pact troops and 6,500 tanks with 800 aircraft invade Czechoslovakia, the largest military operation in Europe since the end of World War II.
* August 24 – Canopus (nuclear test): France explodes its first hydrogen bomb in a test at Fangataufa atoll in French Polynesia.
* August 22–August 30, 30 – Police clash with anti-war protesters in Chicago outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention, which nominates Hubert Humphrey for U.S. president and Edmund Muskie for vice president. The riots and subsequent trials are an essential part of the activism of the Youth International Party.
* August 29 – Harald V of Norway, Crown Prince Harald of Norway marries Sonja Haraldsen, the commoner he has dated for 9 years.
September–October
* September 6 – Eswatini, Swaziland (now eSwatini) becomes independent.
* September 7
**The crash of Air France Flight 1611 kills 95 people, including French Army General René Cogny, as the Sud Aviation Caravelle, Caravelle jetliner plunges into the Mediterranean Sea while making its approach to Nice following its departure from the island of Corsica.
* The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) is founded.
* September 13
** Albania officially withdraws from the Warsaw Pact upon the Soviet Union-led Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia, having already ceased to participate actively in Pact activity since 1962.
* September 17 – The D'Oliveira affair: The Marylebone Cricket Club tour of South Africa is cancelled when the South Africans refuse to accept the presence of Basil D'Oliveira, a Cape Coloured, in the side.
* September 21 – The Soviet's Zond 5 uncrewed lunar flyby mission returns to earth, with its first-of-a-kind biological payload intact.
* September 23 –
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: The
Tet Offensive
The Tet Offensive was a major escalation and one of the largest military campaigns of the Vietnam War. It was launched on January 30, 1968 by forces of the Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese People's Army of Vietnam (PAVN) against the forces o ...
comes to an end in
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
.
* September 27 – Marcelo Caetano becomes prime minister of Portugal.
* September 29 – A referendum in Greece gives more power to the military junta.
* October 2 – Tlatelolco massacre: A student demonstration ends in bloodbath at La Plaza de las Tres Culturas in Tlatelolco (Mexico City), Tlatelolco, Mexico City, Mexico, 10 days before the inauguration of the 1968 Summer Olympics. 300-400 are estimated to have been killed.
* October 3 – In Peru, Juan Velasco Alvarado takes power in a revolution.
* October 8 –
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
– Operation Sealords: United States and
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
ese forces launch a new operation in the Mekong Delta.
* October 11
**
Apollo program: NASA launches ''Apollo 7'', the first crewed Apollo mission (Wally Schirra, Donn Eisele, Walter Cunningham). Mission goals include the first live television broadcast from orbit and simulating lunar module rendezvous and docking, using the S-IVB rocket stage as a test target.
** In Panama, a military ''coup d'état'', led by Col. Boris Martinez and Col. Omar Torrijos, overthrows the democratically elected (but highly controversial) government of President Arnulfo Arias. Within a year, Torrijos ousts Martinez and takes charge as de facto Head of Government in Panama.
* October 12–October 27, 27 – The Games of the XIX Olympiad are held in Mexico City, Mexico.
* October 12 – Equatorial Guinea receives its independence from Spain.
* October 14
**
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: The United States Department of Defense announces that the United States Army and United States Marines will send about 24,000 troops back to
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
for involuntary second tours.
* October 16
** In Mexico City, African-American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos raise their fists in a 1968 Olympics Black Power salute, black power salute after winning, respectively, the gold and bronze medals in the Olympic men's 200 metres.
** Kingston, Jamaica is rocked by the Rodney Riots, provoked by the banning of Walter Rodney from the country.
* October 18 – US athlete Bob Beamon breaks the long jump world record by 55 cm / 21 ins at the 1968 Summer Olympics, Olympics in Mexico City. His record stands for 23 years, and is still the second longest jump in history.
* October 25 – Led Zeppelin make their first live performance, at Surrey University in England
* October 31 –
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: Citing progress in the Paris peace talks, U.S. President
Lyndon B. Johnson announces to the nation that he has ordered a complete cessation of "all air, naval, and artillery bombardment of North Vietnam" effective November 1.
November–December
* November 5
** 1968 United States presidential election: Republican Party (United States), Republican candidate
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon (January 9, 1913April 22, 1994) was the 37th president of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as a representative and senator from California and was ...
defeats the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic candidate, Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and American Independent Party candidate George Wallace.
** Luis A. Ferré, of the newly formed New Progressive Party (Puerto Rico), New Progressive Party is elected Governor of Puerto Rico, by beating incumbent governor Roberto Sánchez Vilella of the People's Party (Puerto Rico), People's Party, Luis Negrón López of the Popular Democratic Party (Puerto Rico), Popular Democratic Party and Antonio J. Gonzalez of the Puerto Rican Independence Party, he also becomes the first "statehooder" governor of the Island.
* November 11 – A second republic is declared in the Maldives.
* November 15 –
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
: Operation Commando Hunt is initiated to interdict men and supplies on the Ho Chi Minh trail, through Laos into
South Vietnam
South Vietnam, officially the Republic of Vietnam ( vi, Việt Nam Cộng hòa), was a state in Southeast Asia that existed from 1955 to 1975, the period when the southern portion of Vietnam was a member of the Western Bloc during part of th ...
. By the end of the operation, 3 million tons of bombs are dropped on Laos, slowing but not seriously disrupting trail operations.
* November 17
** British European Airways introduces the BAC One-Eleven into commercial service.
** The Heidi Game: NBC cuts off the final 1:05 of an Oakland Raiders–New York Jets football game to broadcast the pre-scheduled ''Heidi (1968 film), Heidi''. Fans are unable to see Oakland (which had been trailing 32–29) score 2 late touchdowns to win 43–32; as a result, thousands of outraged football fans flood the NBC switchboards to protest.
* November 19 – In Mali, President Modibo Keïta's regime is overthrown in a bloodless military coup led by Moussa Traoré.
* November 20 – The Farmington Mine disaster in Farmington, West Virginia, kills seventy-eight men.
* November 24 – 4 men Aircraft hijacking, hijack Pan Am Flight 281 from JFK International Airport, New York to Havana, Cuba.
* December 9 – Douglas Engelbart publicly demonstrates his pioneering hypertext system, NLS (computer system), NLS, in San Francisco, together with the computer mouse, at what becomes retrospectively known as "The Mother of All Demos".
* December 10 – Japan's biggest heist, the never-solved "300 million yen robbery", occurs in Tokyo.
* December 11
** The film ''Oliver! (film), Oliver!'' based on the hit London and Broadway theatre, Broadway musical, opens in the U.S. after being released first in the UK. It goes on to win the Academy Award for Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Picture.
* December 13 – Prompted by growing unrest and a perceived proliferation of "pro-communist" violent actions,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian President of Brazil, president Artur da Costa e Silva enacts the so-called AI-5, the fifth of a series of non-constitutional emergency decrees allegedly to help "stabilize" the country after the turmoils of the early 1960s.
* December 22 – Mao Zedong advocates that educated urban youth in China be sent for re-education in the Rural area, countryside. It marks the start of the Down to the Countryside Movement, "Up to the mountains and down to the villages" movement.
* December 24 –
Apollo program: The crewed U.S. spacecraft Apollo 8 enters orbit around the Moon. Astronauts Frank Borman, Jim Lovell and William Anders become the first humans to see the Far side (Moon), far side of the Moon and planet Earth as a whole, as well as having traveled further away from Earth than any people in history. Anders photographs ''Earthrise''. The crew also give a Apollo 8 Genesis reading, reading from the Book of Genesis.
* December 28 – Israeli forces fly into Lebanon, Lebanese airspace, launching 1968 Israeli raid on Lebanon, an attack on the airport in Beirut and destroying more than a dozen aircraft.
Dates unknown
* The Khmer Rouge is officially formed in Cambodia as an offshoot movement of the Vietnam People's Army from North Vietnam to bring communism to the nation. A few years later, they will become bitter enemies.
* La Maestra, a Latin American play is written by Enrique Buenaventura.
* An oil field is confirmed in Northern Alaska: the Prudhoe Bay Oil Field.
* Midea Group, a well-known home appliance worldwide, founded in Guangdong Province, China.
Births
January
* January 1 – Davor Šuker, Croatian footballer
* January 2
**Violet Berlin, British presenter and script writer
**Cuba Gooding Jr., African-American actor
* January 3 – Matheus Nachtergaele, Brazilian actor and director
*
January 5
Events Pre-1600
*1477 – Battle of Nancy: Charles the Bold is defeated and killed in a conflict with René II, Duke of Lorraine; Duchy of Burgundy, Burgundy subsequently becomes part of France.
1601–1900
*1675 – Battle of Turckh ...
** DJ BoBo, Swiss singer, songwriter and dancer
** Andrzej Gołota, Polish boxer
** Carrie Ann Inaba, American choreographer, game show host and singer
* January 6
** Blanca Eekhout, Venezuelan politician
** John Singleton, African-American film director and writer (d. 2019)
* January 8 – James Brokenshire, British politician (d. 2021)
* January 11 – Benjamin List, German organic chemist, recipient of Nobel Prize in Chemistry
* January 12 – Rachael Harris, American actress and comedian
* January 13 – Pat Onstad, Canadian footballer
* January 14 – LL Cool J, African-American rapper and actor
*
January 15
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
* 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...
– Chad Lowe, American actor and director
* January 16
** Stephan Pastis, American cartoonist
** Atticus Ross, English musician, songwriter, record producer and audio engineer
* January 17 – Svetlana Masterkova, Russian athlete
*
January 21
Events Pre-1600
* 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa.
* 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Co ...
– Charlotte Ross, American actress
* January 22 – Guy Fieri, American chef
* January 24
** Michael Kiske, German musician
** Mary Lou Retton, American gymnast
* January 26
** Eric Davis (American football), Eric Davis, American football player
** Novala Takemoto, Japanese author and fashion designer
* January 27 – Mike Patton, American singer
*
January 28
Events Pre-1600
* 98 – On the death of Nerva, Trajan is declared Roman emperor in Cologne, the seat of his government in lower Germany.
* 814 – The death of Charlemagne, the first Holy Roman Emperor, brings about the accession o ...
– Sarah McLachlan, Canadian singer
* January 29 – Edward Burns, American actor
*
January 30
Events Pre-1600
*1018 – Poland and the Holy Roman Empire conclude the Peace of Bautzen.
*1287 – King Wareru founds the Hanthawaddy Kingdom, and proclaims independence from the Pagan Kingdom.
1601–1900
*1607 – An estimated ...
– King Felipe VI of Spain
February
*
February 1
Events Pre-1600
* 1327 – The teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Isabella and her lover Roger Mortimer.
* 1411 – The First Peace of Thorn is signed in Thorn (Toruń), Mon ...
** Lisa Marie Presley, American singer
** Mark Recchi, Canadian ice hockey player
** Pauly Shore, American actor
* February 3
** David Scarboro, English actor (d. 1988)
** Vlade Divac, Serbian basketball player
** Marwan Khoury, Lebanese singer and composer
* February 5
** Roberto Alomar, American baseball player
** Marcus Grönholm, Finnish rally driver
** Qasim Melho, Syrian television actor
* February 7
** Peter Bondra, Slovakian ice hockey player
** Porntip Nakhirunkanok, Miss Universe 1988
* February 8
** Gary Coleman, African-American actor (d. 2010)
** April Stewart, American voice actress
* February 10
** Laurie Foell, New Zealand/Australian actress
** Atika Suri, Indonesian television newscaster
* February 11
** Lavinia Agache, Romanian artistic gymnast
** Mo Willems, American children's book author
*
February 12
Events Pre-1600
*1404 – The Italian professor Galeazzo di Santa Sophie performed the first post-mortem autopsy for the purposes of teaching and demonstration at the Heiligen–Geist Spital in Vienna.
*1429 – English forces under ...
– Josh Brolin, American actor
* February 13
** Kelly Hu, American actress, voice artist, former fashion model and beauty queen
** Niamh Kavanagh, Irish singer, Eurovision Song Contest 1993 winner
* February 14 – Jules Asner, American model and television personality
* February 15 – Gloria Trevi, Mexican singer and actress
*
February 18
Events Pre-1600
* 1229 – The Sixth Crusade: Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor, signs a ten-year truce with al-Kamil, regaining Jerusalem, Nazareth, and Bethlehem with neither military engagements nor support from the papacy.
* 1268 &ndas ...
** Molly Ringwald, American actress
** Dennis Satin, German film director
* February 21 – Pellom McDaniels, American football player (d. 2020)
* February 22
** Bradley Nowell, American musician (d. 1996)
** Jeri Ryan, American actress
*
February 24
Events Pre-1600
* 484 – King Huneric of the Vandals replaces Nicene bishops with Arian ones, and banishes some to Corsica.
* 1303 – The English are defeated at the Battle of Roslin, in the First War of Scottish Independence.
* 13 ...
** Andy Berman, American actor, director, producer, writer, voice artist, and comedian
** Mitch Hedberg, American stand-up comedian (d. 2005)
* February 29 – Sam Sneed, American producer and rapper
March
* March 1
** Kat Cressida, American voice actress
** Kunjarani Devi, Indian weightlifter
** Muho Noelke, German Zen master
*
March 2
Events Pre-1600
* 537 – Siege of Rome: The Ostrogoth army under king Vitiges begins the siege of the capital. Belisarius conducts a delaying action outside the Flaminian Gate; he and a detachment of his ''bucellarii'' are almost cut o ...
– Daniel Craig, British actor
* March 3 – Brian Leetch, American ice hockey player
* March 4
** Giovanni Carrara, Venezuelan Major League Baseball player
** Patsy Kensit, British actress
* March 5
** Gordon Bajnai, Hungarian Prime Minister
** Ambrose Mandvulo Dlamini, 10th Prime Minister of Eswatini (d. 2020)
*
March 6
** Moira Kelly, American actress
** :pt:Mara Maravilha, Mara Maravilha, Brazilian singer, songwriter, television presenter, actress and businesswoman
*
March 7
Events Pre-1600
* 161 – Marcus Aurelius and L. Commodus (who changes his name to Lucius Verus) become joint emperors of Rome on the death of Antoninus Pius.
* 1138 – Konrad III von Hohenstaufen was elected king of Germany at Cob ...
– Jeff Kent, American baseball player
*
March 11 – Lisa Loeb, American singer
*
March 12
Events Pre-1600
* 538 – Vitiges, king of the Ostrogoths ends his siege of Rome and retreats to Ravenna, leaving the city to the victorious Byzantine general, Belisarius.
* 1088 – Election of Urban II as the 159th Pope of the Cat ...
– Aaron Eckhart, American actor
*
March 13
Events Pre-1600
*624 – The Battle of Badr, the first major battle between the Muslims and Quraysh.
*1567 – The Battle of Oosterweel, traditionally regarded as the start of the Eighty Years' War.
*1591 – At the Battle of Tond ...
** Akira Nogami, Japanese professional wrestler
** Masami Okui, Japanese singer
*
March 14
Events Pre-1600
* 1074 – Battle of Mogyoród: Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeat their cousin Solomon, King of Hungary, forcing him to flee to Hungary's western borderland.
* 1590 – Battle of Ivry: Henry of Navarre and the Huguen ...
** Megan Follows, Canadian-American actress
** James Frain, British actor
* March 15
** Mark McGrath, American singer
** Terje Riis-Johansen, Norwegian politician
** Sabrina Salerno, Italian singer
*
March 16
** David MacMillan, Scottish-born organic chemist, recipient of Nobel Prize in Chemistry
** Trevor Wilson (basketball), Trevor Wilson, American basketball player
* March 20
** Carlos Almeida (athlete), Carlos Almeida, Cape Verdean long-distance runner
** Ultra Naté, American singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and promoter
*
March 22
Events Pre-1600
* 106 – Start of the Bostran era, the calendar of the province of Arabia Petraea.
* 235 – Roman emperor Severus Alexander is murdered, marking the start of the Crisis of the Third Century.
* 871 – Æthelr ...
**Euronymous, Norwegian musician (d. 1993)
* March 23
** Damon Albarn, English singer-songwriter and musician
** Mike Atherton, English cricketer
* March 26
** Kenny Chesney, American country music singer
** James Iha, American rock musician
* March 27 – Ben Koldyke, American actor
*
March 28
Events Pre-1600
* AD 37 – Roman emperor Caligula accepts the titles of the Principate, bestowed on him by the Senate.
* 193 – After assassinating the Roman Emperor Pertinax, his Praetorian Guards auction off the throne to Di ...
– Iris Chang, American author (d. 2004)
* March 29 – Lucy Lawless, New Zealand actress and singer
* March 30 – Celine Dion, Canadian singer
April
* April 1
** Julia Boutros, Lebanese singer
** Andreas Schnaas, German director
* April 5
** Paula Cole, American singer
** Stewart Lee, English stand-up comedian
*
April 7 – Jože Možina, Slovenian historian, sociologist and journalist
*
April 8
Events Pre-1600
* 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
* 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
*1139 – Ro ...
– Patricia Arquette, American actress
* April 12 – Ott (record producer), Ott, English musician and record producer
* April 13 – Jørn Stubberud, Norwegian musician
* April 14 – Anthony Michael Hall, American actor and singer
* April 15 – Stacey Williams, American model
* April 16
** Greg Baker, American actor and musician
** Martin Dahlin, Swedish football player
** Vickie Guerrero, American professional wrestler
* April 17
** Julie Fagerholt, Danish fashion designer
** Adam McKay, American film director, producer, screenwriter, comedian, and actor
* April 18 – David Hewlett, English-born Canadian actor, writer and director
* April 19 – Ashley Judd, American actress
*
April 20
** J. D. Roth, American television host
** Yelena Välbe, Russian cross-country skier
*
April 23
Events Pre-1600
* 215 BC – A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at Lake Trasimene.
* 599 – Maya king Uneh Chan of Calakmul attacks rival city-state Palenque in southe ...
– Timothy McVeigh, American terrorist (d. 2001)
* April 24
** Stacy Haiduk, American actress
** Jorge Medina, Bolivian civil rights activist and politician (d. 2022)
** Yuji Nagata, Japanese professional wrestler
* April 28 – Howard Donald, British singer (Take That)
* April 29
** Michael Herbig, German film director, actor and author
** Darren Matthews, English professional wrestler
May
* May 1 – Oliver Bierhoff, German footballer
*
May 2
** Jeff Agoos, American soccer player
** Hikaru Midorikawa, Japanese voice actor
*
May 3
** Nina Paley, American cartoonist
** Li Yong (television host), Chinese host (d. 2018)
* May 4
** Julian Barratt, English comedian, actor, musician and music producer
** Momoko Kikuchi, Japanese actress and singer
* May 5 – John Soko, Zambian footballer (d. 1993)
* May 7
** Eagle-Eye Cherry, Swedish-born musician
** Traci Lords, American actress
* May 8 – Mickaël Madar, French footballer
* May 9 – Marie-José Pérec, French athlete
* May 10 – Al Murray, English comedian
* May 12 – Tony Hawk, American skateboarder
*
May 13
Events Pre-1600
*1373 – Julian of Norwich has visions of Jesus while suffering from a life-threatening illness, visions which are later described and interpreted in her book '' Revelations of Divine Love''.
* 1501 – Amerigo Vespu ...
** Sonja Zietlow, German television presenter
** Scott Morrison, 30th Prime Minister of Australia
*
May 16
Events Pre-1600
* 946 – Emperor Suzaku abdicates the throne in favor of his brother Murakami who becomes the 62nd emperor of Japan.
*1204 – Baldwin IX, Count of Flanders is crowned as the first Emperor of the Latin Empire.
* 1364 ...
– Chingmy Yau, Hong Kong actress
*
May 17 – Constance Menard, French professional dressage rider
*
May 18
Events Pre-1600
* 332 – Emperor Constantine the Great announces free distributions of food to the citizens in Constantinople.
* 872 – Louis II of Italy is crowned for the second time as Holy Roman Emperor at Rome, at the age of 4 ...
– Vanessa Leggett, American freelance journalist, author, lecturer and First Amendment advocate
*
May 19 – Kyle Eastwood, American jazz bass musician
* May 20
** Timothy Olyphant, American actor
** Waisale Serevi, Fijian rugby player
*
May 22
Events Pre-1600
* 192 – Dong Zhuo is assassinated by his adopted son Lü Bu.
* 760 – Fourteenth recorded perihelion passage of Halley's Comet.
* 853 – A Byzantine fleet sacks and destroys undefended Damietta in Egypt.
* 11 ...
** Michael Kelly (American actor), Michael Kelly, American actor
** Graham Linehan, Irish television writer and director
* May 23 – John Ortiz, American actor
* May 24 – Charles De'Ath, English actor
* May 26 – Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
* May 27
** Jeff Bagwell, American baseball player
** Frank Thomas (AL baseball player), Frank Thomas, American baseball player
* May 28
** Kylie Minogue, Australian actress and singer
** Tetsu Nagasawa, Japanese footballer & manager
*
May 30
Events Pre-1600
* 70 – Siege of Jerusalem: Titus and his Roman legions breach the Second Wall of Jerusalem. Jewish defenders retreat to the First Wall. The Romans build a circumvallation, cutting down all trees within fifteen kilometres ...
– Zacarias Moussaoui, French-Moroccan 9/11 conspirator
June
* June 1 – Jason Donovan, Australian actor and singer
*
June 2
** Beetlejuice (entertainer), Beetlejuice, American entertainer, member of the Wack Pack (''The Howard Stern Show'')
** Jon Culshaw, English impressionist
*
June 4 – Scott Wolf, American actor
*
June 5
Events Pre-1600
*1257 – Kraków, in Poland, receives city rights.
*1283 – Battle of the Gulf of Naples: Roger of Lauria, admiral to King Peter III of Aragon, destroys the Neapolitan fleet and captures Charles II of Naples, Charles ...
– Sandra Annenberg, Brazilian newscaster, previously actress
* June 9 – Aleksandr Konovalov (politician, born 1968), Aleksandr Konovalov, Russian lawyer and politician
*
June 10
** Bill Burr, American comedian
** Nobutoshi Canna, Japanese voice actor
* June 14 – Yasmine Bleeth, American actress
*
June 20
Events Pre-1600
* 451 – Battle of Chalons: Flavius Aetius' battles Attila the Hun. After the battle, which was inconclusive, Attila retreats, causing the Romans to interpret it as a victory.
* 1180 – First Battle of Uji, starting ...
– Mateusz Morawiecki, Polish banker and politician, 17th Prime Minister of Poland
* June 24 – Boris Gelfand, Israeli chess grandmaster
* June 25 – Albert Fulivai, Tongan rugby league player
*
June 26
** Paolo Maldini, Italian football player
** Jovenel Moïse, 42nd President of Haiti (d. 2021)
** Iwan Roberts, Welsh footballer
* June 28
** Chayanne, Puerto Rican-American singer
** Adam Woodyatt, English actor
* June 29
** Theoren Fleury, Canadian ice hockey player
** Brian d'Arcy James, American actor and musician
* June 30 – Phil Anselmo, American heavy metal vocalist
July
* July 5
** Ken Akamatsu, Japanese Mangaka, manga artist
** Michael Stuhlbarg, American actor
** Darin LaHood, American attorney and politician
* July 6 – Rashid Sidek, Malaysian badminton player and coach
* July 7
** Jorja Fox, American actress
** Allen Payne, American actor
** Jeff VanderMeer, American writer
* July 8
** Billy Crudup, American actor
** Akio Suyama, Japanese Voice acting in Japan, voice actor
** Josephine Teo, Singaporean politician
** Michael Weatherly, American actor
* July 9 – Eduardo Santamarina, Mexican actor
* July 10 – Hassiba Boulmerka, Algerian athlete
* July 11 – Conrad Vernon, American voice actor and director
* July 13
** Robert Gant, American actor
** Omi Minami, Japanese voice actress
* July 14 – Samantha Gori, Italian basketball player
* July 15
** Leticia Calderón, Mexican actress
** Eddie Griffin, American actor and comedian
* July 16
** Dhanraj Pillay, Indian field hockey player
** Barry Sanders, American football player
** Olga de Souza, Brazilian-Italian singer, model and dancer
*
July 17
** Darren Day, British actor and TV presenter
** Beth Littleford, American actress and comedian
*
July 18
Events Pre-1600
* 477 BC – Battle of the Cremera as part of the Roman–Etruscan Wars. Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman army.
* 387 BC – Roman- Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia: A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, l ...
– Grant Bowler, New Zealand-born Australian actor
* July 19 – Robert Flynn, American vocalist and guitarist (Machine Head (band), Machine Head)
*
July 23
** Gary Payton, African-American basketball player
** Stephanie Seymour, American model and actress
* July 24
** Kristin Chenoweth, American soprano and actress
** Laura Leighton, American actress
** Troy Kotsur, American actor
*
July 25
Events Pre-1600
* 306 – Constantine I is proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops.
* 315 – The Arch of Constantine is completed near the Colosseum in Rome to commemorate Constantine I's victory over Maxentius at the Milvian Bridge. ...
– John Grant (musician), John Grant, American singer-songwriter
* July 27 – Julian McMahon, Australian actor
* July 30 – Robert Korzeniowski, Polish athlete
August
*
August 1 – Pavo Urban, Croatian photographer (d. 1991)
* August 3 – Rod Beck, American baseball player (d. 2007)
* August 4
** Lee Mack, English actor and stand-up comedian
** Olga Neuwirth, Austrian composer
*
August 5
Events Pre-1600
*AD 25 – Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty.
* 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are ...
** Marine Le Pen, French politician
** Colin McRae, Scottish rally car driver (d. 2007)
* August 7 – Lynn Strait, American musician (d. 1998)
* August 8 – Kimberly Brooks, American actress and voice artist
* August 9
** Gillian Anderson, American actress
** Eric Bana, Australian actor
** James Roy (writer), James Roy, Australian author
* August 12
** Pablo Rey, Spanish painter
** Paul Tucker (musician), Paul Tucker, English songwriter and record producer
** Kōji Yusa, Japanese voice actor
* August 14
** Catherine Bell (actress), Catherine Bell, American actress
** Darren Clarke, Northern Irish professional golfer
** Jason Leonard, English rugby player
* August 15 – Debra Messing, American actress
* August 17
** Ed McCaffrey, American football player
** Bruno van Pottelsberghe, Belgian economist
* August 20
** Klas Ingesson, Swedish footballer (d. 2014)
** Yuri Shiratori Japanese actress and singer
** Bai Yansong, Chinese host
* August 21
** Dina Carroll, British singer
** Stretch (rapper), Stretch, American rapper and record producer (d. 1995)
* August 23 – KK (singer), KK, Indian singer (d. 2022)
* August 24
** Shoichi Funaki, Japanese professional wrestler
** Hiroshi Kitadani, Japanese singer
** Tim Salmon, American baseball player
* August 25 – Rachael Ray, American television chef and host
* August 27 – Luis Tascón, Venezuelan politician (d. 2010)
* August 28
** Billy Boyd (actor), Billy Boyd, Scottish actor
** Tom Warburton, American animator
* August 31
** Valdon Dowiyogo, Nauruan politician and Australian football player
** Hideo Nomo, Japanese baseball player
September
* September 1
** Mohamed Atta, 9/11 ringleader of the hijackers and pilot of American Airlines Flight 11 (d. 2001)
** Atsuko Yuya, Japanese voice actress
* September 3 – Ray Coulthard, Raymond Coulthard, English actor
* September 4
** John DiMaggio, American voice actor and comedian
** Mike Piazza, American baseball player
* September 5 – Thomas Levet, French golfer
* September 7
** Marcel Desailly, French footballer
** Lucy Robinson (actress), Lucy Robinson, British actress
* September 9 – Julia Sawalha, English actress
* September 10
** Big Daddy Kane, American hip-hop artist
** Guy Ritchie, British film director
* September 11
** Kay Hanley, American musician
** Tetsuo Kurata, Japanese actor
* September 13 – Laura Cutina, Romanian artistic gymnast
* September 15 – Danny Nucci, American actor
* September 16 – Marc Anthony, American actor and singer
* September 17
** Anastacia, American singer-songwriter
** Tito Vilanova, Spanish football manager (d. 2014)
* September 18 – Toni Kukoč, Croatian basketball player
* September 20
** Philippa Forrester, British TV presenter
** Van Jones, African-American author
** Leah Pinsent, Canadian actress
* September 21
** Lisa Angell, French singer
** Kevin Buzzard, British mathematician
** Ricki Lake, American actress, producer, and television presenter
* September 22
** Megan Hollingshead, American voice actress
** Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, 62nd Prime Minister of Romania
* September 23
** Yvette Fielding, English television presenter
** Michelle Thomas, American actress (d. 1998)
* September 25
** Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, (d. 2013)
** John A. List, American economist
** Will Smith, African-American actor and rapper
* September 26
** James Caviezel, American actor
** Michelle Meldrum, American guitarist (d. 2008)
** Tricia O'Kelley, American actress
** Ben Shenkman, American television, film and stage actor
* September 27
** Mari Kiviniemi, 62nd Prime Minister of Finland
** Paul Rudish, American voice actor and animator
* September 28
** Mika Häkkinen, Finnish double Formula 1 world champion
** Naomi Watts, British actress and film producer
* September 29
** Patrick Burns (paranormal investigator), Patrick Burns, American paranormal investigator and television personality
** Alex Skolnick, American jazz/heavy metal guitarist
** Samir Soni, Indian film and TV actor
October
* October 1
** Mark Durden-Smith, British television presenter
** Jay Underwood, American actor
* October 2
** Lucy Cohu, English actress
** Victoria Derbyshire, English broadcast presenter
** Jana Novotná, Czech tennis player (d. 2017)
* October 3 – Paul Crichton, English footballer
* October 7
** Luminița Anghel, Romanian dance/pop recording artist, songwriter, television personality and politician
** Thom Yorke, British singer-songwriter
* October 8
** Daniela Castelo, Argentine journalist (d. 2011)
** Emily Procter, American actress
* October 9
** Troy Davis, American high-profile death row inmate and human rights activist (d. 2011)
** Pete Docter, American animator, director
* October 10
** Bart Brentjens, Dutch mountainbiker
** Feridun Düzağaç, Turkish rock singer-songwriter
* October 11
** Tiffany Grant, American voice actress
** Jane Krakowski, American actress
** Brett Salisbury, American football quarterback
* October 12
** Paul Harragon, Australian rugby league player
** Hugh Jackman, Australian actor, singer, and producer
* October 13
** Preet Bharara, Indian-American politician
** Tisha Campbell-Martin, American actress and singer
* October 14
** Matthew Le Tissier, English footballer
* October 15
** Didier Deschamps, French footballer
** Jyrki 69, Finnish singer
** Vanessa Marcil, American actress
* October 20 – Damien Timmer, British joint-managing director, television producer, television executive producer
* October 22 – Shaggy (musician), Shaggy, Jamaican singer
* October 24 – Mark Walton (story artist), Mark Walton, American story artist, actor
* October 27 – Alain Auderset, Swedish writer
* October 28 – Juan Orlando Hernández, 55th President of Honduras
* October 29 – Tsunku, Japanese singer, music producer and song composer
* October 30
** Moira Quirk, English actress and voice actress
** Jack Plotnick, American film and television actor, writer, and producer
November
<---->
* November 1 – Silvio Fauner, Italian cross-country skier
* November 4
** Lee Germon, New Zealand cricketer
** Daniel Landa, Czech composer, singer and actor
** Miles Long, American pornographic actor and film director, director
* November 5
** Mr. Catra, Brazilian musician (d. 2018)
** Sam Rockwell, American actor
** Seth Gilliam, African-American actor
**Penny Wong, Australian politician, Foreign Minister
* November 6 – Kelly Rutherford, American actress
* November 7 – Ignacio Padilla, Mexican writer (d. 2016)
* November 8
** Parker Posey, American actress
** Zara Whites, Dutch actress
* November 9 – Nazzareno Carusi, Italian classical pianist
* November 10 – Tracy Morgan, African-American actor and comedian
* November 12
**Kathleen Hanna, American musician and activist
** Aya Hisakawa, Japanese voice actress
** Sammy Sosa, Dominican Major League Baseball player
* November 13 – Pat Hentgen, American baseball player
* November 15
** Fausto Brizzi, Italian screenwriter and film director
** Ol' Dirty Bastard, American rapper (d. 2004)
* November 16 – Tammy Lauren, American actress
* November 18
** Barry Hunter (footballer), Barry Hunter, Northern Irish footballer and football manager
** Luizianne Lins, Brazilian politician
** Owen Wilson, American actor and comedian
* November 20
** Chew Chor Meng, Singaporean Chinese television actor
** John Trobaugh, American artist and photographer
* November 21 – Qiao Hong, Chinese table tennis player
* November 23 – Hamid Hassani, Iranian scholar
* November 24
** Phil Starbuck, former English association football, footballer
** Awie, Malaysian rock singer
** yukihiro (musician), yukihiro, Japanese musician
* November 25
** Tunde Baiyewu, British singer
** Jill Hennessy, Canadian actress
* November 27 – Michael Vartan, French actor
* November 29
** Hayabusa (wrestler), Eiji Ezaki, Japanese professional wrestler (d. 2016)
** Jonathan Knight, American singer
* November 30 – Rica Matsumoto, Japanese actress, voice actress and singer
December
* December 2
** Lucy Liu, American actress, voice actress, director, singer, dancer, model, and artist
** Rena Sofer, American actress
* December 3
** Brendan Fraser, Canadian-American actor
** Montell Jordan, American singer
* December 5 – Margaret Cho, American actress and comedian
* December 7 – Mark Geyer, Australian rugby league player
* December 9 – Kurt Angle, American amateur and professional wrestler, 1996 Summer Olympics, 1996 Olympic gold medalist
* December 11
** Emmanuelle Charpentier, French biochemist, recipient of Nobel Prize in Chemistry
** Monique Garbrecht-Enfeldt, German speed skater
** Eula Valdez, Filipino actress
* December 18 – Rachel Griffiths, Australian actress
* December 19 – Ken Marino, American actor and comedian
* December 21 – Khrystyne Haje, American actress
* December 22 – Dina Meyer, American actress
* December 23 – Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, American photographer
* December 24 – Choi Jin-sil, South Korean actress and model (d. 2008)
* December 25 – Helena Christensen, Danish model
* December 28 – Lior Ashkenazi, Israeli actor
* December 30 – Fabrice Guy, French Olympic skier
Unknown date
* Eleonora Requena, Venezuelan poet.
* Isadora Zubillaga, Venezuelan diplomat and activist.
Deaths
January
* January 4
** Armando Castellazzi, Italian footballer and manager (b. 1904)
** Joseph Pholien, Belgian politician, 37th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1884)
* January 6 – Karl Kobelt, 2-time President of the Swiss Confederation (b. 1891)
* January 7
** Gholamreza Takhti, Iranian wrestler (b. 1930)
** Mario Roatta, Italian general (b. 1887)
* January 9 – Kōkichi Tsuburaya, Japanese athlete (b. 1940)
*
January 10
Events Pre-1600
*49 BC – Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signalling the start of civil war.
* 9 – The Western Han dynasty ends when Wang Mang claims that the divine Mandate of Heaven called for the end of the dynasty and the be ...
** Ali Fuat Cebesoy, Turkish politician (b. 1882)
** Eben Dönges, acting Prime Minister of South Africa and elected President of South Africa (b. 1898)
*
January 15
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Otho seizes power in Rome, proclaiming himself Emperor of Rome, beginning a reign of only three months.
* 1541 – King Francis I of France gives Jean-François Roberval a commission to settle the province of ...
– Leopold Infeld, Polish physicist (b. 1898)
* January 16 – Bob Jones Sr., American evangelist, religious broadcaster, and founder of Bob Jones University (b. 1883)
* January 18 – John Ridgely, American actor (b. 1909)
*
January 21
Events Pre-1600
* 763 – Following the Battle of Bakhamra between Alids and Abbasids near Kufa, the Alid rebellion ends with the death of Ibrahim, brother of Isa ibn Musa.
* 1525 – The Swiss Anabaptist Movement is founded when Co ...
– Georg Dertinger, German politician (b. 1902)
* January 22
** Aleksandr Arbuzov, Russian chemist (b. 1877)
** Duke Kahanamoku, American Olympic swimmer (b. 1890)
* January 29 – Tsuguharu Foujita, Japanese-French painter and printmaker (b. 1886)
February
* February 4
** Eddie Baker, American actor (b. 1897)
** Neal Cassady, American author and poet (b. 1926)
* February 7 – Nick Adams (actor, born 1931), Nick Adams, American actor (b. 1931)
* February 10 – Pitirim Sorokin, Russian-American sociologist (b. 1889)
* February 11 – Howard Lindsay, American playwright (b. 1888)
* February 13
** Mae Marsh, American actress (b. 1894)
** Ildebrando Pizzetti, Italian composer (b. 1880)
* February 15 – Little Walter, American blues musician, singer, and songwriter (b. 1930)
* February 17 – Sir Donald Wolfit, English actor (b. 1902)
* February 19 – Georg Hackenschmidt, German strongman and professional wrestler (b. 1877)
* February 20 – Anthony Asquith, British director and writer (b. 1902)
* February 21 – Howard Florey, Australian-born pharmacologist, recipient of the Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine (b. 1898)
* February 22 – Peter Arno, American cartoonist (b. 1904)
*
February 25
Events Pre-1600
* 138 – Roman emperor Hadrian adopts Antoninus Pius as his son, effectively making him his successor.
* 628 – Khosrow II, the last great Shah of the Sasanian Empire (Iran), is overthrown by his son Kavadh II.
...
– Camille Huysmans, Belgian politician, 34th Prime Minister of Belgium (b. 1871)
* February 27
** Frankie Lymon, American singer (b. 1942)
** Hertha Sponer, German physicist and chemist (b. 1895)
* February 29 – Hugo Benioff, American seismologist (b. 1899)
March
*
March 6 – Joseph W. Martin Jr., American politician (b. 1884)
*
March 8 – Jerzy Braun (rower), Jerzy Braun, Polish athlete (b. 1911)
*
March 14
Events Pre-1600
* 1074 – Battle of Mogyoród: Dukes Géza and Ladislaus defeat their cousin Solomon, King of Hungary, forcing him to flee to Hungary's western borderland.
* 1590 – Battle of Ivry: Henry of Navarre and the Huguen ...
– Erwin Panofsky, German-Jewish art historian (b. 1892)
* March 15 – Khuang Aphaiwong, 4th Prime Minister of Thailand, country leader during World War II (b. 1902)
*
March 16 – Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Italian composer (b. 1895)
* March 20 – Carl Theodor Dreyer, Danish film director (b. 1889)
* March 23 – Edwin O'Connor, American journalist, novelist, and radio commentator (b. 1918)
*
March 24 – Alice Guy-Blaché, French filmmaker (b. 1873)
* March 27 – Yuri Gagarin, Soviet cosmonaut, first human in space (b. 1934)
March 30- American child actor, Bobby Driscoll (b. 1937)
April
* April 1 – Lev Landau, Russian physicist, Nobel Prize in Physics, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1908)
*
April 4
Events Pre-1600
* 503 BC – Roman consul Agrippa Menenius Lanatus celebrates a triumph for a military victory over the Sabines.
* 190 – Dong Zhuo has his troops evacuate the capital Luoyang and burn it to the ground.
* 611 – ...
–
**
Martin Luther King Jr., American civil rights leader, recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize (b. 1929)
** Assis Chateaubriand, Brazilian newspaper magnate (b. 1892)
*
April 7 –
Jim Clark
James Clark Jr. OBE (4 March 1936 – 7 April 1968) was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965. A versatile driver, he competed in sports cars, touring cars and in the Indianapol ...
, Scottish racing driver and double Formula One World Champion (b. 1936)
*
April 8
Events Pre-1600
* 217 – Roman emperor Caracalla is assassinated and is succeeded by his Praetorian Guard prefect, Marcus Opellius Macrinus.
* 876 – The Battle of Dayr al-'Aqul saves Baghdad from the Saffarids.
*1139 – Ro ...
– Harold D. Babcock, American astronomer (b. 1882)
* April 15 – Boris Lyatoshinsky, Ukrainian composer, conductor, and teacher (b. 1895)
* April 16
** Fay Bainter, American actress (b. 1893)
** Albert Betz, German physicist (b. 1885)
** Edna Ferber, American writer (b. 1885)
* April 24
** Tommy Noonan, American actor (b. 1921)
** Walter Tewksbury, American athlete (b. 1876)
* April 25 – Gunnar Andersen, Norwegian footballer and ski jumper (b. 1890)
*
April 26 – John Heartfield, German visual artist (b. 1891)
May
* May 5 – Albert Dekker, American actor (b. 1905)
* May 7 – Lurleen Wallace, American politician (b. 1926)
* May 9
** Finlay Currie, Scottish actor (b. 1878)
** Marion Lorne, American actress (b. 1883)
** Mercedes de Acosta, American poet, playwright, and novelist (b. 1892)
* May 10 – Scotty Beckett, American child actor (b. 1929)
* May 11 – Robert Burks, American cinematographer (b. 1909)
* May 14 – Husband E. Kimmel, American admiral (b. 1882)
* May 25 – Georg von Küchler, German field marshal and war criminal (b. 1881)
* May 26 – Little Willie John, American R&B singer (b. 1937)
* May 28
** Kees van Dongen, Dutch-French painter (b. 1877)
** Fyodor Okhlopkov, Soviet sniper (b. 1908)
June
* June 1 – Helen Keller, American activist and spokeswoman for the deaf and blind (b. 1880)
*
June 2 – R. Norris Williams, American tennis player (b. 1891)
*
June 4
** Dorothy Gish, American actress (b. 1898)
** Walter Nash, Sir Walter Nash, 27th Prime Minister of New Zealand (b. 1882)
* June 6
** Randolph Churchill, British politician, son of Winston Churchill (b. 1911)
**
Robert F. Kennedy
Robert Francis Kennedy (November 20, 1925June 6, 1968), also known by his initials RFK and by the nickname Bobby, was an American lawyer and politician who served as the 64th United States Attorney General from January 1961 to September 1964, a ...
, American lawyer and politician (United States Senator, U.S. Attorney General) (b. 1925)
*
June 7 – Dan Duryea, American actor (b. 1907)
* June 14
** Karl-Birger Blomdahl, Swedish composer (b. 1916)
** Salvatore Quasimodo, Italian writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1901)
* June 15
** Sam Crawford, American baseball player (b. 1880)
** Wes Montgomery, American jazz guitarist (b. 1923)
*
June 17
Events Pre-1600
* 653 – Pope Martin I is arrested and taken to Constantinople, due to his opposition to monothelitism.
* 1242 – Following the Disputation of Paris, twenty-four carriage loads of Jewish religious manuscripts were bur ...
– José Nasazzi, Uruguayan footballer (b. 1901)
* June 18 – Nikolaus von Falkenhorst, German general and war criminal (b. 1885)
* June 25 – Tony Hancock, English comedian and actor (b. 1924)
July
*
July 1
Events Pre-1600
* 69 – Tiberius Julius Alexander orders his Roman legions in Alexandria to swear allegiance to Vespasian as Emperor.
* 552 – Battle of Taginae: Byzantine forces under Narses defeat the Ostrogoths in Italy, and the ...
** Fritz Bauer, German judge and prosecutor (b. 1903)
** Virginia Weidler, American actress (b. 1927)
* July 2
** Zaki al-Arsuzi, Syrian philosopher, philologist, sociologist, and historian (b. 1899)
** Francis Brennan (cardinal), Francis Brennan, American cardinal (b. 1894)
* July 9
** Viktor Blinov, Russian ice hockey player (b. 1945)
** Alexander Cadogan, British diplomat (b. 1884)
* July 12 – José Bordas Valdez, 43rd President of the Dominican Republic (b. 1874)
* July 14 – Konstantin Paustovsky, Russian-Soviet writer (b. 1892)
* July 15 – Cai Chusheng, Chinese film director (b. 1906)
*
July 18
Events Pre-1600
* 477 BC – Battle of the Cremera as part of the Roman–Etruscan Wars. Veii ambushes and defeats the Roman army.
* 387 BC – Roman- Gaulish Wars: Battle of the Allia: A Roman army is defeated by raiding Gauls, l ...
– Corneille Heymans, Belgian physiologist, Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1892)
*
July 20 – Joseph Keilberth, German conductor (b. 1908)
* July 21 – Ruth St. Denis, American dancer (b. 1879)
* July 22 – Giovannino Guareschi, Italian journalist (b. 1908)
*
July 23
** Luigi Cevenini, Italian footballer and coach (b. 1895)
** Henry Hallett Dale, Sir Henry Dale, English pharmacologist and physiologist (b. 1875)
* July 27 – Lilian Harvey, Anglo-German actress and singer (b. 1906)
* July 28
** Otto Hahn, German chemist, discoverer of nuclear fission, Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1879)
** Ángel Herrera Oria, Spanish journalist, politician, cardinal and servant of God (b. 1886)
August
* August 3 – Konstantin Rokossovsky, Soviet officer, Marshal of the Soviet Union (b. 1896)
*
August 5
Events Pre-1600
*AD 25 – Guangwu claims the throne as Emperor of China, restoring the Han dynasty after the collapse of the short-lived Xin dynasty.
* 70 – Fires resulting from the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem are ...
– Luther Perkins, American guitarist (b. 1928)
* August 19 – George Gamow, Soviet-American theoretical physicist and cosmologist (b. 1904)
* August 25 – Stan McCabe, Australian cricketer (b. 1910)
* August 26 – Kay Francis, American actress (b. 1905)
* August 27
** Robert Z. Leonard, American film director (b. 1889)
** Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark (b. 1906)
* August 29 – Ulysses S. Grant III, American soldier and planner (b. 1881)
* August 30 – William Talman (actor), William Talman, American actor (b. 1915)
* August 31 – Dennis O'Keefe, American actor (b. 1908)
September
* September 3 – Juan José Castro, Argentine composer and conductor (b. 1895)
* September 7 – Lucio Fontana, Italian painter and sculptor (b. 1899)
* September 13 – Frank Barson, English footballer (b. 1891)
* September 17 – Armand Blanchonnet, French Olympic cyclist (b. 1903)
* September 18
** Franchot Tone, American actor (b. 1905)
** Francis McDonald, American actor (b. 1891)
* September 19
** Chester Carlson, American physicist, and inventor (b. 1906)
** Red Foley, American singer (b. 1910)
* September 23 – Pio of Pietrelcina, Italian Roman Catholic priest and saint (b. 1887)
* September 24 – Virginia Valli, American actress (b. 1898)
* September 28 – Norman Brookes, Sir Norman Brookes, Australian tennis champion (b. 1877)
October
* October 1 – Romano Guardini, Italian-German Catholic priest and theologian (b. 1885)
* October 2 – Marcel Duchamp, French artist (b. 1887)
* October 4
** Francis Biddle, American politician (b. 1886)
** Hitoshi Imamura, Japanese general (b. 1886)
* October 13
** Manuel Bandeira, Brazilian poet, literary critic, and translator (b. 1886)
** Bea Benaderet, American actress (b. 1906)
** John L. Hines, American general, Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army (b. 1868)
* October 15
** Franz Beyer (general), Franz Beyer, German general (b. 1892)
** Herbert Copeland, American biologist (b. 1902)
* October 18 – Lee Tracy, American actor (b. 1898)
* October 26 – Sergei Natanovich Bernstein, Russian and Soviet mathematician (b. 1880)
* October 27 – Lise Meitner, German-Austrian physicist, discoverer of nuclear fission (b. 1878)
* October 28 – Hans Cramer, German general (b. 1896)
* October 30
** Ramon Novarro, Mexican-born American actor (b. 1899)
** Conrad Richter, American writer (b. 1890)
November
* November 1 – Georgios Papandreou, 3-Time Prime Minister of Greece (b. 1888)
* November 6 – Charles Munch (conductor), Charles Munch, French conductor (b. 1891)
* November 7 – Alexander Gelfond, Soviet mathematician (b. 1906)
* November 8 – Wendell Corey, American actor (b. 1914)
* November 9
** Jan Johansson (jazz musician), Jan Johansson, Swedish jazz pianist (b. 1931)
** Gerald Mohr, American actor (b. 1914)
* November 11 – Jeanne Demessieux, French composer (b. 1921)
* November 14 – Ramón Menéndez Pidal, Spanish philologist and historian (b. 1869)
* November 15 – Charles Bacon, American athlete (b. 1885)
* November 16
** Augustin Bea, German cardinal (b. 1881)
** Carl Bertilsson, Swedish gymnast (b. 1889)
* November 17 – Mervyn Peake, English writer, artist, poet, and illustrator (b. 1911)
* November 18 – Walter Wanger, American film producer (b. 1894)
* November 20 – Helen Gardner (actress), Helen Gardner, American actress (b. 1884)
* November 25 – Upton Sinclair, American writer (b. 1878)
* November 26 – Arnold Zweig, German writer, pacifist and socialist (b. 1887)
* November 28 – Enid Blyton, English writer (b. 1897)
* November 30 – Charles Henry Bartlett, British cyclist (b. 1885)
December
* December 1
** Hugo Haas, Czech actor, director and writer (b. 1901)
** Darío Moreno, Turkish-Jewish polyglot singer, composer, lyricist, and guitarist (b. 1921)
* December 4 – Archie Mayo, American actor and director (b. 1891)
* December 5 – Fred Clark, American actor (b. 1914)
* December 9 – Enoch L. Johnson, American political boss and racketeer (b. 1883)
* December 10
** Karl Barth, German Protestant theologian (b. 1888)
** Thomas Merton, American author (b. 1915)
* December 12
** Tim Ahearne, Irish athlete (b. 1885)
** Tallulah Bankhead, American actress (b. 1902)
* December 18 – Giovanni Messe, Italian field marshal and politician (b. 1883)
* December 19 – Norman Thomas, American socialist (b. 1884)
* December 20
** Max Brod, Czech-born Israeli composer, writer and biographer (b. 1884)
** John Steinbeck, American writer, Nobel Prize in Literature, Nobel Prize laureate (b. 1902)
* December 30
** Trygve Lie, 1st United Nations Secretary General, Secretary General of the United Nations (b. 1896)
** Kirill Meretskov, Soviet military officer, Marshal of the Soviet Union (b. 1897)
* December 31 – George Lewis (clarinetist), George Lewis, American musician (b. 1900)
Date unknown
* Sami as-Solh, 5-Time Prime Minister of Lebanon (b. 1887)
Nobel Prizes
* Nobel Prize in Physics, Physics – Luis Walter Alvarez
* Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemistry – Lars Onsager
* Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Physiology or Medicine – Robert W. Holley, Har Gobind Khorana, Marshall W. Nirenberg
* Nobel Prize in Literature, Literature – Yasunari Kawabata
* Nobel Peace Prize, Peace – René Cassin
References
Further reading
* Sherman, Daniel J. et al. eds. ''The Long 1968: Revisions and New Perspectives'' (Indiana University Press; 2013) 382 pages; essays by scholars on the cultural and political impact of 1968 in France, Mexico, Northern Ireland, the United States, etc.
* Kurlansky, Mark. (2004). ''1968: The Year that Rocked the World''. London: Jonathan Cape.
* NPR
Echoes of 1968 report series.
1968 – The Year in SoundAn Audiofile produced by Lou Zambrana of WCBS Newsradio 880 (WCBS-AM New York) Part of WCBS 880's celebration of 40 years of newsradio.
* ''Time'', 40th Anniversary Special (2008). "1968: The Year That Changed the World."
* ''Newsweek''.
1968: The Year That Made Us Who We Are" November 19, 2007.
time.com, January 11, 1988.
Magnum Photos, Historic photos from 1968
BBC Radio 4 – 1968 Myth or Reality?– six months of 'news on this day' programmes and documentaries
Reflections on 1968Read people's memories of the year 1968. Minnesota Historical Society
External links
*
{{Authority control
1968,
Leap years in the Gregorian calendar