What happened in 1964
92 entries recorded for 1964, listed by date. That was 62 years ago.
1964 at a glance
- Years ago
- 62 (as of 2026)
- Century
- 20th century
- Decade
- 1960s
- Generation born
- Baby Boomers
- Entries here
- 92
- Breakdown
- 92 historical events
January
- January 9
Martyrs' Day (Panama)
Martyrs' Day: Several Panamanian youths try to raise the Panamanian flag in the U.S.-controlled Panama Canal Zone, leading to fighting between U.S. military and Panamanian civilians.
- January 11
Smoking and Health
In a landmark report (cover pictured), U.S. surgeon general Luther Terry issued a warning that tobacco smoking may be hazardous to health, concluding that it has a causative role in lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, and other illnesses.
- January 11
Surgeon General of the United States
Surgeon General of the United States Dr. Luther Terry, M.D., publishes the landmark report Smoking and Health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General of the Public Health Service saying that smoking may be hazardous to health, sparking national and worldwide anti
- January 12
Jamshid bin Abdullah
Sultan Jamshid bin Abdullah was overthrown by rebels led by John Okello, ending 200 years of Arab dominance in Zanzibar.
- January 16
Hello, Dolly! (musical)
The musical Hello, Dolly! opened at the St. James Theatre on Broadway, and went on to win ten Tony Awards, a record that stood for 37 years.
- January 23
Twenty-fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, prohibiting the use of poll taxes in national elections, is ratified.
- January 28
United States Air Force
An unarmed United States Air Force T-39 Sabreliner on a training mission is shot down over Erfurt, East Germany, by a Soviet MiG-19.
- January 28
North American Sabreliner
Three U.S. Air Force pilots aboard an unarmed T-39 Sabreliner were killed when the aircraft was shot down over Erfurt, East Germany, by a Soviet MiG-19.
- January 30
Nguyễn Khánh
In a bloodless coup, Nguyễn Khánh overthrew Dương Văn Minh's military junta in South Vietnam, less than three months after Minh's own coup.
February
- February 9
The Beatles
The Beatles make their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, performing before a record-setting audience of 73 million viewers across the United States.
- February 9
Beatlemania
As Beatlemania swept the United States, the Beatles (pictured) made their first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show before a record-breaking audience, beginning a musical phenomenon known as the British Invasion.
- February 10
Melbourne–Voyager collision
Melbourne–Voyager collision: The aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne collides with and sinks the destroyer HMAS Voyager off the south coast of New South Wales, Australia, killing 82.
- February 17
1964 Gabonese coup d'état
Gabonese military officers overthrew President Léon M'ba, but French forces, honouring a 1960 treaty, forcibly reinstated him two days later.
- February 27
Government of Italy
The Government of Italy asks for help to keep the Leaning Tower of Pisa from toppling over.
March
- March 1
Villarrica (volcano)
Villarrica Volcano begins a strombolian eruption causing lahars that destroy half of the town of Coñaripe.
- March 6
Nation of Islam
In a radio broadcast, Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad announced that American boxer Cassius Clay would change his name to Muhammad Ali (pictured).
- March 13
Murder of Kitty Genovese
Kitty Genovese was murdered in New York City, prompting research into the bystander effect due to the false story that neighbors witnessed the killing and did nothing to help her.
- March 14
Jack Ruby
Jack Ruby is convicted of killing Lee Harvey Oswald, the assassin who had shot and killed John F. Kennedy the previous year.
- March 19
March of the Family with God for Liberty
Between 300,000 and 500,000 Brazilians attended the March of the Family with God for Liberty (pictured), in protest against the government of João Goulart and against communism.
- March 20
European Space Agency
The precursor of the European Space Agency, ESRO (European Space Research Organisation) is established per an agreement signed on June 14, 1962.
- March 24
Royal assent
Royal assent was given to Prince Edward Island's Provincial Flag Act, which outlined the design of its provincial flag.
- March 30
Jeopardy!
Jeopardy!, the popular American game show created by Merv Griffin, made its debut on the NBC television network.
- March 31
Brazilian Armed Forces
The Brazilian Armed Forces overthrew President João Goulart, establishing a military dictatorship that lasted 21 years.
April
- April 7
Bruce W. Klunder
American Presbyterian minister Bruce W. Klunder was killed by a bulldozer while protesting the construction of a segregated school in Cleveland, Ohio.
- April 13
36th Academy Awards
At the Academy Awards, Sidney Poitier becomes the first African-American man to win the Best Actor award for the 1963 film Lilies of the Field.
- April 17
Jerrie Mock
Jerrie Mock completes the first around-the-world airplane flight by a woman. Her solo flight in the Spirit of Columbus, which took 29+1⁄2 days, took off and landed at the Port Columbus International Airport in Ohio.
- April 21
Transit (satellite navigation system)
A Transit-5bn satellite fails to reach orbit after launch; as it re-enters the atmosphere, 2.1 pounds (0.95 kg) of radioactive plutonium in its SNAP RTG power source is widely dispersed.
- April 25
Fun Lounge police raid
109 individuals were arrested in a police raid on a gay bar near Chicago.
- April 26
Tanganyika (1961–1964)
Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form Tanzania with Julius Nyerere as its first president.
May
- May 2
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: An explosion attributed to Viet Cong commandos caused the escort carrier USNS Card to sink in the port of Saigon.
- May 2
First ascent
First ascent of Shishapangma, the fourteenth highest mountain in the world and the lowest of the Eight-thousanders.
- May 5
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe declares May 5 as Europe Day.
- May 7
Pacific Air Lines Flight 773
Pacific Airlines Flight 773 is hijacked by Francisco Gonzales and crashes in Contra Costa County, California, killing 44.
- May 9
Ngô Đình Cẩn
Ngô Đình Cẩn, a younger brother and the confidant of South Vietnam's first president, Ngô Đình Diệm, was executed by Nguyễn Khánh's military junta.
- May 20
Discovery of cosmic microwave background radiation
Discovery of the cosmic microwave background radiation by Robert Woodrow Wilson and Arno Penzias.
June
- June 2
Palestine Liberation Organization
The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) is formed.
- June 10
Filibuster
United States Senate breaks a 75-day filibuster against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, leading to the bill's passage.
- June 11
Cologne school massacre
World War II veteran Walter Seifert attacks an elementary school in Cologne, Germany, killing at least eight children and two teachers, and seriously injuring several more, with a home-made flamethrower and a lance.
- June 19
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 is approved after surviving an 83-day filibuster in the United States Senate.
- June 20
Curtiss C-46 Commando
A Curtiss C-46 Commando crashes in the Shengang District of Taiwan, killing 57 people.
- June 21
Civil rights movement
Three civil rights workers, Andrew Goodman, James Chaney and Michael Schwerner, are murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi, United States, by members of the Ku Klux Klan.
- June 28
Malcolm X
Malcolm X forms the Organization of Afro-American Unity.
July
- July 2
Civil Rights Act of 1964
The Civil Rights Act was signed into law, outlawing segregation in schools, at the workplace, and other facilities that served the general public in the United States.
- July 2
Civil rights movement
Civil rights movement: U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 meant to prohibit segregation in public places.
- July 6
Malawi
Malawi declares its independence from the United Kingdom.
- July 27
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: Five thousand more American military advisers are sent to South Vietnam bringing the total number of United States forces in Vietnam to 21,000.
August
- August 4
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: The National Security Agency falsely claimed that a U.S. Navy destroyer (pictured) was attacked a second time by North Vietnamese vessels in the Gulf of Tonkin, leading Congress to authorize the use of military force.
- August 4
Civil rights movement
Civil rights movement: Civil rights workers Michael Schwerner, Andrew Goodman and James Chaney are found dead in Mississippi after disappearing on June 21.
- August 4
Gulf of Tonkin incident
Second Gulf of Tonkin Incident: U.S. destroyers USS Maddox and USS Turner Joy mistakenly report coming under attack in the Gulf of Tonkin.
- August 5
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: Operation Pierce Arrow: American aircraft from carriers USS Ticonderoga and USS Constellation bomb North Vietnam in retaliation for strikes against U.S. destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin.
- August 12
South Africa
South Africa is banned from the Olympic Games due to the country's racist policies.
- August 13
Murder of John Alan West
Peter Allen and Gwynne Evans are hanged for the murder of John Alan West becoming the last people executed in the United Kingdom.
- August 16
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: A coup d'état replaces Dương Văn Minh with General Nguyễn Khánh as President of South Vietnam. A new constitution is established with aid from the U.S. Embassy.
- August 18
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
East German Communist Party member Hildegard Trabant was killed while attempting to cross the Berlin Wall.
- August 27
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnamese junta leader Nguyễn Khánh enters into a triumvirate power-sharing arrangement with rival generals Trần Thiện Khiêm and Dương Văn Minh, who had both been involved in plots to unseat Khánh.
- August 27
South Vietnam
South Vietnamese junta leader Nguyễn Khánh entered into a triumvirate power-sharing arrangement with rival generals Trần Thiện Khiêm and Dương Văn Minh, both of whom had been involved in plots to unseat Khánh.
- August 28
1964 Philadelphia race riot
The Philadelphia race riot begins.
September
- September 4
Forth Road Bridge
Scotland's Forth Road Bridge near Edinburgh officially opens.
- September 5
Hurricane Cleo
Hurricane Cleo dissipated after causing 156 deaths, mainly in Haiti, and causing roughly US$187 million in damages across the Caribbean and southeastern United States.
- September 13
South Vietnam
South Vietnamese generals Lâm Văn Phát and Dương Văn Đức staged a coup attempt after being demoted by junta leader Nguyễn Khánh.
- September 13
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. addresses a crowd of 20,000 West Berliners on Sunday, in Waldbühne.
- September 13
Army of the Republic of Vietnam
South Vietnamese Generals Lâm Văn Phát and Dương Văn Đức fail in a coup attempt against General Nguyễn Khánh.
- September 18
Wedding of Constantine II and Princess Anne-Marie
The wedding of King Constantine II of Greece and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark took place in Athens.
- September 23
Typhoon Wilda (1964)
Typhoon Wilda, one of the strongest typhoons to ever strike Japan, makes landfall, causing at least 30 fatalities and sinking at least 64 ships.
- September 24
Warren Commission
The Warren Commission released its report to the U.S. president, concluding that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The report was made public three days later.
- September 25
Mozambican War of Independence
The Mozambican War of Independence against Portugal begins.
- September 27
BAC TSR-2
The British Aircraft Corporation TSR-2, an advanced Cold War tactical strike and reconnaissance aircraft that was later cancelled, made its maiden flight.
- September 29
Mafalda
Mafalda, a popular comic strip by Quino, was first published in newspapers in Argentina.
October
- October 1
Free Speech Movement
The Free Speech Movement was launched at the University of California, Berkeley, when a crowd of 3,000 students prevented police from transporting Jack Weinberg away after his arrest.
- October 14
Politburo of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union
Members of the Politburo voted to remove Nikita Khrushchev as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and replace him with Leonid Brezhnev.
- October 16
Project 596
With the success of Project 596, China became the world's fifth nuclear power.
- October 17
Robert Menzies
Prime Minister Robert Menzies inaugurated the artificial Lake Burley Griffin (pictured) in the centre of the Australian capital Canberra.
- October 22
Jean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Sartre is awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, though he does not accept the prize.
- October 22
Ian Fleming
The first volume of Ian Fleming's children's novel Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang was published posthumously.
- October 24
Dương Văn Đức
Charges in a military court against generals Dương Văn Đức and Lâm Văn Phát of leading a coup attempt against South Vietnamese leader Nguyễn Khánh, were dropped..
- October 24
Northern Rhodesia
Northern Rhodesia gains independence from the United Kingdom and becomes Zambia.
- October 27
Ronald Reagan
Actor Ronald Reagan delivered a speech on behalf of Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, launching his own political career, which culminated in him serving two full terms as U.S. president.
November
- November 2
Saud of Saudi Arabia
King Saud of Saudi Arabia is deposed by a family coup, and replaced by his half-brother Faisal.
- November 3
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson is elected to a full term as U.S. president, winning 61% of the vote and 44 states, while Washington D.C. residents are able to vote in a presidential election for the first time, casting the majority of their votes for Lyndon Johnson.
- November 4
Ruhollah Khomeini
Ruhollah Khomeini was arrested by SAVAK, the Iranian secret police, and exiled to Turkey.
- November 21
Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge
The Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, connecting Staten Island and Brooklyn in New York City, opened to traffic as the longest suspension bridge in the world at the time.
- November 28
Mariner program
Mariner program: NASA launches the Mariner 4 probe toward Mars.
- November 28
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: National Security Council members agree to recommend that U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson adopt a plan for a two-stage escalation of bombing in North Vietnam.
December
- December 5
Lloyd J. Old
Lloyd J. Old discovers the first linkage between the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and disease—mouse leukemia—opening the way for the recognition of the importance of the MHC in the immune response.
- December 5
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: For his heroism in battle earlier in the year, Captain Roger Donlon is awarded the first Medal of Honor of the war.
- December 12
Jomo Kenyatta
Jomo Kenyatta became the first president of the Republic of Kenya.
- December 14
Civil rights movement
American Civil Rights Movement: Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States: The Supreme Court of the United States rules that Congress can use the Constitution's Commerce Clause to fight discrimination.
- December 19
South Vietnam
The ruling junta of South Vietnam, led by Nguyễn Khánh, initiated a coup, dissolving the High National Council, a civilian advisory body.
- December 24
Viet Cong
The Viet Cong bombed the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, killing two U.S. Army officers and raising fears of an escalation of the Vietnam War.
- December 24
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: Viet Cong operatives bomb the Brinks Hotel in Saigon, South Vietnam to demonstrate they can strike an American installation in the heavily guarded capital.
- December 24
Flying Tiger Line Flight 282
Flying Tiger Line Flight 282 crashes after takeoff from San Francisco International Airport, killing three.
- December 28
Vietnam War
Vietnam War: Viet Cong regiments penetrated the eastern perimeters of the village of Bình Giã, beginning the Battle of Binh Gia.
Questions about 1964
What happened in 1964?
This site records 92 entries for 1964, including Martyrs' Day (Panama) on January 9. They are listed below by date.
How long ago was 1964?
62 years ago, counting from 2026. Anyone born in 1964 turns 62 this year.
Which century is 1964 in?
1964 falls in the 20th century, in the 1960s.
Which generation was born in 1964?
Baby Boomers (1946–1964). Born in the post-war birth surge.
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