At A Glance

20 August 1968 at a glance

Day of the week
20 August 1968 was a Tuesday.
Australian No. 1 (Kent retrospective)
“The Orange and the Green / Whiskey on a Sunday” by The Irish Rovers was No. 1 on David Kent's retrospective Australian chart. This chart was compiled later by David Kent from radio station charts.
Top Film of 1968
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1968 was 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Star sign
The star sign for 20 August is Leo.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 20 August 1968 fell in the Year of the Monkey.
Birthstone
The birthstone for August is Peridot.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 20 August 1968 was Waning Crescent.

On this day: 20 August

  • 1960 Senegal breaks from the Mali Federation, declaring its independence.
  • 1962 The NS Savannah, the world's first nuclear-powered civilian ship, embarks on its maiden voyage.
  • 1968 Cold War: Warsaw Pact troops invade Czechoslovakia, crushing the Prague Spring. East German participation is limited to a few specialists due to memories of the recent war. Only Albania and Romania refuse to participate.
  • 1975 Viking program: NASA launches the Viking 1 planetary probe toward Mars.
  • 1977 Voyager program: NASA launches the Voyager 2 spacecraft.

Famous people born on 20 August

  • Andrew Garfield, American-English actor (born 1983)
  • Amy Adams, American actress (born 1974)
  • Demi Lovato, American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1992)
  • Ke Huy Quan, Vietnamese-American actor (born 1971)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Choose your country: the charts, news and leaders change to match.

Events of 1968 in Australia

A selection from Wikipedia's '1968 in Australia'. Not a complete list.

  • 31 January – The Australian-administered United Nations trust territory of Nauru became independent, in accordance with the provisions of the Nauru Independence Act 1967.
  • 17 April – A state election is held in South Australia. Steele Hall (Liberal and Country League) defeats Don Dunstan (ALP), and becomes Premier of South Australia.
  • 1 May – The Duke of Edinburgh arrives in Australia for a ten-day visit.
More events of 1968 →Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Life in Australia in 1968

Prime Minister

John Gorton

Monarch

Queen Elizabeth II

Petrol (per litre)

$0.06

Loaf of Bread

$0.17

Average House

$9,000

Weekly Wage

$40.00

Or

Browse by Year

The 1940s
1940194119421943194419451946194719481949
The 1950s
1950195119521953195419551956195719581959
The 1960s
1960196119621963196419651966196719681969
The 1970s
1970197119721973197419751976197719781979
The 1980s
1980198119821983198419851986198719881989
The 1990s
1990199119921993199419951996199719981999
The 2000s
2000200120022003200420052006200720082009
The 2010s
2010201120122013201420152016201720182019
The 2020s
20202021202220232024

Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

Well-known people born in the same decade as you, not on your birthday.

Nicole Kidman20 June 1967Actress & producerView their day →Hugh Jackman12 October 1968Actor & singerView their day →Simon Baker30 July 1969Actor & directorView their day →Steve Irwin22 February 1962Zookeeper & conservationistView their day →Kylie Minogue28 May 1968Singer & actressView their day →Cate Blanchett14 May 1969Actor & producerView their day →Guy Pearce5 October 1967ActorView their day →Eric Bana9 August 1968ActorView their day →

Sources: Wikidata and Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

About The Day You Were Born

Ever wondered what was happening in the world when you took your first breath? Our birthday lookup tool reveals the fascinating history of your special day.

About The Birthday Chronicle and where our data comes from →