At A Glance

12 April 1960 at a glance

Day of the week
12 April 1960 was a Tuesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “My Old Man's a Dustman” by Lonnie Donegan.
Top Film of 1960
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1960 was Swiss Family Robinson.
Star sign
The star sign for 12 April is Aries.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 12 April 1960 fell in the Year of the Rat.
Birthstone
The birthstone for April is Diamond.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 12 April 1960 was Full Moon.

On this day: 12 April

  • 1945 World War II: The U.S. Ninth Army under General William H. Simpson crosses the Elbe River astride Magdeburg, and reaches Tangermünde—only 80 kilometres from Berlin.
  • 1955 The polio vaccine, developed by Dr. Jonas Salk, is declared safe and effective.
  • 1961 Space Race: The Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human to travel into outer space and perform the first crewed orbital flight, Vostok 1.
  • 1970 Soviet submarine K-8, carrying four nuclear torpedoes, sinks in the Bay of Biscay four days after a fire on board.
  • 1980 The Americo-Liberian government of Liberia is violently deposed.

Famous people born on 12 April

  • Saoirse Ronan, American-born Irish actress (born 1994)
  • Claire Danes, American actress (born 1979)
  • Shannen Doherty, American actress, director, and producer (1971–2024)
  • Ed O'Neill, American actor and comedian (born 1946)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1960 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1960 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 20 March – Lonnie Donegan's single "My Old Man's a Dustman" reaches No. 1 in the UK charts.
  • 27 April – The first production of Harold Pinter's play The Caretaker takes place at the Arts Theatre in London.
  • 24 June – Avro 748 makes its first flight from Woodford.

Life in 1960

Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

11p

Loaf of Bread

7p

Average House

£2,530

Weekly Wage

£14.10

Or

Browse by Year

Famous Faces Born in the 1960s

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

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 →