At A Glance

16 May 1962 at a glance

Day of the week
16 May 1962 was a Wednesday.
UK Number One
The UK Number One single was “Nut Rocker” by B. Bumble and the Stingers.
Top Film of 1962
The highest-grossing film worldwide released in 1962 was Lawrence of Arabia.
Star sign
The star sign for 16 May is Taurus.
Chinese zodiac
In the Chinese zodiac, 16 May 1962 fell in the Year of the Tiger.
Birthstone
The birthstone for May is Emerald.
Moon phase
The moon phase on 16 May 1962 was Waxing Gibbous.

On this day: 16 May

  • 1959 The Tritons' Fountain in Valletta, Malta is turned on for the first time.
  • 1960 Theodore Maiman operates the first optical laser (a ruby laser), at Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California.
  • 1961 Park Chung Hee leads a coup d'état to overthrow the Second Republic of South Korea.
  • 1966 The Chinese Communist Party issues the "May 16 Notice", marking the beginning of the Cultural Revolution.
  • 1969 Venera program: Venera 5, a Soviet space probe, lands on Venus.

Famous people born on 16 May

  • Pierce Brosnan, Irish-American actor and producer (born 1953)
  • Melanie Lynskey, New Zealand actress (born 1977)
  • Megan Fox, American actress (born 1986)
  • Janet Jackson, American singer-songwriter and actress (born 1966)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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

Events of 1962 in the United Kingdom

A selection from Wikipedia's '1962 in the United Kingdom'. Not a complete list.

  • 2 January – BBC Television broadcasts the first episode of Z-Cars, noted as a realistic portrayal of the police force.
  • 14 June – BBC Television broadcasts the first episode of the sitcom Steptoe and Son, written by Galton and Simpson.
  • 12 July – The Rolling Stones make their debut at London's Marquee Club, Number 165 Oxford Street, opening for Long John Baldry.

Life in 1962

Prime Minister

Harold Macmillan

Monarch

Elizabeth II

Pint of Beer

12p

Loaf of Bread

7p

Average House

£2,670

Weekly Wage

£15.60

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 →